Report: HP To Unveil PalmPad At CES

HP is to introduce a tablet running Palm’s WebOS operating system at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) the week of 6 January in Las Vegas, according to documents seen by Fox News.

HP’s PalmPad, a spin-off of the cancelled HP Slate device, will come in four versions and has hardware specifications that closely mirror Apple’s iPad, according to Fox.

Thinner than the iPad

Three of the models will be on show at CES, set for release in March, with another aimed at university students to be released in time for the autumn 2011 term, Fox reported.

The three mainstream devices each have slightly different hardware specifications, and will run on Sprint’s 4G network in the US, Fox said.

The devices will include front- and rear-facing cameras, at 1.3 megapixel and 3 megapixel resolutions, both with LED flashes. The PalmPad is slightly thinner than the iPad and will weigh 1.25 pounds, Fox said.

The consumer devices are likely to have a screen close to the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen, with the university version sporting an 8.9-inch screen, Fox reported.

It will use a ‘multi-switch’ along the lines of that used in the the Palm Pre and will use a USB 3.0 port and a mini HDMI port for video output, according to Fox.

Apple is reportedly planning on releasing three different versions of its next generation iPad, according to Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes.

The claims come on the heels of a report published earlier this week in the publication, which quoted unnamed Apple iPhone suppliers saying Apple had raised first quarter 2011 iPhone shipments.

The iPads will support a combination of WiFi, UMTS and CDMA functionalities according to the report, with “mass production” beginning in January.