HP takes gamble with TouchPad
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Hewlett-Packard Co unveiled its entrant in the tablet race, betting its "TouchPad" summer release will keep it in the running in a booming market dominated by Apple Inc's iPad and devices running Google Inc software.
The 9.7-inch tablet running off Palm's well-regarded webOS operating system is HP's gamble that there remains room for yet another mobile software platform - a risk underscored by news that Nokia may abandon its own software in favor of Microsoft Corp's or Google's.
HP's tablet features a fast dual-core Qualcomm Inc chip, supports video calling and Adobe System's Flash software.
HP said the TouchPad will be priced competitively against the iPad, which starts at US$499. It will launch with a WiFi-only model, followed by a 3G-compatible version later in the year.
The world's largest technology company by revenue also launched new smartphones on Wednesday, the Veer and the Pre3, both based on the webOS software that HP bought in its US$1.2 billion purchase of Palm.
HP outlined partnerships it has forged to bring content to webOS devices. Amazon.com will offer a free Kindle e-reader app, while Time Warner Inc's Time Inc publishing arm will sell subscriptions to magazines such as Sports Illustrated.
