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[Foxeye]

I don't know if many of you follow the tech-toy scene too much, but I just learned some eyebrow-raising news (literally, my eyebrows.... they aren't coming down). 

HP was assumed to have scrapped their plans to make a Windows 7-based slate tablet in favor of a WebOS tablet, once iPad was such a success. (Which it is, for all that many see it as such a toy. It's hurt the laptop market. I've never been an apple-fan, but I really appreciate my iPad.)

Well, HP up and surprised us...they went ahead and released a Windows 7 slate, as a business tool.  (The consumer slate is coming later.)

Why does this excite me so?

Because, for all that the iPad is cool, it is NOT a digital artists tool. Maybe some real genius-types can manhandle it into one, and certainly people with no basis for comparison to a wacom tablet can enjoy it, but I absolutely abhor trying to draw on it. And that's because it has no pressure sensitivity.  (But also because apple makes copying files such a pain in the tookus.  Seriously...I draw a picture. I save the file. I copy the file to my main computer. How hard can it be?  Evidentally I'm asking too much in the land of Apple.  Many custom apps and strange steps must be involved.)

From all accounts, this HP slate does have pressure sensitivity. And as it is Windows 7, it will support the art apps I already use.

And it's relatively affordable...well, for a tablet PC anyhow.   

I am so getting one of these bad boys, and I will definitely be back to share how well it does.  I've been dreaming of a lightweight digital sketchpad for several years now. 

*crosses fingers*

OK, I'm done vomiting rainbow-and-glitter-covered-hype on the forums.    No doubt I'll be back in a few weeks saying that it is a huge disappointment.