I find it fine, given it's their first try. True one tidbit here and there, but nothing as to say what that fanboy said.
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HP Touchpad 16GB for $99 and $149 for 32 GB version
- Thread starter aaronchow
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I find it fine, given it's their first try. True one tidbit here and there, but nothing as to say what that fanboy said.
I thought I'd write a quick review of my TouchPad. I haven't been able to spend a whole lot of time with it yet, but here are my first impressions.
First of all, it's hard not to compare it to an iPad in your mind. They're pretty much the same size with the same size screen, although the TouchPad feels a tad bit heavier in my hands.
Keep in mind that the TouchPad is truly a post-PC device; at no point do you need to connect it to a computer for setup, syncing, etc., although you CAN connect it to transfer media if you like. Setup, synchronization, etc. are all done through-the-air.
The first thing I noticed is the interface - a menu bar of sorts stays open at the top of the screen regardless of which app is open, and this menu bar rotates as you rotate the device to stay at the top of what you're viewing. This menu bar has options for the open program, as well as a Wi-Fi icon, the time, the notifications area (more on that in a moment), etc. It's very OS X-like, but even less intrusive.
Interacting with the device is very pleasant - touching the screen gives a visual "ripple" effect, similar to what you'd see if you touched an LCD screen, and it shows you exactly where you "clicked" on the screen. It sounds much more intrusive than it is; I actually find it quite useful.
The soft keyboard is nothing short of excellent. No need to shift to enter numbers or common punctuation, and letters on the keyboard itself display as lower- or upper-case, depending on whether the shift button has been tapped.
Performance is very good - apps open quickly, there doesn't appear to be any lag anywhere that I've been able to find. The sound is pretty decent - the thing has stereo speakers in landscape orientation. This would be fantastic for watching a movie.
Multitasking is excellent, and in my opinion much better implemented than in iOS. You can view open apps on the desktop screen as "cards," rearrange them, group them, select them, etc. To close an app, simply slide it off the top of the desktop. Overall, it's very nicely done and easy to use, and switching between open apps is very easy. It's also very easy to see what each open app is doing; you can view each app's screen on a card, rather than simply seeing icons for each open app.
The notification system is very nice to use. In the menu bar a series of icons will appear if you have an email, Twitter mention, etc. If the device is off, a small popup will appear on the screen to inform you of a new message or whatever.
I haven't been able to evaluate the battery life yet. In fact, I don't even think I've fully charged it yet (I started to play with the thing as soon as I got it out of the box).
You might have guessed, since I'm comparing this to an iPad (believe me, if you've handled both the comparison is inescapable), there are some ways in which the TouchPad doesn't quite measure up.
The image quality of the front-facing camera leaves a bit to be desired. There are no native apps for using the camera for anything other than video chat (third-party apps do exist), so perhaps the so-so quality of the camera can be excused...somewhat. It's clearly meant to be used for chatting, not for taking pictures; use your phone or your webcam if you really need a photo.
Text editing has a few idiosyncrasies that I'm not fond of - positioning the cursor is not nearly as easy as it is on an iOS device, since your finger covers up the position of the cursor as you're trying to place it (for example, between two letters). In iOS, the cursor and word(s) you're selecting appear above your finger for easy positioning. HP could have taken a lesson from Apple here.
This may sound like a whimsical gripe, but I'm really fond of iOS' double-space-to-period shortcut. WebOS doesn't have this, that I've found, and I already miss it.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, are the applications themselves. The App Store from Apple has an incredibly robust selection of software for iOS devices. The number of apps available for WebOS is by no means small, but it's not up to the standard set by Apple. The apps themselves seem to be well-written and easy to find, but if you've been spoiled by Apple's vast offering, you'd be a bit disappointed with the more limited selection for WebOS.
Overall, the TouchPad is a very impressive device that perhaps could have given the iPad a run for its money at a more reasonable price point. It's more than worth what I paid for it ($149/32 Gb), and I'm sure I'll get a great deal of use from it. It's sad to think that HP has killed it, hopefully some of the rumors are true that it might be resurrected. If you get a chance to buy one, it's definitely worth considering.
