Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Is webOS Back? HP Launches TouchPad, Veer and Pre 3

by Terrence O'Brien on February 9, 2011 at 02:10 PM

HP snatched up Palm in 2010, and we've been waiting to see just how the computer company planned to use its new property. The only glimpse until now had been the Pre 2, a rather underwhelming upgrade to the original Pre, which was a mighty fine device that simply failed to capture the public's imagination. HP isn't ready to let the brand simply wither and die, though, and with good reason: WebOS is a rather impressive piece of software. And while we already know that it works well on smartphones (of which we got two new models today), HP is hoping it can make the transition to tablets.


TouchPad

tablet The TouchPad is HP's first serious entry into the burgeoning tablet market. The Slate, which ran Windows 7, arrived late and to rather lukewarm reviews. The TouchPad skips out on the more power-hungry Intel hardware and burdensome Microsoft OS, and goes the route that Apple and numerous Android tablet makers have: an ARM processor (a 1.2Ghz dual core model) optimized for sipping battery life, and a more nimble OS. The TouchPad packs a 9.7-inch screen into a 13.7-millimeter-thin body that weighs 1.5 pounds. The screen pushes a resolution of 1024x768, which should make it plenty crisp and perfect for browsing the Web. Inside you'll find the usual compliment of radios (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and optional 3G), sensors (compass, gyroscope and accelerometer) and Palm's inductive charging technology for connecting to a Touchstone. There is also a 1.3-megapixel camera up front for video calling as well as a pair of stereo speakers boasting HP's Beats audio tech.

Of course simply slapping WebOS on a 10-inch screen just won't cut it. Thankfully HP has made a host of tablet specific enhancements to operating system including adding drop down menus and multi-pane apps. The most exciting enhancements though are the new notifications system, which should look familiar to anyone who's used Growl or Ubuntu's Indicator Applets, and the extension of Touchstone to transmit data as well as power. You can simply tap your Pre 3 to the TouchPad to share a URL, and we expect the tech to expand to other content types in the future.

Veer

While everyone else is going super-sized with 4.3 inch-touchscreens, HP has decided to go small -- seriously small. The Veer, although significantly thicker, is roughly the size of a credit card. The tiny phone packs some impressive hardware, however, including an 800Mhz Snapdragon processor (it appears to be the same one that powers the G2), 512MB of RAM, 8GB of storage, HSPA+ for 3G (or "4G," depending on who you ask) and a slide-out keyboard. While it sure is cute, the 2.6-inch touchscreen and cramped keyboard will likely pose problems for those of us with hands larger than a small child's. Then again, by the time this thing launches in the Spring there may be a sizable market for smartphones targeted at kids.

Palm Veer



Pre 3

hp pre 3 The next evolution of the Pre finally ushers the device into the modern smartphone era. The 3.6-inch screen boasts an 800x480 resolution, and under the hood you'll find a beastly 1.4Ghz Snapdragon processor along with 512MB of RAM. Like the rest of the announced devices, the Pre 3 charges with a Touchstone and can be set up as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. There are also two cameras (a 5-megapixel around back with autofocus and flash), as well as a front-facing camera for placing video calls. Sadly, we'll have to wait until summer to get our hands on one, but when we do it'll be packing both EVDO Rev.A and HSPA+ radios for 3G globetrotting.

Palm Pre 3

Tags: cellphones, hp, hp touchpad, hp+veer, HpTouchpad, hpveer, palm, palm pre 3, palm+veer, palm+veer+pre3+4g, PalmPre3, palmveer, palmveerpre34g, pre 3, Pre3, smartphones, touchpad, veer, webos

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular