Hewlett-Packard’s first tablet, the TouchPad, will reportedly arrive in June, according to knowledgeable unnamed sources who contacted Pre Central. The 9.7-inch tablet will sell for the price of $499 for the 16GB version, and $599 for the 32GB model. HP will purportedly also release a 7-inch TouchPad in September.
Theses rumors, unconfirmed by HP, are based upon information provided to employees of a “major US retailer” that is preparing personnel for “a year’s worth of tablets.” Evidence of the June and September release dates comes in the form of what appears to be a product release schedule, which lists various tablets and their corresponding information.
If accurate, the listed prices for the 9.7-inch TouchPad, originally rumored to have an April release, would put the device right in line with similarly-featured models of Apple’s newly-released iPad 2.
While all tablet makers are looking to compete with Apple’s highly popular iPad line, the TouchPad seems to go at it head-on, with many specifications matching that of the iPad 2.
Both devices measure 9.7-inches. (The TouchPad is listed as 10-inches on the retailer’s product sheet.) And both come equipped with touchscreens that have 1024×768 resolution. So far, HP has announced only Wi-Fi enabled devices, while Apple offers a variety of 3G-compatible models.
Other specs for the ToucPad include a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and 1GB of RAM. HP’s device weighs only slightly more than the second-gereration iPad, at 1.5 pounds, and is 13.7mm thick. The TouchPad runs on the WebOS 2.1 operating system.
Unlike the 9.7-inch version, which was announced at the beginning of February, the 7-inch TouchPad has not been confirmed by HP. But the retailer information backs up earlier rumors that HP has plans for both a 7-inch and a 9-inch version of the TouchPad. That report, provided by Engadget, also pegs the 7-inch TouchPad (known as “Opal”) to a September release date. No price has yet been determined (or rumored) for the Opal TouchPad.
