The tame Apple press seems deeply surprised that HP's forthcoming Slate tablet will be cheaper and much better than the iPad. It is also a bit stunned that Microsoft's dual screen tablet Courier might even be better.

According to The Wall Street Journal, executives from HP intend to "tweak prices and features" soon on its upcoming Slate. The 3G data connection machine was already going to be cheaper than the starting $629 price for the 16GB 3G iPad.  Now HP thinks it can seriously undercut Jobs' Mob. Redmond is said to be in the same boat. Microsoft's two colour screens that folds together like a book is much more innovative than the iPad and again will be cheaper.

To make itself feel better, the tame Apple press has been telling the world + dog that Jobs' Mob has created a new tablet market. While the last six months of hype might have made people thing about buying a tablet, there is no indication that this might be the case.

By the time the iPad comes on the market there will be better and cheaper machines that can do all the things that Apple's expensive hunk of junk can't. If there is an interest in tablets, then there is no guarantee that it will translate as an interest in the iPad. We still think that Apple is onto a loser here.

Already it has had a bit of a panic. Sources inside Apple tell us that work is on to either reduce the price of the iPad or release a higher spec machine that does what the punters actually want.