HP Slate 21 (21" Android tablet) makes a great Thin Client!

[Kaido]

Thanks for the comprehensive writeup , will forward that to my collegues and see what their opinion is on the slate pros as an option for the thinclient

You manage redirection of the barcode scanners and usb devices to the terminal server session?

Ive been playing around with remote fx and video camera redirection etc on a window 8 to 2012ts lab and works well .

Did you ever test the camera redirection on these devices to a ts session?

thanks

The barcode scanners basically act as a standard HID keyboard - the scanner (CCD, laser, whatever gear is inside) translates the barcode font into text input, so the computer basically just sees it as typing. I haven't had any issue with any brand or type of USB barcode scanner I've tried yet - works great in RDP!

I have not tried camera redirection. I am interested in doing some vGPU stuff, especially with GRID cards, but don't have anything scheduled to try out at the moment. I am messing around with some RemoteApp stuff; I believe the Android MS RDP app has full support for that built-in:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rds/archive...-os-x-and-android-available-for-download.aspx

I am curious to see how 3D performance is. I'd also be curious to do a side-by-side comparison of RDP performance - I have seen some artifacts on the Slates from time to time, although the Wyse boxes have lag problems as well; the best experience I've had performance-wise is RDP off a a PC (at one site, we repurposed all of their aging XP machines as RDP clients, worked great!). But the Wyse boxes also have the ability to handle monitors of different resolution, do multiple monitors, have some extra acceleration & display optimization tools built into the software, etc.

 

[Kaido]

Have been having problems with the stock black HP keyboards & the Microsoft RDP app for Android - it randomly loses the numpad function, even after you cycle the button on the keyboard. To get it to work, you have to hit the home button in Android, then pop back into the app - but then it breaks again. Not on every computer either, which is weird.

The fix I've been using is to replace the stock keyboard with a Logitech MK320 wireless keyboard & mouse set. I don't know why this works - it's a very specific glitch to the stock HP keyboards.

 

[Kaido]

Hi,

I am also testing Slate 21 with RDS running Windows 7. My testers were reporting that the Slate 21 has lag in screen response, and not so smooth as Wyse or PC as thin client. Although it is not a huge lag, it is still noticeable.

Do you experience similar issues? How do you tackle this?

Thanks.

I've been using Baytrail-T devices lately for thin clients & have noticed a significant improvement in remote desktop performance: (Windows-based RDP host)

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2424482

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2424062

On the Slates, I just loaded up the latest MS RDP app on a black Slate 21 (8.0.12) & the resolution is finally displaying correctly (1920x1034 with the bottom Android bar, plus the option for full-screen mode if your device is running Android 4.4). HOWEVER, there are still some graphical issues, primarily a weird glitch that almost looks like a reduced color mode as you drag windows around:

http://i.imgur.com/9EKyNvT.jpg

It's good enough for the purposes I use it for (primarily basic database & Office/PDF viewing), but it's definitely not as clean as RDP on a Windows PC is. Unfortunately, there are no further settings available for configuring the app. I'd be curious to compare some other Android RDP apps (as well as server settings) at some point to see if the performance can be enhanced as well (and also to compare it to the iOS mode, although that's fairly useless for what I use it for since there's no mouse input on those devices).

The benefit still is that everything is in the AIO computer, I can use a wireless keyboard & mouse, they work great for basic use, and they've been selling for $239 on Groupon lately (sometimes with a coupon code for $216), so they're extremely cost-effective (just not perfect). I'd also like to find a way to disable the touchscreen, but haven't found an effective route yet.

 

[Kaido]

FYI on the white HP Slates:

1. Android 4.4 is now available for download (Settings)

2. It does make the white Slate noticeably laggy (less specs than the black Slates)

3. However, it now supports wireless keyboards & mice (i.e. the Unity receiver for the Logitech MK320 set I typically use).

 

[Kaido]

There's a new (to me) model out, the HP Slate 17:

http://store.hp.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/us/en/mdp/desktops/slate-17-135518--1

MSRP is $470, being sold on HP for $440, available on Amazon for $358. Extremely expensive since the HP Slate 21 is currently being sold for $239 on Groupon on a regular basis, however - two big features over the 21":

1. Now has 10-point multi-touch
2. Now features a 7-hour integrated battery

Initially I thought the price was ludicrous, especially given the smaller screen size, but with real multi-touch & a good battery, that's awfully tempting - cheaper than an iPad even. I've been eyeing a second unit for home; this would be a great replacement for the one in my kitchen because then I could move it from counter to counter as needed to make room for cooking or to bring it to where I need it. I've also wanted something large that I could bring to the kitchen table for doing stuff like the family schedule for the week.

