$99 HP TouchPad: Developers Release Android Port for TouchPad
The CyanogenMod team has released the alpha version of its Android port for the HP TouchPad.
CyanogenMod 7.1 allows TouchPad users to run Android 2.3, Gingerbread on the tablet that originally runs on HP's WebOS.
In addition to booting into Android, CyanogenMod 7.1 supports a host of functions and features.
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RootzWiki details that some of the many specs on CyanogenMod 7.1 include, Android Debug Bridge, Touchscreen support, GPU Acceleration, Dual core processing, Bluetooth, Sound, Accelerometer, Power Management, Battery Reporting, Camera, Vibration, Backlight, LED, Multiboot, ClockworkMod Recovery, Fast Switch Boot, Fake SD card Mount, Light Sensor, Accessing webOS files from Android and vice versa, Touchstone Support, Softkeys and Wifi.
Commentators note that because CyanogenMod 7.1 is an alpha version, there are still a number of bugs.
The CyanogenMod team has stated they do not recommend users install CyanogenMod just yet, as they are likely to encounter problems “ranging from the benign to the very serious.”
Commentators note that installing Android on the HP TouchPad will void the tablet's warranty.
However, they also note that HP's WebOS doctor tool, which in the event of a serious problem will wipe the system clean, remains accessible with the Android port.
Updates and future versions of CyanogenMod are expected in order to address the bugs in the current version.
In the midst of the $99 HP TouchPad sale this past summer, several customers reported receiving the tablet computer equipped with an Android's Froyo OS instead of HP's WebOS.
HP has confirmed that the rumors are true and is currently investigating how an Android OS got into its TouchPads.
Rumors suggest that engineers at HP have experimented with porting Froyo onto the TouchPad and that some Froyo ported test units were accidentally shipped to retailers.
