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Staples' slate of slates leaks out, corroborates Samsung 8.9-incher and the HP Opal?
For over a month, we've held onto a document -- allegedly a Staples tablet guide -- that's been looking increasingly wrong as the days fly by. Tablet release dates were too soon, and prices were far too high, which made us think it was either a forgery or sorely out of date. (Curious? See our copy after the break.) This week, however, Droid-Life published a far more likely looking copy of the very same thing, which appears to be both quite recent and fairly interesting. You'll see that Samsung's 8.9-inch Galaxy Tab makes a cameo, as does the 7-inch HP Opal we told you about early this year, and both the BlackBerry PlayBook and Dell Streak 7's appearances align with recent rumors we've seen. The only outlier is an April release date for the Motorola Xoom WiFi, which ads peg for March 27th. The rest is practically a who's who of upcoming tablets, so we'll spare you the full churn of the rumor mill. If you want to know what we know about the lot, simply refer to our coverage below. Update: Oh, and that HTC tablet is listed as a 10-inch one -- could it be the EVO View we've been waiting for? [Thanks, Morgan] Read - Dell Streak 10 Read - Acer Iconia Tab Read - Toshiba's unnamed Tegra 2 / Honeycomb tablet Read - HP TouchPad [Thanks, Billy F.]
HP TouchPad coming June, webOS for PC beta by year's end
We may have to wait until summer to purchase a webOS slate, but it won't be summer's end -- PreCentral reports that the company has confirmed a June release date for the HP TouchPad. At the enterprise-oriented HP Summit in San Francisco, CEO Leo Apotheker finally offered the month of release, and also reportedly said that the company's full-force webOS on PC initiative will begin in a humble way -- the beta will run in a web browser, and we'll see it by the end of the year.
iPad 2 success will burst the bubble for competing tablet manufacturers
Analyst Mark Moskowitz of J.P. Morgan Research predicts the success of the iPad 2 will cause oversupply problems for competing tablet manufacturers. Moskowitz claims manufacturers looking to compete with the iPad 2 have extremely ambitious build plans that will hurt them in the long run. According to his analysis, tablet makers could build up to 65.1 million tablets in 2011, a number which greatly exceeds his estimate of 47.9 million in unit sales. This enthusiasm to duplicate the iPad's success could lead to an oversupply in tablets and components used to build these tablets. In a worst case scenario, tablet makers may have an oversupply of 51%. Moskowitz claims the iPad 2 will continue to lead the tablet market in 2011, a sentiment echoed in other reports. The J.P. Morgan analyst views the Motorola Xoom and the upcoming HP Touchpad as potential competitors to the iPad, but claims consumers may be "underwhelmed" by the remaining tablet products slated to hit the shelves in 2011.
HP TouchPad shoots down planes, shows off next-gen Snapdragon's GPU (video)
We're willing to bet Qualcomm's Adreno 220 GPU is an abstract concept to most readers, but we can put it into perspective real quick -- here it is in the HP TouchPad, pumping pixels and mapping textures to a seriously stunning little air combat game. We got our hands on the webOS 3.0 tablet and gave Polarbit's Armageddon Squadron II a whirl at GDC 2011, and the experience felt pretty solid overall, framerate only dipping significantly when unleashing a hefty barrage of rockets upon your foes. What's more, the tablet easily -- and automatically -- paused our game when flexing webOS's multitasking muscle to check a text message that had just come in. What's that you say? You're wondering how the HP TouchPad does text messages? Well, it doesn't quite -- it requires a webOS smartphone paired via Bluetooth to share the cellular modem for texts and calls. But you knew that already, right? Armageddon Squadron wasn't the only title Qualcomm had handy to show off the power of the Adreno 220, though, as SouthEnd Interactive's Desert Winds seems to be the feather in the company's cap. It's a 3D action-adventure title starring some very fancy lighting effects for a mobile game -- not to mention a buxom female swordslinger who dredges up memories of ATI's Ruby. See that after the break! Update: Adreno 220 is actually a single-core GPU, part of the dual-core Snapdragon 8x60 system-on-a-chip.
iPad 2 vs. Motorola Xoom vs. HP TouchPad vs. BlackBerry PlayBook: the tale of the tape
You might recall we ran this comparison about a month back when HP's TouchPad was announced, but now we're back with a full set of 2011 devices as Apple's brand new iPad 2 has joined the fray. There's no need for excessive introductions, really, just leap past the break to get swalloped up by an avalanche of next-generation tablet specs.
