HP Touchpad 4G Coming to AT&T
by Jason Inofuentes on July 12, 2011 11:04 PM ESTIt's with some surprise that we were introduced today to the new HP TouchPad. No, not the one we're currently reviewing. HP is adding another SKU to its roster of WebOS slates, currently numbering one; and they're bringing more than just HSPA+ with the HP TouchPad 4G. Clockspeed has been bumped from 1.2 Ghz to 1.5 Ghz on the updated slate, which could help with the sluggishness some early adopters may have noted. Speed is the only change though, the device still sports 32 GB of storage and a 1024x768 9.7" screen. Weight is up a few grams and battery life is down a bit; no surprises given the new radio and 25% clock increase.
The device will be available through AT&T Business Services and major retailers, pricing and release date remain a mystery, however. Why HP would push a spec update to its brand new tablet is also a bit of a mystery? The note about the device being sold through AT&T's enterprise sales division is a big clue, though. It's likely this is part of HP's efforts to push the TouchPad as an enterprise tablet, much like RIM's efforts with the PlayBook. Execs are far more likely to pay a premium for a more refined experience and expanded featureset than your average consumer. Either way, we'll update as we know more, and keep your eyes peeled for our TouchPad review soon.
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lunarx3dfx - Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - link
I have not experienced the majority of performance issues most reviewers have reported. My Touchpad behaves very quickly, and I quite like the design of it. To the person who mentioned the bezels, they are actually about the same size as, if not a bit smaller than, the iPad's. They only look big in the picture. I love my Touchpad. Since I got it I have hardly used my computers at all, pretty much just for games. Haven't felt the need to use anything but it. It's fun to use, and does everything I need it too beautifully.Sure, there are some performance issues, but show me a tablet that doesn't have some sort of sluggishness at times.
GTVic - Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - link
Thanks for the information, it is good to see some sign of intelligence on this site. 7 of 10 posters have nothing but inane comments to contribute so far.mutil0r - Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - link
I agree with you. Most reviewers are either firmly in the Cupertino or the Mountain View camps. I find it appalling that so many reviews lambaste products like the TouchPad, which seem to bring something genuinely innovative and user friendly to the table, while bantering on and on about how the merry bunch at Google are rock stars. Honeycomb 3.0, along with the Xoom, was a pretty expensive heap of junk at launch and honestly, Honeycomb is still far from a 100% usable. If I give my dad a Xoom/Galaxy Tab 10.1/Acer Iconia or the hordes of other 'me-too' HC tablets, he'll probably thank me for buying it for him but give it back to me after 10 minutes of use. Sure it's a geeks wet-dream, but little beyond that.The TouchPad is a good product. Is it an iPad beater? Sure it isn't. But does it have to be one? It does have short comings, but so did iOS more than halfway through its life and Android still does. While it's sheer laziness that some sites/blogs just post their 'opinions' as reviews, it's also a fact that pure numbers don't tell the story either. Hope the Anandtech review finds a good middle ground.
bplewis24 - Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - link
Your pot-shots (erroneous as they are) at Android make your opinion less than credible. And you are throwing stones at other camps for their bias? Take a look in the mirror.mutil0r - Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - link
Hardly.My statements merely call out almost all reviewers who are either flagrantly subjective or nonsensically objective when it comes to reviewing very personal devices such as smartphones/tablets. And if you are under the impression that a majority of tech websites and blogs are *NOT* in bed with most of the companies, then you, sir, are sadly mistaken.
I'm not a fan boy or in any camp. Quite far from it actually. I don't care which company makes the products I buy as long as I get my money's worth. Having used the iPad 1/2, Xoom/G-Slate/Iconia etc., the Playbook and the TouchPad for anywhere between reasonable and extended periods of time, I can give you an educated opinion that outside of the market/fanboy hype, Honeycomb sits firmly at the bottom in the tablet space when it comes to usability/ease of use, polish, stability and general use. It's ridiculous how Google Talk crashes on starting a group chat or the Android Facebook app crashes when I select the 'Friends' tab in HC. It doesn't matter to me that the Android Marketplace offers 17865490+ other apps. If what I use/want to use doesn't work, it doesn't matter one bit that the tablet is just 8.9mm thick or it lets you remotely control your neighbors lawn mower. The TouchPad seems genuinely innovative in terms of what it offers. Given reasonable time to ramp up, if HP is able to bring on board high quality devs and their apps, I don't see why the TouchPad and webOS cannot be a viable competitor to the iPad, more so than any existing HC tablet.
bplewis24 - Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - link
Need moar bezel!Grandpa - Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - link
Oh boy another tablet that is underpowered, too few apps, too expensive, and unimaginative.AnnonymousCoward - Thursday, July 14, 2011 - link
I'll stick with my WinXP laptop.