Flash Player Palm

HP's new TouchPad shows worlds of potential in test drive

It's the first tablet computer based on the slick webOS operating system that Palm had developed from the ground up to save an iconic tech company whose fortunes had sagged.

Palm failed to survive as an independent entity of course, despite strong reviews — if not strong sales — for webOS-based smartphones such as the Palm Pre . And sales of webOS phones have remained weak under HP.

But HP and its CEO, Léo Apotheker, have high hopes for webOS and for the TouchPad tablet I've been testing for about a week. It hits Best Buy , Walmart and other major retailers just as demand for tablet computers is soaring and the appetite for consumer PCs in the U.S. is shrinking. HP recently cuts its sales forecast for the year by a billion dollars.

Even so, HP brings the kind of resources Palm lacked. By next year, HP plans to put webOS on every PC that the company ships, right on top of Windows. Over time, company executives also expect to put webOS on printers and possibly even in cars. HP is also open to partnerships, as a way to expand the webOS ecosystem. "This is just the beginning," says HP senior vice president Jon Rubinstein , a former Apple executive and Palm CEO. "We're taking a long-term view." Adds Todd Bradley, who is head of HP's $41 billion Personal Systems Group, "WebOS represents a huge opportunity."

But if recent history is any guide, HP will have a tough time cracking a tablet market dominated by Apple. None of the individual tablets built around Google's Android operating system has made much of a dent going against the iPad, the device with which all comers are inevitably compared. Rubinstein concedes: "We're not going to beat Apple anytime soon. The issue is who is going to take the No. 2 spot."

Based on my evaluation, HP has a fighting chance. I actually prefer webOS to early Android tablets and believe it compares favorably to iOS in many respects. It's actually a terrific operating system for tablets. And the TouchPad, which I generally like, has a world of potential.

Potential means things are missing (movie and music stores, true GPS). I also encountered frustrating snags. On the first of two test units from HP, the built-in microphone didn't work, which meant I could be seen but not heard on a Skype video call. And while I could receive Skype video calls using the TouchPad's 1.3-megapixel webcam, I was unable to make outgoing Skype calls. Troubleshooting failed to resolve the issue by the time this column went to press.

Is there an really cool apps for the Palm Pre? What about flash ...

From what your'e in, there are some great applications that you appreciate all the coolest apps now are still waiting in the pipeline for the App Catalog. As for streaming, you can try YouTube so you can watch videos or Pandora (download from App Catalog) that allow you to listen to Internet radio.

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