While tablets are super popular now for watching the latest episode of House of Cards or playing a frustrating game of FlappyBird, they also can be used to replace the traditional cash register.
At Mobile World Congress 2014, Hewlett Packard revealed a sleek and durable Windows 8.1 point-of-sale (POS) solution that's designed for small businesses such as retail and hospitality. Called the HP TX1, the solution includes the HP ProPad 600 G1, a sturdy stand, and essential POS accessories. The HP TX1 will be available in May in different configurations.
"The HP TX1 POS Solution gives business owners an affordable tablet-based solution that allows them to easily complete sales transactions and perform back-office tasks," reads the company's press release. "With the ability to run essential POS applications and popular productivity applications, the HP TX1 gives small business owners the tools they need to effectively manage and grow their business."
According to the specs, the tablet will have a 10.1-inch multi-touch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200. Depending on the configuration, the screen will be backed by a quad-core Intel Atom Z3795 or a quad-core Intel Z3775 processor. Memory will consist of 2 GB of LPDDR3-1067 RAM if the OS is 32-bit, and 4 GB of LPDDR3-1067 RAM if the OS is 64-bit.
The tablet will also include dual-band Wireless N and Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 connectivity, an 8MP camera on the back and a 2MP camera on the front, a handful of sensors (Ambient Light, Gyro, etc.), stereo speakers, an integrated microphone, and a microSD card reader. Internal storage will consist of 64 GB for the 64-bit version of Windows 8.1 and 32 GB for the 32-bit version. All of this will be powered by an 8380 mAh battery.
All that said, even though HP is marketing this tablet to the small business crowd, there's plenty here that could appease the consumer crowd as well. Unfortunately, this tablet is part of HP's TX1 Point of Sale TX1 solution, so consumers will have to look for something similar if they find these tablet specs attractive.
"Small businesses need simple, affordable solutions that help them efficiently drive their business forward," said Ray Carlin, vice president and general manager, Retail Solutions, HP. "Our tablet-based point-of-sale solution gives today's retailers the essential tools they need to gain a competitive edge."
Given that the HP TX1 has multiple configurations, pricing will be made available at a later date.
