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HP TouchPad 4G for AT&T hands-on (video)
Earlier today, AT&T announced that the HP TouchPad is coming to its 4G network, complete with a processor bump to 1.5GHz (up from 1.2GHz) and an HSPA+ radio. The carrier wasted no time getting its latest slate out in the public, showing it off at an event in NYC this afternoon. There aren't any cosmetic changes to speak of, but that faster connectivity and notable processor boost are certainly nothing to shrug at. We had a chance to see the tablet in action, and it performed fairly well, especially considering the poor connectivity environment AT&T selected to host its event. Jump past the break to see it in action in our hands-on video, or check out our full review of HP's slower, WiFi-only TouchPad.%Gallery-128229%
HP TouchPad 4G coming to AT&T this summer with 1.5GHz CPU, won't support LTE
Funny what a number can do, eh? Just last month, we heard that a 3G model of HP's TouchPad would be coming to AT&T this summer, and now we're being told that it'll actually be called the TouchPad 4G. 4G as in HSPA+. Not 4G as in LTE. Got that? Good. Aside from the basics -- 32GB of internal storage, integrated GPS and HSPA+ / WiFi radios -- a newfangled 1.5GHz processor (up from 1.2GHz) will make its debut, hopefully improving those performance issues we saw during our review. Sadly, no one's spilling details on pricing or release, with the carrier simply affirming that it'll be on sale prior to the "back to school" season. We're guessing the Summer of 2011 is going to be quite the confusing time to be an in-store AT&T employee -- how exactly do you sell an actual 4G hotspot when you've got HSPA+ devices calling themselves the same? Oh, nomenclature.
HP Play music syncing service hits beta, bring your USB cable
Hey, wouldn't it be great if you could sync your music collection across your HDD and all your mobile devices? Ahem, we know what you're thinking. Nevertheless, HP clearly feels the need to play a little catch-up. It's starting yet another connected music service, called HP Play, to cater specifically for owners of the TouchPad, Veer, and potentially other webOS devices like the Pre 3. The beta has just launched and by all measures it's an extremely basic affair -- like, iTunes 2001 basic: no OTA syncing, no cloud storage and no store. But this is just a beta, and if it ties into the HP music service that was rumored a few weeks ago then it could be the start of something more in keeping with air conditioning, clean drinking water and other modern expectations.
Switched On: Wanting webOS
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The last Switched On discussed why HP could have more success licensing webOS than Palm or PalmSource ever did with Palm OS. To put it in the context of a more modern conflict, HP's handsets could be the equivalent of a Google Nexus devices (but selling better in HP's ideal), competing with phones from other Android stakeholders. Even the Nexus phones, however, are ultimately produced by existing licensees such as HTC and Samsung. WebOS as a licensed operating system would likely compete most directly with Windows Phone 7, an OS that offers licensees and consumers some choice but preserves a consistent user experience -- particularly as it is trying to court developers. Unlike Windows Phone 7, though, webOS is rapidly being expanded to new form factors, with the TouchPad serving as the first tangible proof. HP has said that it's most interested licensing to companies that wouldn't compete with it in its core markets. For now, let's count out HP's major PC competitors Acer, Dell (which once may have tried to build its own webOS-like platform when it acquired Zing), Lenovo and Toshiba. However, many companies that could help develop meaningful (in terms of absolute volume but also as a relevant development platform) scale for webOS in at least the US market offer, at minimum, handsets. A handset licensee could imbue webOS phones with features such as a 4.3-inch display that HP has shied away from, but which has been present in many successful smartphones.
