webOS-based HP Hurricane tablet rumored for Q3
By Darren Murph 
posted May 8th 2010 7:05PM
posted May 8th 2010 7:05PM
Shortly after announcing a blockbuster deal to acquire Palm, HP confessed that it would be "doubling down on webOS," with near-term plans to "scale it across multiple connected devices." We took the liberty at that point to assume this meant that a larger webOS-based device was at least sitting around in the rear of someone's mind, and now it sounds as if Palm loyalists may actually have something tangible to look forward to. According to an unsubstantiated report over at the Examiner, an "insider at HP" has informed the site that "a webOS tablet under the code name HP Hurricane could be released the third quarter of this year." This all lines up well with what we've heard over the past few weeks: HP pledged to take webOS to places it has never been, strong whispers emerged that the HP Slate was being shelved, and now, people close to the HP camp have given a name to a purported webOS tablet slated for Q3. There's obviously no telling if this is simply hot air being blown, but we wouldn't be shocked to see HP nail down a webOS slate in time for the sure-to-be-rockin' 2010 holiday buying season. Or maybe we're just crossing our fingers, humming aloud and praying to our lucky stars that this all pans out.[Thanks, Mike and Trever]
That was fast...
@Nitrocoot. I suspect a hyperdrive was involved
@Nitrocoot Thats what she said!
HERE I AMMMMMMMMMMM
ROCK YOU LIKA ... HURRRIIICAAAAAAAAAAAAAANEE!
@Lord Vader Dammit Vader, You beat me to my punchline by nano-seconds.
Hyper-drive indeed.
@Nitrocoot No, that was bogus.
all new WebOS.
instead of putting data onto the cloud, we save it all on the hurricane.
@Nitrocoot
HP Hurricane = HP Slate + webOS ?
I'm confused now.
@Nitrocoot
WebOS runs in WebKit on Linux: I would imagine it's one of the easiest OSes to bring across. Putting together an ARM+GPU combo tablet isn't difficult for HP.
In the mean time, it's easy to hire new developers (needs experience in web technologies) and developers to expand the Palm outfit to handle developing the bigger platform and tablet-specific stuff.
@SeeKo HateOS?
@geekthree
What do you mean?
I'm just wondering if this is the same thing as the HP Slate but with an other OS. How else could they bring out a new tablet so fast after they canned their last proposal?
@SeeKo, lets hope not. They can greatly shrink down the hardware size quite a bit if it webOS vs the previous full OS.
@cwalters74
This will give the iPad a run for it's money.
Tablet king = iPad Wait wait... Not so fast
@Nitrocoot Yup, and it's going to crash and burn even faster.
@Nitrocoot
I wonder if everyone will complain that this is Just a giant Pamt pre like they did with that other tablet.
@Edobe
*Palm pre
@Edobe
youre a moron, the ipad is literally a copy and paste of the UI of the ipod touch. I guarantee the homepage of the new slate will look different the palm pre
@Nitrocoot
The rumors are always fast to appear. Let see how fast they'll release the product, assuming there are no delays. I was holding out on the Apple Tablet for many reasons, but I have used a Palm Pre recently, and I would prefer to see this software on a larger tablet.
Dell's Storms vs. HP Hurricane!
@Lord Vader
AGAIN with the star wars!?!?
Gaylord Vader is annoying :|
@KarlW The apps run in WebKit. The OS is Linux, and the GUI runs on top of java.
@Nitrocoot Yeah.... but it will only be like a big palm pre. No? Sorry, forgot that logic only applies to Apple.
As long as it's not Palm Foleo i'll be fine,
http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/30/palm-foleo-gallery/
@geekthree
I remember a valentine' day card where a female computer says to the male computer "my software loves your harddrive"
off topic, oh well
@Nitrocoot Yep, hurricane fast. I would love to see the future device of HP more than now. How cool is web*os. http://j.mp/hp-webos-preview
@JojoMojo
Except a big iPhone doesn't make as much sense as a big Palm Pre. The Pre already has excellent multitasking and (will soon have) Flash support, so those two complaints will be out of the way. WebOS more of a desktop-style mobile OS, so it might be perfect for a tablet. But Palms going to need to get a few more developers out there.
@thisisit
LOL!!
@Lord Vader that is confidential! like mr. jobs, I need employees I can trust. **force slap**
@SeeKo Because Palm web os and HP iron will do a Katrina on the iPad, especally if they undercut Apple pricing.
@Natal
Welcome to Earth. We make jokes here.
@Edobe
"I wonder if everyone will complain that this is Just a giant Pamt pre like they did with that other tablet."
Of all the mobile OS's webOS is probably the best designed for a large screen device.
I don't really have any need for an iPad or a giant Palm Pre, but I do think that webOS card view benefits much more from a larger screen than the iPhone OS springboard does. webOS actually multitasks and can do so with multiple applications viewable at the same time. Even with iPhone 4.0 multitasking you can't view multiple applications at once so a larger screen does not benefit the iPhone OS or it's existing applications in any meaningful way. The problem with webOS on a cellphone screen is that even if you have 10 apps open at once you can only view 1 and 2 halves at a time in normal card mode or 3 1/2 apps in zoomed out mode. On a large screen you would be able to view several apps at once turning them into very useful and powerful widgets (weather, alarm clock, Pandora, twitter, RSS feed, engadget, etc.) .
