HP Slate killed? Rumor mill says 'yes'

Last night TechCrunch reported that, according to an unnamed "source briefed on the matter," HP had stopped development of the Slate in its tracks, killing off the project entirely. Why? Well, according to the source, HP isn't thrilled with Windows 7's performance on the tablet. The Slate -- which was officially unveiled in January by Steve Ballmer himself -- had a rumored price of $549, and was supposedly launching in June. So, what should we make of all this? Well, there's probably some major chaos over at HP with the news of the Palm acquisition, so we wouldn't be surprised to hear some shaky -- or even incorrect -- information coming out of the company right now. On the other hand, HP killing off the project doesn't sound completely out of the realm of possibility to us. We've reached out to HP for comment, but they've yet to get back to us. We'll let you know when we hear something more concrete.

Update: Here's the response we just go from HP -- "We don't comment on rumors or speculation."

[HowardtheDuck Posted Apr 30th 2010 10:48AM]

Bad week for Microsoft.

[RottingOrange Posted Apr 30th 2010 10:50AM]

@HowardtheDuck

Good week for Palm. Let's see webOS on a slate, that'd be awesome! Multitasking, slick notifications, this thing might kick the iPad's butt. (Not in sales, but in performance. ;-) )

[B3ASTx3 Posted Apr 30th 2010 10:54AM]

@HowardtheDuck
First the Courier now the HP Slate!!! It's an iPad Killers Double Kill!!

[Ryan Deen Posted Apr 30th 2010 10:57AM]

@RottingOrange Come on, people. Seriously, do you think HP is going to totally kill off tablets? They want to put a beefy version of webOS on their tablets and COMPETE!

Now, they need to team up with a solid media manager (doubletwist) and get this thing going!

[assb10yr Posted Apr 30th 2010 10:58AM]

@RottingOrange
Keep dreaming.

[sweet greggo Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:02AM]

@RottingOrange
i'm a launch day Pre owner, but the thought of a WebOS tablet excites me about as much as the iPad, which is not at all.

the device I wanted to come to market was the courier. I have an actual need for a device like that.

[beckhams777 Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:03AM]

@HowardtheDuck

I'm actually sad, but excited at the same time. I'd rather wait a couple more months and get WebOS on a tablet with no laggy OS.

[jsbaugh Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:04AM]

@RottingOrange Performance? I think not. I have a Pre and its the slowest battery sucking phone I have ever owned. The multitasking is ok but ipad will have it with OS4 which is really the only thing WebOS has over the ipad/iphone. Apple also crushes it in terms of Apps so I dont see a WebOS tablet hurting the iPad at all.

[emopoops Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:06AM]

@HowardtheDuck like i said, there was only one winner and its microsoft. hp slate is absolutely awesome except for the windows 7 thing not working out, now let me tell you this. if microsoft was about to go bankrupt more than the national debt, would u lend microsoft some money apple? huh? i think well leave it to the administrators to decide.

[Beatnik Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:07AM]

@HowardtheDuck
Looking Forward for the HP WebOS SLATE YEAH

[Beatnik Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:10AM]

@B3ASTx3
2 ipad killers have been killed this week even without born, but 1 ipad is born WebOS SLATE

[poblano Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:12AM]

@beckhams777

A couple of months?? Don't hold your breath on anything that quick.

[RottingOrange Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:16AM]

@sweet greggo
You know what? You're really right. I'd like a webOS tablet, but it wouldn't be that useful, Courier WOULD have been useful (as a student and graphic/web designer). Oh well. :-/

[hbueain Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:17AM]

@HowardtheDuck

:::///// iPad just did a double kill.

[kapryt Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:18AM]

@RottingOrange

In sales too... if HP can get its act together with Palm.

I mean HP makes Apple look like a joke... HP is in every home, office, server room, etc... and Apple hangs out at some art studios, old schools, and hipsters houses... oh yeah and the iPod hangs out at the gym.

[SCXFAN Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:18AM]

@Ryan Deen Probably not.

Kill off the Windows based tablets? Probably yes.

Don't see why the Pocket Protector Patrol is so hot on Windows on a tablet. Its just failure in the making.

[Groggle Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:25AM]

@B3ASTx3 HELL YEA! Oh, I'm waiting for the Slate or Courier, not gonna get the IFail. Nobody's gonna buy it... total prediction fail, man.

[N900 Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:26AM]

@HowardtheDuck and in other news Korn commemorates a song to them, called "Dead Tablets Everywhere".

"You really want me to use, a stylus. Why? It makes me feel, like no one."

[zipp Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:28AM]

@HowardtheDuck

When they announced the HP palm deal I pointed out how bad this is for MS.... I was accused of trolling by "fast" even though I was just making an obvious observation...

