A closer look at the HP Slate 7

Hewlett-Packard has expanded the company's tablet portfolio with the HP Slate 7, available to buy in New Zealand by April.

After announcing it's venture into the Android arena earlier this week, the company delved further into the release, offering it's release in more detail.

With a 7-inch diagonal screen weighing 370g, HP says the Slate7 is an ideal trusted personal companion. While no doubt top of the range in both manufacturing and design, are HP producing a tablet or a friend? PR fluff at it's best.

Back to the matter in hand however, and the device strikes many a chord.

Becoming the industry’s first tablet to offer embedded Beats Audio, the tablet stands be the best-sounding experience in the market.

As touched upon previously, the Google experience ensures interaction with all common Google-esque programs, another added advantage for the Android Jelly Bean product.

“To address the growing interest in tablets among consumers and businesses alike, HP will offer a range of form factors and leverage an array of operating systems,” says Chin Edirisuriya, Market Development Manager: Consumer Notebooks and Desktops, HP New Zealand.

“Our new HP Slate7 on Android represents a compelling entry point for consumer tablets, while our ground-breaking, business-ready HP ElitePad on Windows 8 is ideal for enterprises and governments. Both deliver the service and support people expect from HP.”

With an autumn release across the country widely expected, HP says the starting price will be NZD$229 for the 8GB Model.

Powered by an ARM Dual Core Cortex-A9 1.6 GHz processor, the HP Slate7 is essentially fast and responsive.

Integrated wireless allows customers to access email, the internet and key applications, while the High-aperture-ratio Field Fringe Switching (HFFS) panel offers wide viewing angles that provide easy viewing of documents, games, photos and videos—even in outdoor lighting conditions.

For all this photography enthusiasts out there, a 3-megapixel camera on the back and a VGA camera on the front awaits, with the HP ePrint application allowing customers to print while at home or on the go.

The company says it will provide a range of simple and easy-to-access support tools and resources to help customers take full advantage of all of the features the HP Slate7 has to offer, but enough from HP and the rest - what are your first impressions? Tell us your thoughts below