The HP eStation Zeen, the Zeus printer, and everything we know about them
By Nilay Patel 
posted August 5th 2010 5:41PM
posted August 5th 2010 5:41PM
- The Zeen is a capacitive tablet running a HP skin on top of Android 2.1 -- it won't get shifted to webOS, and it's not clear if it'll get upped to Froyo before launch given the development time required. It has capacitive touch buttons, a SD card slot, video support, and at least some prototypes have cameras with a special webcam app installed.
- The goal is for the HP home screen and skin to be the only home screen available, but that hasn't been fully implemented yet.
- E-reading is a major focus, and the Zeen has "significant" integration with the Barnes & Noble Nook bookstore and ecosystem. Makes sense, as the Nook itself is based on Android, and being able to print e-books from the Zeen would be a huge differentiator -- and a great way for HP to sell more ink.
- The Zeen will come in two configurations: a $399 bundle with a new printer called Zeus and as a standalone unit for an unknown price. The Zeus has its own "basic" control setup, but when the Zeen is docked it provides a rich interface to the printing functions -- presumably a web-connected interface like the one HP's been moving towards with other printers.
- Despite the CQ model number, the Zeen is a straight HP product, with a laser-etched logo on the back.
Now This Is NEWS!
@DaHarder
ZEEN - "has capacitive touch buttons, a SD card slot, video support, and at least some prototypes have cameras with a special webcam app installed."... So Very Sweet!
@DaHarder
I don't know, other Android based e-raeders I've seen just aren't that great. This isn't a bash on Android, but it doesn't belong on an e-reader. It's like putting a desktop OS on a phone or tablet; it's doesn't work. They need to create an OS specific to this e-reader instead of putting a smartphone/tablet OS on it.
@DaHarder
Its 400 with a printer. So It'll be less than that as a stand alone, which i dont know if thats good or bad, so cheap is awesome but could mean it doesnt have that great specs. plus it needs 2.2 come on HP
@Arayta
The difference appears to be that the Zeen will feature tightly integrated Nook functionality, and anyone's who owns a Nook knows what a great eReader it is (though a bit sluggish).
We'll See Soon Enough...
@Arayta
... additionally, I guess you missed the part about this being a fully-functional Tablet Computer, not merely an eReader.
There's a world of difference between the two.
Go ANDROID! This is sticking it to The Man. And by "The Man" I think you know who I'm talking about. If you guessed 'wears black turtlenecks' and 'cut in line for a liver', you'd be correct.
@DaHarder
Come on HP, you didn't buy Palm to use Android on your tablets !!!
@techisme
Personally, I'd prefer them to use WebOS due to its elegance and efficiency, but when you take into consideration the enormous growth of the Android brand and Market in relation to the virtual stagnation of the WebOS development community, it makes quite a bit of sense to bring out a product that already has such a large/diverse app catalog/support community.
@DaHarder I think HP has a good strategy. If they release a Android Tablet(zeen), a Windows 7 Tablet(slate), and a WebOS Tablet(PalmPad) they could make good revenue and not be tied down with one OS event though they did buy Palm...
@DaHarder Yes, at the cost of HP ink printing your ebooks would cost *WAY* more than just going to Barnes & Chernobyl and buying it in the already printed form.
@DaHarder
Why doesn't this thing have WebOS, that seems to be a little confusing since they recently purchased the company and it seemed like they were all gung-ho about using it for various products/platforms on devices they already have marketshare in. Also, the Android OS version this thing launches with is very important and whether it has access to the Android marketplace will be a major dealbreaker, just like Archos MIDs/tablets. Android has certain requirements for it to be a success, HP better do it right...
TL;DR version: First let me say Android is awesome but... WTF did HP spend $1.2 Billion for?? WebOS or GTFO
@crichton007
Cheap shot
@DaHarder
Android brand . Aren't u being generous. With all you self proclaimed techies stealing shit there ain't no freaking android market worth having.
@pspitts
FACT: An illiterate, profane, ignorant TROLL is still a TROLL.
Suggestion: Don't Be A TROLL
@DaHarder
For some reason I read it as "ePeen Station"...
@techisme
+1 where is webOS ?!
as long as the keep the word "pad" out of the naming scheme this could be one heck of a device
@DaHarder
400 bucks for a printer and tablet running android with an hp home layout?? shittt sign me up.
Wasn't this posted earlier this morning?
webos please.
@lrn2swim double that. If HP releases this as is, It makes me seriously doubtful of their ability to compete with Google and Apple in the consumer tablet space. Companies need to understand, just because you did the R&D, it doesn't justify releasing a less than stellar product. We no longer live in the world of 'pretty good'. People know that the ipad is the best thing currently available, unless you dethrone that in some way, nobody will care.
