HP finally peeled back some layers on its upcoming Windows 7-based slate, and it did so while subtly mocking Apple's iPad.
A video posted to HP's Voodoo blog shows a slim, iPad-like device, with a key distinction: It runs Flash. "With this slate product, you’re getting a full web browsing experience in the palm of your hand," Phil McKinney, vice president and chief technology officer for HP’s personal system group, wrote. "No watered-down internet, no sacrifices."
It's worth noting that HP's blog post appeared shortly after Apple aired iPad ads during the Oscars.
Two videos were also posted to YouTube. The first is a 30-second clip of the slate zooming through Web content, including Flash, set to techno music. There's also a more in-depth walkthrough with Alan Tam of Adobe product marketing, showing how the slate handles Flash and Air content.
Tam stresses how ubiquitous Flash has become, noting that 85 of the top 100 Web sites, as ranked by Alexa, use Adobe's content platform, as do 75 percent of all Web videos (a claim that probably requires a caveat: YouTube's Web site uses Flash, but it has an iPhone and iPad-friendly version). In any case, the point remains that HP slate users won't be restricted by what Apple chief executive Steve Jobs reportedly deemed to be a buggy platform not worth supporting.
As for the tablet's other features, HP still hasn't released full hardware specs, but the touch-friendly interface looks pleasurable to use, with big buttons for navigating to applications and Web content. The HP slate won't be the only tablet to run Flash, so it'll really come down to the user experience and hardware if you fancy the idea of tablets but want an alternative to Apple.
