The HP Slate was announced by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at CES 2010, and it was due to go on sale in the middle of 2010. The HP Slate was a touchscreen tablet that featured an 8.9 inch touchscreen display and was powered by an Intel Atom processor and ran Windows 7.
Tech Crunch are reporting that HP has decided not to make the HP slate with Windows 7 on it as they apparently were not happy with the way the OS performed on the tablet.
HP’s Strategic Shift
This is interesting news since we heard recently that HP will acquire Palm for $1.2 billion, and they intend to bring Palm’s webOS platform to tablets devices and netbooks. This acquisition marks a significant strategic shift for HP, as they aim to leverage Palm’s innovative webOS to create a more seamless and user-friendly experience on their future devices. The webOS platform, known for its intuitive interface and multitasking capabilities, could potentially offer a more optimized performance on tablets compared to Windows 7, which was originally designed for desktop and laptop environments.
Implications for the Tablet Market
We also heard earlier today that Microsoft has shelved plans for their Courier tablet, the two seem like a coincidence but we wonder if HP were the ones making the hardware for the Microsoft Courier. The cancellation of both the HP Slate with Windows 7 and Microsoft’s Courier tablet suggests a broader reevaluation of tablet strategies by major tech companies. It highlights the challenges of adapting traditional operating systems to the tablet form factor and the importance of having a dedicated OS that can fully exploit the capabilities of touch-based interfaces.
There has been no confirmation from HP as yet that the Slate has been canceled with Windows 7, but this would make sense as they have confirmed that they intend to invest heavily in webOS. This move could position HP more competitively against other tablet manufacturers, particularly Apple, whose iPad was rapidly gaining market share at the time. By focusing on webOS, HP could differentiate itself with unique features and potentially attract a loyal user base looking for alternatives to iOS and Android.
Moreover, the decision to pivot away from Windows 7 could also be seen as a response to the mixed reviews and performance issues that early Windows-based tablets faced. Users often reported that Windows 7 was not as touch-friendly as other operating systems, leading to a less than optimal user experience. By adopting webOS, HP could address these concerns and offer a more polished and responsive tablet experience.
In conclusion, while the cancellation of the HP Slate with Windows 7 might be disappointing to some, it represents a strategic realignment for HP as they seek to innovate and compete in the rapidly evolving tablet market. The acquisition of Palm and the focus on webOS could potentially lead to more advanced and user-centric devices in the future, setting the stage for HP to become a significant player in the tablet space.
via Tech Crunch
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