Nearly a year after buying Palm, Hewlett Packard announced its plan to manufacture the TouchPad, a tablet computer running on the webOS operating system. Similar in form factor to the iPad, the TouchPad weighs 1.5lbs, has a 9.7in screen, runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor and supports speedy multitasking and videoconferencing. It will also support virtual private networks for corporations. The TouchPad, which will operate as a hotspot device, is expected to be available this summer. The TouchPad tablet will launch with the opportunity to subscribe to Time, Fortune, People and Sports Illustrated.
Hewlett Packard has also introduced the Veer phone, which features the dimensions of a credit card and a slide-out keyboard. Available in the spring, it also operates as a hotspot device. Another phone to be available from Hewlett Packard is the Pre 3, which features a slide-out keyboard and will also be available in the summer. An updated operating system, webOS 2.1, will be available on five devices. Hewlett Packard has not released pricing information for any of the new devices.
