Analyzing the PalmPad Rumors

HP is rumored to be revealing its competitor to Apple’s iPad, the PalmPad, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next month. Do the rumors match up with reality, though?
The rumors of the PalmPad’s impending release derive from a story by Fox News’ Clayton Morris, who claims to have obtained the spec sheets for an HP tablet device running webOS. It looks identical to the HP Slate 500, which launched earlier this year. In fact, Morris claims that the PalmPad’s hardware is “a spin-off” of the HP Slate.
The device will reportedly run webOS 2.5.1, run on Sprint’s 4G network, contain a mini-HDMI port and a USB 3.0 port, and features front and rear-facing cameras identical to the Slate. There will be three versions of the device, including 8.9-inch and a 9.7-inch versions.

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Does the PalmPad Pass the Smell Test?

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While we know that HP is releasing a WebOS-based tablet sometime in 2011, but we have our doubts that it would be unveiled at CES. We also have our doubts that it would share a nearly-identical form factor to the HP Slate, a device that’s already on the market.
Here’s the first issue we have with the rumor: CES is less than a month away. Typically schedules for press conferences and briefings are done well in advance; we’ve been dealing with the CES e-mail flood since October. Unless HP really wanted to de-emphasize the launch of its webOS tablet, it would almost certainly hold a press conference. The technology media would flock to it like insects to a bug zapper.
There’s also a lot of noise at CES. So many companies launch so many products at the January show that it’s easy to get drowned out. HP can just call a press conference in San Francisco and, again, the tech press will come. However, given HP and Palm’s high profile, a CES press conference could also turn out to be one of the show’s big hits, which would benefit the PalmPad. Still, unless Palm is going to make a super surprise unveiling or is just forgoing the press conference altogether, CES seems unlikely.
The other issue we have with the rumor is the use of the HP Slate’s hardware for the PalmPad. Using identical hardware configuration doesn’t add up. It would create market confusion and the HP Slate is built for Windows () 7, not webOS.
We don’t doubt the PalmPad is coming, and we don’t doubt that the hardware for it derives from the HP Slate — that makes sense. We just believe there probably have been more changes to the hardware than the Fox News specs show. Our bet is that those specs are outdated.
We’re excited for the eventual launch of the PalmPad. It’s reasonable to question whether it will make its debut at CES next month, though. We hope Fox News is right though; we really want to hold a webOS tablet in our hands.
Photograph of the HP Slate 500http://mashable.com/2010/12/21/palmpad/

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