Hewlett-Packard Co announced the launch of a $169 tablet powered by the
Android operating system, a centerpiece of the company's effort to
expand in mobile devices and reduce its dependence on the shrinking
personal computer market.
The launch of the Slate 7 marks HP's latest
foray into the consumer tablet market. It follows the 2011 failure of
its WebOS-based TouchPad, which the company stopped selling after just
seven weeks, citing poor demand.
Powered by Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Slate 7 offers Google Inc services including search functions, YouTube and Gmail, as well as Beats Audio for improved sound, HP said.
The
13-ounce device also includes access to apps and digital content
through Google Play, and cameras on both sides of the 7-inch screen.
HP
said it expects U.S. sales of the Slate 7 to begin in April, and said
the product offer a "compelling entry point" for people looking to buy
tablets.
Google's Nexus 7 tablet costs $199, as does Amazon.com Inc's Kindle Fire HD.
HP
also makes the ElitePad tablet for businesses, which is powered by
Microsoft Corp's Windows 8. WebOS had been developed by Palm Inc, which
HP bought in 2010.
The Slate7 is part of a multi-year plan by HP Chief Executive Meg Whitman to turn around the Silicon Valley icon.
HP
in recent years has struggled with costly acquisitions, management
turnover, governance issues, and falling sales and margins from PCs,
where the Palo Alto, California-based company still has the largest U.S.
market share.
Shares of HP closed Friday 12.3 percent higher at
$19.20 on the New York Stock Exchange, a day after HP reported quarterly
results and an outlook that exceeded analysts' forecasts.
The company's market value has nevertheless dropped by nearly two-thirds since April 2010.
HP
announced the Slate 7 on the eve of the Mobile World Congress, a
wireless industry trade show taking place this week in Barcelona, Spain.
© Thomson Reuters 2013
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