Now this could be the tablet for me, with a WOW sd card slot, not some silly adapter you have to carry.
One place where Apple is ahead of everyone is the product names. Although adding an "i" in front of every word doesn't seem too interesting, it works great with consumers. But Zeen, HP... Zeen...
@wookieecrisp
You must not be 'up' on your modern/urban vernacular:
Zeen - To agree with something, similar to yea or yes.The longer the "een" the better, and the unique thing about this word is that you can use it at any time, like at a crazy party. You can just huck it out, and it will always stay classy. Usually you would make it longer to stress how good the situation is.
So Now You Know...
@DaHarder This is just copied from urban dictionary, and everyone knows that not everything you find on urban dictionary is true.
Nice try though DaHarder.
@Evan R
I never said that it wasn't, just that it is a modern/urban colloquialism, and not just some combination of letters Hp threw together because they liked the sound, as your original post seemed to insinuate.
It's as great as generic viagra
Interesting hopefully it will be rooted and replacement roms will be developed.
Promising, but where does the logo go?
Statement: I for one, can see this becoming an interesting asset for various business and enterprises across the galaxy. Not that I would be knowledgeable of such matters.
It sounds interesting. It's a shame they didn't have time to put webOS on it. That would be a REAL differentiator. Perhaps they'll release it and ditch Android at a later date - fingers crossed.
Hopefully they come with at least 1GHz, and Android 2.2! If so, this could be better than the iPad, count me down for 1.
Whats a LAN party?
Mr Zeen Mr Zeen....
So it's an E-book reader with a wireless printer to print out your E-Books onto paper, making them .... books....
Wow, HP are way ahead of the curve - genius!
This HAS to be the HP Slate. It's running Windows XP.
As per the SAR report: page 26 shows it's a tablet, at least by the drawing).
The first listed DTS report: Page 8 describes how the EUT (the Zeen) is running Windows XP with various test programs including accessing USB 2 + SD card ports. Also note the "printer" test as well.
On page 7, it describes other equipment - a "docking" and "SD card" were supplied by HP for the tests, as well.
How stupid. Go all in with webOS instead..you stupid HP.
Why android HP?vvWhat's the point of getting webOS?
And God that name is awful. And we all though KIN was a fail. This is going to make that look like a successful product.
@BrookLynnsFinest
Getting Palm got HP patents. Now they're bullet proof when they launch multitouch android tablets & the like.
That HP skin? There's your webOS now.
@BrookLynnsFinest They probably want something on the market asap to try and take some of the steam away from Apple and the iPad.
This sounds great, but ill have to see it reviewed before buying it.
If memory serves me well, HP couldn't even sell the iPod when it was presented to them on a plate - pre-built, marketing all done, iTunes in place...
Even with a slam dunk they still couldn't sell sh!t...
So this think is going to be one of those niche, home products, which end up going cheap on EBAY within 12 months, with zero product development and zero support.
Mark my words!
@SExpress Marked.
@SExpress
Next up, the fat b**** sitting on a lawn chair at the flea market with zeens for sale. All of them in shrink wrap.
@pspitts Roll up roll up, get your nice new Zeen here!
As new, never opened, by one get one free for your mom..
The ladies love 'em - also good for snorting coke from, and throwing at small rodents
Cheap as chips!
I don't really see this catching on. Most printing is done of things like photos and documents (word docs, slideshows, spreadsheets, and the like), right? As an Android tablet with what will likely be a laptop grade camera (single digit megapixel count), I doubt it will be terribly proficient with either. Who will want to print low quality photos from this thing for $399 when they won't even have tools like Photoshop on board? Plus, if HP is going to cement their own UI layer over Android, they're going to have to make it damn good to justify disabling the default. The whole thing sounds a little newfangled and gimmicky.
@Cfifth
Hmmm? "Newfangled and Gimmcky"
That was pretty much the same attitude expressed by people about the Motorcar, Color Television, Personal Computer, PDA, Laptop Computer, Digital Media Player/iPod, Consumer-Level Smartphone, and (even) Apple's iPad, and we all know how those turned out... ;-)
@DaHarder
So what you're saying is that this thrown together piece of sh** by HP could be the next best thing since man became aware of his own being?.......
Get yo a** out my face!!!!!
@DaHarder
Are you kidding?
@Cfifth
I'm just saying that one should not be so quick to jump to such rash conclusions until the the entire story's been told.
Let the device come out, let the consumer/market decide, and then discuss its impact.