Apparently this unit has been available since last September. Camel Camel Camel is showing an initial $470 price on September 10th, with a pricedrop to $450 at the end of November, and finally a plummet to $360 in mid-February. It's apparently even less advertised than their Slate 21 because I don't recall seeing anything about it - I came across it by chance today while looking up a Windows-based AIO for a different project. Basic specs:

* Comes in white or yellow
* 4.3w 1.58ghz Intel BayTrail-M N2807 Celeron
* 2GB RAM (says up to 4GB...upgradable?)
* 32gb eMMC
* 5.42 pounds (a featherweight compared to the 13 or so pounds of the black Slate 21)
* 7.45-hour battery life
* 17.3" 1080p multi-touch IPS LED screen
* Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat
* Intel HD graphics (wonder how gaming is on that, kind of meh graphics,
* HDMI output
* SD reader
* 45w power (not sure if it's a brick or just a power cable with the PSU integrated into the screen)
* Bluetooth 4.0
* Wifi 802.11ac
* Headphone/mic combo jack
* (1) USB 2.0 port
* HDMI out

Detailed specs:

http://support.hp.com/us-en/product...ies/7161751/model/7276370/document/c04481711/

Support page:

http://support.hp.com/us-en/product...ktop-PC-series/7161751/model/7276370/manuals/

Manual here:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04446211.pdf

Amazon reviewers say the webcam & speakers stink, which is to be expected since it's the same with the 21" models, and one reviewer said he couldn't get any of his USB hard drives (bus or wall-powered) to be recognized, although flash drives worked. There's no Ethernet port & no HDMI input, so you can't use it as a monitor, but there is HDMI output, which is cool to hook up to a TV or projector or bigger monitor. I think this would actually be a pretty good computer for older people, like a non-technical parent or grandparent, because it's relatively cheap compared to a full computer setup, has a good-sized screen, is icon-based for navigation, and simply uses apps, so things like email, Skype, web surfing, and so on would be very easy. If I end up picking one up at some point, I'll post a review.

 

[touchstone]

i think its neat OP

 

[OBLAMA2009]

There's a new (to me) model out, the HP Slate 17:

http://store.hp.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/us/en/mdp/desktops/slate-17-135518--1

MSRP is $470, being sold on HP for $440, available on Amazon for $358. Extremely expensive since the HP Slate 21 is currently being sold for $239 on Groupon on a regular basis, however - two big features over the 21":

1. Now has 10-point multi-touch
2. Now features a 7-hour integrated battery

Initially I thought the price was ludicrous, especially given the smaller screen size, but with real multi-touch & a good battery, that's awfully tempting - cheaper than an iPad even. I've been eyeing a second unit for home; this would be a great replacement for the one in my kitchen because then I could move it from counter to counter as needed to make room for cooking or to bring it to where I need it. I've also wanted something large that I could bring to the kitchen table for doing stuff like the family schedule for the week.

Apparently this unit has been available since last September. Camel Camel Camel is showing an initial $470 price on September 10th, with a pricedrop to $450 at the end of November, and finally a plummet to $360 in mid-February. It's apparently even less advertised than their Slate 21 because I don't recall seeing anything about it - I came across it by chance today while looking up a Windows-based AIO for a different project. Basic specs:

* Comes in white or yellow
* 4.3w 1.58ghz Intel BayTrail-M N2807 Celeron
* 2GB RAM (says up to 4GB...upgradable?)
* 32gb eMMC
* 5.42 pounds (a featherweight compared to the 13 or so pounds of the black Slate 21)
* 7.45-hour battery life
* 17.3" 1080p multi-touch IPS LED screen
* Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat
* Intel HD graphics (wonder how gaming is on that, kind of meh graphics,
* HDMI output
* SD reader
* 45w power (not sure if it's a brick or just a power cable with the PSU integrated into the screen)
* Bluetooth 4.0
* Wifi 802.11ac
* Headphone/mic combo jack
* (1) USB 2.0 port
* HDMI out

Detailed specs:

http://support.hp.com/us-en/product...ies/7161751/model/7276370/document/c04481711/

Support page:

http://support.hp.com/us-en/product...ktop-PC-series/7161751/model/7276370/manuals/