First of all, it's hard not to compare it to an iPad in your mind. They're pretty much the same size with the same size screen, although the TouchPad feels a tad bit heavier in my hands.
Keep in mind that the TouchPad is truly a post-PC device; at no point do you need to connect it to a computer for setup, syncing, etc., although you CAN connect it to transfer media if you like. Setup, synchronization, etc. are all done through-the-air.
The first thing I noticed is the interface - a menu bar of sorts stays open at the top of the screen regardless of which app is open, and this menu bar rotates as you rotate the device to stay at the top of what you're viewing. This menu bar has options for the open program, as well as a Wi-Fi icon, the time, the notifications area (more on that in a moment), etc. It's very OS X-like, but even less intrusive.
Interacting with the device is very pleasant - touching the screen gives a visual "ripple" effect, similar to what you'd see if you touched an LCD screen, and it shows you exactly where you "clicked" on the screen. It sounds much more intrusive than it is; I actually find it quite useful.
The soft keyboard is nothing short of excellent. No need to shift to enter numbers or common punctuation, and letters on the keyboard itself display as lower- or upper-case, depending on whether the shift button has been tapped.
Performance is very good - apps open quickly, there doesn't appear to be any lag anywhere that I've been able to find. The sound is pretty decent - the thing has stereo speakers in landscape orientation. This would be fantastic for watching a movie.
Multitasking is excellent, and in my opinion much better implemented than in iOS. You can view open apps on the desktop screen as "cards," rearrange them, group them, select them, etc. To close an app, simply slide it off the top of the desktop. Overall, it's very nicely done and easy to use, and switching between open apps is very easy. It's also very easy to see what each open app is doing; you can view each app's screen on a card, rather than simply seeing icons for each open app.
The notification system is very nice to use. In the menu bar a series of icons will appear if you have an email, Twitter mention, etc. If the device is off, a small popup will appear on the screen to inform you of a new message or whatever.
I haven't been able to evaluate the battery life yet. In fact, I don't even think I've fully charged it yet (I started to play with the thing as soon as I got it out of the box).
You might have guessed, since I'm comparing this to an iPad (believe me, if you've handled both the comparison is inescapable), there are some ways in which the TouchPad doesn't quite measure up.
The image quality of the front-facing camera leaves a bit to be desired. There are no native apps for using the camera for anything other than video chat (third-party apps do exist), so perhaps the so-so quality of the camera can be excused...somewhat. It's clearly meant to be used for chatting, not for taking pictures; use your phone or your webcam if you really need a photo.
Text editing has a few idiosyncrasies that I'm not fond of - positioning the cursor is not nearly as easy as it is on an iOS device, since your finger covers up the position of the cursor as you're trying to place it (for example, between two letters). In iOS, the cursor and word(s) you're selecting appear above your finger for easy positioning. HP could have taken a lesson from Apple here.
This may sound like a whimsical gripe, but I'm really fond of iOS' double-space-to-period shortcut. WebOS doesn't have this, that I've found, and I already miss it.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, are the applications themselves. The App Store from Apple has an incredibly robust selection of software for iOS devices. The number of apps available for WebOS is by no means small, but it's not up to the standard set by Apple. The apps themselves seem to be well-written and easy to find, but if you've been spoiled by Apple's vast offering, you'd be a bit disappointed with the more limited selection for WebOS.
Overall, the TouchPad is a very impressive device that perhaps could have given the iPad a run for its money at a more reasonable price point. It's more than worth what I paid for it ($149/32 Gb), and I'm sure I'll get a great deal of use from it. It's sad to think that HP has killed it, hopefully some of the rumors are true that it might be resurrected. If you get a chance to buy one, it's definitely worth considering.
Very nice review! I'm glad to hear that you like it, the demo unit I saw in the store was fun to play around with, but I wasn't able to fully experience it. 
