$99 HP Touchpad Sale: Android Alpha for TouchPad Unveiling Soon

By Gina E. Ryder, Christian Post Contributor Friday, October 14, 2011

The CyanogenMod team is exciting users with their latest releases. Just this week, they released CyanogenMod 7.1 that added support for more Android phones and now they’ve unveiled an alpha build for the HP TouchPad.

Cyanogenmod for TouchPad, an aftermarket version of Google’s Android operating system, designed to replace the former version of Android, which is included on many smartphones, and tablet computers and most recently will have full functionality as an Android device.

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, Fast Switch Boot, Fake SD card Mount, Light Sensor, Accessing webOS files from Android and vice versa, Touchstone Support, Softkeys and Wifi.

Through a “Lower Your Expectations” a release guide by CyanogenMod, TouchPad users will know exactly what is working and what isn’t. Basically, not all the TouchPad’s features are running smoothly.

Fake SD cards and dual booting are supported in case a user needs to restore the TouchPad. However, power efficiency is still an issue for users along with the camera, which can only be used for video chat. Updates and future versions of CyanogenMod are expected in order to address the bugs in the current version.

A version of Google's Android 2.3, the CyanogenMod firmware replaces WebOS that comes installed on the TouchPad. Many enthusiasts purchased cheap HP TouchPad's in the firm's stock clearing “fire sale” precisely so that they could eventually obtain a high-spec Android tablet.

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.

CyanogenMod are not leaking a set release date. However, they say it’ll be “ready when it’s ready.”