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mobile
March 30, 2011
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HP outs webOS 3.0 beta for developers

By on March 30, 2011 at 4:43 PM.

HP outs webOS 3.0 beta for developers

During its webOS CONNECT event in London on Wednesday, HP announced that webOS 3.0 beta is now available for developers taking part in its Early Access program. The SDK includes full support for HP’s new Enyo apps framework, which offers hardware acceleration, browser-based development, better performance, support for HTML 5 standards, and more. PreCentral says the Early Access program should be relatively easy to get into, provided that you’re actually a webOS developer. The webOS 3.0 operating system powers the HP TouchPad, which we had a chance to see up close back in February. HP also announced plans to launch a revamped developer portal located at devleoper.palm.com, although it didn’t specify exactly that would happen. More →

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mobile
March 18, 2011
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Apple’s iPhone gets highest rating in J.D. Power survey, RIM falls to last place

By on March 18, 2011 at 3:16 PM.

Apple’s iPhone gets highest rating in J.D. Power survey, RIM falls to last place

For the fifth time running, Apple has topped J.D. Power’s smartphone customer satisfaction survey. The iPhone earned a score of 795 out of a possible 1,000 points. In line with the last survey published in September 2010, Motorola and HTC followed Apple with scores of 763 and 762, respectively. Here’s how J.D. Power weighs the various categories:

Operation (30%); physical design (30%); features (20%); and battery function (20%). For smartphones, the key factors are: ease of operation (26%); operating system (24%); physical design (23%); features (19%); and battery function (8%).

Palm (736), Nokia (734), and Samsung  (734) all scored below the industry average score of 761. RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones ranked lowest on the survey with a score of 732. Hit the jump for a chart of the results along with the full release. More →

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Tablets
March 14, 2011
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HP TouchPad confirmed to launch in June

By on March 14, 2011 at 7:33 PM.

HP TouchPad confirmed to launch in June

We exclusively reported that the HP TouchPad, the company’s first webOS tablet, would ship in June, and HP’s CEO has gone on record stating that. Leo Apotheker, earlier today, offered up the release date at the enterprise-focused HP Summit in San Francisco. He also went on to detail that the webOS PC initiative would launch in beta, and run in a web browser “later this year.” More →

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Software
March 9, 2011
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webOS on every PC starting next year, says HP CEO

By on March 9, 2011 at 9:23 AM.

webOS on every PC starting next year, says HP CEO

According to Hewlett-Packard CEO Leo Apotheker, HP personal computers will begin pulling double in the very near future. “Starting next year, every one of the PCs shipped by HP will include the ability to run WebOS in addition to Microsoft Corp.’s Windows,” said Apotheker. HP’s chief is trying to incentivize developers to create software for his company’s acquired platform, which he sees running on HP phones, computers, and printers. Currently, software comprises 2.2% of the company’s sales portfolio — 70% is generated by hardware and 27% from services. Apotheker, a former SAP employee, quips, “I happen to know something about software,” and goes on to note that he is looking to create “a massive platform.” Since taking over as CEO, Apotheker has increased the research and development budget of the company — now at close to $3 billion annually — and has been on a whirlwind tour of HP’s global offices. It’s a bold vision, and we’re pretty excited to see how it pans out. More →

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Tablets
March 7, 2011
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GSM-capable HP TouchPad gets hands-on treatment [video]

By on March 7, 2011 at 11:34 AM.

GSM-capable HP TouchPad gets hands-on treatment [video]

Oh boy, HP’s corporate security team is not going to be happy with this. Courtesy of blog tinhte.vn, we have been treated to a handful of high-resolution photographs and a two-plus minute video of a GSM-capable HP TouchPad frolicking free in Vietnam. The blog notes that the tablet — a 3G GSM version with 32GB of memory — seems to be void of any useable software and, for whatever reason, doesn’t like power chargers from third-parties. The TouchPad is due out this summer at an undisclosed price. Have a look at the video after the break and let us know what you think! More →

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Tablets
February 22, 2011
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HP TouchPad to launch in April, report claims

By on February 22, 2011 at 1:32 PM.