I hope to receive mine soon. I plan to load up old photos and home video clips for my Grandmother on it. It would be a nice surprise for her. She has an old iBook now but I think eMail and Web Browsing would be easier on this, and easier to learn.
Have you tried loading a QuickTime movie (a movie trailer would do) on the TouchPad? I'm curious what codecs/file types it supports. Although I'm sure it should support at least a basic QuickTime H.265 or MPEG-4 video. (At least I hope!)
I hope to receive mine soon. I plan to load up old photos and home video clips for my Grandmother on it. It would be a nice surprise for her. She has an old iBook now but I think eMail and Web Browsing would be easier on this, and easier to learn.Have you tried loading a QuickTime movie (a movie trailer would do) on the TouchPad? I'm curious what codecs/file types it supports. Although I'm sure it should support at least a basic QuickTime H.265 or MPEG-4 video. (At least I hope!)
Very nice review! I'm glad to hear that you like it, the demo unit I saw in the store was fun to play around with, but I wasn't able to fully experience it.
Have you tried loading a QuickTime movie (a movie trailer would do) on the TouchPad? I'm curious what codecs/file types it supports. Although I'm sure it should support at least a basic QuickTime H.265 or MPEG-4 video. (At least I hope!)
Photos are interesting - you have the option of linking the Photos app with your Facebook, Photobucket, Picasa, or other accounts. You can also simply copy them over via USB. Other online services are automatically kept synchronized through Wi-Fi.
I haven't put any movies on it yet, but I've read that it does support MPEG-4 video without DRM. Not so sure about Quicktime .mov's. But one of the main reasons I bought it was to put movies on it, so I may end up writing a bit of a HOWTO on that once I delve deeper into it.
Have you tried loading a QuickTime movie (a movie trailer would do) on the TouchPad? I'm curious what codecs/file types it supports. Although I'm sure it should support at least a basic QuickTime H.265 or MPEG-4 video. (At least I hope!)
I copied a music video, downloaded from iTunes, onto mine and it plays perfectly. I've also tried an HD video and although it shows up, it won't play
I charged it at about 3 pm on Wednesday (when I got it). I played with it that night, took it to work on Thursday and my coworkers had a go with it, and I've been using it today (Friday) too. It's almost 7 pm, so 52 hours all up, and the battery level is at 41%.
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A few more items of note:
The web browser is excellent - much better than Mobile Safari, IMO. Bookmarks are easy to use and manage, with icons included (that sounds like small potatoes, but it's a nice touch). And its ability to use multiple instances as "cards" makes browsing open tabs (I'm used to calling them that) a breeze, since you can arrange them however you like on the desktop (again, don't know what else to call it).
I ran across a known issue with sound - it just plain stopped working on me. The only thing that fixed it was a reboot. I haven't encountered it since, but I found some user forums that discuss the issue to the extent that I believe it's widespread. Sounds like the proper fix is a software update. Minor annoyance.
The "Just Type" feature is really cool - it's a "search bar" of sorts that's always on the desktop, and it works like it says. You type something in, then you have the option of searching for it (either on your device or any search engine), sending it as an email, SMS (if you have it connected to a phone via Bluetooth), tweet, Facebook status, etc. You can add just about anything to the list of services to use Just Type with, including selecting search engines (in case your preference isn't Google, you can add Wikipedia, IMDB, or whatever).
The web browser is excellent - much better than Mobile Safari, IMO. Bookmarks are easy to use and manage, with icons included (that sounds like small potatoes, but it's a nice touch). And its ability to use multiple instances as "cards" makes browsing open tabs (I'm used to calling them that) a breeze, since you can arrange them however you like on the desktop (again, don't know what else to call it).
I ran across a known issue with sound - it just plain stopped working on me. The only thing that fixed it was a reboot. I haven't encountered it since, but I found some user forums that discuss the issue to the extent that I believe it's widespread. Sounds like the proper fix is a software update. Minor annoyance.
