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Could this be HP's Windows 8 business slate?

Business users: How does a 10.1-inch slate running Windows 8 Pro with eight to ten hours of battery life sound to you?
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

If this is a real image of a real mock-up of a real HP Windows 8 tablet, business users might see an impressively thin, multi-touch device with between eight to ten hours of battery life before the year is out.

(click on the slide to enlarge)

Yes, there are lots of ifs attached to the image of the "HP Slate 8," which first appeared on Neowin.net earlier this week. After a bit of investigation, I am inclined to believe this is a real mock-up and is part of HP's line up of business desktops and laptops it will be touting this year. (I asked HP for comment on the slide and still have yet to hear back. and was told by a spokesperson "we don’t comment on rumors or speculation.")

It's no secret that HP is working on an Intel-based Windows 8 tablet. CEO Meg Whitman said as much earlier this year, noting that the device would be out before the end of 2012.

But this latest slide includes a few more details as to what to expect with this tablet, that is the apparent successor to the HP Slate 2 Windows business slate introduced in late 2011.

First off, it will be running Windows 8 Professional, one of the handful of newly announced Windows 8 SKUs detailed by Microsoft recently. That means it will include the Desktop, allowing it to run existing Windows apps. It also will include encryption, virtualization, PC management and domain connectivity. The HP Slate 8 will be 10.1 inches, 9.2mm thin and weigh .68 kg (1.5 pounds), according to the slide.

The battery life claims on the slide -- between 8 and 10 hours -- are in line with what Intel has promised will be available on Windows 8 tablets running the Clover Trail Atom processor later this year.

Other listed features include "enterprise-level docking" and both multi-touch and stylus support. There are no hints on pricing.

What do you think? If this slide is real, is HP moving in the right direction with at least one of its Windows 8 offerings?

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