HP is making a 14-inch Android laptop
97HP is joining Lenovo in the strange world of Android laptops. The company hasn't yet officially announced the SlateBook 14, but it briefly appeared on HP's website — complete with a video outlining the device's key features and specs. Most importantly, the SlateBook has full access to Google Play, so any apps you've already purchased and downloaded on a smartphone or tablet should work here. HP says the SlateBook 14 boosts Android's productivity thanks to its 14-inch 1080p display and full-size keyboard. The laptop also includes Beats technology, which should help it pump out loud, powerful, and likely bass-heavy audio. HP has built in 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. But since this is Android and not a Chromebook, you may be left without the generous Google Drive cloud storage offers that come alongside many of those devices.
So it begs the question: why does this product exist in the first place? Besides custom keys to access the home screen and recent apps, we're not yet sure what customizations HP has made here. At first glance the SlateBook 14 looks like a huge Android tablet with a proper keyboard attached. So it probably offers a better typing experience than regular tablets, but is that enough? Depending on its price, the combination could prove attractive to some people. But it's difficult to envision the SlateBook finding mass appeal, especially since Google is clearly focused on making a name for Chromebooks in this market. HP is already helping the company in that effort. But the SlateBook 14 is certainly unique and carries a fairly sleek design, so we're looking forward to hearing more about it. Price and release date would be a start.
- ViaGigaOm
- Sourceliliputing
