- Feb 14, 2004
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Update:
There is a smaller 17" model available for $360 that has a 7-hour battery & 10-point multi-touch, which is great if you want to unplug it & be mobile in the kitchen or whatever. Details here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=37278620&postcount=27
Update: Use coupon code TRIPLE for price reduction
$239.99 with free shipping + tax (12 days remaining on the Groupon as of 31-Dec-2014). Not the cheapest it's ever been, but still a pretty good deal. Tax was $15.23 for me, making the total $255.22 shipped. These are typically $300 online ($379 at HP), so this is a nice savings. Here's the link:
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-hp-slate21-pro-all-in-one-android-business-pc
What is it?
This is basically a jumbo Android tablet without a battery. Info links:
Official website
Datasheet (PDF)
User guide (PDF)
Before you get too excited, there are some cons you should be aware of:
* There is no battery (it is wall-powered only)
* It is only 2-finger multi-touch
* Heavy (13.6 pounds)
* Glossy screen (be careful of environmental glare)
* Models come with either Android 4.3 or 4.4; my 4.3 models do not upgrade from 4.3 Update: 4.4 update has been rolling out
* Some apps have issues with the device type (won't install from stock Play store) or when on Ethernet (wants Wifi specifically)
So it's basically a nice touchscreen monitor, retrofitted with an Android motherboard. It's really useful in a few particular applications, which I'll get to in a minute. As far as the nerd stuff goes, HP has the kernel available to download. Unlocking & rooting info available here and here. Here are the specs:
* 21.5" 1080p IPS LED screen with 2-finger multi-touch
* Standard 3-prong power cord
* Can be used as a touchscreen on a computer (has HDMI input & includes USB cable)
* Can be used as a regular screen via HDMI input (like for watching TV or playing consoles)
* Built-in adjustable kickstand
* Includes wired keyboard & mouse (compatible with wireless as well, I use the Logitech MK320 combo)
* Nvidia Tegra 4, 2GB RAM, 16GB flash, SD reader
* (3) USB ports (2 in the back, 1 on the side)
* 720p Webcam (yeah it's HD, but it's kinda crummy), Microphone, (2) 2w stereo speakers
* Headphone jack (doubles as a mic jack)
* Bluetooth 4.0
* Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n & 10/100 Ethernet
* 100mm VESA (requires four 4mm, 0.7-pitch, 10mm-long screws - nothing longer)
What do you use it for?
I have been using these in work applications as cheap thin clients with USB barcode scanners; discussion thread here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2354903
I recently picked one up to use as a kitchen computer. I don't use it with the keyboard or mouse, just the touchscreen (you can wall-mount it with a VESA arm or just set it on a countertop or shelf using the included heavy-duty built-in kickstand). I have a family Gmail account setup, which I then share out to our iPhones & the Android tablet in the kitchen for documents, calendars, etc. Here is what I use it for:
Google Calendar: (comes stock) I use this as a multi-purpose calendar using a family gmail account: one for birthdays, one for appointments, and one for the chores schedule (including household maintenance like when to replace the HVAC filter & stuff). This is super useful to review everyone's calendar quickly in a public area of the house, plus you can share & sync it to multiple phones, including iPhones.
Google Docs: (free) I have various notes setup, like a Shopping List & Emergency Contacts. This can be synced to iPhones as well, so you can add something to the shopping list in the kitchen, then pull it up when you're at the grocery store. Effortless & handy.
Entertainment: I won't list direct links since there's so many options & it's personal to you, but you can throw music on here (iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, Podcast Addict) & movies (Netflix etc.) for background noise. It has built-in speakers, plus an analog output jack if you want to hook it into some larger speakers (via minijack or with an RCA stereo splitter cable), as well as Bluetooth if you want to hook up to some speakers wirelessly. If you want to get fancy, you can setup Airfoil Speakers to act as an Airplay Receiver, or setup Allstream or Allcast to shoot stuff to other devices. Lots of flexibility since it's all software-driven.
Yummly: Excellent search engine for other recipe search engines.
Youtube: (comes stock) One of the best search engines for video recipes.
TubeMate: Download Youtube videos for watching later (useful for cooking shows or specific video recipes).
Home automation: I have my Wink Hub smarthome controller setup (control lights/HVAC/locks/etc.), as well as my Foscam webcam that I use as a babycam.
Evernote: (comes stock) Create the recipe on your computer (text & pics if you want), then pull it up on the Android tablet for using it when cooking.
Cooking: I got an Instant Pot Smart Bluetooth electric pressure cooker for Christmas, which has an app coming out in March for Android, which allows me to load cooking scripts wireless into the appliance, so this is more of a TBA thing. I'm also looking into things like Dormi, which turns the webcam into basically a baby monitors, so you can use it as a webcam (useful if you want to check on what you're cooking from work, like a slow cooker or something).
I've been tinkering with VNC servers to see if I can get remote access into it; may have to root it in order to do that (that would be useful with my Instant Pot, which only works on short-range Bluetooth - along with a webcam monitoring app to keep an eye on things!). As far as customization goes, the main thing I do is disable the lockscreen. You can also set it to sleep after so long (like after a minute) or go into Daydream mode if you want a clock or whatever floating around all the time (that's tied to the sleep time - if Daydream is turned off, the monitor will simply turn off instead - I like having Daydream on so I can tap the screen to wake, rather than the power button). I'll have to bust out my Kill-a-watt one of these days to see how much juice it's sucking down at idle.
