Anand reviews the HP TouchPad.

[dennilfloss]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4508/hp-touchpad-review

Quite a positive review from someone who was already familiar with WebOs. According to the comments, one of his concerns, the longer boot and app-opening times, is already being addressed by the Homebrew modding community, so it's not an irrevocable concern.

The WebOS internals folks have stepped up and released a patch that reduces the amount of logging the OS does. Apparently it seriously improves performance. If the OS is indeed doing a whole bunch of disk IO that it shouldn't be doing, that will explain a lot of the lag issues.

One thing I don't understand, the mentioned lack of modem with the CPU, does this mean someone without wifi cannot use this tablet?

 

[OBLAMA2009]

i tried touch pad at bb and it has a nice screen and it isnt that thick but it is still 1024x768, while all the android tabs are 1280x900(?). it was strangely slow on some sites. im sure they will be a lot slower with updates and bug fixes than android so i wouldnt really consider this platform. touchpad also doesnt have 3g/4g, which is a definite dealbreaker. bb set up a whole table with 6 touchpad demos and almost nobody looks at them, everyone is looking at the android tablets. has anyone tried the lenovo tablet, i noticed this one was in office depot today. it looked nice but i didnt have time to check they specs compared to other tabs

 

[Bateluer]

i tried touch pad at bb and it has a nice screen and it isnt that thick but it is still 1024x768, while all the android tabs are 1280x900(?). it was strangely slow on some sites. im sure they will be a lot slower with updates and bug fixes than android so i wouldnt really consider this platform. bb set up a whole table with 6 touchpad demos and almost nobody looks at them, everyone is looking at the android tablets. h

1280x800.

I see the same thing at the BBs near me, the HP WebOS devices are displayed on an island table often with a representative to assist customers. Most people look at either the iPad 2 or the HoneyComb tablets.

 

[finbarqs]

i think the touchpad tablet is the only relevant one for me right now... I got my gf a nook color (rooted) and my dad an ipad. iPad wins hands down, in terms of polish and "pick up and go".

But with Full Flash functionality, and Bar None multi-tasking, WebOS is looking better than Playbook was to me..

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

And again with the cheap plastic. What a downer. Even the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, which costs $100 less than the iPad 2, has good build quality.

In terms of UI, though, nothing can touch WebOS.

 

[Bateluer]

In terms of UI, though, nothing can touch WebOS.

Disagree. I found the UI on the TouchPad clunky, stutter-y, and had to do the same finger actions multiple times to get it to do what I wanted. It shouldn't be that laggy with the Adreno 220 driving it, the Tegra powered Android tablets are smooth and the hardware is slower. Could just be the TouchPad's version of WebOS though. The multi-tasking cards are nice, but not exactly anything special, since a nearly identical version is implemented in HoneyComb. The HP reps that are on-site at BB do an absolutely craptactular job of selling the TouchPad too.

Really, the only tablets worth looking at are 1) iPad 2, 2) Asus Transformer, 3) Galaxy Tab 10.1. And then, only if you had the need for a 4-500 dollar status symbol that doesn't actually do anything more than look pretty.

I think the really cool stuff will happen when ICS drops and we have full source available to really unlock the potential in the Android tablets.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

i think the touchpad tablet is the only relevant one for me right now... I got my gf a nook color (rooted) and my dad an ipad. iPad wins hands down, in terms of polish and "pick up and go".

But with Full Flash functionality, and Bar None multi-tasking, WebOS is looking better than Playbook was to me..

playbook is going to be just like webos, a niche product that appeals to some people but which is ultimately doomed. i see almost no interest in playbooks when i go to the stores and most of the time the demos arent even plugged in, and no one cares. i do like the size and weight though. the newer android tablets are heavy and slightly awkward to type on because of their width. playbook is a nice size and weigh to carry around in your briefcase or bag and not have to worry about it getting damaged. i prefer a cheaper, light plasticky design to a heavy metallic one. tablets are changing so quickly that you wouldnt want one for more than 8 months anyway so they might as well make them cheap

 

[OBLAMA2009]

Disagree. I found the UI on the TouchPad clunky, stutter-y, and had to do the same finger actions multiple times to get it to do what I wanted. It shouldn't be that laggy with the Adreno 220 driving it, the Tegra powered Android tablets are smooth and the hardware is slower. Could just be the TouchPad's version of WebOS though. The multi-tasking cards are nice, but not exactly anything special, since a nearly identical version is implemented in HoneyComb. The HP reps that are on-site at BB do an absolutely craptactular job of selling the TouchPad too.

