The HP Slate: Which Intel Inside?

On the heels of its highly successful line of touchsmart notebooks and desktops, Hewlett Packard (HP) will be releasing its new "Slate" touch screen mobile tablet PC later this year. The device is also expected to be a timely competitor to Apple's recently announced iPad. Much of the success of the device that appeared the hands of Microsoft's Steve Balmer at CES, will of course be dependent on the choice of the internals which have not yet fully been decided upon, or at the least, announced to the industry. Speculation is revolving around the specifics of which CPU the new device will run with.

This new generation of mobile touchpad devices will certainly be cool, and practical in their own right. They will likely earn the title of the must have gadget of the year. However, technically speaking, the cool, and practicality will wear off fast if the performance just isn't there, especially in what will appear to be a very competitive market later this year.

HP hasn't said much regarding what type of engine will be under the hood, but it is reported that the Slate will be capable of delivering an enjoyable rich media experience to it's users. Realistically, this will depend on the underlying hardware technology, or your own definition of what a rich media experience is. It is also unclear at this time as to whether the device will arrive available as multiple models with customizable options (including CPU); a popular feature for budget conscious consumers at HP's online store. As a device that will run on a full Microsoft Operating System, available hardware configurations should be far above a simple media player, and e-reading device.

If you consider Intel, a likely possibility includes a selection from a variety of the company's smallest and most energy efficient microarchitecture processors, the Atom line of processors. This processor, which only operates with a single core, is known by netbook users to be sluggish while burdened with the stress of multiple tasks. That is to say, with the earlier round of Atom processors. The more recent evolution of the Atom, code named "Pineview," raises the stakes with a dual core and improved performance, and even newer Atoms are on the way. An improved, or next generation Atom would be highly welcomed appreciated, particularly by experienced netbook users. The Atom's big brother, the very popular and mainstream Core brand of processors from Intel have also earned the right of being a powerful contender. The laptop class of current Core 2 duo's have had promising reviews, and the new Core "i" series have been receiving positive buzz. Whether they are the right choice for the slim form factor of a tablet is up for debate.

Sources/Resources

Brooke Crothers, "HP Slate to run Windows 7, but on which chip?", CNET