IN THE PIPELINE: H-P Plans To Touch The Tablet Market
11 5월 2011 - 12:29AM
Dow Jones News
Hewlett-Packard Co.'s (HPQ) new tablet computer is called the
TouchPad, a name that evokes both how the device is used and what
it's used for.
Like all tablet computers, the TouchPad lets users manipulate it
by touching its screen. Applications can be opened by tapping on
their icons, while messages can be read and deleted with the flick
of a finger.
But the TouchPad breaks ground because it is designed to help
users communicate, to keep in touch. It can receive phone calls and
text messages, functions even Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) market-leading
iPad doesn't have.
The TouchPad, which is expected to hit stores in June, debuts as
more hardware companies rush out tablet computers in an attempt to
capture some of the excitement Apple created with the iPad.
Competitors, including Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.SE,
SSNHY), Motorola Mobility Inc. (MMI) and Dell Inc. (DELL), have
rolled out tablets running Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Android system that
have met with limited success.
H-P is taking a different tack. The TouchPad runs webOS, a
highly regarded mobile operating system developed by
smartphone-maker Palm Inc., which H-P acquired last year. The
operating system is part of H-P's broader strategy, which sees the
tablet as a bridge between its PC business and the hot mobile
device market.
Analysts say that making a high-end brand-defining product might
also help draw customers and software developers to webOS as it
attempts to reboot its offerings.
"They need a halo product for developers because the phones so
far aren't doing that well," said Endpoint Technologies Associates
analyst Roger Kay. "There's got to be some reason to go to
webOS."
The core of TouchPad's design comes from a webOS technology
called 'Synergy,' which wirelessly connects the device's contacts,
calendars and other personal information with social networks and
corporate calendars, displaying them together.
The TouchPad uses Synergy and wireless technology to connect
with one of H-P's new Pre or Veer smartphones. This allows TouchPad
owners to take phone calls and receive text messages on the
device.
When a call comes into the TouchPad, a message pops up on the
screen for the user to accept. Once connected, the user can speak
into a built-in microphone and listen via the device's speaker. It
also works with headphones.
The TouchPad also has a sensor that can be used to automatically
share information with a Pre or Veer. For example, the TouchPad
will open a webpage that is displayed on a Pre when the two devices
are touched. H-P said it plans to expand that sensor's functions
over time.
Whether the webOS is enough to differentiate the TouchPad in a
market dominated by Apple is an open question. The device's
physical design borrows from the iPad; it has a sleek minimalist
design and 9.7-inch screen that is the same size as the one on the
iPad.
While the webOS functions differently than Apple's iOS operating
system, it looks a lot alike. The TouchPad's email and calendar
programs are indistinguishable from the iPad's at a casual
glance.
Still, H-P'S TouchPad has other distinguishing features. H-P is
also offering a specialized wireless dock that can talk to a
TouchPad while it's charging and can tell it to display different
information depending on where it's stationed. For example, the
TouchPad can be told to display appointment information when it is
placed in a dock at the office. When it's docked at home, the
TouchPad can be told to automatically display weather or sports
scores.
The TouchPad also offers the ability to run multiple programs
concurrently, something iOS and Android only do in a limited
fashion. It will also be able to play animations and videos created
using Adobe Systems Inc.'s (ADBE) Flash technology, something Apple
has repeatedly said will not run on the iPad.
(Ian Sherr covers computer-hardware and consumer-electronics
companies for Dow Jones Newswires. He can be reached at
415-439-6455 or by email at ian.sherr@dowjones.com)
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