HP Unveils TouchPad Slate

Hewlett-Packard is joining the increasingly crowded tablet computing space with the upcoming summer 2011 release of its webOS-based HP TouchPad.

Featuring a 9.7-inch screen, the TouchPad includes features such as a virtual keyboard, instant-on access, support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta in the browser and what HP promises will be thousands of webOS applications.

HP is positioning the TouchPad as part of a larger strategy designed to offer its customers connected mobility via an array of devices operating on the webOS platform. For example, the TouchPad allows users to touch an enabled webOS phone to it to share Web URLs, and it can also be used to directly answer and view webOS phone calls and SMS text messages. In addition, HP says its cloud-based Synergy connective service will allow users to automatically populate the TouchPad with their Facebook, Google, Microsoft Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo accounts and contacts.

Other TouchPad advantages touted by HP include an intuitive user interface designed to replicate the user’s workspace, as well as a multitasking “card” system that automatically groups related activities into stacks of cards rather than a series of windows.

HP’s decision to compete with the Apple iPad, as well as newer upstarts like the Samsung Galaxy, is another sign that tablets may well become the primary form factor for PCs within a few years. This release also may serve as a boost for webOS, which currently runs far behind other mobile platforms such as iOS, Android and BlackBerry in popularity.

TouchPad runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-CPU APQ8060 1.2-GHz processor and has the option of either 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage. Wireless connectivity is provided through Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication, A-GPS (3G only), and Bluetooth wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support. Exact pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.