HP Slate 7

This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series 2013 Holiday Top Picks

Released earlier this year, the Slate 7 from Hewlett Packard packs quite a punch at a great price point for anyone looking to give tech gifts this holiday season. We have been reviewing one for the past few weeks and this tablet has become a necessity in our household.
HP Slate 7_SilverWhen we first received the Slate 7, I could tell by the wide-eyed look that my husband had that this would quickly become ‘his’. So I fast-forwarded past all of the arguments and asked him if this was something he could help me feature. Before I finished my sentence, it was cradled in his hands.

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Checking his email while waiting for the kids to finish their breakfast. The HP Slate 7 does wonders for efficiency in our house.

“For me, the HP Slate 7 has been a big time saver. Up until recently, every time I wanted to check my email, Facebook, Twitter, Ebay auctions, etc., I would have to run over to the desktop computer. I know this drove Sheri crazy (Hold on hon! Pause that movie for a second, I’ll be right back! Just need to check something online!).

Now, with this budget-friendly tablet, I can check Internet accounts on the fly, anywhere in the house (including while relaxing and watching a movie). The device measures seven inches diagonally, so it is very easy to carry around, and in many ways is more practical than a laptop.”

The Slate 7 makes our top picks list because of it’s price point, high quality make and it’s ‘insides’. This is perfect for anyone in the house who would benefit from being able to check their messages and networks without running to their desktop computer all of the time (especially if the desktop is a point of contention about who gets to be on it when). This is also perfect for students to organize their schedules and who may need additional apps to help them in their studies.

“The HP Slate 7, with its Android 4.1 operating system, is also very intuitive. Once charged and powered up, it didn’t take long at all to figure out how to get online. The tablet connected easily to our home wi-fi. While it comes loaded with a suite of apps, including Gmail and YouTube, one of my first stops was Google Play to download the Netflix, EBay and Rdio apps (for movies, shopping and tunes). The apps can all be accessed from the home screen.”

At a price point of $149 CAD, the Slate 7 would make the perfect gift this year.

The multi-touch display offers a sharp display, featuring a wide viewing angle with 1024×600 resolution.

The Slate does have built-in speakers, which are ok for online video but fall short when it comes to music. Thankfully, the tablet has built in Beats Audio. Plug in your headphones and you have much better audio. For a music fan like myself, this feature is very important.

The tablet has two lenses, including a front webcam and 3 MP rear camera to snap image and record video. Photos can easily be shared via email and Facebook. Note for those keen on taking a lot of photos: images are not as crisp as those that can be taken with a dedicated camera, particularly in low light situations.

The unit appears to be durable, having survived a couple of minor falls. However, I would consider purchasing a case to be in the safe side.

Now I need to share that earlier this year, we bought our daughters iPad minis. For our older daughter, she has a lot of pre-K apps. She loves the games, and there are some great ones that have her learning her words and spelling. For our younger daughter, she has enjoyed learning colours and playing games along with her big sister. We were just saying that had we known about the Slate 7, we would have purchased those at less than half the price, and we could have still bought cases for both without breaking the bank.

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Various screenshots taken on the Slate 7 including the home page (top left), a website view (top right), the app shop (bottom left), a book page including reviews (bottom right).

My husband’s verdict?

The HP Slate 7 is perfect for someone who wants a compact, functional, yet affordable tablet. Even our kids – ages two and five – were able to use the Slate with ease. It’s currently available in silver, and sells for a reasonable $149 CDN on HPShopping.ca.

Disclosure: We received a HP Slate 7 for free in order to review the item and facilitate this post. The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author’s and are not influenced in any way.

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  • Soozle Dec 3, 2013, 7:10 am

    Very reasonably priced for the features it has! Thanks for sharing your review :) Hopefully one will find its way into my home soon too! :D

    • Sheri Landry Dec 3, 2013, 8:27 pm

      Thanks Soozle. My fingers are crossed for you. My husband has officially declared it his. I don’t mind because it is a great fit for him, and I get to sit with him through a whole movie ;)