HP TouchPad parts analyzed, manufacturing cost similar to the iPad 2
We know what's inside the TouchPad and we know just what it's like to live with the culmination of those parts, and now Isuppli is doing its best to figure out just what those individual components set HP back each time one rolls off the assembly line. According to that firm's analysis, the grand cost to build a single $599.99 MSRP, 32GB TouchPad is $328. That's but $12 more than the 16GB version, which of course retails for $100 less at $499.99. That $328 cost is quite comparable to a 32GB iPad 2, which tallies up at $326 in 3G form according to the source. In other words, HP seems to be maintaining similar margins to Apple, begging the question: can it afford to do so? [Image credit: TechRepublic]
HP exec Jon Rubenstein compares webOS to early Mac OS X
Like most non-iPad tablets, HP's TouchPad has faced lukewarm reviews thus far. Most reviews have dinged the device for being laggy and not having enough apps, though a few reviewers have admitted the webOS-powered device does seem to have potential that tablets like RIM's PlayBook seem to lack. According to Pre Central, Jon Rubinstein, Senior VP and General Manager of HP's Palm Global Business Unit, sent a memo out to all HP employees in response to the reviews. In that memo, he notes that a fellow HP employee drew parallels between the opening reviews for the TouchPad and those for Apple's Mac OS X when it first launched over ten years ago. The echoes do sound pretty uncanny; OS X was also criticized for being "sluggish" and having a paucity of supported apps when it first launched. Rubinstein seems to be implying that HP's TouchPad can achieve the same success that Mac OS X has, given enough time. On the other hand, thus far the tablet market seems to be a lot more unforgiving of an environment than the PC market was in the early 2000s, and Mac OS X didn't become successful overnight. It took years before wide swathes of the tech industry stopped deriding OS X as an also-ran to Windows, and even ten years later some pundits still look down their noses at it. The key to Mac OS X's success, and the path HP must follow if it wants webOS to succeed, is that Apple made a series of quick, iterative improvements to OS X rather than allowing it to founder. If Mac OS X had seen only marginal improvements over its first couple of years, the Mac may well have died a hasty death in the market -- and it would have deserved to. Whether we say the same thing about the TouchPad and webOS a few years from now is completely up to HP.
TouchPad homebrew patches surface in Preware, devs keep on giving
Earlier this month, we told you about the free TouchPads being custom wrapped for the devs at WebOS Internals. It seems that those fortuitous webOS junkies have upheld their end of the deal, as the first delectable homebrew patches have begun to show up in Preware. As we've seen, this tech is offered at no cost -- and HP continues to reach out to devs of unofficial apps, making the situation a win for everyone. Check out a shot of the first patch officially completed for webOS 3.0 below (Glass Effects Squite), and hit the source to keep an eye on what's brewing next.
Leaked HP presentation hints at faster 64GB TouchPad in August, Pre 3 in fall?
Go grab the Morton -- you're gonna need a grain or two. According to a "confidential HP product brief" sent anonymously to PreCentral, HP is on track to launch a new 64GB TouchPad next month, complete with a white glossy cabinet and a "processor bump," along with support for AT&T's HSPA+ network. The company just started shipping its 16GB and 32GB TouchPads, but even August wouldn't be too soon for a speed boost, considering the tablet's disappointing performance during our review. The presentation also lists the Pre 3 for a "fall" launch, along with that mysterious Opal tablet. Despite the so-called leaked confidential presentation, this rumor should be approached like any other -- but on the other hand, with the Pre 3 making recent appearances at the FCC in both AT&T and Verizon flavors, HP's latest webOS smartphone could easily be on-track to hit stores by autumn.
Switched On: webOS wherever
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. This week's release of the HP TouchPad, the first device other than a handset to feature webOS, aptly demonstrates the promise and perils of HP's adopted operating system. The 4:3 tablet provides the large canvas that webOS seemed born to cover. However, like the Xoom and PlayBook before it, the TouchPad suffers from an impoverished app library among other holes. To help share development costs of webOS and expand the market for its developers, HP has warmed to the idea of licensing the Palm-developed operating system. HP's willingness to license webOS while continuing to make devices based on the operating system serves up a healthy helping of déjà vu for those who followed the history of Palm, Inc. The PDA pioneer sought to take advantage of its dominance in handhelds, and stave off rival Pocket PCs powered by Windows CE, by licensing the Palm operating system while continuing to use it. The decision proved to be Palm's short-term salvation and long-term ruin. One of the first companies to license the Palm OS was Handspring, founded by former Palm executives. Handspring created the Treo, which became Palm's entry into smartphones when Palm acquired Handspring. A few other companies licensed the Palm OS for smartphones, including Kyocera and Samsung, but the inherent conflict created by competing with licensees forced Palm to spin Palm OS out into a company called PalmSource, which folded three years later.
HP TouchPad torn asunder, no palms found hiding within
When we reviewed the HP TouchPad we found it to feel a little hollow, as if it were rather more cavernous inside than the immediate competition. Now we're getting to peek beneath the screen and, look at that, it's "built more like a PC than an iPad" according to the screwdriver-meisters at TechRepublic. This means you can easily take the thing apart with just a Phillips screwdriver (and a little prying) should you wish. Or, you know, you can just look at the pictures on the other end of the source link and keep yours in one piece. They tend to work better that way.
HP TouchPad going on sale in UK on July 15th starting at £399
HP's TouchPad may not have quite lived up to our lofty expectations, but that's not stopping the world's first webOS tablet from going global. UK availability for HP's 9.7-incher has been revealed as coming on July 15th with all the usual suspects taking part: Carphone Warehouse, PC World, Argos, Amazon, and, of course, HP.com. Pricing is set at £399 ($660) for the 16GB WiFi-only model or £479 ($790) for the 32GB-carrying variant. HP has also managed to get a few content partners on board for this launch, with "exciting, exclusive" material coming in from The Guardian, LastFM, Warner Bros, and Sky News. Full PR after the break.
Best Buy sucks at product recognition: Wireless Keyboard for TouchPad, iPad sold separately
Oh, really Best Buy --you don't say? Too bad... that $69.99 price tag would be so much easier to swallow if you threw in the whole kit and kaboodle. [Thanks, Kevin]
HP TouchPad review
As things get older they tend to get bigger. It's the same for people, corporations, models of cars, budget deficits... and so it is for webOS. As Palm was in the process of being subsumed its great mobile operating system was being eyed for much broader things, far bigger than the little phones it had previously been flashed on. Things like printers and desktops and laptops, but for its first proper foray outside of a phone it has a tall task: compete in the brutally vicious tablet space. Its weapon is the TouchPad, a 9.7-inch tablet from HP that got official back in February and will be available July 1st (if you don't manage to find it earlier) -- $499.99 for the 16GB model, $599.99 for 32GB. That's exactly on parity with the WiFi iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1, current kings of the tablet court. Does this plus-sized Palm progeny really have what it takes to hang at that price point, or is this just a chubby pretender that's outgrown its britches? Read on to find out. %Gallery-127378%
HP tempts webOS early adopters to buy a TouchPad with $50 rebate
WebOS hopefuls -- especially owners of a Palm Pre, Pixi or their Plus variants -- you there? HP's TouchPad launch is a few days away, and the company's seeking to entice loyalists with a $50 mail-in-rebate on the new slate in the US and Canada. You've got until July 31st to make good on the deal, and all it'll take is proof that you own one of the aforesaid phones. Still need help deciding? We've heard that a visit to Walmart might score you some hands-on time while you're stocking up on bulk toilet paper. Hit that source link below for the full details straight from Ruby and Co.
HP TouchPad veers into stores early, flaunts its webOS moves (video)
Dying to get your hands on HP's TouchPad before it's available on July 1st? According to Pre Central, a visit to either Best Buy or Walmart may afford you the opportunity. During the past few days, the stores have apparently begun quietly displaying demo-loaded versions of the slate. The device went up for pre-order about a week ago, but for webOS hopefuls still contemplating whether to take the Palm-rooted plunge, a pre-release impression may not be a bad grab between socks and motor oil. Don't feel like taking a trip to Wally World, you say? You'll find a video overview past the break; although the box to the left has us wondering if now's a good time for getting lucky...
