With HP’s recent acquisition of the Palm, there were speculations that it might dump the Windows 7 operating system in favor of the Palm Web OS for its Slate PC project. Well there is rumor that HP might have dumped the entire Slate project altogether and instead have a tablet PC pieced together that has been codenamed the Hurricane. And the good thing is the Hurricane webOS tablet might be with us as early as this summer itself.
HP was scheduled to come up with its Slate PC sometime around June. Now with the Hurricane coming into the picture, it seems HP might be using the hardware from the Slate project while picking up the Palm Web OS that it now has access to after buying out the company. As per reports from a company insider, the Hurricane would run the latest operating system that is doing duty on some of the most recent Palm smartphones such as the Pre or the Pixi. The end result, there is going to be one more tablet to capture our imagination though this time, its one of the biggest players in the PC segment that is out to pamper us with a tablet PC. This alone can perhaps explain the lightening fast introduction of a tablet, which surely would have taken more time had it been built from scratch.
Scarce other details available right now point towards a device that will be able to multitask right from day one. Reports also indicate that the Intel Atom processor might have been done away with and an Arm processor brought into the picture to keep things moving on the Hurricane.
The impending arrival of the Hurricane is surely in line with what HP had claimed when it took over the Palm, that it would make the WebOS to scale new heights and take it to a point where no one has ever reached before. This however is bad news for the Windows 7 operating system which Microsoft was desperate to project as an OS that is ideally suited to tablets and touchscreen devices.
So those who were looking for an iPad alternative, this is anything but good news. HP too has a device in their hands with which it can stand up to the all conquering iPad. And for those who were waiting for the Slate PC to break cover, there’s still hope as the project might have been reserved for a late 2010 or an early next year release when it is able to iron out all the glitches now rumored to be plaguing the Slate though what remains to be seen is whether HP would still stick to the Windows 7 OS (considering its good ties with Microsoft) or go in for a Palm Web OS.
However, there is still some dark cloud to be seen as HP has a lot of work to do to match the formidable Apple ecosystem. Also, the Hurricane would be up against a plethora of tablets running Google’s Android that has already a sizable App offering and which is ever increasing.
So, keep watching to find out how things pan out along with all the latest e-reader news in our Good E-Reader Blog.
Also, you will have more of Tablets and E-Readers in our Good E-Reader Magazine. The May issue is already out and it costs just $1.99. So pick your copy today!
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.