HP Officially Announces HP Touchpad Tablet

It appears that what might just be the first real challenger to the current-generation iPad has finally been officially introduced, even though its actual availability is only scheduled for next month.

From the many reports, leaks and official information released over the past months, users no doubt already have a clear image of what they can expect from the HP TouchPad tablet.

One of its main assets is the price tag of $499 or $599, depending on configuration, which places it on the same level as the Apple iPad.

Considering that most slates, so far, failed to take off that well because of being too expensive compared to this device, this gives HP a serious advantage.

The other element that makes the TouchPad unique is the WebOS operating system, making it stand out in a market arguably dominated by the Android OS.

That said, HP has officially launched the product and even given the exact availability date, that being the first of July, 2011.

"What makes HP TouchPad a compelling alternative to competing products is webOS. The platform's unmatched features and flexibility will continue to differentiate HP products from the rest of the market for both personal and professional use. This is only the beginning of what HP's scale can do with webOS,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager of Palm global business unit at HP.

For those that want a reminder, the newcomer is powered by an SoC (1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8060) made up of two Scorpion ARM cores and the Adreno 220 graphics, among other things.

16 GB or 32 GB of internal flash storage can be implemented, while WiFi wireless connectivity is supplemented by either 3G or 4G broadband support, as well as Bluetooth.

The first regions to receive the product (powered by a 6300mAh battery) will be the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Ireland and Canada. The later part of the year should see availability expand to Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Spain and Hong Kong.