Hewlett-Packard (HP) has said that its tablet computer "TouchPad" will reach to the top of the tablet market, just as its PCs reached the number one spot in the PC market.
The Telegraph reported that at a press conference in Cannes, HP European head Eric Cador claimed that the company’s ambition was to lead the tablet market started by Apple.
Cador said, "In the PC world, with fewer ways of differentiating HP’s products from our competitors, we became number one; in the tablet world we’re going to become better than number one. We call it number one plus."
The HP Touchpad uses the WebOS operating system. There are some concerns about the availability of apps for the tablet. But HP claims that apps that run on the Web can be adapted to run on WebOS.
Last month, HP announced that it will offer app developers early access to the WebOS 3.0 software development kit (SDK) via download for free.
HP said that the WebOS 3.0 SDK gives developers the means to start developing mobile applications for the HP TouchPad, which is likely to be launched this summer, as well as future WebOS devices.
HP announced the TouchPad in February.
At present the tablet market is led by Apple, with Google, Samsung and RIM’s BlackBerry as other players. Intel has also announced its intentions to join the race.
Cador said the company will find a way for its tablet device to reach the top through consumer experience, branding and marketing.
Cador said, "only one company plays in both the consumer and business and world. We tend to talk about technologies. But the way the user is going to look at tablets means it’s about experience. The way the corporate is going to look at it is to say that its employees, who are also consumers, have got to like it and it’s got to be secure. We’re going to deliver that.
Beyond that, it’s about marketing and branding."