HP derides BlackBerry PlayBook OS as a 'fast imitation' of webOS, RIM says it's just good UI design
It's not rare to hear talk of other operating systems employing webOS-like elements -- we've been asking to see its elegant notification system in iOS for years -- but RIM's BlackBerry Playbook borrows so heavily from the UI concepts of the software built by Palm and now owned by HP that it could easily be confused for a webOS tablet. It handles multiple concurrent applications using a card view and allows you to shut down unwanted apps by swiping them off the screen, a multitasking implementation that exhibits "uncanny similarities" in HP's eyes to its own TouchPad tablet. Still, the Hewlett Packard team insist that they're focused on their own products and will "keep innovating, we'll keep honing and those guys hopefully will continue to see the value in it and keep following us by about a year." Ouch. RIM's response, as espoused by Jeff McDowell, has been to say that "when you're trying to optimize user experience that juggles multitasking, multiple apps open at once and on a small screen, you're going to get people landing on similar kinds of designs." This essentially sidesteps the issue by throwing a subtle compliment HP's way, but it brings up an interesting question -- shouldn't companies aim to make the best software possible, in spite of it potentially looking like a ripoff of someone else's work?
Engadget Podcast 232 - 02.13.2011
Who's ready for the special Grammys edition of the Engadget Podcast? When we said "Grammys," we meant "consumer electronics," and when we said "special," we meant "just like every other week, but still pretty special."Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul MillerGuest: Chris Ziegler Producer: Trent WolbeMusic: March of the Pigs00:02:45 - Nokia CEO Stephen Elop rallies troops in brutally honest 'burning platform' memo? (update: it's real!)00:05:15 - Nokia and Microsoft enter strategic alliance on Windows Phone, Bing, Xbox Live and more00:09:13 - RIP: Symbian00:11:15 - Nokia: Symbian and MeeGo not dead yet, still shipping this year (updated)00:18:41 - Nokia tells investors that 2011 and 2012 will be 'transition years'00:32:50 - Exclusive: Nokia's Windows Phone 7 concept revealed!00:39:34 - Live from HP / Palm's 'Think Beyond' webOS event!00:41:15 - RIP, Palm: 1992 - 201100:42:07 - The Engadget Interview: Jon Rubinstein and Steven McArthur talk webOS on PCs, 'Music Synergy,' competition, and more00:43:20 - HP's 9.7-inch TouchPad: webOS 3.0 tablet with 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon, coming this summer00:45:07 - HP TouchPad first hands-on! (updated with video!)00:48:00 - webOS Enyo framework free to developers today, brings pixel density agnostic apps to phones, tablets and PC (video)00:48:22 - HP Pre 3: 1.4GHz Qualcomm CPU, 3.6-inch WVGA, coming this summer (video)00:49:00 - HP Pre 3 first hands-on! (updated with video)00:49:27 - HP Veer: smallest smartphone in the webOS stable, 2.6-inch display, coming this spring00:50:45 - HP Veer, first hands-on! (updated with video!)00:52:40 - HP's Touch to Share eyes-on, starring the TouchPad and HP Pre 3 (video)01:11:52 - Palm Pre 2 vs. HP Pre 3: what's changed?01:18:40 - Looking for our Motorola Atrix 4G review?01:21:05 - We're live at Mobile World Congress 2011!Hear the podcastSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @engadget @reckless @zpower
Qualcomm gets official with TouchPad-powering Snapdragon APQ8060 processor
HP already put out the first official word about Qualcomm's new Snapdragon APQ8060 processor yesterday when it revealed that its TouchPad was based on it, but Qualcomm's now also come out and properly announced the new processor itself. That's, of course, a dual-core processor, and comes paired with an Adreno 220 GPU that Qualcomm says helps to deliver "unprecedented processing and 3D graphics performance." What's more, while the TouchPad is the first device to use the processor, it obviously won't be the last, and Qualcomm has now also given us an idea of what sort of capabilities those devices (including smartphones in addition to tablets) might have -- namely, cameras up to 16 megapixels, and the ability to capture and display 1080p stereoscopic 3D video or 8 megapixel stereoscopic still images. Head on past the break for the complete press release.
