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Giant Android [New Straits Time (Malaysia)](New Straits Time (Malaysia) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) THE HP Slate 21 is one massive Android device but it's great, writes Izwan Ismail. Boasting a 21-inch screen, this all-in-one desktop PC could easily pass for a giant tablet. It can be used with an optional slim keyboard, or as a touchscreen device. With the 1080p Full HD screen, everything looks brilliant. It's a great device especially for viewing Youtube clips or playing a game of Candy Crush Saga. The Nvidia Tegra 4 quad-core processor obviously works well here. I especially enjoyed viewing my Facebook account and flipping through the Flickr and 500px page, as the pictures look gorgeous. The Slate 21 also comes with a number of shortcuts to important apps such as Google apps, Chrome, Email, Calendar, Google Play, Camera and HP Media Player to make it easy for users to access them. It's not only the screen that is big. The soft keyboard is as the size of a full-fledged notebook keyboard, making typing a breeze. Your finger tips always land on the correct alphabet. The Slate 21 also does not disappoint in the audio department. The DTS speakers on the front panel produces loud enough vibes for an average living area, kitchen or bedroom. Storage woes For an Internet device its size, the Slate 21 only comes with a 1GB RAM, which is a bit disappointing. The built-in storage is small too and will fill up at 8GB. To make up for this, HP is giving away free 25GB cloud storage for users. I suspect that HP designed this as a light digital media platform to let people do things they normally do with their smartphones. It would have been better if a battery is included in the device to power it up independently. The device can only be powered up with electricity. Imagine a sudden blackout when you're in the midst of completing your Candy Crush. For home use Weighing nearly 5kg, the Slate 21 is not a device that you would want to carry around. It's not Starbucks material. I could feel the weight when I put it on my lap. HP has probably figured this out, hence the availability of a tiltable arm at the back which can be adjusted accordingly to enable the device to stand on its own. With the stand, the Slate 21 can also be part of your house deco. You can use it to play digital pictures or place it on the cabinet top as your digital media hub to keep you entertained when you're in the kitchen, dining or living area. The device is also perfect for video conferencing. Place it on a table top and you can start communicating comfortably. Conclusion For a king-size Android tool, the Slate 21 only costs RM1,299, which is about the same price as the iPad Mini Retina 16GB. It's quite a good deal if you are looking for a device for general purpose computing like surfing the Web, playing games, viewing pictures and doing video conferencing. HP Slate 21-k100 Manufacturer: HP Price: RM1,299 Enquiries: 1800 88 4889 (http://h20386.www2.hp.com/MalaysiaStore/ ) Pros: 1. Big Full HD screen 2. Affordable 3. Simple to use Cons: 1. Heavy 2. Small RAM and internal storage 3. No built-in battery Specifications: Size: 21-inch Weight: 4.85kg OS: Android JellyBean 4.2.2 Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 4 processor Connectivity: Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n, dual-band) and Bluetooth 3.0 Ports: SD Card reader, 3 USB 2.0 ports, RJ-45 (Ethernet 10/100), 3.5mm headphone-out/microphone-in (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |