iPad 2 vs HP Touchpad

And then there’s Hewlett-Packard Co., the world’s biggest computer company. What about their new tablet, the TouchPad?

Well, the news from HP is pretty good. The TouchPad is the best iPad alternative so far, combining decent performance with an excellent user interface. It’s price-competitive with the iPad 2 as well – $499 with Wi-Fi Internet access and 16 gigabytes of memory, or $599 with 32 gigs. But as a new product, the TouchPad can’t begin to match the iPad’s huge library of apps and accessories, and there’s no reason to think the TouchPad will ever catch up.

For one thing, HP’s tablet doesn’t make a great first impression when set alongside an iPad 2. The iPad is thin and sleek, with a brushed-metal casing that hides fingerprints. By contrast, the TouchPad looks and feels plump, and even a little greasy. It’s thicker and heavier than the iPad, with a black plastic casing that smudges the moment you touch it.

The case supports an inductive charging system called Touchstone, which is available as an $80 option. Just drop the tablet onto the Touchstone cradle and it recharges right through the case, without the need to attach a wire. It’s a slightly more convenient charging option, but hardly worth the extra money.

I hated the iPad 2’s lousy rear-facing camera, but at least it’s got one. The only camera on the TouchPad is front-facing, for use in video calling. The tablet has built-in access to the popular Internet video calling service Skype. Setting up a video call was a lot more confusing than it should have been, but it finally came together. Video was the usual pixellated mess, but the voice clarity was quite good. Indeed, the TouchPad’s speakers are the best on any tablet, and excellent for listening to your favorite tunes.

The TouchPad’s computing performance is decent, but hardly impressive. No way should a tablet take a full minute to boot up, especially one with a muscular dual-core processor. And some apps can take rather longer to launch than they should. It’s not a make-or-break problem, but a little disappointing.

Still, once your apps launch, running them on the TouchPad is delightful, thanks to WebOS, the tablet’s superb operating system. WebOS displays all programs as “cards’’ that either fill the screen or cluster in reduced form at its center. Multiple browser windows resemble a stack of cards lying atop one another. Touch a corner of the card, and that window fills the screen; or make a flicking motion to the top of the screen, and the window scrolls up and disappears. Getting around on the iPad should be so easy.

Better still are the TouchPad’s custom-built apps, which line up information in overlapping columns. Say you’ve got multiple e-mail accounts. The leftmost column of the e-mail app lists these accounts. In the middle is a listing of the messages in your mailbox, and on the right appears the full text of any message you highlight. The tablet’s Facebook app boasts a similar layout, and is the best such app I’ve seen on any tablet. And the TouchPad’s potential as a learning tool is on full display in its outstanding app for Khan Academy, the Internet service that features hundreds of free educational videos, mostly related to math and science.

Still, given Apple’s dominance in tablets, HP will be lucky to score even a modest sliver of market share. Competing devices running Google Inc.’s Android operating system are still in the game. Lots of companies make Android devices, so lots of software developers write apps for them. But the TouchPad‘s unique WebOS software is its fatal weakness. Unless this tablet becomes a massive hit with consumers, the present inventory of 300 TouchPad apps will never grow enough to match the huge inventory of Apple and Android software.

There was a time when a daring company could bring a unique tablet computer to market, and turn it into a world-changing success. Unfortunately for HP, that time was last year.

HP TouchPad, the first tablet running WebOS 3.0 will retail next month at $500 and $600 for the 16 and 32 GB Wi-Fi versions respectively. The tablet, based on Palm’s WebOS operating system has handled well in the hands of tech reviewers, and reaches feature parity with the iPad 2 on specs. The TouchPad has a 9.7-inch screen, dual core processor, front and rear cameras, and charges via USB. Although the specs seem alluring, would anyone choose the TouchPad over the iPad 2, or a cheaper Android tablet? Hit past the break for more!

The HP TouchPad Specifications.

• Color : Black
• Operating System : HP webOS
• Display : 9.7-inch XGA capacitive, multitouch screen with a vibrant 18-bit color, 1024×768 resolution display
• Keyboard : Virtual Keyboard
• Email : Microsoft® Exchange email with Microsoft Direct Push Technology POP3/IMAP (Yahoo!® Mail, Gmail™, AOL, Hotmail®, etc.)
• Messaging : Integrated IM and SMS
• GPS : A-GPS (3G models only)
• Digital camera : Front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam for live video calling
• Sensors : Light sensor, accelerometer, compass (magnetometer), and gyroscope
• Media formats support : Audio formats: DRM-free MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR, QCELP, WAV
• Video formats: MPEG-4, H.263, H.264
• Wireless connectivity :  Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication; Bluetooth® wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
• Memory : Either 16GB or 32GB internal storage
• Battery : Rechargeable 6300 mAh (typical battery)
• Connector : Charger/microUSB connector with USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
• Headphone jack : 3.5mm stereo headset/headphone/microphone jack
• Speakers : Internal stereo speakers and Beats Audio™
• HP Touchstone for TouchPad : Compatible
• Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core-CPU APQ8060 1.2GHz
• Dimensions Width : 190mm (7.48 inches)
• Height : 240mm (9.45 inches)
• Thickness : 13.7mm (0.54 inches)
• Weight : Approximately 740 grams (1.6 pounds)

The specs do look interesting, but it remains to see how the HP’s tablet will fare with its competition when launched. Also, with the WebOS running on the tablet, we’d like to see how the TouchPad is received by the customers! Announced first in February this year, the TouchPads will retail in US and Europe on the 1st of July. Round two of the tablet wars promises to be lot more exciting.  Apple has sold more than 25 million iPads so far. This year, Apple is gonna see competition from Windows 8, Android Honeycomb, the PlayBook, and lately the TouchPad.

Link-5 delivers reliable connectivity using 2.4-GHz wireless technology and has an intelligent sleep mode to ensure the longest possible battery life. HP’s Link-5 lineup includes:

• HP Wireless Mini Keyboard: Just the right mobile companion for a tablet or entertainment PC, this full-featured keyboard is lightweight and ultra-small in size. ($59.99)
• HP Wireless Ultrathin Wireless Keyboard: Offering a stylish look and feel, this keyboard is durable, full-featured and a great value. ($59.99)
• HP Wireless Elite v2 Keyboard: Featuring a sleek, ultra-slim design, this keyboard offers superb performance and comfort. ($49.99)
• HP Wireless Optical Comfort Mouse: Offering a comfortable, secure grip for use in the right or left hand, this mouse features an optical sensor with adjustable sensitivity that works on most surfaces. ($29.99)
• HP Wireless Laser Comfort Mouse: Using a laser sensor with adjustable sensitivity, this mouse delivers optimal performance and works on most surfaces. ($39.99)
• HP Wireless Mobile Mouse: Designed for users who are on the go, this mouse delivers reliable wireless connectivity at a great value. ($24.99)

HP launches the Z210 series workstations, which is available in convertible mini-tower (CMT) or compact small form factor (SFF) options. The new Z210 workstations are ideal for customers in the video editing, MCAD/AEC, education, public sector and image viewing industries. The Z210 SFF is 65 percent smaller than the HP Z210 CMT, according to HP.

The HP Z210 is powered by choice of Intel Xeon E3 and 2nd generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processors with up to 32GB DDR3 memory. It also offers a range of professional graphics options, from 2D Quadro NVS 295/NVS 300 / AMD FirePro 2270 to mid-range 3D 1GB FirePro V5800 to high-end 3D Quadro 4000 2GB. As for storage, you can get either up to 1.5TB 7200RPM or 600GB 10,000RPM SATA hard drives or 160GB SSD.

To be available in this spring, the Z210 SFF will be start at $569 and the Z210 CMT at $659.

The simple lines and doing away with a separate CPU makes the HP Omni Pro 110 quite appealing. This makes it save valuable space at the office or even in the home. But its features are in no way affected by its all-in-one design.

Design

HP Omni Pro comes with separated CPU for more appealing appearance. It will need less space in your home. All-in-one design of this PC is fascinating. Besides, there is also 20 inch monitor with widescreen display. You can get 1600 x 900 resolution.

Performance

HP Omni Pro110 Business PC features Intel Core 2 Duo or Pentium Dual Core processors. You can have 4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 RAM for trustable performance. Integrated Intel GMA X4500 graphic module support the performance of this PC.

Features

HP Omni Pro 110 Business PC comes with 6-in-1 card reader. There are also 6 USB 2.0 slots. DVD Burner with LightScribe function is also available.

Price

The price of this new product is around US$639 for the base unit.

