Apple iPad 2 versus the HP Slate 500

While the Apple iPad 2 is probably the most advertised and well-known of the newest generation of tablet computers, the device (as of 2011) has plenty of competition. In a previous review we took a look at the iPad 2 vs. the Motorola Xoom and concluded that the two devices were nearly equal in regard to features and usability. The main difference was the price: the Xoom costs less. This is not the case with the HP Slate 500, however, as the device costs about $800, about the same as the iPad 2.

So the HP Slate 500 is certainly not the cheapest tablet available. But is it worth the cost? And how does it stack up next to the similarly prices Apple iPad 2? For both tablets, $800 will buy you the top-of-the-line version with 64 GB of storage space. Both tablets also come in 32 GB and 16 GB varities that retail for lower prices. While even 64 GB of storage space seems increadibly small in today's world of 20-megapixel cameras and HD video, sharing space with another computer through WiFi should (for most consumers) largel negate this limitation. At least in the storage space arena, the HP Slate and iPad 2 are equals.

Apple fans and enthusiasts like the way Apple products look. And most casual consumers would agree with them. The iPad 2, like all recent Apple products are very design-driven, and a great deal of thought is put into aesthetics. It is no wonder then that, with each successive generation, the iPod, iPhone, and now iPad have become lighter, sleeker, thinner and brighter. Out of all these physical features, the one that is perhaps the most immediately noticeable are the device's thickness and weight. The iPad 2 is both a little larger in area and a bit lighter than the HP Slate, a product of the iPad 2's suprising thinness at only 0.34 (8.8) mm thick. The HP Slate, by contrast, is 0.58 inches thick. While the iPad 2 has 69.4 sq. inches of surface area, and weighs 1.33 pounds, the HP Slate 500 has about 54.4 sq. inches of surface area and weighs 1.5 pounds. While the extra 0.2 pounds is hardly noticeable over a short period of time, it may very well be noticeable after a full-days worth of use when your arms begin to tire. High marks have to go to Apple here for producing a very sleek and attractive tablet that won't weigh you down.

Despite being slightly lighter and slimmer than the HP Slate, the iPad 2 has a larger display. The iPad 2's display is 8.7 inches, compared with just 8.9 inches on the HP Slate. Other than the size, however, both displays are quite similar: they both have a 1024x768 resolution, are touchscreens, and have LED backlighting. Both displays look bright and sharp with relatively wide viewing angles.

In regard to performance, the Apple iPad 2 is equipped with Apple's new 1 GHZ dual-core A5 microprocessor and 512 mb of RAM. This is a modest upgrade from the first generation iPad, which ran on a single-core Apple A4 processor and 256 mb of RAM. The HP Slate uses the fairly comparable 1.86 GHZ Intel Z540 Atom Processor and, like the iPad 2, 512 mb of RAM. Once again, the iPad 2 probably has a slight advantage here, as the dual-core A5 processor enables faster multi-tasking. We would, however, like to see more RAM on both devices. It is likely that the iPad 3 (due out perhaps early 2012) will come equipped with 1 GB of RAM.

The HP Slate 500 has a 3-megapixel camera in the back, while the iPad 2's rear-facing camera is only 1.3 megapixels. While this is a surprisingly low resolution camera, the iPad 2 does make up for this somewhat with 720p high-definition video capture. Finally, the battery life on the Slate is expected to be about 5 hours maximum with minimum use. The Apple iPad 2 may last up to 10 years with minimum use, although 8 hours is probably more realistic. Regardless, the iPad 2 would probably out-last the HP Slate with comparable usage.