HP introduces the ElitePad 900 business tablet

HP has announced in a press release the launch of its latest tablet, called ElitePad 900. According to the manufacturer, the mobile device is aimed at government and business users on-the-move, and offers “beautiful design with enterprise-grade features”. It will reportedly hit the stores in the United States sometime in January 2013 for a yet undisclosed price.

Todd Bradley, executive VP, Printing and Personal Systems at HP was quoted as saying: "Businesses used to face a tough purchase decision: How to find a product that will delight employees and help them be more productive, while also making sure IT can secure and manage it," … "The HP ElitePad meets all those tests. It combines the great style and user experience consumers demand with the features IT requires."

Built using CNC-machined aluminium (among other premium materials), the new tablet is 9.2mm thick, weighs about 680 grams and is compliant with the MIL-STD-810G military standard (3-feet drops). Furthermore, customers will supposedly be provided with HP’s ElitePad Smart Jackets that offer an enhanced battery life and additional connectivity options.

Apparently, the portable slate computer is powered by an unspecified Clover Trail Intel Atom system on a chip and sports a 10.1-inch In-Plane Switching 400-nit widescreen display (touch, pen and voice input) protected by Corning's reinforced Gorilla Glass 2. Beneath the 1280-by-800 panel, the ElitePad 900 features 2GB of RAM, a choice between a 32GB or 64GB Solid-State Drives and dual cameras – an 8MP rear shooter with LED flash and a Full HD front-facing web camera for video calls.

The Windows 8 tablet also comes with one microSD card reader slot, 3G/4G connectivity (SIM slot), Wireless LAN radio and SRS Audio. Moreover, the HP ElitePad Expansion Jacket adds two USB ports, an HDMI interface, a full size media card reader and a docking bay for mounting an additional battery.  

Security-wise, the 900 Series reportedly offers drive encryption, optional Computrace software and BIOS protection.

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