The HP Slate is a tablet computer. A tablet computer is defined by the fact that the only built in human interaction device for a tablet is the touch screen. Most computers, obviously, use a mouse and a keyboard in order for a human to tell them what to do. With tablet computers, the operating systems that they are running are built to be entirely accessible through the touch screen. The HP Slate is one of the top contenders in the current tablet race going on today.

Tablet computers are good for certain applications and bad for others. For example, the free Slate is not a computer that should be used solely for things like typing up big reports or documents for work or school. When you have to type with the free Slate you do so through a virtual keyboard. A virtual keyboard is just as it sounds. When you navigate through your tablet there are obviously going to be times that you need something to type on. The HP Slate free will transform the bottom half of its screen into a keyboard. You can then type on the keyboard and act like you normally would for any other computer. The only downside to a virtual keyboard is the fact that typing speeds on a virtual keyboard will never approach those on a physical keyboard and here's why.

When we type on a real keyboard our hands rely heavily on the feedback that they receive from every stroke on the keyboard. If we are off by even a little bit our subconscious will adjust in the direction that they need to. For example, if you were to strike an h and your finger felt the right side of the h your mind knows that you're too far over to the right. It will adjust left. With a virtual keyboard all you get is a little vibration for every key that you hit. There's no way for your body to know where each finger hit unless you're staring at the screen. This lack of physical feedback leads to a dramatic increase in the error rate when typing on a tablet.

There is one great way to get around this conundrum that is associated with all tablets. With the dock connector for HP Slate free you can make it so your tablet turns into a miniature computer. The components within the Slate are all high quality and relatively fast pieces of technology. The only thing that makes the Slate not a real computer is the lack of a dedicated keyboard. With the dock connector your Slate will turn into a screen. You can then hook up a keyboard to the Slate through the USB port. Or, if you prefer wireless, you can hook it up via the internal Bluetooth 3.0. Or, if you can't afford Bluetooth, there are mouse keyboard combos that use a single usb port for a transceiver for both the keyboard and the mouse.

Tablets are a great computing solution because they can do so many things. You just need the right equipment!