HP to launch PalmPad during CES in January?

CES is only a couple of weeks away, so speculation has started on what we’ll see during said trade show. Today, Fox News (of all places) is reporting that we may actually see some PalmPad-branded devices from HP.
Not one, not two, but three. Three PalmPads, differentiated by minor tech specs. And apparently they will all be very

similar in design to HP’s Slate. If not identical.
At least one of those will have a 9.7-inch screen, they will weigh 1.25 lbs (567 grams) and be thinner than the iPad. A USB 3.0 port will also be included. As will a ‘multi-switch’ like the one on the Palm Pre, and a mini HDMI port. There will also be two cameras, a 3 MP rear one and a 1.3 MP front one, both with flashes.

The tablets will run WebOS 2.5.1. Why not just 2.5? No one knows. Oh, and there will be a fourth tablet (yes, fourth) to be tailored to universities – but that won’t be launching at CES. That (and only that) will have an 8.9-inch screen for some reason.
The consumer version(s) of the tablet will be on Sprint, and taking full advantage of their 4G speeds.
Now, not long ago, HP’s Todd Bradley had said that they will be launching the PalmPad in “early 2011″, and the first days of January are as early as 2011 gets.
However, Engadget’s Joanna Stern seems to disagree with what Fox News has deemed an exclusive and believes that CES is way too soon for us to see any WebOS tablets. Plus, she calls shenanigans on the whole ‘re-done HP Slate’ thing.
We’ll see. Frankly, I think that whether HP will intro tablets at CES or later is quite irrelevant. There will be at least one WebOS tablet in 2011, and I’m betting that’s Q1 2011 – otherwise Bradley would not have said ‘early 2011′. Now if that’s going to be January or March… does it really matter?
Also, does it really matter if the WebOS tablet(s) will look like the Slate?  

Read More

Palm Pre 2 Running On HP webOS 2.0

HP has officially announced the launch of its new Palm Pre 2 smartphone based on next generation of webOS – HP webOS 2.0. According to the company, the new webOS 2.0 operating system offers an array of advanced features including True Multitasking, Just Type, HP Synergy, Exhibition, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta, Skype Mobile (Verizon Wireless only), Favorites, Text Assist, Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite and more.

Key features of Palm Pre 2:

• Streamlined design with a smooth glass display
• 1 GHz processor and slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• Vibrant 3.1-inch multi-touch HVGA (320 x 480 pixels) screen
• 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, geo-tagging and video recording
• Built-in GPS for location-based services in apps such as Foursquare, Google Maps and Yelp
• Based on new HP webOS 2.0 platform
• High-capacity 16GB internal memory
• Talk time: up to 5.5 hours ; Standby time: up to 350 hours

“With webOS 2.0, we’re advancing the innovations we introduced 16 months ago, expanding the features that make webOS great for consumers, enterprises and developers,” commented Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager for Palm Global Business Unit at HP. “We’ve made tremendous strides since the platform launched, and now we’re taking our biggest leap forward with powerful new features that make it easier to get more things done with your webOS device.”

The new sleek, stylish Palm Pre 2 which measures 2.35 x 3.96 x 0.67 inches and weighs 5.1 ounces will hit SFR stores (France) on October 22, expected to be available in the U.S. and Canada in the near future.

Read More

HP Slate 500 Windows 7 Tablet

Hp has officially announced the launch of its new ultra-slim, lightweight HP Slate 500 tablet based on Windows 7 Professional OS. This 1.5-pound business-oriented tablet PC which measures just 0.58-inch thin is targeted at business and enterprise consumers who concerned over work efficiently while on the move, capable of running custom or corporate applications to enhance the user experience.

HP Slate 500 features a 8.9-inch WSVGA multi-touch screen with digitizer, true multi-tasking, 1.68 GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, 64GB SSD, 2GB of RAM, Broadcom Crystal HD accelerator, dual camera (3 megapixel + VGA), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot, and one-touch keyboard button for added convenient.
HP Slate 500 which comes bundled with a digital pen, portfolio case, and docking station that incorporates a pair of USB 2.0 ports, audio jack and HDMI port is now available in the United States. 

Read More

HP webOS tablet moved to early 2011

HP has narrowed down the timeframe for its PalmPad tablet, multiple tips claimed today. Personal Systems Group VP Todd Bradley reportedly held an all-staff meeting on Monday that put the webOS slate in the first quarter of 2011, or no later than March. The "trusted" contacts for Engadget also corroborated reports that its internal codename is Hurricane, though it's likely to change to PalmPad or another name by launch.

The timing would be well after the once mentioned summer target but could also see the tablet unveiled at the annual CES trade show, which Palm used for introductions the past two years until it was acquired by HP.

Most details of the tablet aren't known at this stage, but the device may follow in the steps of some of HP's niche Windows tablet PCs and support both multi-touch as well as stylus input. A faster processor, more RAM and other upgradea are probable as the tablet may be one of the first devices since the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus appeared in January.

HP is known to be rapidly shifting its tablet designs in the wake of the iPad and may have three devices by 2011. The Windows 7-running Slate 500 has been relegated to the enterpise due to its anticipated unpopularity, but the PalmPad may be accompanied by the Zeen with Android as either an alternative or budget model. Mobile operating systems like Android and webOS have garnered more favor at HP as they can produce longer battery life than Windows while still using fewer resources and lowering the price.

Read More

Telefonica netbooks, HP will offer customers Android

  
Strategic Partnership was signed in November 2009 by HP and Telefonica to provide joint mobile broadband services to markets throughout Europe and Latin America. Telegonica netbook will start offering the HP Compaq AirLife 100 in the spring in the selected countries.
device has a 10.1-inch diagonal screen, full keyboard, 16 GB of internal memory, SD card slot, operating system, Android, and custom touch interface. In addition, the device has access 3G, WiFi connectivity, a VGA webcam, up to 12 hours of battery life in active use and 10 days in standby mode. It also features GPS navigation software installed with Ndrive includes regional maps and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset platforms QSD8250.
Sorry, no information about the exact opening date, but the offer should appear in the near future, perhaps by the end of this month.

Read More