Evaluating a particular tablet computer, we often see it as a platform for playing multimedia, gaming applications, surfing the Internet and communicating on social networks. For some reason, initially our attitude to the tablet was defined as a kind of toy that makes our life more diverse.
Meanwhile, there is a category of special, so-called professional devices that serve for specific purposes. Such gadgets are not so well known in wide circles, but they are actively used by those who know their work, who need not a universal solution, but some specific product.
Meet one of these is the HP Elitepad 900. In this article we will review the tablet, try to consider its strengths and weaknesses, and also highlight some specific features inherent in it.
Model view
Let's start with the general concept of the device. We have before us a business tablet HP Elitepad 900. The developers define it as such for the reason that the computer has special integrated software that is different from what can be found on other tablets. In particular, the computer operates on the basis of Windows 8, which allows us to talk about equipping it with products that will make the user’s work much easier and more convenient.
Positioning the device as a business-oriented product makes it possible to use the same approach for designing a device and its full development in a given way.
True, we will not go too far in this and other issues, but we will begin to fully characterize the HP Elitepad 900 tablet.
Design
Of course, the first thing we will describe is how the object of our review looks like what the user initially sees when acquiring it. In this regard, of course, the HP Elitepad 900 is not far behind.
The tablet is made in a strict aluminum case with rounded edges and dark inserts. Even without taking the device in hand, we can say that it looks quite expensive. The computer is very similar in shape and color to the Apple iPad, but the similarities between the devices end there.
The manufacturer claims that due to high-quality materials of the case, as well as carefully adjusted parts, it was possible to achieve moisture and dust protection of the tablet, as well as the ability to withstand shock in the event of a fall. Therefore, again, when working with the gadget, you can not worry about the safety of your data on it.
The layout of the HP Elitepad 900 (64Gb) is classic for a device with a horizontal orientation. The device is equipped with two external speakers on the bottom (closed with a steel mesh), next to which there is an input for the charger. On this occasion, I would like to note that this is an unusual microUSB for us, but a specific connector (which can lead to a deadlock if the owner of the device forgets his native charge while on the road).
On the left, if you hold the tablet horizontally, there is a “rocker” for changing the sound level, and on the top next to it is the Power button. The right side has a cap for the sockets where the memory card is installed, as well as a SIM card.
On the rear panel (in the upper part) there is a strip of dark color, effectively contrasting with the light surface of the device. It also has a camera eye and a flash.
Screen
The dimensions of the device’s display can be said to be ideal for work. So, with a diagonal of 10 inches, the tablet has a screen resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels, which allows you to create a colorful picture with high detail. The tablet can recognize up to 5 simultaneous touches.
Reviews from those who have already been fortunate enough to use the HP Elitepad 900 tablet indicate a high level of reaction of the device: the gadget in the literal sense reacts as quickly as possible to every touch, which is very convenient for work.
It should also be said about the protection provided for the display. So, according to the technical characteristics, the model has a special glass Gorilla Glass 2, which prevents the occurrence of scratches, chips and scuffs. This is not to say that this coverage is capable of 100% making the screen of your device invulnerable, but nevertheless, it will be able to survive some fraction of the damage.
Another advantage of the tablet are its wide viewing angles. This means that if you tilt the device, the picture on it will not change, but will remain as bright and colorful. This is provided by IPS technology, on which the screen functions.
Battery
The autonomy of any device (tablet for games or for work) plays a huge role in the whole experience of interaction. Let's just say: how long your device can work without recharging determines the level of satisfaction from working with it.
According to the manufacturer of the gadget, the HP Elitepad 900 is able to work for 10 hours without the need for a network connection. Of course, many of those who purchased the device wrote in the reviews to the device about this. The judgment turned out to be true, even with Wi-Fi turned on and non-stop operation, the device lasts 6-7 hours. By turning off the Internet access, you can certainly extend the work session by 2-3 hours.
True, this may not seem enough for those who value autonomy. Such users will like a special accessory - a case equipped with a battery. In fact, this is an additional battery that can give the device another 5-6 hours of operation.
CPU
For such a high-end tablet, you would need powerful enough hardware capable of quickly and smoothly reproducing the operation of the operating system and various application programs. Therefore, the device operates on the basis of Intel Atom Z2760 - a processor that has two cores with a clock frequency of 1.8 GHz. For work with office applications and basic work tasks, such power is enough; even if we talk about colorful games, then in this regard, the HP Elitepad 900 (3G) tablet will not let you down. The secret lies not only in processor performance, but also in optimizing its work with software. Only in this way can a similar result be achieved.
operating system
By the way, speaking of the software that the tablet runs on, it is necessary to mention Windows 8 in more detail. This is a product that was originally designed to work with mobile devices, as well as with PCs that support the touch screen as a control module. Today, however, a newer version of this OS is available, next to the one on the HP Elitepad 900 (Windows 10). It cannot be installed on the tablet we are describing, because the policy of the software development company does not allow such updates and transitions. The only thing is that it is possible to carry out an update within the framework of the G8. To do this, turn on the HP Elitepad 900, log in to Bios. If this is your first time doing this, we recommend consulting a specialist or taking the device to a service center.