HP TouchPad to launch in April, report claims

Hewlett-Packard’s first webOS-powered tablet will launch this April, a new report claims. Industry watcher DigiTimes cites sources from within HP’s component suppliers in stating that manufacturers will begin shipping the TouchPad by the end of March. The TouchPad, which will launch with webOS 3.0, will then be ready for release some time in April. The report goes on to estimate that HP intends to sell between 4 and 5 million TouchPad units and between 45 and 48 million notebook computers and tablet PCs combined in 2011. HP has not provided any specific information in terms of a launch date or pricing for the TouchPad, which we got up close and personal with earlier this month. More →

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mobile
February 17, 2011
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HP’s Palm Pre 2 now available from Verizon Wireless

By on February 17, 2011 at 11:43 PM.

HP’s Palm Pre 2 now available from Verizon Wireless

As the carrier announced earlier this week, Hewlett-Packard’s last Palm-branded smartphone is now available for sale from Verizon Wireless. The phone features the latest version of HP’s webOS operating system alongside a 3.1-inch HVGA touchscreen display, a 5-megapixel camera, a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and a portrait-sliding QWERTY keypad. It is available for $149.99 with a two-year service contract in stores and online, though customers might want to wait for more news on the devices announced at HP’s recent “Think Beyond” event. To reiterate our position on the phone one final time, wait for the Pre 3. The Pre 2 is what the original Palm Pre should have been. The Pre 3, on the other hand, is what a webOS smartphone from HP should be. More →

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mobile
February 15, 2011
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HP Pre 2 from Verizon Wireless launches February 17th; $149.99

By on February 15, 2011 at 10:49 PM.

HP Pre 2 from Verizon Wireless launches February 17th; $149.99

When it comes to HP and it’s now Palm-less webOS smartphones, we’ve made our feelings quite clear — we couldn’t be more excited about HP’s upcoming Pre 3, and we couldn’t be less excited about the Pre 2. Don’t get us wrong… the Pre 2 is a fine device in its own right. It’s still way too small and the keypad is still way too unusable for us to even consider owning the device, however. The Pre 3, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. In our hands-on with the HP Pre 3, we called it the webOS smartphone we’ve been waiting for and we meant it — the Pre 3 maintains the Pre’s great form factor but enlarges it; tosses in a bigger, better display; and expands the keyboard just enough to make it usable. But unfortunately, we still have a bit of waiting to do before the Pre 3 reaches the market and for the time being, the Pre 2 is the best webOS fans can do. As announced during HP’s “Think Beyond” event last week, Verizon Wireless made the HP Pre 2 available for pre-order on February 10th. On February 17th, the Pre 2 will be available to all for the somewhat reasonable price of $149.99 on contract. Hit the break for Verizon Wireless’ full press release, and hit yourself in the head repeatedly if you’re a webOS fan who is even remotely considering a two-year contract with the Pre 2 when the Pre 3 looming on the horizon. More →

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Exclusive
February 11, 2011
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HP TouchPad planned for June, priced at $699?

By on February 11, 2011 at 4:13 PM.

HP TouchPad planned for June, priced at $699?

One of our sources has just provided us with new information surrounding the launch of the recently unveiled HP TouchPad. It’s been communicated to us that HP is (or was — it’s not clear if things have recently changed) planning on having the TouchPad in market before the end of June. We’ve also been told pricing should be $699; slightly less than Motorola’s $799 XOOM. How does June and $699 sound for an HP TouchPad?

159 Comments
mobile
February 10, 2011
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Pre-order your Pre 2 on Verizon Wireless with the Pre 3 looming

By on February 10, 2011 at 11:59 PM.

Pre-order your Pre 2 on Verizon Wireless with the Pre 3 looming

We have to admit, HP’s timing on the Pre 2 in the U.S. is a little funny. Just one day after the announcement that the Pre 3 will be here this summer, HP and Verizon Wireless made the Pre 2 available for pre-order. You can reserve yourself the webOS 2.0 handset for $99, with delivery occurring on February 17th. We’re not sure why anyone would opt for the Pre Deuce with the Tre set to drop this summer, but it’s nice to have options. Anyone out there with that crazy look in their eye going to order the Pre 2?

