HP ElitePad 900 (Windows 8 Tablet PC)

The HP ElitePad 900 is a new Windows 8 Tablet PC that's going to be released in January. The editors at CNET have already had a chance to review this product that's going to have several different modular "sleeves" that can attach to the bare slate tablet. In many ways, this takes me back to the days of the iPaq Pocket PC that had different types of sleeves that would wrap around the tablet. Some of you may remember that device.

These sleeves that will attach to the HP ElitePad 900 are called the "HP ElitePad Smart Jackets." They add "connectivity options and an additional ultra-slim battery for longer runtime, along with specific add-ons that customize the tablet for specialized uses." I wonder if they will create a jacket designed for the health care environment. You'll be able to pick up a Rugged Case for the ElitePad 900, so that will give it some additional protection.

At this point, I'm more excited about the new hardware that will be introduced with Windows 8 than I am about the new Microsoft operating system itself. Several major hardware manufacturers are releasing Windows 8 tablets that will have super-long battery life. I personally don't think Windows RT will gain much market share if people can choose a device that is running the full version of Windows 8 instead of Windows RT.