To our knowledge, there are no commercially available Tegra 4 lappietablets (laptop/tablet hybrid computers, our term) and certainly none from HP, until now. HP’s just revealed the Split x2 and the SlateBook x2, two lappietablets running Windows 8 and Android respectively. Let’s begin with the Split x2.
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The Split x2 is a Windows 8 device with a 13.3-inch HD screen, an i3 or i5 CPU, Beats Audio, an optional 500GB SSD (for some reason, HP won’t reveal the storage of the Split x2, but we’re guessing 64/128GB) and “eye-catching design with a soft-touch coating”. It’s a Windows 8 tablet that thinks it’s a laptop and it costs US$800.
The far more exciting SlateBook x2 runs the fabled Tegra 4 processor, Nvidia’s CPU/GPU system-on-a-chip (SoC) sandwich that was announced earlier this year. Most importantly, it’s an Android-based lappietablet with JellyBean 4.2.2, a full-HD 10.1-inch screen, 64MB storage (we hope this is typo by HP’s PR team) and keyboard shortcuts for Siri-beating digital assistant, Google Voice. According to HP, the SlateBook x2 is all about “the push to offer access to the Google experience, and to provide access through multiple operating systems.” Doesn’t over half of the smartphone owning world already have access to Android? Thanks anyway HP.
It’s HP, so there’s a few extras attached to both the SlateBook x2 and Split x2. First up is the HP Care Pack which covers the laptops for spills, surges and drops – this is a service attached to both devices. The SlateBook x2 gains DTS Sound+ and native printing that lets you print wirelessly to most paper-destroying machines. As for the Split x2, we’re looking at a 2-megapixel TrueVision Full HD webcam and the HP ClickPad which apparently offers “precise multifinger navigation.” Both machines are expected to debut State-side by August. HP made no mention of an international release date.
