Looks like there’s plenty going on lately at Hewlett Packard; with the spotlights being on Palm and the HP Slate. HP has recently mentioned that the HP Slate (which runs Windows 7) will not be targeting the mass market but more on the corporate/enterprise sector instead. Essentially, you could say the HP Slate is going to be aimed at companies wanting a “super-lite” keyboard-less, Intel Atom-ized version of the pricey Elitebook 2740p. But then what of regular consumers? Is HP gonna just let them run off to Apple stores to buy iPads?
Well, that’s the thing. HP has been strangely quiet about their consumer version of the Slate, which will likely be a Palm WebOS powered tablet. So far, the only hints they’ve dropped are the trademark application for the PalmPad name (though I won’t be surprised if they went for “PalmSlate” next) and to a lesser extent, talking about WebOS 2.0 being on track for an end-of-the-year (presumably before the holidays, if HP wants to capitalize on Black Friday and Christmas sales).
Well, well, well… what’s this we have here? Just as we were discussing the HP PalmPad yesterday and talking about the potential demise of the HP Slate, with the large possibility that the PalmPad was going to take its place as competitor to Apple’s iPad. Apparently HP wants to compete on both operating system fronts when it comes to offering iPad equivalent alternatives; with a mobile, more content-consumption friendly Web OS for the PalmPad as well as full-fledged (but touch optimized) Windows 7 OS on their not-so-dead-anymore Slate. The HP Slate has appeared on HP’s official website, now officially known as the HP Slate 500 (so there’s room for both higher end and more basic ‘budget’ tablets…), which you can check out right here and here. So far, specifications haven’t changed from HP’s initial announcement of the Slate with Microsoft earlier this year, as the Slate 500 maintains the use of a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor, Windows 7 OS and 8.9 inch touchscreen. Pricing remains a mystery though, as well as other specifications and a release date, but we’ll let you know whenever the news breaks. Those hoping for a Windows 7 running tablet, I can see all of you heaving a big sigh of relief….
I’m not sure what is it with HP recently, making products (or at least their product and order pages) available first before an actual announcement. But regardless, they’ve just come out with a new Touchsmart-like (similar form factor with no touchscreen here), budget net-top computer – the Compaq CQ1. The CQ1 may look a whole lot like the more expensive Touchsmart PC’s in terms of design but their similarities end there. The CQ1 has a 18.5 inch non-touch display, a dual core Intel Atom processor, 2 DDR2 RAM slots, runs Windows XP (what year are we living in again?) and has a relatively affordable starting price of $430. The CQ1 also sports its fair share of ports and a slot-loading optical drive.
HP has just announced their new Slate tablet with a full color display, multimedia and reader functions. They’ve also got their new Android-based Smartbook on the table. They’re keeping mum about specifications at the moment, so I’ll keep you posted once they come out.
HP Slate: This tablet appears to be a 9 or 10 inch device that runs Windows 7, probably with some enhancements and dedicated software by HP (Touchsmart UI anyone?) to enhance the ‘touch’ experience, seeing it doesn’t have any keyboard. The 9 (or 10) inch display is a touchscreen which supports multi-touch. Functions of the HP Slate include multimedia capabilities (music and video playback), photo viewing and “reading mode”, supposedly via the Amazon Kindle app for PC. Of course, you can do all sorts of other stuff you do on your computer as it runs Windows 7.
So far, we can see the HP Slate’s power on/off button at the top and what appears to be a volume control rocker. On the right side is a wireless on/off slot and 3.5 mm headphone jack. None of HP’s videos or photos reveal what’s on the left side of the HP Slate, which may or may not be deliberately hidden by creative camera angles.
HP says prototypes of the HP Slate will start appearing later this year (huh?!). Well, they’d better hurry up if they want to start selling these BEFORE Christmas 2010!
Here’s a little 18 second promotional/mini-preview video of the HP Slate, courtesy of Hewlett Packard USA:
HP Android netbook: The HP Android smartbook (or netbook, whatever you prefer call these things) is not nearly as exciting as the HP Slate, but it appears to be a white HP Mini (looks like the Mini 110) with a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor in it and it runs Google’s Android operating system. No word on pricing, availability or battery life so far.
Well people, it’s official. The HP iPAQ K3 Obsidian has now been officially announced by AT&T, and also renamed to become the HP iPAQ Glisten. Not as if it’s design is particularly flashy (looks much like a modernized Blackberry, in fact) or it’s features are mind-blowing… they’re not. But the iPAQ Glisten looks like a decent offering to anyone wanting an average smartphone (or Blackberry) with a touchscreen – that is, if it becomes sold unlocked in addition to the AT&T contract binding.
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