Manual here:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c04446211.pdf

Amazon reviewers say the webcam & speakers stink, which is to be expected since it's the same with the 21" models, and one reviewer said he couldn't get any of his USB hard drives (bus or wall-powered) to be recognized, although flash drives worked. There's no Ethernet port & no HDMI input, so you can't use it as a monitor, but there is HDMI output, which is cool to hook up to a TV or projector or bigger monitor. I think this would actually be a pretty good computer for older people, like a non-technical parent or grandparent, because it's relatively cheap compared to a full computer setup, has a good-sized screen, is icon-based for navigation, and simply uses apps, so things like email, Skype, web surfing, and so on would be very easy. If I end up picking one up at some point, I'll post a review.

man u could just get a legit windows aio for that price

 

[cronos]

Yeah, I think 400+ is too much for an Android slate, especially if it's only 17"

I think the Slate 21 Pro is the best all around option, as I'm pretty sure the one in the OP is just the Slate 21 without the Pro (unless you intentionally omit the 'Pro' in the description, for some reason).

This Slate 21 Pro has been available a few times from Groupon for $216. Which is a pretty good deal.

 

[Kaido]

Yeah, I think 400+ is too much for an Android slate, especially if it's only 17"

I think the Slate 21 Pro is the best all around option, as I'm pretty sure the one in the OP is just the Slate 21 without the Pro (unless you intentionally omit the 'Pro' in the description, for some reason).

This Slate 21 Pro has been available a few times from Groupon for $216. Which is a pretty good deal.

Slate 21 = white one

Slate 21 Pro = black one (more features & more powerful)

The price for the battery model is high at first blush, but in perspective, it's pretty reasonable: 17" tablet with a 7-hour battery for $358 shipped on Amazon. That's actually fairly decent! But I've been spoiled by the $239 & under Groupon models, so I'm with you there - the black HP Slate 21 Pro is an amazing deal, especially when Groupon has it with the coupon for $216 - that's only like $50 more than a quality 1080p IPS monitor of that size, so you're getting Android functionality (plus a basic touchscreen) for a pretty reasonable price difference.

 

[Kaido]

man u could just get a legit windows aio for that price

Eh, kinda-sorta. They have a Dell in that pricerange, but the screen is only 1600 x 900, which is pretty crummy on a 20" screen:

http://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-20-i3043-1252BLK-Touchscreen/dp/B00PHXJZAQ/

Anything decent is going to be closer to the $600+ range, or else have a cheap AMD chip with a mechanical hard drive. Also, nearly 100% of the people I know with Windows AIO computers have had hardware issues with them, which is really unfortunate because they're a cool idea. I don't know if it's because they're not quite as mass-produced as laptops or what...plus it's always a pain if an Ethernet port or GPU craps out because you can't just swap out a card, you know?

 

[cronos]

Slate 21 = white one

Slate 21 Pro = black one (more features & more powerful)

The price for the battery model is high at first blush, but in perspective, it's pretty reasonable: 17" tablet with a 7-hour battery for $358 shipped on Amazon. That's actually fairly decent! But I've been spoiled by the $239 & under Groupon models, so I'm with you there - the black HP Slate 21 Pro is an amazing deal, especially when Groupon has it with the coupon for $216 - that's only like $50 more than a quality 1080p IPS monitor of that size, so you're getting Android functionality (plus a basic touchscreen) for a pretty reasonable price difference.

I skimmed your post about the 17" so I actually missed the part where this 17" Slate has an integrated battery now. I think this is a significant distinction that creates a variety of different use cases for this device. I understand that pricing better now.

 

[Kaido]

I skimmed your post about the 17" so I actually missed the part where this 17" Slate has an integrated battery now. I think this is a significant distinction that creates a variety of different use cases for this device. I understand that pricing better now.

Yeah. As far as the black vs. white Slate 21 one goes, I wouldn't bother buying the white one unless you either score an amazing deal on it, or just really want the white to match an environment like a kitchen. The black one has a lot of benefits:

1. Better specs (MUCH faster on the 4.4 update than the white model, which is now noticeably sluggish on 4.4)

2. Matte black (vs. gloss white) - looks less dirty

3. HDMI input (including USB input to use a PC as a touchscreen, or use as a screen for a cable box or gaming console). Really nice feature if it's in your kitchen & you want to watch live TV while you cook or whatever.

4. Integrated power supply (black one uses a regular 3-prong computer power cable, whereas the white one uses like a laptop-style cord with a brick in the middle). Granted, this makes the black Pro model heavier, but it makes mounting it easier because then you don't have to find a way & place to store the power brick.

