HP Elitepad, iPad retired. Oh no wait..iPad back.

[dk]

so i got given a HP Elitepad tablet at work yesterday, needed something a bit smaller for when i don't need to lug my laptop into london, i only really need the laptop because of its serial port, so we had of these elitepads and i thought id give one a go.

Running windows 8, which i thought was s**t when i used it on a laptop, but on a tablet it makes perfect sense, i love it, the thing is connected into everything, so much to it.

I have used my iPad every day since i got one (I'm on my 3rd one now), and I've now gone a day without using it, i love the elite pad, i like the fact it plays flash, as websites i use are flash based, i love the fact i can install normal apps as well as tablet apps, i love the fact it has a usb port. I have a jacket for it which contains an extra battery, been using it all day, the extra battery is empty and its just switched to the built in battery, so an easy 2 days use out of it.

Im sure the novelty will wear off, but at the moment i can't think what my iPad can do that this thing can't.

I'm honestly very surprised i like it, but i really do, although i wish i had a 64 gb one, the 32 gb one i have only has 8gb space free on it, but i can just slip a micro sd card into the back and hey presto, another 32 or 64 gb storage, even has a space for a sim card if i want 3g access, but ill just tether it to my phone.

couple of things i don't like, the case doesn't allow me to tilt it on the desk, and the docking station is too heavy to carry around. also, i can't edit a misspelled word by clicking on the word in the middle, i have to go to the end of the word and use the cursor keys on the screens keyboard, hard to explain what i mean really, but in other ways its better at the autocorrect stuff, seems more intelligent sometimes.

anyway, so far so good, the first version of windows 8 i have thought was worth using.

 

[Al_G]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

What's the screen resolution like DK?

TBH it was only a matter of time until the competition caught up, especially as iOS hasn't been revamped since 2000 BC.

 

[dk]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

screen res is great tbh, no complaints there, looks pin sharp, and plays HD MKVs fine as well using VLC.

not sure on the actual res or even the screen size tbh, id say its a little bit bigger than the iPad without knowing the numbers, but it could be slightly wider and not quite as square.

Not even sure what the price comparison is like either, this one came with a docking station, a HDMI converter cable (theres also HDMI built into the dock), has an SD slot, couple of USBs, internal micro sd slot, came with the jacket and built in extra battery, so fully loaded really.

 

[Addicted]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

The only thing going for Apple atm is their dedicated fanbase, there are plenty of products out there which rival every single one of theirs, and in a lot of cases (subjectively or objectively), they are better products out there!

 

[ThomasBrentnall]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

The only thing going for Apple atm is their dedicated fanbase, there are plenty of products out there which rival every single one of theirs, and in a lot of cases (subjectively or objectively), they are better products out there!

Totally agree with this!

 

[realnumber 1]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

I'm surprised you like it over an ipad tbh. I've got a lenovo thinkpad tablet 2 from work at the moment and find it crap.

Screen and device looks nice but in use it's pants imo. Maybe I need to give it more time and alter more settings but the little things like the keyboard not popping up when you touch something to type and disappearing when done is a right pain. Then the button you have to press to do that is tiny.
IE lets you pinch zoom but when I put Chrome on it doesn't let you and they're generally slow imo.

Give me a decent Android tablet or even an ipad any day..

 

[dk]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

tbh, until i had a colleague show me how to use the thing properly and take advantage of all the gestures properly, i also didn't find it easy to use, not as pick up as an iPad, but when you're shown the way to use it its very usable.

 

[seb]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

What price are they?

 

[Adam.]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

Looks like they're around the £600 mark.

 

[seb]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

Ouch!

 

[dk]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

Yeah its not cheap unfortunately, not sure they are aimed at consumers though really, more a business machine I'd say.

 

[rdoxenham]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

Does it boot Linux with full device support?

 

[Munson]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

The only thing going for Apple atm is their dedicated fanbase...

Are you sure about that or is it just an opinion? I ask because in my social and family circle, ever more and more people, who have no previous Apple history, are starting to buy their products. They don't really strike me as a company relying on loyal fans.

 

[dk]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

I still haven't used my ipad, but im starting to lose my temper with the onscreen keyboard. the autocorrect seemed good at first but it seems to have become shocking.
doesn't work very well with this forum either, I cant do a return in a post for some reason and I like the double space to do a full stop on the ipad in fact, the autocorrect alone has made this post take 3x longer to do than it should have. the ipad would have sorted it 99% first tome around without having to go back over everything.

 

[dk]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

oh and I had my first crash yesterday morning, had to do a full power off.

 

[dk]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

Ipad is back, keyboard and stupid autocorrect did my head in for nighttime browsing infront of the tv.

will leave the elitepad for work stuff, it's better at that.

 

[The Fatty]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

you can turn the autocorrect off I think...