Hardware makers owning their own OS is just about the worst thing that could happen to MS.

I tip my hat to HP for trying to avoid banking their future on MS. HP isn't going to allow what happened on the desktop to happen again. Good lookn HP!

[MosesusedaniPad Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:28AM]

@HowardtheDuck

HP threw away money on Palm but at least it's saving money by not selling an instant failure in the HP Slate. The HP Slate was one of the most ill-conceived projects ever. Take a netbook, snap off the keyboard and try to sell it to consumers as an innovative product for a higher price than a netbook. HP must have really thought consumers were stupid. Only geeks are that stupid by trying requesting a light tablet that runs a fully-bloated Windows 7 desktop OS. Just because Steve Ballmer thinks it would be cool. Why are these people so stupid? Nobody but some old-school corporate IT manager would want some crap like that. He'd hand it to some poor sales guy who'd want to cry for getting stuck with some next-to-useless device.

Rest in peace, JooJoo, Courier and HP Slate. What crap tablet is next on the list? Notion Ink Adam or WePad?

[Charlik Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:30AM]

@Ryan Deen Indeed. in fact access to Palm's WebOS is likely the major reason for the buy. It is at the moment the best contender to complete with Apple's mobile OS

[Drayzthawts Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:35AM]

@HowardtheDuck I think it's HP's intention to get out from under Microsoft's thumb now that they have Palm's webOS.

[BergerFan Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:36AM]

@hbueain It was a perfect, ultra combo, flawless victory.

[MosesusedaniPad Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:37AM]

@RottingOrange

Who exactly is asking for webOS on a tablet? Nobody. HP just bought Palm. You think they're going to be able to build a webOS tablet within the next week or two? Performance from using what? Somehow everyone thinks you can just slap a device and mobile OS together and build a world-beater in a month. It doesn't work like that. Not even if you throw millions of dollars into it. HTC might be able to do it because they have a diverse knowledge of mobile development, but not HP. HP doesn't have a clue about mobile. Palm's teams might, but that remains to be seen.

[axelito397 Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:43AM]

@RottingOrange YOU still have hope???? hahahhaahaha...let's face it, we'll have to wait another year for the so called iPad killer....

[who said what Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:44AM]

@MosesusedaniPad

Welcome WebOS! Did you get lost on the way?

[who said what Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:46AM]

@who said what

And oh yes, WebOS... one more thing...
Now that you are here... rest a while and get some new hardware... and you can do a lot more justice to your name!

[DarkGrimoire Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:51AM]

@B3ASTx3
whew.. apple killed 2 birds without even throwing a stone..
the power of god jobs?? :D..

Bring back the courier....

[synthesized Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:57AM]

@HowardtheDuck

iPad = Clear winner.

We all knew it was going to happen, just not so soon!

[abedinthehouse Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:58AM]

NooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Joao Cagao Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:59AM]

@kapryt
Wow, you are pretty dumb! You should wait before you hit that 'post' button.

[Old fogie late bloomer Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:59AM]

What in the HECK? I have to say I'm deeply disappointed by this and the Courier news... especially the Courier news; I really thought I was going to be getting one of those. :(

I wonder what's going on here from an economic perspective. Are they looking at iPad sales numbers and thinking: there's not enough of a demand? Are they looking at iPad numbers and thinking: Apple's already cornered this market? I suspect that the former is more likely than the latter; despite these recent news items, I still have no desire to own an iPad, so....

Meh, I'm still waiting for my Mirasol Win 7 tablet anyway....

[Alex McKenna Posted Apr 30th 2010 12:00PM]

@kapryt
Yes, HP hangs like a dark depressing cloud all over the place, but less and less thank heavens.
People are waking up to the fact you can ENJOY working on your machines. There's no need to suffer Microsoft and their cronies any more.

[Wally Posted Apr 30th 2010 12:15PM]

@MosesusedaniPad
Well said! The Joojoo is still selling somewhere, to all ten of its customers.

[smashinpapas Posted Apr 30th 2010 12:27PM]

@Beatnik
Why is everyone having Tablet ABORTIONS!! Why tech god WHY?!?! Are there no Catholics in tech world!!1

[Narutogrey Posted Apr 30th 2010 12:30PM]

@beckhams777 Well, according to most financial news sites earlier this week, HP is putting the Slate on hold until it integrates Palm, but it's going to take at least until the fall of this year just to do this integration. After that, they expect at least a year of development before seein WebOS on ANY device, which means next winter is probably the earliest you'll see the WebOS slate.
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-doesnt-have-to-worry-about-the-hp-slate-anymore-2010-4

[recharged95 Posted Apr 30th 2010 12:36PM]

@B3ASTx3

Proves that Apple has nearly perfected the time-to-market and product media-info-manipulation business of selling tech. It's sort of like breaking out of the Mhz/Ghz wars back in the day... that MS started.

