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HP Hints Windows 8 Tablets, Rejects Android

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The owner of webOS announced in an interview that it was still open to the possibility of a tablet running Microsoft’s next-generation Windows 8 platform, though HP is firmly rejecting any notion of a tablet running the rival Android mobile operating system as it has its own in-house webOS platform, which it had acquired with its buyout of Palm for $1.2 billion.

In an interview with Fast Company, HP executives firmly stated, ‘We don’t do Android,’ but left room open for discussion on a potential tablet with Windows 8.

The rejection of Android is nothing new. After HP had acquired Palm and its webOS operating system, the company quickly announced that it would be withdrawing its support for both Android and Windows Mobile/Windows Phone moving forward in an effort to dedicate resources to its own platform. Since then, HP has announced to the world of its commitment to webOS as it intends to place the mobile OS on all of its desktops, laptops, and printers as well as mobile smartphone and tablet products.

When Fast Company asked HP of a Windows 8 tablet, the company does not deny of that possibility. Instead, executives either refused to answer or changed the topic. However, HP’s Richard Kerris was a bit more explicit in his response:

“Because of our relationship with Microsoft, anything is possible,” Kerris says. “If we have a huge customer base that says we need a Windows 8 tablet, by all means, we’d listen.”

The company says that its Windows 7 Slate 500 tablet ‘has been doing quite well,’ so it could mean that HP may be looking to offer customers a follow-up with Windows 8.

8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Dale Strauss

    06/30/2011 at 4:35 pm

    Ouch:

    “Because of our relationship with Microsoft, anything is possible,” Kerris says. “If we have a huge customer base that says we need a Windows 8 tablet, by all means, we’d listen.”

    Huge customer base – like the poor techies who bought into the Slate 500 (me – long since sent to eBay heaven) that still can’t get N-Trig to work reliably?

    • True

      06/30/2011 at 5:36 pm

      why do you lie my friend

      • Dale Strauss

        07/01/2011 at 12:40 pm

        Not a lie (even if a little over the top) – tell me your N-Trig pen works anywhere as good as a Wacom and I’ll eat my words. Just visit the Tabletreview forum for Slate 500 and you’ll see tons of frustraion in getting the N-Trig to work adequately, much less weel. Granted, they have improved on the HTC Flyer and Fujitsu 550, and is definitely better than any capacitve “spongebob” stylus, but it is still vastly inferior to the Wacom experience.

  2. Alain Chappaz

    06/30/2011 at 5:46 pm

    I have no problem at all using the n-trig digitizer on my HP tablet, for me it was a matter of getting the application settings right.

  3. Willem Evenhuis

    06/30/2011 at 6:59 pm

    Just saw this this demo video of windows. Look close at the symbol of the Tip button on the taskbar. It shows a pen! Also switching keyboards in the tips menu shows an option for inking!!! If microsoft thinks through in windows 8, it would be a good time to improve inking functionality in the tablet OS! Anyone have connections with the windows 8 development team??? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIWN3y-Phko

  4. Anonymous

    10/21/2011 at 2:19 am

    Consumer buyers expect totally different level of vendor support when it comes to tablet. HP’s TouchPad didn’t fail due its hardware or webOS software. The reason behind its failure was the lack of webOS apps and services available in the market read this article to find out how it plans to be successful in the market https://tablettechtoday.com/blogposts/future-hp-tablets-to-run-on-windows-8-os.html

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