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mobile
February 9, 2011
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HP Pre 3 hands-on!

By on February 9, 2011 at 4:16 PM.

HP Pre 3 hands-on!

We’ve just scored some hands-on time with HP’s latest and greatest smartphone and needless to say, we have some quick preliminary thoughts and feedback to share. We’re not going to beat around the bush here… this is the webOS smartphone we’ve been waiting for. When Palm debuted webOS on the Palm Pre, we were blown away. The OS was truly a breath of fresh air in a smartphone industry that was starting to look very flat in terms of appealing options. As much as we loved the OS is as disappointed we were in the hardware, however. The build was bad, the keypad was entirely too small and the display was miles behind the competition. The Pixi hardly helped Palm’s case, of course, and the Pre 2 is a phone we would have just as soon seen HP scrap. The Pre 3 is webOS’s saving grace in the near-term smartphone space. The build and feel are as close to perfect as we can hope for, the 3.6-inch 480 x 800-pixel display is sharp and stunning, and the keyboard is finally — finally — spread out and usable. WebOS also screams on this puppy thanks to Qualcomm’s next-generation 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor, offering a fluid UX that rivals even the slickest of smartphones currently on the market. Definitely check out our HP Pre 3 gallery below and don’t forget to view our hands-on impressions of the HP Veer and HP TouchPad as well!

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mobile
February 9, 2011
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HP Veer hands-on!

By on February 9, 2011 at 4:03 PM.

HP Veer hands-on!

While the HP TouchPad might have been the star of the show in terms of new product announcements, the HP Veer is a sleek little smartphone that shouldn’t be overlooked. And when we say little, we mean liiiiiiittle. This bite-sized bugger is minuscule and yet is somehow manages to pack the punch of a full-sized smartphone. The UI is very responsive and the display is nice and vibrant. The build is remarkably solid as well, and the feel of the phone is quite impressive compared to the rickety Palm Pre that first introduced the world to webOS. With all that having been said, the Veer is suffering from a serious case of Pixi-itis. By that, we mean that it’s a wonderfully capable phone that can definitely hold its own in terms of performance, but it’s just too small for our liking. The keypad was impossible for us to use comfortably and the 2.6-inch screen is borderline ridiculous. After seeing webOS stretched out in all of its glory on the TouchPad, the Veer looked just plain sad. For the dainty among us, however, the Veer could end up being a great option with the right price point. Those of us without tiny little digits will want to look elsewhere, however. Check out our hands-on gallery below and stay tuned for our impressions of the Pre 3, which are coming right up.

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Tablets
February 9, 2011
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HP TouchPad hands-on!

By on February 9, 2011 at 3:51 PM.

HP TouchPad hands-on!

In case you haven’t heard, Hewlett-Packard announced its first webOS-powered tablet today. We spent a few minutes with the new Palm-powered pad at today’s event and we have to say, we’re impressed. Design-wise, the TouchPad is definitely not unique. Yeah, we’ll just go ahead and say it — it’s a plastic iPad. Inside, however, we can’t stress how amazing webOS is on a large-form device. The HP rep we chatted with wouldn’t let us handle the device personally, but it looks relatively solid and the contoured edges look very comfortable as well. The only real disappointment we have initially where hardware is concerned is the lack of a video-out — HP’s tablet competition is going to be gunning for the big screen and the TouchPad is completely sidelined with no HDMI port. Software is where this puppy shines, however. The Palm team’s Web-based mobile operating system may have been born on smartphones, but it’s all grown up on the TouchPad tablet. Though the software definitely isn’t final, the UI is was very fluid in the demo we were given —thanks in no small part to the dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor lurking within. Check out our hands-on photo gallery below and stay tuned for our thoughts on the Veer and Pre 3 smartphones.

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