MS is truly in the hot seat to perform. Windows 7 is a gonna be a short lease on life.

[angermeans Posted Apr 30th 2010 12:46PM]

@HowardtheDuck I wonder where all the people That a couple months ago stated That the the slate would have full windows 7 and that's what they want in a tablet.

[FrancisL4D Posted Apr 30th 2010 1:49PM]

@recharged95: Windows 7 short lease? Yep... by far MS's fastest selling OS is DOOMED!

[sharms Posted Apr 30th 2010 2:20PM]

Not necessarily a bad news if HP has decided to take a step back to re-evaluate its arsenal and come up with better hardware+software (Slate+WebOS) combo to assault Apple's hot-selling iPad in near future.

Same thing with MS... who knows what component of Courier are they not willing to commit to - dual-screen form factor or the OS? Or both? If both, can some hand me some tissues to wipe my tears :((

[steel Posted Apr 30th 2010 2:55PM]

@B3ASTx3

Please, nothing could kill the iPad. What other company could convince people to purchase a peripheral as if it were a stand-alone computer?

[nelissiko Posted Apr 30th 2010 3:35PM]

@HowardtheDuck First MS halted the production of the courier tablet (sad) Now, HP is leaving windows for the production of their webOS powered slate (I'm sad for windows, but I'm happy for palm) Reactions to the hp slate of ces. http://j.mp/hp-slate-first-concepts

[Michael Scrip Posted Apr 30th 2010 3:55PM]

@Narutogrey -- "but it's going to take at least until the fall of this year just to do this integration. After that, they expect at least a year of development before seein WebOS on ANY device, which means next winter is probably the earliest you'll see the WebOS slate."

Exactly.

Palm has a couple of pretty cool phones... the Pre and Pixi. They are now on 2 carriers in the US with one more carrier soon... and they practically went out of business. HP swooped in and saved them.

I can't imagine developers jumping on board to start making WebOS apps for a new tablet... since the phone platform didn't make them do it. And everybody needs a phone.

But, who knows. A year and a half later... maybe a WebOS tablet will do well.

But, by that time... there will be a few million iPads in the world.

Everyone hated the iPad... and set their hopes on the Windows HP Slate and the Courier. Now both of those products have been scrapped... but the iPad is still here.

Now people are betting on the NotionInk Adam... and the yet to be announced WebOS tablet.

It's the shipping product vs. the future product... once again.

[Duke Posted Apr 30th 2010 5:34PM]

@Groggle

So Groggle, you are waiting for the two products that have been cancelled today? Interesting dedication you show. Or was that supposed to be sarcasm?

This and the Courier news is upsetting for sure.

[TheWolfen Posted Apr 30th 2010 6:00PM]

@MosesusedaniPad Gee.. I'm pretty sure I'm not stupid by wanting a faster, lighter version of the HP TC1100 that I love so much. And the OS I'm running on the 1.1GHz 2GB RAM slate? Windows 7 Ultimate. It runs just fine. Sure, it isn't as fast as my quad core desktop, but definitely usable.

I've got no problem with a multi-touch slate PC - I'm sure it would be nice, but without that active digitizer & stylus, not useful for anything beyond surfing and movies. For digital art and OneNote, only a stylus will do.

Am I in the minority? Maybe. Am I stupid for wanting one? Definitely not.

[1mc Posted Apr 30th 2010 6:18PM]

@HowardtheDuck

WOW just look at the fanboys celebrating for unconfirmed rumors, such a victorious day for them. Even so, it is still too early too celebrate, Microsoft is like the terminator, he will say to you, "I'll be back"

[HiRez Posted Apr 30th 2010 6:43PM]

Double kill indeed. Steve used teh rail gun.

[vikrantt Posted Apr 30th 2010 9:45PM]

@RottingOrange Palm just got bought out by another company. No matter how you wanna put it, it is not really a good week. Well, I know the company was dying and all, but no company would really wanna loose itself.

[McKirf Posted Apr 30th 2010 10:22PM]

@HowardtheDuck

Bad week for Microsoft? They just released excellend earnings and slyly licensed technology to HTC for the Androids! I'd say things are going pretty well for them and their future plans.

[ConradOBrien Posted Apr 30th 2010 11:19PM]

@Ryan Deen
Dude, I just googled doubletwist then downloaded it.
It is awesome. How did I not know about this for my Pre.
Thanks!