HP has previously sold two netbooks that can be matched to the institutional sector: are the Mini 5101 and its natural evolution, the Mini 5102. Apparently the company is about to sell yet another model, at least according to what we saw at Computex Taipei.

Engadget HP booth in fact discovered a 10-inch HP-based Classmate PC design, with SUSE Linux 11, and keyboard to the island Intel Atom. Classmate in style, the netbook is characterized by a large handle, making it easier to carry during travel from class to class. The final technical configuration is unknown, the film and images published by the U.S. writing out a budget is very standard for the industry, with webcam, microphone and headphone jacks, USB ports, VGA and Ethernet, and a multi card reader -format.

It could be just a prototype or a machine designed for particular sectors or countries. Following a few shots.

The HP Mini 210 netbook systems were presented in many different ways. A way of example, we remember the wonderful version Butterly Lovers enriched by Vivienne Tam notes that added aesthetic certainly scenic impact. But the jewel 10-inch HP today received a further update that provides new and attractive colors: Crystal White, elegant and enveloping Preppy Pink with 3D-like effect. In fact, the model with pink color, with shades that gives effect to the idea of three-dimensional imprint through technology that has already entered some time in the device from HP.

The renewal, however, not only the colors but also the materials according to the philosophy MUSES (Materials, usability, appeal and Sensory Experiences) that aims to involve practically all the senses and to attract the user not only agile and versatile devices, but also with an aesthetic that does not go unnoticed and that gives something more to work tool. Recall that the HP Mini 210 is a system based on Intel’s new platform Pine Trail and equipped with a processor Pine View Atom N450 1.66 GHz, as known, includes the X3150 graphics subsystem.

The allocation of memory is 1 GB and the hard disk has a cut of 160 GB. The basic colors are Silver, Red, Blue and Black while the operating system is the classic Windows 7. The new version of the Mini 210 will be available from next June at a cost of $ 355 orientation.

New HP Mini 110, which also wins a 6-cell battery that drives the life up to 8 hours per charge. Weighing about 1.23 kg, a thickness of less than 2.5 cm and a keyboard 93% full size, the Mini 110 is proving an entry-level system that can follow you everywhere. Even the Mini 110 will be available in June at a retail price of about $ 280.

The silicon transistors are the stuff they are made all electronic devices in circulation, but eventually there will be a physical limit to how many of them will crush all within a processor chip. Move around on tiny size is admirable, but some are looking for answers to HP in a completely different technology.

The company spoke to the New York Times of his memristor (memory resistor) under development that promises to make data processing and storage functions (even without an electrical charge) and is able to superimpose on a three-dimensional matrix that would allow a potential scaling down the line. The promises for the future include a memristor three nanometers can turn on and off in a nanosecond, as well as a density of 20 GB of memory per square centimeter, which could be expected within three years. The memristor has already been successfully tested to run “hundreds of thousands” of reads and writes without fail, so the data are in hand. Now you just have patience.

DigiTimes, the best source for rumors from the world of technology, suggests that HP and Dell are both restricting investment in the market for 10-inch netbook, shifting its commitment on class size 11.6 inches. Moreover, the profits of machines based on Intel Pine Trail are below expectations, which could push AMD to contemplate an alternative, perhaps in the form of Neo CPU and Radeon integrated graphics.

HP also said he found the chance to get out completely from the market of netbooks by 10 inches, which is not unusual given the gradual obsolescence that we have seen since the birth of netbooks, rising from 7 to 9 inches of the predecessors of the current netbook standard. I do not think there is anyway to preccuparsi, because the biggest and best producers of netbooks, Acer, Asus and Samsung are still deeply involved in this sector, and 10-inch mini-laptops are not about to disappear soon. Also increasing because more and more dimensions, one enters the notebook market, and the netbook to be comfortable.

HP Compaq Airlife 100 was also the protagonist of our pages. The first knowledge the FCC has taken place in laboratories, the company appointed to the compatibility of electronic devices before entering the market, but the first meeting was at CES 2010, at an event dedicated. The SmartBook HP will have a 10.1-inch touchscreen, a 16GB SSD drive and WiFi and 3G. HP today announced that the battery life could tap 12 hours.

In Europe and Latin America, the device should be accompanied by a subscription with a telephone operator, who will propose the best deals to exploit the 3G connection anytime, anywhere. Currently we do not know the launch date and price of the mini-laptop in Italy, but in the coming days we will certainly be able to give you more information.