HP Jumps Back Into Tablets With The $169 Slate 7

HP releases the first of many tablets planned for 2013. HP’s mishandling of the Palm acquisition will go down in history as one of the worst mobile plays in the history of technology, but the company has licked its wounds and is finally ready to give it another shot. Today, HP has announced its very first Android product: the Slate 7. The price tag on the company’s new tablet certainly catches the eye, however the specs leave much to be desired.  The HP Slate 7 runs a mostly stock version of Jelly Bean 4.1, and its dual-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A9 processor is powering a fairly underwhelming 1024 x 600 FFS+ 7” LCD display. HP promises the panel will feature wide viewing angles, and great low light performance, but we will have to take a wait and see approach on that one. The Slate 7 also features 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD), and support for 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, along with Bluetooth 2.1. Unlike the Nexus 7, and most other low end Android tablet competitors, the Slate 7 features both front and rear facing cameras. The VGA quality front sensor will allow for SD quality video calls, and the back camera will capture 3MP images if you’re in a pinch. The stainless steel frame of the Slate 7 is 10.7mm thick (0.42 inches), and weighs about 362 grams (0.8 pounds). The Slate 7 also features stereo speakers powered by Beats Audio, however the quality of this feature isn’t always consistent. HP claims this is the first of many tablets to be releas