HP Throws Down The Tablet Gauntlet: Slate Offers What The iPad Lacks

Somebody at Engadget got their paws on an internal Hewlett-Packard sales presentation for their hitheroto-elusive Slate tablet computer.  So we didn't get an "iSlate" this past weekend — wanna settle for a Windows 7-powered "hSlate" instead?

Looking at these specs, you just might.  The Slate has a slightly peppier CPU than Apple's gizmo du jour, 1080i video playback capability, expandable SD storage, pen/digitizer support, and…

Do my eyes deceive me?  TWO cameras!  A 3MP rear-facer for photos and a front-facing VGA webcam for ChatRoulette…er, videoconferencing.  Plus it STARTS with 32 GB of memory, for fifty bucks less than a similar iPad.  (And a full C-note less for the 64 GB flavor.)

It's interesting, though, what HP has highlighted in red on the iPad's side: the screen rez (slightly taller), the battery life (substantially longer, although this all falls under the "your mileage may vary" heading), more 802.11 connectivity choices…and the entry-level, 16 GB Wi-Fi-only model.  They seem to see these as "threats" to the Slate.  Better they emphasize things like the SD support and dual cameras — and hope the total user experience is as smooth and intuitive as the iPad's is turning out to be.