Powering the ElitePad 1000 is a new Intel low-power Atom processor, a quad-core 64-bit Z3795 chip running at 1.59GHz. The 4GB of system memory is low-power DDR3 RAM, clocked at a lowly 1067MHz, the fastest that the Atom can use. Storage options are 64- or 128GB.
It’s worth noting that the flash drive inside is not the highperformance SSD found in standard PCs and laptops, but the low-speed eMMC type fitted in smartphones. The aluminium case encircles the tablet. Its 16:10 aspect ratio display is a useful compromise between the 4:3 iPad and the widescreen 16:9 displays of most Android tablets and Windows laptops. The ElitePad is designed mainly for landscape mode: the Windows logo is at the bottom of one long edge, and a plastic trim piece on the top at the back gives radio access to the wireless aerials for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G modems.
Under Windows 8.1, general tasks were cumbersome to complete using the touchscreen alone. The relatively high screen resolution means buttons and controls in the traditional Windows desktop are tricky to finger-tap accurately. A stylus, the Executive Tablet Pen G2, gives more precise pointing but is not without its trials. Tapping the screen to launch a program, for example, often earned no response. The general lag in the interface and intermittent tap feedback sometimes made it difficult to know if a tap had registered correctly.
The tested ElitePad 1000 came with a useful set of accessories. A desktop dock can support the tablet on the desk at a slanted angle like a laptop, and adds extra connectivity – four USB 2.0 ports and audio minijack on the sides, and ethernet, HDMI and VGA ports on the rear.
Used with the HP Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse of your choice, you can get a passable version of a working laptop setup. There are no USB ports on the tablet itself, just a slot for an microSDXC card and a proprietary multi-pin dock. A dongle in the box connects to that dock port for a makeshift USB 2.0 connection. Finally, there’s a battery case available, which fits around the tablet (and requires screws to hold together). This also includes two USB 2.0, HDMI and full-size SD card slots, and adds 21Wh of lithium-ion power to the tablet’s own 31Wh internal battery.
Lab tests
In single-core mode the ElitePad scored 1026 points on the crossplatform Geekbench 3 benchmark; multi-core moved this only up to 3310 points. This is just ahead of a fast Google Android smartphone such as the Motorola Moto X (998/2975 points) but a long way behind the best ARM mobile chips, such as that in the iPad Air 2, which scores around 1815 and 4505 points.
In PCMark 7, the ElitePad returned 2535 points, a low score in laptop terms. PCMark 8 results of 1266 points in the Home scenario, and 1555 points in Work also suggest it is slow in PC terms. A £349 Toshiba Satellite laptop recently scored 1883 and 2240 points in the same test.
This tablet may not be aimed at home users, but we tried playing Stalker: Call of Pripyat to get an idea of graphics performance. It could just play the game at a very low frame rate – an average of 10fps at a modest 1280x720 resolution and Medium detail settings. For games entertainment, Intel’s new silicon is not up to the job. Display quality was more satisfactory, if only able to reproduce 70 percent sRGB gamut and 53 percent Adobe RGB. Contrast ratio in a chequerboard test was around 650:1. Colour accuracy measured particularly well.
Battery life was tested with our standard looped video rundown. The ElitePad lasted eight hours, 42 minutes. Standby time was poor though. Adding the 431g battery case to the tablet is said to extend total running time to 20 hours. Our calculations suggest a total runtime closer to 14.5 hours. That’s not a bad figure, although the tablet assembly alone is a weighty 1.1kg, not including the dock or keyboard.
Verdict
If you need Windows programs and a totable tablet with almost usable battery life, the ElitePad does the job. As a first-choice device that can serve in a laptop role too, it’s underpowered and will have you yearning for the power of even a budget laptop.
Review by J Andrew Harrison
HP ElitePad 1000 G2 128 GB Net-tablet PC - 10.1" - Wireless LAN - 4G - Intel Atom Z3795 1.59 GHz J5N69UT#ABA
ElitePad 1000 G2 64 GB Net-tablet PC - 10.1" - Wireless LAN - Intel Atom Z3795 1.59 GHz
HP ElitePad 1000 G2 Net-tablet PC - 10.1" - Wireless LAN - Intel Atom Z3795 1.60 GHz J5N61UT#ABA
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