HP TouchPad Sale: Company Scraps 7-Inch Tablet Version
Reports have surfaced that HP has cancelled plans to announce a new seven inch version of their TouchPad tablet.
Anonymous sources that have close ties with HP told TGdaily.com that the company was just weeks away from announcing the new tablet before deciding to shut down its hardware business.
Those same sources also reported that HP had begun circulating several demo units to staff and select developers. The smaller tablet "was working almost perfectly."
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Rumors about the seven inch TouchPad hit the Internet earlier this year. In January, Engadget reported that an upcoming HP press event would include the launch of a 9-inch Topaz tablet and a 7-inch Opal tablet. HP denied those rumors through a statement to Engadget. HP then went on to debut the 9.7-inch TouchPad and two WebOS smartphones: the HP Veer and Pre 3.
Leaked photos of the device also appeared on a Chinese forum. The owner of those photos reportedly had a "TouchPad Go" in their possession for three months. The owner's blog posted the specs found in an FCC filing from earlier this summer.
The supposed seven inch TouchPad tablet was set to include a 4:3 aspect ratio and 1024 x 768 resolution and a 1.5-GHz Snapdragon processor. Front- and rear-facing cameras, along with 16GB of storage. These features were reported by thisismynext.com.
Early price drops for HP's current TouchPads came in August. This move seemed to signify the troubles manufacturers have had selling tablets.
In that same month, HP decided to call off to the ten inch TouchPad WebOS tablets. The company proceeded to sell them off in a quarter price fire sale in the U.S. and Europe. Once the sale became official, the devices promptly flew off the shelves.
Currently, Apple's iPad is a recognizable item that has become a hit with the company's customers. This tablet is also a much more appealing platform for mobile app developers.
