A year after sending its $499 9.7-inch TouchPad to $99 firesales and ending its webOS hardware business, Hewlett-Packard has confirmed that it is re-entering the tablet business. In its announcement of new touch-enabled Windows 8 notebooks, HP said, "An enterprise-ready tablet will be announced soon." HP had earlier cancelled plans of developing a Windows RT-based tablet but has stated it remains committed to a tablet device running on the full-blown Windows 8.
What Else You Need To Know
- Rival PC makers like Lenovo and Dell have already announced Windows 8 tablets, convertibles and/or ultrabooks that will be released Oct. 26, the official launch date of Windows 8.
- Dell has already announced an enterprise tablet, the Latitude 10, a 10-inch tablet with Windows 8, an Intel Atom processor, support for Microsoft productivity apps, a removable battery and fingerprint and smart card readers.
- HP has been rumored to be working on a 10.1-inch Slate 8 tablet, which is expected to have a Windows 8 operating system, unlike previous HP mobile devices, which run on HP's own Palm webOS.
Other sources
What will differentiate HP from its rivals will be the business/enterprise features offered and probably some printer bundles and printer services.- Radu Iorga, Tablet News
- Engadget
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HP planning to launch an enterprise-friendly tablet 'soon'
And now that HP has announced most of its fall products, we're wondering if that slate is actually the same tablet that made an appearance in those ads that ran during the Olympics this summer -- after all, HP's yet to acknowledge the thing with an official name.
- TN
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HP Preparing Enterprise Tablet to Launch “Soon”
Well, one thing is for sure: Windows RT is not on HP’s roadmap for the future, since they said so themselves. They will probably release an Intel CPU-based tablet with Core i7, Core i5 and the likes, as well as 4 GB of RAM and the usual 11 or 10 inch screen.
- Good E-Reader
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HP Announces A New Enterprise Tablet
What is surprising though is that the revelation was hidden beneath lot’s of other usual stuff such as all the latest information about products like laptops, desktops and such that the company plans to introduce in the coming months.