HP Confirms Slate To Live On, Future Undetermined

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Thanks to high sales numbers put out by Apple regarding their iPad, it’s obvious that the tablet form factor is beginning to catch on. To some the phenomenon is quite strange pointing to the fact that even owners of such devices cannot say what exactly they use the device for. However, happy owners of the device have been happily checking email, browsing the web and doing pretty much everything else a traditional netbook is capable of for some time now.

Due to this increased consume reception and the obvious success of the iPad, other manufacturers have signed on to release tablet computers of their own such as ASUS and Toshiba. One tablet in particular, that recieved quite a bit of buzz when it was first unveiled was the HP Slate. However, right around the time HP acquired Palm outright the Slate project was rumored to be axed due to unknown reasons.

If you’re not familiar with the HP Slate, it shared essentially the same form factor as an iPad expect for the fact that it was to feature Windows 7, a 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, front and rear facing cameras, and a USB connection. These are all features that both iPad enthusiasts and haters have been asking Apple for ever since the device’s original release – with little luck, obviously.

Today, however, it seems that new life is being breathed into the Slate PC as HP has come forth to let us know that the project is in fact still underway. However, they continued their announcement by saying that they have yet to determine what they plan to do with the device. Considering HP now knows Palm, it wouldn’t be too farfetched to assume that the company would ditch Windows 7 is favor of the much more mobile oriented webOS despite the device appearing on their website with Windows 7 in tact.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve never been partial to the tablet form factor and even I want an HP Slate.