Really, the only tablets worth looking at are 1) iPad 2, 2) Asus Transformer, 3) Galaxy Tab 10.1. And then, only if you had the need for a 4-500 dollar status symbol that doesn't actually do anything more than look pretty.

I think the really cool stuff will happen when ICS drops and we have full source available to really unlock the potential in the Android tablets.

agreed those are the only three tablets worth considering but they all need 3g/4g (and a reasonably generous plan) before i would buy them. the new lenovo tablets are in office depot and they seemed pretty nice

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Disagree. I found the UI on the TouchPad clunky, stutter-y, and had to do the same finger actions multiple times to get it to do what I wanted. It shouldn't be that laggy with the Adreno 220 driving it, the Tegra powered Android tablets are smooth and the hardware is slower. Could just be the TouchPad's version of WebOS though. The multi-tasking cards are nice, but not exactly anything special, since a nearly identical version is implemented in HoneyComb. The HP reps that are on-site at BB do an absolutely craptactular job of selling the TouchPad too.

Really, the only tablets worth looking at are 1) iPad 2, 2) Asus Transformer, 3) Galaxy Tab 10.1. And then, only if you had the need for a 4-500 dollar status symbol that doesn't actually do anything more than look pretty.

I think the really cool stuff will happen when ICS drops and we have full source available to really unlock the potential in the Android tablets.

I'm talking about the UI itself and its potential, not the performance bugs/issues. The TouchPad has capable hardware; those can be fixed in a short time. What you cannot fix in a short time, though, is how the software fundamentally works. If HP fixes the bugs on the TouchPad implementation of WebOS they could have a winner. In terms of the tablet UIs, iOS works like crap, Android 3 works good, and WebOS really takes the cake.

In their current state, I would say ASUS Transformer>iPad=TouchPad. If HP irons out those performance issues and bugs, TouchPad>ASUS Transformer>iPad.

 

[MagickMan]

I'm talking about the UI itself and its potential, not the performance bugs/issues. The TouchPad has capable hardware; those can be fixed in a short time. What you cannot fix in a short time, though, is how the software fundamentally works. If HP fixes the bugs on the TouchPad implementation of WebOS they could have a winner. In terms of the tablet UIs, iOS works like crap, Android 3 works good, and WebOS really takes the cake.

In their current state, I would say ASUS Transformer>iPad=TouchPad. If HP irons out those performance issues and bugs, TouchPad>ASUS Transformer>iPad.

With iOS 5 that order will change, so that is something to consider.

 

[finbarqs]

with windows 8 that will change too... oh hell i'll just go back to my MBP.. Nothing can touch a true laptop!

 

[shortylickens]

I just played with a demo model today and yes, it takes too long to open apps. Good thing is because the way multitasking works you should only have to open an app once, then leave it running.

 

[randomlinh]

finally got to play with one, and the demo running was painfully buggy. when it finally closed, I could use the device. no wifi so I couldn't test anything really except to open up apps. Which it did fairly well for the native calendar/email/messaging apps. Not instant, but acceptable to me.

but boy was it stuttery. I loved having cards and a very defined workflow for how apps run and close. but when the calendar would stutter just scrolling a bit, or tapping on the test chats... I cried a little on the inside. I've wanted webOS to make it, but it's just slipping away.

I just hope android can clean up with ICS. I don't find HC very good as a UI, I didn't find it intuitive at all.

 

[Sheep]

I haven't used a webOS product since getting rid of my Pre- about a year ago. I'm a bit surprised to hear that webOS still laggy, figuring that HP/Palm would have ironed that out or that the improved hardware would mask such flaws.