HP announces Pivot for TouchPad, the curated, magazine-like way to find some apps
Finding apps can be tough, especially when your Store or Marketplace is overwhelmed with a daily flood of debutantes. That's not exactly a problem for HP, whose App Catalog for the webOS 3.0 TouchPad officially launches on July 1st and will be, the company admits, a little spartan at first. But HP has a plan for a future flood of apps: Pivot. It's basically a curated digital magazine that will present a selection of apps someone at HP found interesting for whatever reason -- a way for users to discover new downloads and, more importantly, for niche developers to not get lost in the shuffle. HP hopes this will attract developers, taking a different approach from the competition, which often resorts to outright promises of cash to pique their interest -- but a few free TouchPads never hurts .
HP TouchPad goes up for pre-order starting at $500, will be available July 1
It's true, the TouchPad, HP's inaugural webOS tablet, won't go on sale in the states until July 1, but that doesn't mean you can't claim yours pronto. She's up for pre-order at a long list of retailers that includes Amazon, NewEgg, Best Buy, Walmart, Staples, Radio Shack, J&R, Office Max, Office Depot, Costco, Sam's Club, PC Richard & Son, Micro Center, and even Nebraska Furniture Mart. You'll see it listed on HP's site, too, but the company's only accepting orders for businesses at the moment. As expected, the tab comes in two flavors: a 16GB version for $499.99 and a 32GB model that'll set you back $599.99. Both of 'em pack a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, stereo speakers, Touch-to-Share, a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, and, of course, a gussied-up version of webOS optimized for that 9.7-inch display. Intrigued? Hit the exhaustive list of source links below to scoop one up for yourself. [Thanks, Casey]
HP TouchPad rumored to lack document editing at launch
The WebOS nuts at PreCentral have received an anonymous tip-off that HP's imminent slate won't be able to edit Office docs out of the box. As much as we'd like to dismiss this as a retaliatory rumor put out by BlackBerry, it emits an unfortunate whiff of truth. While HP has previously made a big deal of the TouchPad's inclusion of the Quickoffice app, it has only said it's "working with Quickoffice" to include document editing, and it has never demoed editing in action. The company has recently been trying to boost its app count, but perhaps it should have put more effort into securing core functionality instead. A glimmer of hope, though: the same tip-off also suggested that at least some editing capabilities will be introduced "via a downloadable update in Q3 2011". Hey, what's the rush?
HP ships free TouchPads to homebrew devs, may want something in return
Like an anxious admirer, HP continues to lavish gifts on the lucky devs over at WebOS Internals. This time it's sending them pre-release TouchPads as an enticement to get busy and boost the 9.7-inch slate's app count before it launches next month. HP recently promised that "thousands" of TouchPad apps are on their way and, in addition to attracting big names like Skype and Amazon Kindle, it's also ensured that legacy apps continue to be supported on WebOS 3.0. With nearly 600 unofficial goodies sitting pretty at PreCentral's homebrew app gallery, HP clearly feels it makes sense to reach out in that direction too. And who said love was just a trick?
HP messes with our brains, files six new TouchPad trademarks
HP has filed a bunch of TouchPad-related trademarks all in one go, and they must mean something, right? The USPTO database shows a TouchPad7, TouchPadGo, TouchPadFlex, TouchPadTwin, TouchPadGeo and TouchPadPro; unfortunately though, the descriptions provided with each trademark are so broad as to be useless, so we're not going to indulge HP by speculating as to what each moniker might mean. Who knows? Maybe it's all bluff, designed to spook other tablet manufacturers into taking up trout fishing instead, or maybe Jon actually did convince Leo to approve a webOS tablet for every day of the week. In the world of trademarks, stranger things have happened. [Thanks, Brum]
