HP ElitePad: Windows 8 Tablet for Business

We now know what a Windows 8 tablet for business looks like, and it's the Hewlett-Packard ElitePad: a slim, Intel-powered slate loaded with security software and backed by an armada of accessories, including adapters, a rugged case and a stylus.

While Windows 8 tablets have a near-impossible battle on their hands against the iPad, there's one weak spot they can take advantage of: the enterprise market. Many businesses use iPads for some tasks, but Windows is the PC platform of choice for most IT departments, so a Windows tablet like the ElitePad has the homefield advantage.

The ElitePad packs Intel's latest Atom processor — a.k.a. "Clover Trail" — meaning it's a low-power design but can still run older apps that were made for Windows 7 or XP. That makes it a step up from Windows RT tablets that will only run newer apps designed for the Windows 8 touch interface.

Clover Trail also lets HP keep the 1.5-pound tablet nice and slim at just 0.34 of an inch. I got a chance to handle the ElitePad for a few minutes, and it's definitely a flyweight as tablets go. Storage is configurable up to 64GB — solid-state only, of course — with a microSD card slot for more if you need it.

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Apart from that slot, though, there's not much you can plug into the ElitePad apart from the headphone jack. The data and power connection is done via tha proprietary connector on the bottom. USB devices need to connect via accessories (more on those below). For wireless, though, you've got Wi-Fi and optional 3G data (HSPA+). There's NFC and Bluetooth 4.0, too.

The screen is a 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 LCD with a 16:10 aspect ratio — not full HD, but remember this is meant for work, not watching movies. The front-facing camera can record video at an impressive 1080p, so you can tell HP prioritized video-conferencing. The rear camera can capture images up to 8 megapixels, the norm for cameraphones these days.

Like HP PCs, the ElitePad is backed by the company's enterprise-grade security and management tools. There are also a suite of accessories available, including a "Smart Jacket" case that both protects the tablet and adds many connectors, a swarm of adapters for connecting the device to various monitors and peripherals, a Docking Station connection hub that doubles as a stand, and a stylus.

In a brief hands-on with the tablet, I thought it was a bit sleeker than, say, Lenovo's Clover Trail tablet, thanks mainly to HP's polished finishing. It worked fine running some basic Windows 8 apps, but it's the many accessories — like the doc that includes four USB ports as well as connectors for HDMI and VGA — that make it shine. HP has really tried to get out ahead of real-world use-case scenarios with the ElitePad.

Is it enough to make us forget about the company's last big bid for tablets — the dead-and-buried TouchPad? Perhaps, but it depends how many businesses are left who still need tablets and haven't so far deployed iPads.

Does your business use tablets for work? Are you interested in the ElitePad? Tell us what you think in the comments.