HP TouchPad

“The HP TouchPad is less polished than the iPad, with a smaller range of impressive third-party apps. Yes, it's got features that the iPad lacks, but so do the Android tablets, and they have a bigger app selection, too. The interface appears more polished than many Android tablets, but in operation that doesn't really stand up. It's also lagging behind in many hardware features, such as HDMI output. HP webOS is a very well thought-out operating system, and there's a lot to like about the TouchPad. But why would you buy it over the others? We're not sure many people will find an answer to that question.”

“The HP TouchPad will be the perfect tablet for a lot of people. The points we love about webOS pour into HP’s tablet bringing with it an experience that rivals the iPad and the best from Honeycomb. The intuitive nature and the wide support of Synergy means that you don’t feel you are missing out on core features with the HP TouchPad. But it’s not all perfect. We have some stability quibbles and at times webOS wasn’t as slick as you’d expect. In the highly-polished world of the iPad, the TouchPad seems to have a few software obstacles to overcome just as Honeycomb does. Then there is the question over how quickly we’ll see great tablet-specific apps arriving. Android’s growth as a mobile phone platform stands it at an advantage over webOS when it comes to apps, and the wide-ranging physical connections on Android tablets (HDMI, USB, microSD) aren't on offer here. That leaves us in the position of pinning the TouchPad down. Like the original Pre, it’s a great user experience in a device that lacks the premium build of some rivals. There is room to expand the offering of the TouchPad as well as improve some areas of current performance. If core functionality - email, browsing, contacts - are what interest you, then the HP TouchPad will serve you well and it deserves a high score. If it’s an all encompassing world of multimedia delights, services or physical connections, then you might want to look elsewhere.”

“This is going to sound like a broken record, but the TouchPad is yet another tablet that feels unfinished. The interface is more elegant and intuitive than what you'll find on Android Honeycomb tablets, and we appreciate the time-saving features such as Just Type. The TouchPad also produces louder audio than any other slate we've tested. Last but not the least, HP deserves credit for spicing up the app shopping experience and for leveraging webOS-powered phones to tell a better-together story. The reason this story doesn't have a happy ending (at least not yet) is because the TouchPad is pretty sluggish for a device that's powered by a dual-core processor. The slow and schizophrenic accelerometer alone gives us a pause. The TouchPad is also heavier, thicker, and more smudge-prone than class-leading designs such as the iPad 2 and the Galaxy Tab 10.1. And, of course, HP still has a lot of catching up to do on the app front. Just like Google, HP will likely work out many of the kinks with its first over-the-air-update--at which time we'll revisit our rating--but right now the TouchPad is a tough sell.”

“But it speaks to a larger question that HP still hasn’t answered: What’s the major draw HP offers that I can’t get in Android or iOS — two established competitors with more customers, more apps and more time in the market? I’m not saying HP is betting on a weak hand with the TouchPad itself. It’s well-built, easy on the eyes and I dig the card-based OS running on a tablet even more than I had anticipated.”