HP's Touch to Share eyes-on, starring the TouchPad and HP Pre 3 (video)
Tablet manufacturers love to talk about how magical their devices are, but HP's Touch to Share truly is something else -- you simply bump a paired Pre 3 into an HP TouchPad slate, and the data beams over the air -- in this case, loading a website URL a la Chrome to Phone. While it uses the same induction coil technology to connect the twain as HP's Touchstone dock (and Bluetooth to actually pipe those packets through the ether), you don't actually need a Touchstone to make the magic happen this time around, only a pair of compatible devices. Representatives tell us that you do have to pair them beforehand, as well -- you wouldn't want an errant Pre 3 owner to swipe your banking session while you're on the go, now would you? Don't miss the video above. Nilay Patel contributed to this report.
HP TouchPad vs. iPad vs. Xoom vs. PlayBook: the tale of the tape
At last, the webOS-empowered TouchPad, HP's answer to the growing tablet market. And make no mistake, it's coming in with guns blazing -- specs-wise, the slate stands up pretty well to the competition currently in play (e.g. iPad) and the other up-and-comers not quite out the gate (e.g. Motorola Xoom and BlackBerry PlayBook). Stacked side-by-side, it's clear Apple's entry is lacking a bit in both memory (256MB vs. 1GB for everyone else) and front-facing camera -- not that we expect that to be the case for all of 2011. When it all comes down to it, what'll set these slates apart will be the platforms and software themselves -- should make for an interesting summer, no? In the meantime, for the nitty-gritty on technical specifications, venture past the break.
HP TouchPad first hands-on! (updated with video!)
By now, you know how HP's new slate compares to the crowd -- now, see how it looks up close and personal. We just got our hands on that dual-core Palm webOS tablet here in San Francisco, and it's a beaut, with a slim black profile that highlights the brilliant 9.7-inch screen. We'll be back in a jiffy with some impressions of that newfangled Tap to Share and card-based multitasking, but for now, simply feast your eyes on our gallery below. Update: Video time! Check it after the break. %Gallery-116122%
HP TouchPad to boast Skype calling, Kindle app
HP didn't exactly show off a ton of apps for the TouchPad at its event today, but did at least reveal a couple of key ones. That includes a new tablet-friendly Kindle app for webOS, which will naturally let you "buy once, read everywhere," and give you access to all of the more than 810,000 books that are available in the Kindle Store -- as always, it'll be completely free. What's more, while details are still a bit light, HP also confirmed that it's working with Skype on video calling, which will presumably be included with the tablet at launch. Head on past the break for Amazon's press release. For more on all of HP's webOS announcements today, click here!
Time inks deal with HP to bring magazine subscriptions to the TouchPad
Time Inc. has been trying to work out a deal on tablet magazine subscriptions for some time now, and it's just made a fairly big move in that direction with the help of HP. It confirmed at its "Think Beyond" event today that it has teamed up with the publisher to offer subscriptions to some of its magazines on the TouchPad when it launches this summer. That will apparently include Sports Illustrated, Time and People initially, with Fortune and other Time Inc. titles to follow further on down the road, according to AdWeek. Still no word on pricing, but HP promises they'll deliver an "immersive reading" experience. Update: Palm's Lisa Bewster has confirmed via Twitter that this deal also involves Time getting its big wish: subscribe to the print magazine and you'll get full access to the tablet version. For more on all of HP's webOS announcements today, click here!
