HP Testing Windows 8 On TouchPad
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HP seems to be rethinking its plans to get out of the consumer business with new CEO Meg Whitman at the helm. According to HP itself, it has been testing the Windows 8 developer release on the defunct HP TouchPad. This is just being done as a proof-of-concept right now, but there have even been talks of reviving the device as a Windows 8 slate.
The TouchPad was launched last summer only to be killed off a few weeks later by former CEO Leo Apotheker. HP then sold the devices at a steep discount to clear out inventory, but now they might regret that. The TouchPad ran webOS on a dual-core Snapdragon SoC that could might handle the Windows 8 Metro UI quite well.
This does nothing to reduce confusion over what HP plans to do with webOS. There have been rumors that webOS could be sold, but its unlikely anyone would buy. At this point, it’s looking less likely that any future HP tablet will run webOS. Any TouchPad users out there that would be into a Windows 8 upgrade?
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devereauxx
October 26, 2011 at 6:38pm
its just with webos there isnt a huge app market to offer variety and windows will fix that as long as there are no flash issues
NayusDante
October 26, 2011 at 6:24am
But wasn't that HP's tablet strategy IN THE FIRST PLACE? Before all this WebOS shenanigans happened, didn't HP make it clear that they wanted a Windows-based tablet? Or am I thinking about Dell...
Holly Golightly
October 26, 2011 at 7:49am
Actually, you are correct. It was called the HP Slate 500 which ran on Windows 7. Great looking tablet, but too expensive. Here is the link to it.
http://h71016.www7.hp.com/html/Slate/index.asp
If I had to guess, I would say HP is all bark and no bite. They said they were quiting the PC business, yet they make computers with Beats Audio now. Now they are reviving a WebOS tablet they recently killed. Well, I do not know what to say... All bark, no bite. I had a feeling they would not do those drastic changes. Otherwise they would have gone bankrupt.
Ledoubleu
October 26, 2011 at 7:41am
Agreeing with maxeeemum.
I've bought HP products for many years but this year they've made me question my future patronage. HP tablet sounds fair to good on paper. But now I have to question, will their support be there tomorrow?
tonymus
October 25, 2011 at 6:18pm
It wasn't the OS on the Touchpad that was the problem. WebOS rocks. It was the fact that they put out iPad 1 hardware out at iPad 2 prices. Putting Windows 8 on it will not make the hardware technology any less old.
richeemxx
October 25, 2011 at 3:53pm
This was reportedly an HP employee not an actual admitance from HP. They are call rumors for a reason. This is just like those supposed TouchPads that went out with Android. Who knows if there is any truth behind it or if it will even lead anywhere. If it does it won't be a resurrection of the TP, it will be an all new device, or significantly changed one. HP knows it laid an egg with the TP and they know they needed to put out a much more capable device. So why would they follow the same track and release something with the same design hardware ect?
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