So yeah, the battery on the 17" is what makes it a good deal - and it's advertised at 7+ hours too! And not only that, but it doesn't have the crappy 2-point optical touchscreen that the Slate 21 models have. That's my biggest complaint about using the 21" in the kitchen - if your hands were wet & you left a drop of water or a bit of food on the screen when scrolling through a recipe, it registers that as a finger-press, so having a regular 10-point multi-touch system is far more ideal. Although it was nice with the optical system using a spatula or other non-finger tool to touch the screen

 

[OBLAMA2009]

Eh, kinda-sorta. They have a Dell in that pricerange, but the screen is only 1600 x 900, which is pretty crummy on a 20" screen:

http://www.amazon.com/Dell-Inspiron-20-i3043-1252BLK-Touchscreen/dp/B00PHXJZAQ/

Anything decent is going to be closer to the $600+ range, or else have a cheap AMD chip with a mechanical hard drive. Also, nearly 100% of the people I know with Windows AIO computers have had hardware issues with them, which is really unfortunate because they're a cool idea. I don't know if it's because they're not quite as mass-produced as laptops or what...plus it's always a pain if an Ethernet port or GPU craps out because you can't just swap out a card, you know?

yeah but i would spend the extra hundred or whatever and get windows, a decent chip etc...if i were gonna go the aio rout, not that i would id have the same fear, something on it goes bad and it becomes a brick

 

[Kaido]

yeah but i would spend the extra hundred or whatever and get windows, a decent chip etc...if i were gonna go the aio rout, not that i would id have the same fear, something on it goes bad and it becomes a brick

It really boils down to what the intended purpose is. I use mine in my kitchen as a touchscreen computer and definitely do NOT want Windows! I want apps (aka Android) & I like not having to use a keyboard & mouse to get around easily. I would prefer an iPad to stupid-proof it, but the jumbo-screen of the Slate line is too good to pass up (not to mention the 50% cost savings), plus most apps are cross-platforms these days, so it works.

 

[Kaido]

According to this site, the 17" has been rooted:

http://www.how-to-root.club/2015/02/hp-slate-17-7030.html

Not sure how legit the link is (no XDA thread link).

 

[Kaido]

The latest version of the MS RDP app for Android has some major improvements:

1. I'm now getting crystal-clear 1080p resolution on my Terminal Servers on all updated devices. No more funky locked resolutions.

2. The graphical glitches have gotten better. I see them maybe 1% of the time now, usually if the user has a graphic wallpaper, I'll see like a slim vertical line until I open a folder over it, which refreshes it.

3. App now goes fullscreen (hides the bottom controls & top status bar). VERY nice, acts like a real thin client now.

4. Control interface is better. Fullscreen mode can be swapped from touch to make the mouse 1:1 with the cursor easily. Simple to delete saved entries now. Optionally show a preview of the remote desktop in the new large icon mode.

My only complaint at the moment is that on the latest 4.4.2 update, the mouse is laggy even on my black HP Slate 21 Pro units. Touch is fine, but mousing under Android is laggy, like the CPU gets maxed out for a second or two, then catches up. HOWEVER, it is not laggy at ALL under fullscreen RDP, thankfully. Very smooth under that; the Android GUI lag doesn't translate to fullscreen RDP lag for some reason. Only other thing I haven't figured out is how to make the screen go into sleep mode (won't do it via RDP, Surelock, or Android system settings, so the screen just stays on 24/7 if you leave the RDP app open).

The other thing I've been playing with is using those cheap Baytrail-T mini computers as thin clients using the Pro Pack upgrade. 8.1 Pro has a kiosk mode that lets you run RDP fullscreen in lockdown mode, so for under $300 you can re-use an existing keyboard, mouse, monitor, and speakers. I've been using the $180 MINIX Z64 unit with the $100 Pro Pack upgrade (goes from 8.1 with Bing to 8.1 Pro), which is fanless & very low heat, which makes it great for dirty environments. The benefit is that you're not locked into a 1080p resolution because you can use a 15" or 17" or 19" LCD panel if you want, which is useful if people have trouble seeing the finer print on HD monitors, or if you want to re-use some old hardware.

 

[sm625]

So it has a Tegra and it also has a k1 in its model number, but its not actually a Tegra K1. Of course its not. Why would it be?

 

[Kaido]

Samsung has an 18.4" tablet:

http://www.engadget.com/2015/10/27/samsung-galaxy-view-image/

The Slate 21's aren't really available anymore, and the Slate 17's are starting to disappear as well. Looks like Samsung's offering will be in the $599 ballpark, which is a hefty price difference.

 

[Kaido]

Official word from HP is that the HP Slate 21 Pro was discontinued on April 1st, 2015. No more stock is available. Pity, they were useful machines!