Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The HP TouchPad

The HP TouchPad has been launched in some countries.  It is currently running WebOS 3.0.  There may be updates to the OS by HP to fix certain issues with applications and user experience.


For now, some of HP TouchPad characteristics and features are listed below.  Skype voice and video call fucntionalities (HP Synergy) are integrated in the OS.  Video calling APIs are not available in the SDK  at this time.
  • Videos are played in landscape mode only
  • The TouchPad supports HTML5 and Flash video in full screen mode
  • WebOS does not support WMA, WMV, and AVI
  • The TouchPad supports H.264 Flash Video, MPEG4 Codecs (MP4, M4V, 3GP, 3G2, M4A, MP3, AAC, AMR, QCP)
  • Amazon Kindle for WebOS will be availble
  • QuickOffice - an office productivity tools - reads Microsoft WOrd, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF files.  It does not edit these documents
What set the HP TouchPad apart from the other tablet computers?
    1. Touch to Share (for easy data communications)
    2. Touchstone technology (for wireless power charging)
    3. Beats technology (for better audio experience)
    4. Compatible with HP Printing Solutions
    5. HP Synergy (for voice and video calls)
    6. Just Type (for better user experience)
    7. Support to Adobe Flash Player (for full web experience)


More updates will be posted when I have more information about this HP product.  HP has not announced the launch date for Malaysia at this time.


These are the technical specifications:


  • HP webOS 3.0
  • High-speed connectivity
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon dual-CPU APQ8060 1.2-GHz processor
  • 9.7-inch diagonal XGA capacitive, multitouch screen with a vibrant, 18-bit color, 1,024 x 768 resolution display
  • The option of either 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage
  • High-performance browser with access to the web, including support for Adobe Flash Player Beta (10.3 Beta) for access to rich, Flash-based web content
  • Wireless connectivity:
    • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication
    • A-GPS (3G only)
    • Bluetooth wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
  • Multimedia options, including music, photos, video playback, and a 3.5 mm headset/headphone/microphone jack
    • Internal stereo speakers and Beats Audio
    • Front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam for live video calling
  • Email, including EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers) and personal email support (Google Gmail push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)
  • Robust messaging support
  • Light sensor, accelerometer, compass (magnetometer) and gyroscope
  • Rechargeable 6,300 mAh (typical) battery
  • Micro-USB (Charging and PC Connect) with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
  • Built-in HP Touchstone technology for easy charging (HP Touchstone for TouchPad sold separately) and HP Touch to Share to share web addresses between TouchPad and compatible webOS phones
  • Dimensions: 190 mm x 242 mm x 13.7 mm (7.48 inches x 9.53 inches x .54 inches)
  • Weight: approximately 740 g (1.6 pounds)