Starts at $599 ... HP's TouchPad available in Australia next month. HP Australia has today confirmed that its 9.7-inch HP Slate (video), launched overseas this month, would be available in Australia from August 15.
The 16GB and 32GB models will sell for $599 and $699, respectively. Both feature Wi-Fi but none have 3G connectivity.
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Analyst firm Telsyte argues the tablet market is "getting crowded" but it estimates 1.13 million tablets will be sold in Australia this calendar year.The TouchPad runs the webOS software that HP acquired from Palm and HP's Vice President for the Asia Pacific region, Anthony McMahon, singled out the operating system as a key selling point of the device (video intro to webOS here).
He said webOS tightly integrates web services such as Facebook and was built with the web at front of mind. The fact that it did not run Google's Android was also an advantage as there were a sea of Android devices already on the market.
"We believe that we can offer something different and unique here as opposed to multiple devices running the same software," McMahon said.
Asked for examples of what makes webOS unique, McMahon highlighted the "cards" interface whereby apps can be grouped automatically or manually into various cards resembling multiple desktops. He said this enabled "true multitasking" and made the platform less cluttered than the competition.
A feature called "HP Synergy" (video) populates the tablet with emails, calendar entries, contacts, photos and other information pulled from the user's web accounts including Google, Facebook, Twitter, MobileMe, LinkedIn, Photobucket, Dropbox and others. This saves the user from having to open up separate apps for each service.
McMahon also pointed to the "just type" feature which is like a universal search that allows users to scour emails, tweets, web history, contacts and other areas on the device for certain words or phrases.
McMahon said other webOS-based devices such as smartphones, laptops, desktops and printers could be launched in Australia in future. "We have every intention of having multiple webOS devices available in the Australian market," he said.
The tablet market has become crowded since the launch of the iPad 2, which now has Android-based competition from brands including Acer, Samsung, Toshiba, Motorola, Lenovo, Asus, Huawei and others.
BlackBerry's PlayBook also recently launched in Australia, while Microsoft-based tablets are thin on the ground after reviewers panned Windows 7 as being unsuitable for tablets.
"The media tablet market is getting crowded, however HP's ability to differentiate using a unique platform will put it in good stead to compete with Android devices," said Telsyte analyst Foad Fadaghi.
"With the lack of made for tablet specific Android apps, there is still an opportunity for competing platforms such as WebOS, QNX, and even Windows down the track to win market share and compete.
"There are many very similar Android devices on the market and consequently Android prices will have to come down."
Telsyte estimates that there are less than 1000 tablet-optimised apps on the Android Market, compared to tens of thousands on the iTunes App Store. Google Australia said it did not have the exact figure.
But the HP Slate will also struggle to compete with Apple's platform when it comes to apps. HP said there were around 300 tablet-optimised apps for webOS but this was expected to grow rapidly.
Another downside is the fact that HP's movies store, available overseas, will not initially open in Australia. But movies obtained through other means can be dragged and dropped on to the TouchPad, while users can also port their music collections across using the HP Play software.
US reviewers of the TouchPad have praised webOS but were highly critical of the physical design and weight of the device compared to competitors, as well as the lack of apps.
In the first half of 2011, Apple has a 79.5 per cent share of the tablet market, according to Telsyte's latest numbers.
"Android is growing strongly and we estimate will take around a quarter of the market by the end of this year," said Fadaghi.
Last week Lenovo launched two Android 3.1 tablets in Australia, the IdeaPad K1 for consumers and the ThinkPad Tablet for business users.
Samsung has now run out of Galaxy Tab 10.1v units, which were only ever intended to be on sale for three months through Vodafone on a limited edition basis. Its replacement, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, has yet to go on sale in Australia, with Samsung unable to name a date as yet.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/tablets/hp-touchpad-joins-crowded-australian-tablet-market-on-august-15-20110725-1hwqz.html#ixzz1TBLssgY5
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