HP Slate to undercut iPad in price, Microsoft still working on Courier

The WSJ has a quick roundup of the tablet space with some interesting tidbits.  One, HP let Steve Ballmer “show off” their Slate computer at CES but waited for Apple to announce pricing so they could  tweak their pricing to make their product competitive.  They compare to the $629 3G iPad model, so it is assumed that the HP device will have 3G.

Interestingly, since the device will be running Windows 7, it will need PC internals, probably those of a Netbook (Intel Atom Processor) which typically run at higher prices than the ARM chips that the iPad is based on.

The Journal also mentions that Microsoft is still hammering away at their “secret” Courier device which Gizmodo profiled last year in videos and still images of all sorts.

Dell skipped the big tablet space and is instead going after the “big iPod touch” space with its Mini 5 which will be running Android.

But with Apple’s iPad a month away and costing much less than anyone had anticipated,  Apple clearly has the upper hand.