Thursday, August 4, 2011

Initial impressions on the HP TouchPad

I received an HP TouchPad the other day so that I could review the unit. I've only had the device for a day, but here are my initial impressions:

Beautifully made, the TouchPad has dimensions that are very close to the Apple iPad. The device charges my microUSB, so that makes things very convenient. The build is excellent, the buttons are easy to press, and the speakers and nice and loud. HP webOS is responsive and the dual-core processor makes multitasking a breeze. The user interface is simple, intuitive, and easy to learn. I don't think you'll have any trouble figuring out how to use a device running webOS.

The biggest drawback at this point is the fact that you simply won't find many medical apps in the HP App Catalog. Those that you find are currently optimized for a smaller screen like the Pre. You'll have a similar app experience if you run an iPhone app on the large screen of an iPad. In the HP App Catalog, apps that are developed for the larger screen of the TouchPad say "For TouchPad" above the green app button that you would tap to purchase or download the app.



Currently, the HP App Catalog has categories like "Business, Education, Health & Fitness, Reference, and several others." There is no "Medical" category at this time.

If you're looking for popular apps like Epocrates or Medscape, you won't find them for devices running HP webOS. However, you will find Lexicomp for webOS.

As I continue to test the HP TouchPad, I'll be sure to post some photos as I compare this tablet with some of my other devices.

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