While most companies are promoting smaller tablets, there are those who wish they can get a tablet but utilizing a larger screen.
And to bring that larger screen is HP with their HP Slate 17 tablet utilizing a 17.3-inch screen. No doubt a major plus for those who want a much better experience for gaming or for those who want the mobility of a tablet but want a larger screen.
Because of how large the tablet is, the tablet has a stand to prop it up upright or an angle and the Slate17 is about 5.4 pounds (2.46 kg). So, this is tablet that you want to handle with care when moving it around.
The Slate 17 utilizes Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) and that means a lot of the latest Android software from Google Play should easily work on this tablet.
A positive aspect about the HP Slate 17 is that it runs on an Intel Bay Trail Celeron N2870 with 2GB of RAM, which is a major plus because you don’t have to worry about crashing (which I have had experienced quite a bit with my iPad and older Android tablets).
The HP Slate also comes with a full-sized HDMI port and a USB socket.
The resolution of the HP Slate utilizes a HD and uses BeatsAudio speakers. A webcam is also positioned at the front for video chat and photos.
And the battery life lasts over 7 hours.
I did multiple tests with the Slate 17. Upon adding my Google account, most of the software I have downloaded on my HTC One M8 transferred over.
I was able to create multiple accounts for myself and the family to utilize and I was able to encrypt my tablet utilizing the Android security features.
This was very easy to setup and connecting on the Internet on WiFi, I think for most people, the setup portion is user friendly but I do recommend having a Google account created in advance (Any of the following such as Gmail, YouTube, Google+, Google Docs, etc.) to help speed up the process.
But a lot of my software worked and I can see the benefit of the tablet for those who have poor eyesight. May it be reading an online book or magazine, the larger size does help a lot.
The next test that we did was letting my son have at it with his games. And instantly, he was raving about how much better it was to play “Clash of Clans”, “Roblox”, “Hungry Shark” on the Slate 17. He felt gaming was much easier and I even tested it on an AKB48 rhythm dance game and it worked quite well. Althoug,hsome games that are made with both hands and thumbs can make a difference.
The experience of using a larger tablet was very positive and while I do like the size of my iPad and something smaller, there are advantages of having a larger tablet…but I could only hope for a large screen protector and find a bag to accommodate the 17″ Slate.
I didn’t have any issues but I did notice that it was finicky if I didn’t touch the screen in a certain amount of time, mostly when I was looking and reading from a website. It would go to sleep and I would have to enter my password over again. The setting can be changed in the settings, but that was a bit of a hassle at first.
Also, this is a tablet that you don’t want younger children handling. It’s a bit heavy at five pounds but I am not sure how sturdy it would be by taking a fall.
In the end, there is nothing negative I can say about the HP Slate 17. It is humongous when I put my iPad and HTC One M8 right next to it but this is a tablet that will satisfy anyone who has desired a larger tablet. May it be for gaming, using apps that are easier to read and see with those with vision problems. But those who watch a lot of movies/TV or play a lot of video games will surely love the Slate 17, those who want mobility and want something small, can easily look towards the HP Slate 7 or smaller tablet.
But the HP Slate 17 is a pretty awesome tablet. Yes, it’s huge and for some, it may be too different when you’re so used to a smaller screen (ie. cell phone or smaller tablet).
But anyone desiring a larger Android tablet with a 17″ screen will definitely enjoy the HP Slate 17.
Recommended!
