HP WebOS tablets won't ship until September?
Announced next month, not shipping for ages
No sooner had images of HP's upcoming WebOS-based tablet appeared on line, the computer giant immediately popped up to say it'll have something better to show at its "exciting WebOS announcement" next month.
Just don't expect them any time soon: September 2011 appears to be the launch date.
When a site like Engadget is sent (very good) pictures of the tablet and, on the same day, HP puts out an invite headed, "Think you saw the latest on Engadget? Think again", it's very hard not to conclude that the two events are part of a single, well planned buzz-building programme.
Source: Engadget
But we digress. The picture tablet is said to be 'Topaz', one of two being produced by HP, the other being codenamed 'Opal'. The former is a 9in boy, the latter 7in and both sport 1.2GHz CPUs of unknown provenance.
A snap of a slide also sent in shows a plan to ship 500,000 to a million WebOS tablets into the North America, Europe and China - all in September 2011.
Source: Engadget
HP clearly wants to target back-to-school buyers and then ramp up to Christmas. If correct, the timing seems mad. Apple should have iPad 2 out long before then, not to mention the flurry of Android 3.0-based tablets Acer, Asus, Toshiba, LG and co. have ready. ®
COMMENTS
Oh, for Glod's sake
What on earth is the matter with these people?
I loved my Palm V, So was so impressed by webOS when I saw the phones. I really want one of these tablets.
But no matter how good the engineering, the money-men running companies do their best to kick me in the head. Phones on exclusive contract deals, and now a year late with the tablet.
This product line will fail, and it will have nothing to do with how good the product is.
Back to school?
Hardly - a large number of schools go back in August.
Not surprised - HP manage to fail at everything.
Such a shame
Despite being an iPad owner, I've been looking forward to this most. WebOS2 has got fantastic potential but HP seems to be killing it. They need to get it out there. You can't buy the phones in the UK, the tablets now delayed for another 8 months. They may as well not bother.
RIM and Apple will have the professional markets cornered very soon. Sure lots of Android devices but no professional software for them at all, they are just toys with (some) nice over specced hardware. But they will grab the 'cheap' me too consumers no doubt.
Hmmm
Average customer: "WebOS...is that Iphone or Android?"
I don't know what to say
I feel sorry when large companies do moves that seem so full of fail. I suppose they are doing their best, but it does seem so woefully inadequate...
Better than nothing I suppose. If a company has for policy to only buy HP, they will eventually buy those. But they have acted way too late to be significant players in any way.