In general, starting to work with the device, you will find yourself on the familiar Windows interface with windows, navigation elements, the bottom panel and tile applications. Everything is placed very conveniently and, most importantly, getting used to it is also quite simple. Do not worry about how difficult it is to get your finger across the window frame to carry out some actions: the interaction of the system and the sensor allows you to perform all the tasks very easily and simply, the tablet literally guesses what you want to do next. Therefore, we can summarize a little: the capabilities of Windows 8 can perfectly cope with any work task using office applications. Yes, drivers are not needed on the HP Elitepad 900: the tablet can function “out of the box”.
the Internet
In addition to working with Office-suite, Windows 8 also offers to use Internet Explorer software tools for accessing the Internet. Of course, on the tablet this browser is installed as the main and basic. You should not worry about its speed or convenience, on the contrary, by integrating this product into the general tablet system, it will be very easy for the user to switch between tasks, and at the same time will not distract from surfing.
So, access to the desktop by swiping to the right side from full screen mode. No delays or slowdowns - everything is intuitively simple and very fast.
Text
With text input on mobile devices, as always, there are a lot of problems. This is due to the lack of a physical keyboard and the availability of an exclusively on-screen version. Those who developed the HP Elitepad 900 32Gb tablet tried to solve this problem in several ways.
Firstly, it provides a choice of the type of keyboard with which the user would like to work. Without the need to go into the settings and spend too much time, you can simply choose the interface with which a person will be more comfortable working. Secondly, the developers made sure that the screen outside the keyboard was scaled, that is, presented in a more complete form than we see it on most modern devices. Thirdly, obviously, work has been done to determine what the tablet user is going to write. This probably helps the device guess which letter will be selected next.
Considering that all tools from the Microsoft Office suite are available on Windows 8, we can conclude that the tablet will make an excellent office tool on the go.
Communication
The gadget, in addition to all of the above, is mobile due to the ability to connect communication options. In particular, here, as already described above, there is a SIM card slot (the device is capable of catching a signal in 3G networks), as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules. These features are not new, today they can be found on any device. Nevertheless, they significantly expand the functionality of the tablet, making it a full-fledged access point to the Internet. And this is a completely new level of interaction, allowing, for example, to dump files from Office programs directly into the Skydrive cloud. And we still didn’t mention working with email clients and the ability to edit work files directly in Dropbox and Google Drive.
Camera
The tablet is equipped, as it has already become traditional, with two cameras: the main (for creating better pictures) with a flash, as well as the front (which is optional, has a resolution of 2 megapixels and serves, for example, for organizing video calls). The resolution of the matrix of the one located on the back of the case reaches 8 megapixels. The camera is equipped with a stabilization mechanism and autofocus, which allows you to take clear pictures even on the go.
Entertainment
Do not think that a computer is an exclusively office gadget that is not capable of supporting multimedia and games. On the contrary, the device is completely open in terms of its use, and you can easily download any amount of content. Considering that there are two versions - a 32-bit and 64-GB tablet, and that each of them has a slot for inserting a memory card, one can testify to the huge potential of the device, its possible use as a portable data carrier, or as a mobile player. A large colorful screen and high-speed processor can ensure the operation of the device at the proper level.
Reviews
What about the tablet can be reviews? You can even understand this by simply analyzing the technical capabilities that we described above. High-quality materials of the case, nice design, wide functionality and powerful hardware already provide the user with the maximum level of comfort in work. And all this is quite expected by those who purchase this device (taking into account the price).
If we analyze the characteristics that were left by real customers, we conclude that all comments can be divided into two groups related to the device, and those that are specifically about the operating system.
There are not so many complaints to the tablet itself: the device can discharge faster than it should (in sleep mode), and it also does not see every memory card (as reviews show, often only released by SanDisk). In all other respects, the characteristics related to the HP Elitepad 900 can be called such that they can satisfy any user.
Another category is operating system reviews. Some call it uncomfortable and unusual, although this is obviously a matter of taste. Errors occur infrequently, and even if they are found on the HP Elitepad 900, resetting to the factory settings allows you to solve most problems (from the “Restore” menu).
Conclusion
The tablet is interesting for its unusual presentation (as a business product) and the set of functions provided by Windows. Therefore, if you want to try something unusual, different from the next iPad, we advise you to pay attention to HP devices and Elitepad in particular.