Windows 7 based HP Slate 500 sees ‘extraordinary demand’ and six week shipping delay

By Tom Warren, on 14th Nov 10 1:30 am with 3 Comments

HP’s Windows 7 based Slate is seeing ‘extraordinary demand’ and six week shipping delays according to HP.

HP unveiled the $799 price tag for its Windows 7 slate in October. The device is powered by a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540, 2GB of RAM, 64GB SSD and will handle 1080p video. There’s also a front facing camera and a rear one. The 8.9-inch device runs Windows 7 Professional and HP says it’s targeting the enterprise and business market.

HP says that “due to extraordinary demand” the HP slate is currently on backorder. Engadget spotted the notice, which claims orders are expected to ship within 6 weeks. Despite the claims, Windows 7 based Slate devices have been largely dismissed by most due to their cumbersome nature. Many industry experts and analysts feel that Windows 7 is not capable of touch based computing. Microsoft admitted last month that Apple’s iPad is ‘cannibalizing’ Windows based Netbook sales. Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, has promised some interesting new form factors of new mobile Windows 7 PCs, some in time for Christmas. Microsoft is currently hedging its bets on Intel’s new Oak Trail processors that will be available in early 2011. The new chips will increase battery life on mobile devices.

Microsoft has been criticized for its slow response to Apple’s iPad device, introduced in April earlier this year. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, previously said Windows 7 based Slates would be available “as soon as they’re ready” when questioned earlier this year.  The iPad sold three million units in its first 80 days of release and is currently selling approximately 4.5 million units per quarter, Bernstein Research estimates.

Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates, said earlier this year that the company has a lot of different tablet projects it is pursuing. Microsoft canceled their internal Courier project shortly after the release of the iPad earlier this year. The project was an innovative new tablet concept that had promised to combine a dual screen book design with finger and stylus input. The leaked promotional materials demonstrated various concepts that would have brought an unparalleled productivity tool to the market. Most media outlets and analysts felt the move to cancel the device was a mistake.

  • GP007

    I think the courier couldn’t work with todays battery and hardware, running one screen is something but two? So in the end I think it’s the battery life that killed that project, just my guess though. As with many things MS does though I’m sure parts of that project will live on in something else MS does.

    It’ll be good to get official sales numbers for this slate from HP when the quarter is over, then we can really talk about it in a better light once we see how much real demand it gets. But hell, it doesn’t have to hit iPad sales numbers to be a success imo. I figure if it can do 1.5m-2m for HP’s quarter then that’s more than just ok sales wise.

    • Tom W

      I think you’re right. MSFT was a little bit ahead of the technology. When using an iPad I like to use a pen and I think a combination of touch and pen is a good idea. Sony developed a bendable screen earlier this year that is the first step towards touch screens that can bend. Imagine a bendable courier? Awesome.

      http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,275514,00.html

  • http://www.technokyle.com/pinay-scandal-collection pinay scandal

    cheap alternative to iPad but for sure this would be buggy unless microsoft had intensive QA to compete with apple’s line of products