 

[Clart]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

I still haven't used my ipad, but im starting to lose my temper with the onscreen keyboard. the autocorrect seemed good at first but it seems to have become shocking.
doesn't work very well with this forum either, I cant do a return in a post for some reason and I like the double space to do a full stop on the ipad in fact, the autocorrect alone has made this post take 3x longer to do than it should have. the ipad would have sorted it 99% first tome around without having to go back over everything.

​eh?

 

[dk]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

When on the iPad, to do a full stop you just hit the space bar twice and it does one. I find it much quicker as after a full stop you need to press space bar twice anyway to start a new sentence so why not just press the same big bar multiple times.

​i like it anyway.

 

[dk]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

you can turn the autocorrect off I think...

Oh you can, but I want it on and to work, it just doesn't, hardly corrects anything, it's rubbish. The iPad allows me to type really fast and it will sort the mess out, it's very intelligent.

 

[Sym0n]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

When on the iPad, to do a full stop you just hit the space bar twice and it does one. I find it much quicker as after a full stop you need to press space bar twice anyway to start a new sentence so why not just press the same big bar multiple times.

​i like it anyway.

You have to enable the option, but yeah I like it.

 

[@Spoonie]

Re: HP Elitepad, iPad retired.

doesn't work very well with this forum either, I cant do a return in a post for some reason

That's a vBulletin issue with IE10 which they are supposed to be fixing.

EDIT: Just to add, you can sort this by viewing the site on the desktop and sticking it in compatibility mode.

 

[dk]

yeah I've tried it on the desktop, i had a different issue then though, its also slower than the metro browser and you have to bring the keyboard onscreen each time by clicking on the icon in the task bar, so not really a decent workaround.

 

[mantis946]

Was tempted to get one of these through work as we get decent discount on them, wasn't sure if it would be a bit gimmicky though and ware off after a while - which for it appears it has lol I got a netbook on the cheap a few months ago and it's sat and collected dust most of the time.

 

[dk]

So ive not used the tablet for nearly a week, seems it wasn't a match for the iPad in the end. I'll still use it for meetings where I don't want to take my laptop, but it's certainly not replacing the iPad.

 

[Munson]

Lol at the title edit.

 

[MancmanRS200]

Seriously nothing matches ipad never ever I don't care what people says out there because nowt to match it IMO

 

[dk]

Lol, I wonder who changed the title, an apple fanboy who hasn't commented in the thread.....

 

[Tom]

Oh i commented, then deleted it. (wasn't in the mood to argue)

But lets just say you didn't need a crystal ball to see this one coming.

 

[dk]

Lol, I really thought it was good, but the keyboard and autocorrect killed it in the end, something easy to fix though really.

just glad it didn't cost me £800 to find out.

 

[Munson]

TBH I probably wouldn't care if a competing tablet noshed me off. Using my iPad [white 4] makes me feel good. It's a joy to hold. Feels like it's worth a million dollars. No one else is going to match that any time soon.

 

[Keydogg]

Fair play to DK, at least he was honest about his views the whole time and created a balanced review (the likes of which we don't see a lot of on here!).

 

[bully]

I think it's a good thread and honest, I have an iPad but can see its and my own failings (I find it difficult to get out of the PC thinking MS software mentality) and would be happy to see a product which is as good as or better than the iPad.

 

[Munson]

Fair play to DK, at least he was honest about his views the whole time and created a balanced review (the likes of which we don't see a lot of on here!).

TBH though why would he not be honest about it? Is the suggestion that anyone who likes Apple products is automatically unable to see positive aspects of competing products?

 

[...]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp_4eVpax9Y

I love my TF700t , very similar to the HP , i think it looks sleeker , i might see if it can be run dual boot and have win8 as well as android .... my win 6.5 phone i did .

 

[The Fatty]

Seriously nothing matches ipad never ever I don't care what people says out there because nowt to match it IMO

android, which actually lets you access your files via a usb cable natively, easily matches iOS and surpasses it imo. We have both, and the android is much better placed for people that actually need to do work.

 

[bully]

TBH though why would he not be honest about it? Is the suggestion that anyone who likes Apple products is automatically unable to see positive aspects of competing products?

Quit a few people I speak to are like that Roy, on the other side a fair few PC geeks are too.

An age old discussion really.

my problem as stated is I find it hard to change my thinking when using Apple stuff...which I mostly do these days.

 

[Munson]

Quit a few people I speak to are like that Roy, on the other side a fair few PC geeks are too.

For sure, and as any people again are just automatically anti-Apple regardless of the product.

 

[Darren S]

Nice, balanced thread by dk. I'm no Apple fanboi by any stretch, but I do have an iPhone and if I went 'all tablet' - an iPad would be what I'd be checking out first.

The double-space for a full-stop feature you mention, is great. I use it so much in texting on the iPhone. I think if that was removed, it would seriously bug me!

D.

 

[Tom]

Apple fanboy = someone that used apple products before you.