Have you already put the Apple i-Pad” at the top of your birthday or wish list?

We heard HP's forthcoming Slate media tablet will soon offer a new level of competition in the eReader/tablet market that the iPad already seems poised to dominate.

HP reportedly said Tuesday its Windows 7-powered slate PC will offer a more complete computing experience than Apple's (E-Reader News -) iPad. One thing it’s got that iPad doesn’t: support for Adobe's Flash multimedia format, thanks to the Windows 7 operating system.

“With this slate product, you're getting a full Web browsing experience in the palm of your hand,” said Phil McKinney, HP's VP and chief technical officer for its Personal Systems Group, in a blog post. “No watered down Internet, no sacrifices.”

Earlier this month, HP today introduced its first multi-touch-enabled tablet for business users as well as notebook PCs tailored for both enterprise and small and mid-size businesses.

The additions to the HP portfolio include:

1. HP EliteBook 2740p – an ultra-thin, multitouch-enabled convertible tablet that provides an interactive experience for businesses in health care, education, sales and more;

2. HP EliteBook 2540p – the company’s lightest EliteBook notebook PC, starting at only 3.3 pounds, is ideal for global and large corporate enterprises, the public sector and other businesses in need of a rugged, high-performance notebook; and

3. HP ProBook standard series (s-series) notebook PCs – four new models of the high-performing series provide a new design and sophisticated colors for everyday use.


“The HP business touch tablet is the latest addition to the broad mix of choices that HP offers business customers to best improve manageability, productivity and mobility,” said Dan Forlenza, vice president, Business Notebooks, Personal Systems Group, HP. “HP continues to implement the latest innovations to help large companies and SMBs exceed productivity expectations.”