There is a smaller 17" model available for $360 that has a 7-hour battery & 10-point multi-touch, which is great if you want to unplug it & be mobile in the kitchen or whatever. Details here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=37278620&postcount=27
Update: Use coupon code TRIPLE for price reduction
$239.99 with free shipping + tax (12 days remaining on the Groupon as of 31-Dec-2014). Not the cheapest it's ever been, but still a pretty good deal. Tax was $15.23 for me, making the total $255.22 shipped. These are typically $300 online ($379 at HP), so this is a nice savings. Here's the link:
https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-hp-slate21-pro-all-in-one-android-business-pc
What is it?
This is basically a jumbo Android tablet without a battery. Info links:
Official website
Datasheet (PDF)
User guide (PDF)
Before you get too excited, there are some cons you should be aware of:
* There is no battery (it is wall-powered only)
* It is only 2-finger multi-touch
* Heavy (13.6 pounds)
* Glossy screen (be careful of environmental glare)
* Models come with either Android 4.3 or 4.4; my 4.3 models do not upgrade from 4.3 Update: 4.4 update has been rolling out
* Some apps have issues with the device type (won't install from stock Play store) or when on Ethernet (wants Wifi specifically)
So it's basically a nice touchscreen monitor, retrofitted with an Android motherboard. It's really useful in a few particular applications, which I'll get to in a minute. As far as the nerd stuff goes, HP has the kernel available to download. Unlocking & rooting info available here and here. Here are the specs:
* 21.5" 1080p IPS LED screen with 2-finger multi-touch
* Standard 3-prong power cord
* Can be used as a touchscreen on a computer (has HDMI input & includes USB cable)
* Can be used as a regular screen via HDMI input (like for watching TV or playing consoles)
* Built-in adjustable kickstand
* Includes wired keyboard & mouse (compatible with wireless as well, I use the Logitech MK320 combo)
* Nvidia Tegra 4, 2GB RAM, 16GB flash, SD reader
* (3) USB ports (2 in the back, 1 on the side)
* 720p Webcam (yeah it's HD, but it's kinda crummy), Microphone, (2) 2w stereo speakers
* Headphone jack (doubles as a mic jack)
* Bluetooth 4.0
* Wifi 802.11 a/b/g/n & 10/100 Ethernet
* 100mm VESA (requires four 4mm, 0.7-pitch, 10mm-long screws - nothing longer)
What do you use it for?
I have been using these in work applications as cheap thin clients with USB barcode scanners; discussion thread here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2354903
I recently picked one up to use as a kitchen computer. I don't use it with the keyboard or mouse, just the touchscreen (you can wall-mount it with a VESA arm or just set it on a countertop or shelf using the included heavy-duty built-in kickstand). I have a family Gmail account setup, which I then share out to our iPhones & the Android tablet in the kitchen for documents, calendars, etc. Here is what I use it for:
Google Calendar: (comes stock) I use this as a multi-purpose calendar using a family gmail account: one for birthdays, one for appointments, and one for the chores schedule (including household maintenance like when to replace the HVAC filter & stuff). This is super useful to review everyone's calendar quickly in a public area of the house, plus you can share & sync it to multiple phones, including iPhones.
Google Docs: (free) I have various notes setup, like a Shopping List & Emergency Contacts. This can be synced to iPhones as well, so you can add something to the shopping list in the kitchen, then pull it up when you're at the grocery store. Effortless & handy.
Entertainment: I won't list direct links since there's so many options & it's personal to you, but you can throw music on here (iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, Podcast Addict) & movies (Netflix etc.) for background noise. It has built-in speakers, plus an analog output jack if you want to hook it into some larger speakers (via minijack or with an RCA stereo splitter cable), as well as Bluetooth if you want to hook up to some speakers wirelessly. If you want to get fancy, you can setup Airfoil Speakers to act as an Airplay Receiver, or setup Allstream or Allcast to shoot stuff to other devices. Lots of flexibility since it's all software-driven.
Yummly: Excellent search engine for other recipe search engines.
Youtube: (comes stock) One of the best search engines for video recipes.
TubeMate: Download Youtube videos for watching later (useful for cooking shows or specific video recipes).
Home automation: I have my Wink Hub smarthome controller setup (control lights/HVAC/locks/etc.), as well as my Foscam webcam that I use as a babycam.
Evernote: (comes stock) Create the recipe on your computer (text & pics if you want), then pull it up on the Android tablet for using it when cooking.
Cooking: I got an Instant Pot Smart Bluetooth electric pressure cooker for Christmas, which has an app coming out in March for Android, which allows me to load cooking scripts wireless into the appliance, so this is more of a TBA thing. I'm also looking into things like Dormi, which turns the webcam into basically a baby monitors, so you can use it as a webcam (useful if you want to check on what you're cooking from work, like a slow cooker or something).
I've been tinkering with VNC servers to see if I can get remote access into it; may have to root it in order to do that (that would be useful with my Instant Pot, which only works on short-range Bluetooth - along with a webcam monitoring app to keep an eye on things!). As far as customization goes, the main thing I do is disable the lockscreen. You can also set it to sleep after so long (like after a minute) or go into Daydream mode if you want a clock or whatever floating around all the time (that's tied to the sleep time - if Daydream is turned off, the monitor will simply turn off instead - I like having Daydream on so I can tap the screen to wake, rather than the power button). I'll have to bust out my Kill-a-watt one of these days to see how much juice it's sucking down at idle.
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