I think both devices are largely a waste of money and inferior to any computer running a real OS. Ultimately though I can see how webOS is better suited for a large screen device than iPhone OS is.
@cool8man
Looks like it's a good tablet but is still a giant Palm Pre.
@geekthree
"HateOS?"
*I* saw what you did there. +1, I chuckled.
@cool8man No because the difference is that people won't be hyping this thing to be the second coming of Christ. Hence the reason the iFad is being called nothing more then a touch. Because that is EXACTLY what it is. This may be an oversized Pre...but you can bet that HP will give it a more robust feature set then the iFad and probably won't be locked down app wise like the iFad either.
@hyperACTIV You hear that guys? The only things that determine a desktop OS are whatever isn't on iPad. Forget the fact that flash will kill portable batteries to oblivion and the fact that the iPad will have multitasking most likely before this thing is even an official product.
The iPad is a muthaf*ck'n beast! WebOS tablet sounds cool though, I only wish Palm were in charge.
Sent from my iPad, while listening to NIN through beats by Dr.Dre Fuck the World.
@SeeKo Lol I love how I got down ranked for saying HateOS (given It was a combination of huricane, slate and os, mentioned above).
I didn't mean anything negivate by it, I really really love the idea of webos on a tablet, if implemented right, It could be a seriously awesome experience.
@cool8man You're making it sound like seeing multiple apps running at the same time on a screen is the only reason that makes a tablet useful!
That may be true for you, but 99.99% of the world view one app at a time keeping others minimized even on a large screen notebook. By large screen I mean 15 inches and up. Furthermore, there is actually a scientific reason for that. People are good at doing one thing at a time...
Cards seem like a total overkill for a dashboard widget. It would eat battery like no ones business!
Finally, it's about the content. WebOS is behind the 8 ball when it comes to apps, books and AV content. To the avg buyer the lack to integrated content will be a huge limiting factor.
What WebOS does give HP v Win 7 is a superb touch screen interface, and fast performance on a mobile device. Also gives them a differentiated product v. Android. HP would have lost the Android price to the bottom race that is about to start....
ipad killer? Only with a miracle. Miracles happen, but not often.
@Edobe Haha, yeah, let's wait and see what happens with that.
All I want is itunes syncing.
@cool8man "I do think that webOS card view benefits much more from a larger screen than the iPhone OS springboard does."
Uh huh, so how many cards will you see in portrait view? They gonna shrink them down to the size they are on the Pre? Even if they do, they are 200 pixels across so you'd fit 768/200 = 3 full previews + 2 off-screen views, it's 5 tops. iPad gives you 4 icons so it's not really any different.
Already people are out with the 'this single feature will be soooo much better what Apple have done' bollocks. How about let's wait and see what they do first.
The slate is going to need a major overhaul for a start in the hardware - thinner with ARM and possibly a better screen. The iPad is IPS not TN y'know.
I reckon at best they will have an OS with 100x fewer apps, no sync software, hardware that only matches their rivals, likely a cheap screen and crummy plastic hardware. All HP had to do was make a touch screen netbook in a smaller form factor. How hard could it be? Mini 311, remove keyboard, insert touch screen but they blew it.
Now it's just a big Pre that won't make calls and will suck even more than the iPad does now.
@SeeKo
You'll always be dude.
@Nitrocoot I was really looking forward to a Windows 7 tablet. But alas, I'll check out the iPad or this thing. Just dont know the OS that well.
@jaffreywali
I agree that multitasking does require bigger battery but that is exactly what having a 10 inch device gives you. An iPad has two huge batteries compared to the actual circuit board which is the same size as an iPhone. A webos tablet will be able to do the same. palm PRE plus already has twice the memory of iPhone so it is better suited for multitasking. HP can definitely increase memory even further but that is currently not required.
If the first generation WebOS device is built using TI's 3640 platform the time to market will be reduced drastically as it is the same processor running at 1 GHz.
@Nitrocoot
HP!.....Palm!.....
By your powers combined, I am captain tablet.... "GO TABLET!"
Well, it was only a matter of time...
I mean, really... did you really think the Slate would die that easily?
HP Slate + webOS = FULL OF WIN!!!
@shadowj0 So many product rumors. Get a goddam product to market and I'll believe it. So far the only thing out there is the joojoo.
@cool8man
very well thought out & I agree that webos may work great in finding a sweetspot for a lite os & offer a bit more of an appealing ui for a tablet, as it sort of has more of a desktop layout, but is built from scratch for touch & gesture ( & maybe stylus ) as opposed to porting over windows 7 for example & having to skin it & retool it as a touch friendly UI. So, yes it doesn't quite have some of the conveniences a full desktop/laptop os would for some software / features from the get go, but I think it would still be slick & really fuctional with a lot of potential to grow because it's roots were built for uses like on a tablet & hopefully wouldn't run into the one knock being talk about with android for example of mutiple builds & delays on updates bc they have to update the touch flo interface and all. It's not a huge problem, but all us geeks are impatient & of course want the latest build yesterday & every new feature right away!!
@Cold Dead Fingers
Beats by Dre? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAA
Now I'm REALLY not going to listen to you.
@Nitrocoot Let the Penny Pinching begin!
@JojoMojo That comparison makes absolutely no sense. Unless the tablet somehow had a slider QWERTY. Which would be absurd.
While it would take a lot to get me away from my iPad, this thing could be pretty hot.
@PastorTom
It'd only take one thing for me: stylus/note-taking support.