Hewlett-Packard Co unveiled its entrant in the tablet race, betting its "TochPad" summer release will keep it in the running in a booming market dominated by Apple Inc's iPad and devices running Google Inc software.
The 9.7-inch tablet running off palm's well-regarded webOS operating system is HP's gamble that there remains room for yet another mobile software platform -- a risk underscored by news that Nokia may abandon its own software in favor of microsoft corp's or googlle's.
Hp's 1.5-pound tablet features a fast dual -core Qualcomm inc chip,supports video calling , and Adobe system's Flash software.HP said the Touchpad will be priced competitively aginst the ipad,which
starts at $499.It will launch with a
WIFI-only model , fallowed by a
3G-compatible version later in the
year.
The world's largest technology company by revenue also announced new smartphones on Wednesday,the veer and the Pre3,both also based on the webOS software that HP acquired last summer in its $1.2 billion purchase of handheld device pioneer palm.
HP declined to provide details on wireless carrier agreements for any of its new devices.But the company outlined a number of parterships it has forged to bring content to wenOS devices.Amazon.com will offer a free kindle e-reader app , while Time Warner Inc's Time Inc publishing arm will sell subsritions to magazines such as Sports illustrated and People.
while talking up the promise of the mobile inernet , executive also stressed that webOS was a platform they wanted to bring to multiple devices , including personal computers , later this. We're thinking beyond today . We have a commitment to extend the webOS footprint even further as the year progresses,"PC division chief Todd Bradley said.