HP Omni 10: Good tablet but tad costly

From their early caveman beginnings, tablets have gradually evolved into chic and sophisticated flat touch-screen computers.

Given the choice of hardware and operating systems available in the market today, buying a tablet may not be as easy as buying a cup of coffee.

One of the heavyweight contenders at 635 grams that has thrown its hat in the ring is the HP Omni 10.

Running on Windows 8.1 operating system, the Omni 10 is powered by an Intel Atom Z3770 quad-core 1.46GHz processor.

Omni 10 is equipped to run a full version of Windows, allowing access to the familiar desktop mode too.

Its multitasking capability, along with its ability to install any Windows application, lends Omni 10 a more familiar interface, making it a comfortable switch for a first-time tablet user. The performance was immaculate and the quirks minimal.

Of the 32GB built-in eMMC storage, 22GB is dedicated to the heavy OS, preinstalled software and apps like Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2013, Skydrive, Skype, Internet Explorer 11 and a lot more.

Only 10GB of that memory is available to the user but the good news is that HP allows users to expand the memory on Omni 10 by another 32GB through an expandable microSD slot.

The outer shell is made of durable plastic with a rubber coating. At 10.1mm thick, the rectangular design with rounded edges makes the device easy to hold. The 3.5mm jack for headphones is placed on the left, volume rocker on the right and the power key is on the top right.

The speaker grills are on the bottom side along with a micro HDMI port, a micro USB port and a covered micro SD card slot. The 10.1-inch screen, covered by tough (Gorilla Glass 3) glass has an appeasing display at a resolution of 1200 X 1980 pixels.

Both, the 8MP primary camera and the 2MP front camera perform just about average.

The battery on the device lasted close to 10 hours of routine usage.

Although manufacturers have only started to scratch the surface of its potential use and applications, HP comes close to amalgamate best of all worlds into this device for Rs 24,900. I could only recommend buying it, if you need convergence of mobility with work.       

Bag it or Junk it: A good 10.1 inch Windows tablet but is priced higher than the competition.

Price: Rs 24,900

Rating: 4/5