The Official HP Palm Blog

HP TouchPad Arrives in Asia Pacific

TouchPad is spreading its wings into Asia Pacific. It will be available in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong in August. Check out the video on YouTube of Anthony McMahon, vice president of webOS for Hewlett-Packard Asia Pacific and Japan, talking about TouchPad in Asia Pacific. You can also see photos of the launch event in Singapore here.

TouchPad’s expanded availability also presents a great opportunity for developers. Broadening to four new regions, the HP webOS App Catalog will offer developers the chance to reach many new customers, and developers may now submit apps to the App Catalog specifically for Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. More information can be found at the HP webOS Developer Blog.

Paul A.

Tune in, turn on, and rock out!

New HP webOS apps can now bring millions of movies, TV shows, and songs directly to your HP TouchPad. With the HP MovieStore powered by RoxioNow -- a Rovi company, U.S. TouchPad customers can rent or buy thousands of recent films and TV programs from leading studios and networks. Videos can be downloaded so you can watch your favorite titles anywhere, even when no Internet connection is available. For TouchPad customers outside the U.S., the Viewster app offers access to on-demand movie and TV content, via subscription, rental, and -- in major markets -- free ad-supported viewing.

The 7digital MP3 Music app -- built exclusively for the webOS platform and designed for all countries where TouchPad is currently shipping -- offers access to a vast library of over 14 million songs from all four major music labels (Sony, Universal, Warner and EMI), as well as thousands of indie labels. 7digital makes it easy to discover, preview and download DRM-free MP3 tracks to your TouchPad, where Beats Audio quality provides an enhanced mobile music experience.

More apps to expand your TouchPad entertainment experience include:

• iHeartRadio, which features a selection of more than 750 local and digital-only radio stations in the U.S.
• Music can be transferred to TouchPad via HP Play, which syncs your DRM-free iTunes music from your desktop to your TouchPad.
• By the way, Spotify, the hugely popular European music app, is now available for webOS (although not on the TouchPad) in the U.S. To use the app, you'll first need to sign up for a Spotify account -- you can sign up here (and you might be able to jump the waitlist if you request an invitation here).

Jon Zilber

Now you can curl up with a good book (or two, or three, or 950,000) on your TouchPad

The Kindle Beta for webOS app is now available for the HP TouchPad. Your TouchPad now has access to more than 950,000 titles from Amazon's Kindle Store, as well as thousands of the most popular classic public domain titles. Paid titles offer free downloadable samples, and Amazon's Whispersync technology automatically syncs your reading progress with other devices (like your laptop computer) where you might also use your Kindle account. (And if you add any notes, highlights, or bookmarks while you read, Whispersync also keeps those updated on your other Kindle platforms, and vice-versa.)

Jon Zilber

HP TouchPad 4G Coming to AT&T

For those webOS fans out there who want the most flexibility for staying connected with a TouchPad, there’s more info out today about the HP TouchPad on the AT&T mobile broadband network.

The TouchPad 4G will have a faster 1.5-GHz processor, 32GB of storage, integrated GPS and all the benefits of being connected via AT&T’s network – meaning you can get web access in more than just Wi-Fi hotspots. Greater access means increased productivity, so TouchPad 4G will be a great fit for anyone who needs near-constant connectivity – making it great for businesses, consumers, and anyone who needs to download files, stay on top of email, and access the web while staying mobile.

Specific pricing and availability date will be forthcoming from AT&T, but TouchPad will be available in time for back to school through HP commercial channels, AT&T Business Services and major retailers.

Paul A.

Next steps for HP webOS

As part of the logical evolution of its webOS business operations, HP today announced organizational changes designed both to accelerate the scale and growth of its existing webOS business as well as to expand and enhance other HP product lines.

To drive the growth of the webOS Global Business Unit, Stephen DeWitt has been named senior vice president and general manager. Under his leadership, HP’s Personal Systems Group became the market leader in both commercial and enterprise markets for notebook computers.

Jon Rubinstein today assumes a new role as senior vice president for product innovation for the Personal Systems Group. In this capacity, he will be able to leverage his experience with consumer products to propel innovation across a broad range of areas in the Personal Systems Group.

(BTW, as we formally become the HP webOS Global Business Unit, keep an eye out for a refreshed look and new handles here and on our other social media channels.)

Jon Zilber

A royal touch

The HP TouchPad got the royal treatment earlier today when Prince William and Kate Middleton got a hands-on demo of the new device at the Variety Venture Capital & New Media Summit today at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. 

The Prince and his new bride graciously stopped by the HP booth, where they learned about the device’s multitasking and Flash capabilities. The Prince, a sports fanatic, tested out Just Type by entering "Aston Villa," his favorite football team, which led him to the Aston Villa Football Club’s official site.

The royal couple accepted a charitable donation of two TouchPads for Inner-City Arts, an oasis of learning, achievement and creativity for underserved children in the heart of Skid Row, an organization they will visit on Sunday as part of their California visit. 

Michelle Price

(photos: Todd Williamson/wireimage)

TouchPad by the numbers

The countdown is finally over: the HP TouchPad is available today! For those of you who enjoyed counting backwards until today, here are a few more numbers you might enjoy:

50: That’s how many gigabytes of free cloud storage you’ll have to store your digital stuff when you download the free Box.net app on your TouchPad. (Not 1 or 2 GBs, not 5 GBs, but fifty!)

0: How many pieces of desktop or server software are you required to have installed to get your TouchPad up and running? That’s right: None.

0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9: Which numbers are always visible on the TouchPad’s onscreen keyboard? Yup, all of them.

4: Number of options for the size of the TouchPad onscreen keyboard.

>>1: Number of apps you can run simultaneously -- and multitasking works for all webOS apps, not just a select few. (For those of you who’ve forgotten your high school algebra, that translates to “LOTS more than 1.”)

1/month: That’s how many issues of Pivot, your lively and fun guide to webOS apps and the people who love them, you’ll receive on your TouchPad.

240: Number of levels in the free Angry Birds HD TouchPad app.

90: Number of days you’re eligible for free “Butler” service to help you get up and running on your TouchPad.

1998: Year the movie “You’ve Got Mail” was released, an iconic example of how loud, obnoxious notifications were already getting tiresome. The movie wasn’t tiresome – it’s the constant stream of interruptions that take over your screen that can drive you over the edge. TouchPad takes an unobtrusive approach to keeping you completely up-to-date without using an out-of-date approach to notifications that derails your train of thought.

$50: If you've previously bought a webOS phone, check here for details on a rebate offer for the 32 GB TouchPad.

Jon Zilber