Any OS that has a built-in "loading" screen with the app's icon pulsing for 5-10 seconds really affects usability. My "crappy" Android OS loads things nearly instantly despite the huge amount of Android hardware out there. The cards metaphor may be brilliant, but the execution is decidedly less so. That's what the webOS apologists fail to tell you.

 

[Oyeve]

Whats up with these latest tabs not having a MSD slot? I cant see why the hell not! I have an asus transformer and I am almost out of storage (16gb=32gbMSD) I like having stuff on my tab rather than having to copy or move stuff all the time to free up room.

 

[Rudee]

I played with one this past weekend for about 20 minutes. It was heavier than I expected, which I didn't like at all. Also, as others mentioned, the material felt kind of cheap.

I think all these new tablet manufacturers will be closer to "getting it right" with their 2nd generation of tablets, which will come out next year. Most of the 1st generation tablet we're seeing right now will be collecting dust in a matter of months.

 

[finbarqs]

I think steve jobs said it: DOA.
I tend to stay away from HP devices anyways... Everything from HP feels a little cheap... Even their Envy line... just not quite "Apple" premium feel...

 

[dennilfloss]

Pardon me for not giving a fuck about what Jobs says... And the HP EliteBook laptops don't look cheap to me.

http://www.mysoft.hu/photos/HP_EliteBook_8540p_original.jpg

 

[finbarqs]

we'll see how it stacks up against apple's unibody structure... that feels completely SOLID. It's sad that Apple's the only company that's really giving people good build quality these days...

 

[Bateluer]

I think steve jobs said it: DOA.
I tend to stay away from HP devices anyways... Everything from HP feels a little cheap... Even their Envy line... just not quite "Apple" premium feel...

You know, I used to believe that HP made pretty crappy products. And I still think most of their stuff is pretty low, but the dm1z I picked up a few months back, the AMD E-350 model, is a VERY solid laptop.

Apple's marketing is pervasive. And they ignore, deny, or sue anyone who reports on issues with their products.

Most of the 1st generation tablet we're seeing right now will be collecting dust in a matter of months.

This has stopped me from buying a Transformer. I like the device, its solidly built, has decent support, and a good brand name on it, and if it had Netflix support, I'd probably have bought one. Heck, if you use a Best Buy credit account to buy it, it qualifies for 18 months no interest financing.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

You know, I used to believe that HP made pretty crappy products. And I still think most of their stuff is pretty low, but the dm1z I picked up a few months back, the AMD E-350 model, is a VERY solid laptop.

Apple's marketing is pervasive. And they ignore, deny, or sue anyone who reports on issues with their products.



This has stopped me from buying a Transformer. I like the device, its solidly built, has decent support, and a good brand name on it, and if it had Netflix support, I'd probably have bought one. Heck, if you use a Best Buy credit account to buy it, it qualifies for 18 months no interest financing.

i wanted to get one of those hp e350's as well but im never been to bb when they were in stock and they dont have a demo out. does it work well/are there any major bugs/has it every crashed on you?

 

[finbarqs]

when i pick up the 13" macbook pro, vs. the Hp ENVY 14, there's an obvious build quality advantage of the MBP. It's not flimsy, and it's just solid.

I'm guessing it's because of the unibody construction. If apple's MBP 15" was $1k, I'd buy in a heart beat. It'll literally be the BEST 15" laptop around! (performance, battery, and style)

 

[MagickMan]

when i pick up the 13" macbook pro, vs. the Hp ENVY 14, there's an obvious build quality advantage of the MBP. It's not flimsy, and it's just solid.

I'm guessing it's because of the unibody construction. If apple's MBP 15" was $1k, I'd buy in a heart beat. It'll literally be the BEST 15" laptop around! (performance, battery, and style)

That's a fact. While I will always prefer to build my own PCs, I love my MBP and iPad2. No one beats Apple for portables, no one.

 

[Tristicus]

That's a fact. While I will always prefer to build my own PCs, I love my MBP and iPad2. No one beats Apple for portables, no one.

Except everyone not Apple.

 

[MagickMan]

Except everyone not Apple.

Sorry, but in terms of feel and build quality, everything feels like crap compared to a MBP. If someone made a notebook that could compare, for less $$, I'd buy it.