14 DAY TRIAL // HP's big launch event for the mobile world happened last night, and without a doubt, one of the main attractions was the official unveiling of HP's first-ever webOS slate (or Internet tablet), namely the HP TouchPad, whose overall features and specs make it a very serious contender for the Apple iPad (actually besting it in certain regards).
So, the TouchPad (that will run the WebOS 3.0 operating systems) comes packed with a 9.7-inch diagonal flush capacitive multitouch display with 1,024 x 768 pixels resolution, accompanied by a very serious processor, namely the Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-CPU APQ8060 1.2-GHz.
Additionally, the tablet will offer a choice of either 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage space (quite enough for most users' needs), as well as plenty of wireless connectivity and networking options, including here Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication, Bluetooth wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support, as well as an A-GPS module.
The HP TouchPad also delivers plenty multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, and a 3.5 mm headset/headphone/microphone jack, as well as internal stereo speakers and Beats Audio.
Plus, it comes equipped with a front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam, light sensor, accelerometer, compass (magnetometer) and gyroscope, a 6,300 mAh battery rechargeable via USB or via the Touchstone wireless charging technology, all crammed up in a fairly slender body, measuring just around 90 mm x 242 mm x 13.7 mm (7.48 inches x 9.53 inches x .54 inches) and weighing around 740 g (1.6 pounds).
"Today we're embarking on a new era of webOS with the goal of linking a wide family of HP products through the best mobile experience available," said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP.
"The flexibility of the webOS platform makes it ideal for creating a range of innovative devices that work together to keep you better connected to your world," added Mr. Rubinstein, who, as some of you might known, is also former CEO of Palm, the company responsible for developing the webOS operating system.
Unfortunately, while providing plenty of technical details pertaining to the TouchPad's configuration, HP has not revealed any details on the pricing, saying only that the device will arrive in the summer of 2011.
