HP TouchPad review

Almost every electronics manufacturer is creating their version of a tablet device since the tremendous successful of the iPad. Android-based devices running on Honeycomb (Android OS 3.0) are found in most retailers due to the operating system being free to use by all computer and mobile manufacturers. This has giving many companies a cheaper way to create their own powerful. Naturally, Apple’s iPad (now with iPad 2) is still the king of the super-size mobile devices.

HP is also pushing its own version of a tablet device but with a few twists. It’s a 9.7-inch mobile device that comes with a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon processor as well as 1G RAM. It’s a bit heavier that the iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1 and is a little bit thicker. The device comes with two cameras with the front facing camera able to do video conferencing. Cleverly HP gives customers Skype out of the box, which eases instant online communication without the additional configuration.

The most unique feature of HP Touchpad is its operating system. It doesn’t use iOS or Android but it comes with WebOS 3.0 which is an upgraded and retooled operating system compatible with HP’s tablet devices. The software is very impressive because of its intuitive response and multi-tasking. Although it’s not the most famous operating system many regard it as a leader in the field.

When it comes to pricing, the HP TouchPad is at a par with the market’s best. It’s only $499 for the 16GB version and $599 for the 32GB version. It’s a competitive device that will surely entice gadget users already familiar with Palm and HP’s mobile phone devices. We don’t think that the device will take Apple’s crown but it may be the next best device for consumers.