HP means business with its accessory driven ElitePad 900 tablet, but the price remains a secret

Hewlett Packard has announced the ElitePad 900, a business grade Windows 8 tablet that will be joined by a wide range of accessories.

Hewlett Packard has announced another Windows 8 tablet, this time aimed at business and government use, along with a wide range of specially designed accessories to make it a more tempting proposition.

The ElitePad 900 has a 10.1-inch touchscreen with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, and is covered with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2 to help protect it. Inside the 9.2mm thick machined-aluminum chassis is an Intel Atom processor, the new Z2760 Clover Trail to be exact, however its clock speed is currently unknown, plus 2GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.

The new processor means the ElitePad’s battery boasts eight hours of continuous use, plus there is an 8-megapixel camera on the rear, a video call lens which shoots in 1080p around the front, plus a SIM-card slot for mobile data connectivity too.

So far, so ordinary, but the ElitePad is obviously supposed to be purchased with one or more of the official accessories, and HP’s range is pleasingly extensive. The cringingly named Productivity Jacket turns the ElitePad into a laptop with a keyboard, improved speakers, an array of ports including an SD card reader, USBs and an HDMI, plus a second battery.

It’s not the only option either, as the ElitePad Docking Station provides an “enterprise class desktop experience,” with a keyboard, monitor and a charging system. The ElitePad can even be used as a second screen.

These are joined by a stylus, a case that boasts what HP calls “military grade” protection against bumps and drops, and a second case that contains an extended battery. Finally, provided companies purchase a special tool, the ElitePad 900′s battery and motherboard are accessible for ease of service.

All this sounds exciting, particularly due to the varied docking systems, and HP will release them and the ElitePad 900 in the USA from January 2013. Don’t bother asking about the price though, as like every other Windows 8 product, we’ve no idea how much the tablet or any of its accessories will cost.

You can watch some business people — including the Common Suited Middle Manager and the rare White Lab Coated Scientist — demonstrate the ElitePad 900 in HP’s all-business launch video below.