Unboxing Day: We Open Up The HP Pro Slate 8

Unboxing Day: It’s like Christmas for techlovers.

This article is presented in partnership with HP.

After receiving a brand new demo model of the Pro Slate 8 from HP, we put the word out to the Student Edge IT team asking which of them would like the honour of having the first play.

First in and best dressed was Kevin, one of our behind-the-scenes wizards, pictured above unwrapping HP’s latest device.

The first thing that tickled Kevin was the tactile nature of the 32GB tablet. “It’s pretty sleek; all metal, no plastic. It looks really high-tech and doesn’t feel cheap at all.”

What stood out to Kevin next, as he synced the Pro Slate with its stylus, was its unique ability to “duplicate pen events on page to the screen.” Meaning, as you write on paper with the stylus, your words appear on the Pro Slate.

One warning, though: the stylus itself requires charging, “so make sure it’s ready to go before using with the tablet.”

Kevin stressed that the Pro Slate 8 was for serious users. “I wouldn’t give this to a younger niece or nephew for their birthday. This is more for a uni student, or in a business environment.”

Thankfully, its compact size and weight of 350g keeps it well suited to a carry bag or backpack.

However, Kevin added, it’s not something you’d need to leave at the office or the library. “I don’t think you’d be embarrassed to whip it out in front of friends. It looks good and feels great; you could easily bring it with you on a coffee run.”

Other features that appealed to our tech expert included the HP Pro Slate 8’s Near field communication (NFC), allowing contactless transfer of files to other NFC-enabled devices.

The screen resolution also impressed: “Everything looks very sharp. No pixilation. Pixel density is pretty tight.” However, Kevin noted that the blacks could be darker, forgiving it, as the Pro Slate 8 is intended more for business use than as a media player.

Still, the HP Pro Slate 8 also allows for recording of 1080p HD videos on both front and back cameras, and, after viewing the teaser for Mission: Impossible 5 – Rogue Nation, Kevin confirmed that the sound quality was “pretty awesome” (though the trailer itself may have skewed that).

Specifications for the HP Pro Slate 8

RRP: $799

Operating System: Android 4.4, KitKat

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (2.3 GHz, 4 cores)

Memory: 2GB 800 MHZ LPDDR3 SDRAM

Storage: 32GB Emmc2

Dimensions (W x D x H): 136.95 X 7.99 X 206.99 MM

Weight: 350g

Display: 7.9” diagonal FHD QXGA with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 and anti-smudge coating

Power Supply: 10 W AC charging adapter (includes micro USB 2.0 type B connection cable)

Battery Type: 21 WHr Li-Ion polymer