Thursday, February 10, 2011

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) Offering Tablet, Smartphones

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) announced their first foray into the tablet and smartphone sectors, as the tech giant scrambles to become relevant in the rapidly growing markets.

As for the tablet, which they probably have a better chance of generating revenue and earnings with in the short term, it's a 9.7-inch screen called the TouchPad.

Two smartphones are in the works, with one, the Pre3, being developed for office workers. The other called the Veer, includes a screen about the 3" wide.

All the new products will be run on its WebOS operating system, which they obtained in their acquisition of Palm in 2010.

The problem and challenge for Hewlett-Packard is the products won't be available at earliest by the spring, and by latest, the summer.

Jon Rubinstein, a Hewlett-Packard senior vice president, said the reason for announcing so far ahead was to give developers an opportunity to create apps for the devices.

The Veer won't be introduced until the spring, and the Pre3 and tablet won't be released until the summer.

As mentioned, the tablet will probably have a far better chance of doing some damage and gaining share than the smartphones, as it seems the smartphone market is solidifying and consumers are settling into their decision. At least that appears the case for early responders and core users.

Those still making their minds up are the customers available to grab, and in that regard HP could get a piece of that market, as could all the emerging contenders.

With Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) being the only real contender last year in tablets, that market has a lot of room to grow market share in, and if HP creates good products, it could generate some significant revenue over time.

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