By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
HP reached out to potential webOS developers in Toronto yesterday and showed off the new HP TouchPad tablet as well as outlined the benefits of creating apps for webOS. The HP Connect Event held at the Spoke Club in downtown Toronto was well attended with eager programmers wanting to know more about the paltform and its benefits.
HP had a bunch of TouchPad demo units circling the event and anyone who was patient enough had a chance to spend time with the tablet. Some of the new advertisements for the TouchPad, part of a large awareness campaign starting soon, were also revelealed for the first time. Developers got to hear from some of the developers working on webOS and what their challenenges and benefits porting their apps from other mobile platforms. Former PalmOS developers and early webOS developers will be rewarded for their loyalty with discounts on the hardware.
The most important news we gathered from the event is that HP is serious in generating interest for webOS and the TouchPad and will flex its retail, marketing and distribution muscle to make sure the devices find their place in the market. We also foresee a future where webOS will ship on every HP computer (tablet or otherwise) and seeing how their recent focus on touch-enabled desktops is taking off, that makes complete sense.
The HP TouchPad launches in the US on July 1. It comes to Canada on July 15th.