Can The New Palm Topaz/Opal Tablets Survive?

Well, the cat's out of the bag. HP's poorly kept secret, the Topaz, and another tablet named the Opal have both been leaked to Engadget by reliable tipsters. We've got rendered pics and confirmation that the Opal will measure 180 x 144 x 13mm - comparable to the Galaxy Tab. The Topaz will be 241 x 190 x 13mm, about the same size as an iPad.

The Topaz is expected to launch around three months before the Opal (although no release date for either exists) and both will pack HP Beats software. Oh, and "tens of gigabytes" of cloud storage. Could HP be shaving costs (and undercutting the iPad in price) by shooting for a little physical storage and a ton of free cloud space?

So. That's what we know. Two webOS slates will be unveiled on February 9th at HP's big press event. Which means we'll probably see them launch somewhere in the middle of the hot mess of Android, BlackBerry and iOS tablets. If HP actually starts shipping on the 9th, they might be able to grab a few weeks in the spotlight before the Xoom-and-friends roll out.

The obvious worry is that webOS will prove just as disappointing this time out as it did back when the Pre launched as a purported "iPhone-killer". But now webOS has the money and marketing savvy of HP behind them. Consumers are definitely hungry for tablets- and webOS is a gorgeous platform for multitasking.

But Android is a pretty good multitasker too, and Honeycomb had half the journos at CES an inch away from browning their britches. HP has money and marketers, but so does Motorola and Toshiba and Acer and Asus and RIM every other big dog in this fight. All of them want redefine the industry. There were 7.44 million iPad buyers last year- how much more can the tablet market expand in 2011?

It's going to be crowded out there, and I just don't know if webOS will ever be loud enough to make itself known.

Updates

Clinton condemns Syria ‘atrocity’ in Houla

Source: Inquirer

WASHINGTON—US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday condemned the “atrocity” of the deaths of 92 people in the Syrian town of Houla, joining global calls for world action to end the bloodshed. Clinton said the United States w ...
Full article at: Inquirer  More like this  23 minutes ago

Real Life: SUMMER: ANNOYING AILMENTS

Source: People.co.uk

Sun, sea, and sickness! That’s not what most of us are looking forward to this summer. But for these four people the sunshine months can wreak havoc with their health... Eleanor Thurgood, 19, from Essex, hopes she makes it through the festival se ...
Full article at: People.co.uk  More like this  30 minutes ago

Dozens of children killed in Syria attack

Source: Inquirer

BEIRUT — Gruesome video Saturday showed rows of dead Syrian children lying in a mosque in bloody shorts and T-shirts with gaping head wounds, haunting images of what activists called one of the deadliest regime attacks yet in Syria’s 14-month-old ...
Full article at: Inquirer  More like this  37 minutes ago

Don't miss ...

reviews

 

Tablets Are Killing My Interest in Smartphones

Jun 1 2011

Time for a Change in Roles

rumors

 

What's Next for the Tablet?

May 22 2011

Evolution is on the way.

news

 

Sony's Honeycomb Tablets: Boom or Bust?

Apr 26 2011

On-time analysis of the latest Honeycomb entrant.

shopping

 

2nd Tier Android Tablet Sale is underway at Walmart

Apr 5 2011

There are tons of Android Tablets that target the low-end...

 

 

Tablets

Four More Years! (Of iPad Domination)

 

 

• More Tablets Stories
• I4U News Homepage