Tech Tools Review: HP Slate 8 Pro

Android tablets are common enough. Premium Android tablets are less so, but there’s still a good bit of competition for anyone who wants to venture into that market.

But the HP Pro Slate 8 has a very specific market in mind. Even if the name wasn’t a giveaway, everything from the aesthetics to the accessories makes it clear that this Android tablet is aiming at a more professional – commercial business – audience.

On the face of it, it’s a nice Android tablet. The high-res 7.9in screen is big enough for doing most things – working on documents, checking email or even watching a few videos – but the tablet is still compact enough to throw into a bag or slip into a large pocket.

It has a 4:3 aspect ratio. The metallic front and side casing gives it a premium look and feel, and while the rear casing feels more like plastic, it is easy to keep hold of.

Distractions are kept to a minimum. On the front, there are dual speakers; one side has subtle power and volume controls.

Overall, it’s a nice package.

The Slate comes with Lollipop installed, and with security and Android for Work features that make it a good option for business.

Powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor and with two-gigabyte RAM, it handles most tasks with relative ease.

But one of the key things that sets the Pro 8 apart from the competition is the pen. In one way the Duet Pen is old-school – it writes with regular ink – but the high-tech twist is that it will also allow you transfer those notes to the tablet. It’s a similar thing to the Livescribe pen, minus the audio recording, and without the need for special paper. How does it do it? Through ultrasonic sound. That means the tablet must be in a certain position in relation to the pen and paper, right alongside it without obstructions.

Using the tablet in the case makes this easier, as the included notebook is in the right position.

The Slate comes with two apps preinstalled that are compatible with the pen for note-taking and drawing, but you can also use the pen for selecting things on the screen.

There’s a choice of either 16 gigabytes or 32 gigabytes of storage space on board, but that can be expanded with a memory card of up to 32 gigabytes in size.

The good

The sleek look of the Pro Slate 8 makes it blend in with business tools, but the extra security and Android for Work features will probably lift this one above the other premium Android tablets. The Duet Pen, however, is probably the key selling point. Being able to digitise notes is useful in a range of industries – in fact, it’s even handy for your shopping list – and the lack of necessity for any special paper is a definite point in its favour.

The not so good

At €431 excluding VAT, the 16-gigabyte tablet is a bit on the pricey side when you compare it with consumer-oriented rivals. The Duet Pen is the extra here, but if you have no use for it the Pro Slate probably isn’t for you.

And if you are looking for a completely premium tablet, the rear of this tablet probably lets it down a little. HP describes it as “soft touch” but it just comes over as a bit plastic.

The rest

The Pro Slate 8 comes with two cameras, one two-megapixel front camera and a rear-facing eight-megapixel camera, so you can make Skype calls or send videos.

It’s also NFC-enabled so you can communicate quickly with other devices.

Verdict

The Pro Slate 8 has some useful features that make it stand out from the Android tablet glut.