HP’s SlateBook x2, an hybrid computer which combines the features and functions of an ultrabook and a tablet and which was first announced in May, is now shipping.
The SlateBook x2 is powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 processor, the same processor that powers many smartphones and tablet computers. Like so many of those smartphones and tablets, it is also powered by the Android operating system.
It differs from those other Android devices in that it can be used as a tablet computer and also as an ultrabook (computer). And that’s because it also comes with a detachable keyboard base that holds an extra battery and other connectivity features. When it was first announced, the price tag was set at $479.95. Now that it’s started shipping, that price tag has not changed.
However, the release announcement from The Next Bench, an HP blog, says that the price is $50 less than the price set in May, which is simply not true. This act of deception is just to make it look as if buyers will be getting a $50 discount. Don’t be deceived. There’s no discount.
In any case, I think this hybrid computer is still a good buy, considering that if you had to buy a standard tablet computer and add all the accessories that will give it all the features that come with the SlateBook x2, you will be spending more than $1000.00. That’s more than twice the “discounted” price of the SlateBook x2.
In this article, I said that the SlateBook x2 could be my first Android computer, given the price and features. That still stands. What worries me is the potential for a backdoor mistakenly placed somewhere in the device by HP. (See Memo to HP: A backdoor is not a vulnerability.) You may order yours here.
My reading of “The Next Bench Blog” is that the $50 price reduction refers to the Split x2 and not the SlateBook x2. It is this blog that is misleading, not The Next Bench.