HP kills iPad... um... Killer!

[Touchdown]

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/195335/ipad_killer_we_cant_even_get_an_ipad_challenger.html

HP has conceded the tablet war before it even engaged in battle by terminating the HP Slate project. Since Steve Ballmer unveiled the HP Slate prototype at CES--an attempt to steal the thunder from the impending announcement of the Apple iPad--the Slate has been the poster child and champion for everything the iPad isn't.

HP recently engaged in a pseudo marketing campaign for the Slate--launching videos displaying its apparently formidable capabilities. A leaked HP document exposed a line-by-line comparison of the specs and features of the Slate vs. the iPad. On paper, it appeared to pose a reasonable challenge--especially for users who want or need more complete PC performance.

In retrospect, though, the comparison was not significantly different than what you might expect comparing the iPad against any Windows-based netbook--or at least touchscreen-enabled netbook. The primary difference is that the Slate is a tablet...sort of.

An early review of an HP Slate prototype revealed what many already suspected--the Slate is more like a slow, handicapped PC forced into a flat-panel form factor than a tablet device. Essentially, it is in fact a touchscreen netbook without a keyboard.

Microsoft Courier Cancelled

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Microsoft-Kills-Courier-A-Possible-iPad-Competitor-241324/

Microsoft has killed its long-rumored “Courier” tablet PC project, eliminating a possible rival to Apple’s iPad. Although it never managed to exit the development lab, early photo and video leaks on tech blogs suggested the Courier—at least as a prototype—featured two touch screens that folded on a central hinge, like a book, and was capable of letting users write notes or draw longhand.
“At any given time, across any of our business groups, there are new ideas being investigated, tested and incubated. It’s in Microsoft’s DNA to continually develop and incubate new technologies to foster productivity and creativity,” Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of communications, wrote in a statement widely circulated to media. “The Courier project is an example of this type of effort and its technologies will be evaluated for use in future Microsoft offerings.”

That represents something of an about-face for Microsoft, which for months would only respond to eWEEK’s queries into the Courier project with a curt: “Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculative news stories.”