The "Just Type" feature is really cool - it's a "search bar" of sorts that's always on the desktop, and it works like it says. You type something in, then you have the option of searching for it (either on your device or any search engine), sending it as an email, SMS (if you have it connected to a phone via Bluetooth), tweet, Facebook status, etc. You can add just about anything to the list of services to use Just Type with, including selecting search engines (in case your preference isn't Google, you can add Wikipedia, IMDB, or whatever).
Have you run into an issue where it'll randomly pop up with "network login required"? When I tap the notification icon, it just takes me to HP's Website. It's happened twice now and in both cases I wasn't touching it when it happened.
I have- but that was because I was connecting to my University's WiFi for the first time. Never again after that.
I was already connected both times that it happened (two different networks). I should point out that it didn't ask for a username or password, just took me to HP's site.
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A failed, dead-end device with no support and massive app-lack.
Tell me again why I should "even try using" this white elephant. What is there to see. Probably the same stuff that got it yanked after 50 days.
Moving right along . . . .
I've only ever tried to connect to my home network, and it has never disconnected. I'll keep an eye out when I leave home with it.
Failed would mean it doesn't work at all. But given the many positive reviews here I find hard to believe it's a failed device. Dead-end? Who knows, hell HP is making a second run of TouchPads. I hardly think that makes it dead-end.
Lacking loads of apps? Sure, but the ones there give you enough usability and value that here isn't the need for 40,000+ apps. Oh by the way, I found ever app I needed is there so this is a non issue for me.
Is it really that good? I have one unopened on my bed right now and i'm unsure whether to keep or sell it (impulse purchase). I didn't get it at a firesale price but i did get it significantly discounted.
I keep thinking i'll be buying an iPad 3 in a few months anyway so why waste money. I dunno...
I keep thinking i'll be buying an iPad 3 in a few months anyway so why waste money. I dunno...
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I want one...but nobody in my area has any!!
I must've driven to 5-6 stores the other day trying to hunt one down.
I must've driven to 5-6 stores the other day trying to hunt one down.
They probably already payed for the components and the upfront labor to keep the costs down. Better to recoupe some of your loss than eat all of it.
Since they are going to continue licensing the OS, the best you can hope for is that someone steps up and produces a tablet to keep the software updates coming.
What a shame, it had so much promise. Someone needed to keep Apple on their toes, otherwise they move back into the old feature creep mentality of 1 new goodie every year.
I finally sat down, installed Preware and made the TouchPad "fast" yesterday, downloaded a few free apps from the catalog and browsed the web on the couch using it.
My findings : Tablets in general are uncomfortable. I never quite found a comfortable way to sit with it in my hands, always either having to strain my arms holding it up to my face or bend my neck down to look at it sitting on my knees. Typing is a pain on the touch screen without haptic feedback. All in all, my MBA is a much superior couch surfer.
But that isn't a slur against the TouchPad. As a tablet, especially a 150$ one (though more like 190$, I bought the slab charging thingy, makes for a nice photo frame that's easily picked up to make an Internet tablet) it is a great device. Obviously, I would never pay 500$ for an iPad, I just don't like the form factor at all, much preferring laptops.
My findings : Tablets in general are uncomfortable. I never quite found a comfortable way to sit with it in my hands, always either having to strain my arms holding it up to my face or bend my neck down to look at it sitting on my knees. Typing is a pain on the touch screen without haptic feedback. All in all, my MBA is a much superior couch surfer.
But that isn't a slur against the TouchPad. As a tablet, especially a 150$ one (though more like 190$, I bought the slab charging thingy, makes for a nice photo frame that's easily picked up to make an Internet tablet) it is a great device. Obviously, I would never pay 500$ for an iPad, I just don't like the form factor at all, much preferring laptops.
I have tried using mine but I keep going back to my iPad. I cant live without a nice tabbed browser. I am using iChromy on iPad. Will see how Android is on the Touchpad.
I didn't read the thread but-what's the point? No more support or updates-are there even anything more than a handful of apps available for it?
HP is continuing software development and moving forward with webOS. They are just discontinuing the hardware itself.