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Will you buy HP's SlateBook X2 for Rs 40k?

Last updated on: July 22, 2013 17:08 IST

HP has recently launched its Android based convertible notebook/tablet the Slatebook X2 in India. The hybrid device will be available for 39,990 from the month of August.

Specs:

Processor: Quad core 1.8 Ghz
RAM: 2GB
GPU: Nvidia Tegra 4 chipset
Display: 10.1" ISP Display screen
Resolution: 1920x1200 pixels, 1080p full HD

HP's SlateBook X2 runs on Android 4.2.2, which definitely sounds pleasing as it is the latest version for the Android OS out there. In fact this is a significant score achieved on part of HP.

Also included as a bundle is the custom built file manager, plus HP's exclusive native printing capability that would let you print directly from most applications. Basically this saves you from the hassles of managing the cables.

The bundled software kit theat comes with SlateBook X2 also includes Kingsoft Office for editing office files. All in all, the OS/software section seems to have been taken well care of with SlateBook X2.

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Will you buy HP's SlateBook X2 for Rs 40k?

Last updated on: July 22, 2013 17:08 IST

Display

The IPS display screen is pretty decent and didn't disappoint; SlateBook X2 scores some good points largely due to its capability of delivering full HD 1080p display @1920x1200 pixels resolution. In today's times, the full HD capability tag certainly pulls in the crowd and is impossible to drop from your spec sheet.

The 10.1" screen size of SlateBook X2 means the resolution is pretty much justified as well.

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Will you buy HP's SlateBook X2 for Rs 40k?

Last updated on: July 22, 2013 17:08 IST

Design and build

Weighing in at about 1.4kg for the full notebook mode, and at about 0.8" thick, the SlateBook X2 looks to be well built and nicely designed.

The material used here is polycarbonate plastic. The edges have been kept smooth and tapered. The ergonomics certainly have been looked into.

Power and volume buttons are located on the back, lining the right and left-hand sides respectively.

All the connectivity ports on the SlateBook X2 run along its edge.

As advertised, the outstanding feature of SlateBook X2 is it can be converted into a notebook by using the bundled keyboard dock.

The Keyboard dock deserves a special mention.

As not only is it an essential and defining feature, it has been thoughtfully designed as well, as it comes with rich features like an inland/chiclet styled layout for the keys, a multi-touch gesture touchpad, and plethora of additional ports to assist with the smooth user experience.

The usual SD memory card slot, HDMI port, and the USB 2.0 port accompany the device.

One of the most useful feature embedded into the dock is that it has an extra battery in addition to the one included in SlateBook X2 as well, thus providing an additional/parallel power source in case the regular battery gets completely discharged or goes bust.

This definitely is thoughtful and will come in handy in the longer run.

HP claims that the battery life could stretch somewhere around 15 hours.

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Will you buy HP's SlateBook X2 for Rs 40k?

Last updated on: July 22, 2013 17:08 IST

The convertible Slatebook comes with a front facing 720p camera, and a 1080p rear camera for the enthusiast's delight. Another feature which will get most of the gadget freaks crooning for SlateBook X2 is the bundled 64GB SSD as storage device as well as the micro SD card slot included for the expansion, as it will definitely come in handy for the heavy users.

Slatebook X2 also features built in speakers and sports DTS sound support, which basically ensures a superlative audio experience.

The built is that of plastic, so an educated guess would be to keep the SlateBook light enough to lug it around, because for Rs 40k, the buyers surely can expect something better than a polycarbonate plastic built.

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Will you buy HP's SlateBook X2 for Rs 40k?

Last updated on: July 22, 2013 17:08 IST

Performance

Powered by the latest of the Quadcore 1.8 Ghz/ Nvidia Tegra 4 chipset/2GB RAM combo, SlateBook X2 is certainly fast and nippy. For the record, Nvidia claimed that the devices powered by the latest of the Tegra 4 chipset are likely to be twice as fast as the other top devices like the Google Nexus 10.

The touchpad proves to be a boon to be working with, and especially makes the navigating through the chores a breeze.

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Will you buy HP's SlateBook X2 for Rs 40k?

Last updated on: July 22, 2013 17:08 IST

Impressions

The Slatebook surely looks like a neatly built device. Slick and the way HP is offering the keyboard just like the Asus transformer series it seems like HP has been keeping a tab on what customers have been raving about.

SlateBook X2 is HP's second attempt at offering something in the tablet category (after the HP Slate 7 tablet), and even with seemingly stellar specs/features offered, the price tag of Rs 40k seems quite expensive.

Throwing in a plastic built and pricing SlateBook X2 at about Rs 40k seems just about criminal. Add to it the missing 3G mobile data support, non availability of a micro USB port, and a proprietary charger and you do have a few things to rant about.

We just might see HP bringing a price cut to make the product more enticing.

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