New Details About the HP Slate

If you're a PC person and you've been thinking about making the switch to Apple because you just can't resist those neat little iPads, wait! Hewlett Packard is coming out with its own version of the tablet computer, called the "Slate." Last week, the computer maker released some details about the new computer. The Slate's screen is going to be smaller and have a lower resolution than the iPad but it has more features - from cameras to Adobe Flash Support.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer first mentioned the device at the January Consumer Electronics Show, but of course the constant talk of Apple's iPad drowned out any hype of what could become the device's biggest competitor. But how does it stack up against it?

For starters, the Slate features two cameras, the iPad does not. One works for things such as video conferencing and the other is a high-resolution, three megapixel camera for taking pictures. There's also the SD card reader that holds up to 128GB, a USB 2.0 port (iPad dosn't offer this), audio and HDMI out. And the slate runs on a 1.6 GHz Atom microprocessor compared to the one-GHz A4 on the iPad.

On the downside, the Slate's screen is smaller - 8.9 inches compared to the iPad's 9.7 inches - and the screen resolution is higher: 1024x600 to the iPad's 1024x768. However, the Slate can run higher-def videos 1080p (iPad only goes up to 720p).

The Slate will run an HP-developed touchscreen interface and Windows 7 Home Premium compared to the iPad, which runs the iPhone operating system. But many industry insiders are saying that the real appeal of the iPad isn't the device itself, but instead, the number of apps you can buy from Apple's app store (over 150,000) and with Apple's new deals in the publishing world, you can now or soon read a number magazines, best-selling books, and comics on the the device.

There's no word as to when the Slate will be released, but it looks like the 32GB model (with Wi-Fi) will sell for about $550 and the 64GB model (also with Wi-Fi) will sell for about $599. The entry-level iPad, which is 16GB (with Wi-Fi) sells for about $499. The 32GB model sells for $599 and the 64GB model sells for $699.

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Choose a Laptop with Microsoft's Windows PC Scout

Microsoft has launched a new website - Microsoft.com/Windows/PC-Scout. The website features a flash audio guided tour, which is meant to help you find a new laptop. It takes you through three segments, including Laptop 101, Recommendation, and Selection. Respectively, in each segment, you'll learn everything you need to know about laptops in general, answer questions about what you need in a new laptop and get a few recommendations, and then you have the opportunity to make a final choice and purchase your laptop. The tour is not mandatory and you can skip any part or pause it if you need to come back to it later. Looking for a desktop? Check back later. Or says the male voice behind the website. Either way, you're out of luck right now.

If you already know what kind of laptop you're looking for, you can skip the first two sections and get straight to the selection part to choose your laptop based on a number of different categories. They are: price ($400 - $2600), screen size (8 - 19"), processor (1 GHz - 3GHz), RAM (1GB - 5GB), storage (50GB - 550GB), and weight (2lbs - 10lbs). You can also select whether or not you need an all around, mobile studio, movies on the go, power gaming, or work from anywhere laptop.

Microsoft claims the selection of laptops comes from a compiled list from Windows experts and the final selection has nothing to do with any sort of paid advertising. Right now, the website contains 46 various laptops, but more are likely to follow in the weeks ahead, especially with the release of Windows 7. The website isn't too detailed - your average computer user should feel comfortable with it, and the most tech-savvy folks probably won't see the need for it.