HP's 9.7-inch TouchPad: webOS 3.0 tablet with 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon, coming this summer
There she is, the HP TouchPad. It's the webOS slate we've been yearning for ever since probing (then) Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein on our first-ever Engadget Show, but sadly, it looks as if HP has yanked any and all Palm labeling from the final product. Introduced today in San Francisco as part of a newfangled webOS triumvirate, the TouchPad (previously known by Topaz) is shaped almost exactly like the iPad. It tips the scales at 1.6 pounds and measures 13.7mm thick, which is somewhat of a downer for those already put off by the heft found in Apple's slate. As we'd heard last month, HP's shipping this one with its own Beats audio engine, Touch-to-Share (a feature that lets users easily transfer a website, document, song, text or call from the phone to the tablet -- or vice versa -- simply by tapping the two devices together) and a huge reliance on the cloud. Also of note, Jon just mentioned that this is only the "first in the webOS TouchPad family," hinting that the Opal may be just around the bend. Other specifications include webOS 3.0, "true multitasking," Touch-to-share, instant-on productivity, a 9.7-inch display (1024 x 768 screen resolution), a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon CPU (!), inbuilt gyroscope, accelerometer, compass and 16GB / 32GB of internal storage space. There's also a front-facing 1.3 megapixel webcam, support for video calling, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, A-GPS (3G model only), "twice the memory of a Pre 2" and a set of stereo speakers. Rubenstein claims that this here tablet is "screaming fast," and the software UI we're seeing looks downright luscious. There's a new paneled email application a Growl-like pop-up notification system, support for Skype calling, compatibility with Amazon's Kindle e-book store, plenty of cal / email integration courtesy of HP Synergy, a slick virtual keyboard, VPN support, wireless printing as well as Google Docs, QuickOffice, Dropbox and Box.net compatibility. One of the killer features that can't be found on a competing tablet right now is this one's ability to talk to the Pre 3 -- so long as there's a Touchstone involved, one can have their Pre 3 and TouchPad communicate, even piping over notifications and texts from the phone onto the slate. It's a brilliant idea, and we're obviously amped to see just how well it's implemented. Over on the accessories front, there's a case / stand (which includes a handy flip-out kickstand for desk use), a wireless keyboard (yeah, this one!) and a new Touchstone dock that enables all of the wireless communication magic between webOS devices. If you're curious about specific models, the first out of the gate will be a WiFi only version, with 3G and 4G variants to follow suit in due time. As for the all-important pricing and availability? "Coming this summer," with pricing to be determined "at a later date." Bah, humbug! Update: Video after the break, and have a look at our hands-on here! %Gallery-116085% %Gallery-116097% For more on all of HP's webOS announcements today, click here!
HP files three more possible Palm tablet names: Touchslate, Touchcanvas, and Duopad
HP has been burning through US trademark filings over the past few months, presumably hoping to nail down as many possibilities for the new Palm webOS tablets as it can -- a "shoot first, ask questions later" type of situation. To that end, it's filed for three more under a very broad computing category that could definitely include the Topaz and Opal models we've been hearing so much about: "Touchslate," "Touchcanvas," and "Duopad." We're pretty lukewarm on the unwieldy "Touchcanvas," but we guess both Duopad and Touchslate could work under the right circumstances. Then again, what's wrong with Topaz and Opal, really?
HP files for 'HP Touchpad' trademark -- a possible name for the webOS tablet?
We can't conclusively link this to the upcoming Palm tablets, but HP just filed for a trademark on "HP Touchpad" across a wide variety of products and services ranging from memory cards to -- dun dun dun -- "tablet computers." We're liking it as a tablet name, though -- we've been getting the sense that the Palm name is on the way out, and "HP Touchpad" jibes nicely with the conspicuous lack of Palm branding on the invite for HP's February 9th webOS event. What's more, HP's already invested heavily in branding its laptop trackpads with the ClickPad name, so this seems like something else entirely. We've definitely come across headfake trademark registrations in the past, so we'll see what's going on here -- and whether this slow trickle of leaks ever turns into a flood.