HP's TouchPad tablet with Wi-Fi coming July 1

Computerworld - The HP TouchPad tablet running WebOS will be available in the U.S. on July 1, starting at $499.99 for a 16 GB, Wi-Fi version, HP said today.

AT&T will also sell a cellular wireless version of the tablet "later this summer," HP said in a statement. No details on pricing for the AT&T version were announced.

The Wi-Fi version will also include a 32 GB model for $599.99. Retailers will include Best Buy, Staples and others.

HP said the Wi-Fi version will be available in the U.K., Ireland, France and Germany a few days after going on sale in the U.S., and in Canada in mid-July. Sales in Italy, Spain, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore will "follow later this year," HP said.

The TouchPad's display measures 9.7-inches, the same as the iPad, the clear market leader in a crowded field of tablets. HP said in February that the WebOS will set its tablet apart, including its tight integration with other products running WebOS, including its phones, printers and eventually PCs. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9208859/HP_launches_first_run_at_the_tablet_market

Optional accessories sold separately for the TouchPad include a Touchstone charge dock, a wireless keyboard and a case.

In a statement, Jon Rubinstein, general manager of the Palm unit at HP, which is behind the WebOS, called the new tablet "only the beginning of what HP's scale can do with WebOS."

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