HP TouchPad vs. Apple iPad tablet showdown

How HP’s new WebOS-based tablet stacks up vs. the market leading iPad

How does HP's newly announced webOS-based TouchPad stack up against the market creator, Apple's iOS-based iPad?

To begin to find out, we take a look at how the technical specs for both devices compare, starting from the outside and working our way inside. And the relative value of their feature sets will depend in part on the TouchPad's price, which HP has not yet disclosed. (Then there's also the matter of an Apple iPad 2 reportedly being around the corner…not to mention a possible iPad 3) 

DIMENSIONS

Network World - How does HP's newly announced webOS-based TouchPad stack up against the market creator, Apple's iOS-based iPad?

To begin to find out, we take a look at how the technical specs for both devices compare, starting from the outside and working our way inside. And the relative value of their feature sets will depend in part on the TouchPad's price, which HP has not yet disclosed. (Then there's also the matter of an Apple iPad 2 reportedly being around the corner…not to mention a possible iPad 3) 

DIMENSIONS

TouchPad: 9.45 inches wide, 7.48 inches tall, 0.54 inches thick; weight: about 1.6 pounds.

iPad: 9.45 inches wide, 7.48 inches tall, 0.54 inches thick; weight: about 1.6 pounds (with Wi-Fi and 3G radios)

If the dimensions work for the market leader, why change them?

DISPLAY

TouchPad: 9.7-inch XGA capacitive, multi-touch screen with a vibrant 18-bit color, 1024x768 resolution display

iPad: 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen multi-touch display with IPS technology; 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)

The specs alone can't get at the quality of the display for the end user. Apple may have an edge here, because of its history of display innovation for its mobile products. For example, In-Plane Switching (IPS) is an LCD technology that gives the iPad a wide viewing-angle, up to 178 degrees.

KEYBOARD

TouchPad: virtual keyboard, with optional wireless hardware keyboard

iPad: virtual keyboard, with optional iPad Keyboard Dock, which combines a full-size keyboard with an iPad charging dock.

Apple bet big that the iPhone and iPod touch had made virtual keyboards viable for users of the tablet form factor. TouchPad's approach suggests HP thinks the same.

CAMERA

Touchpad: Digital camera, front-facing 1.3-megapixel webcam for live video calling

iPad: none

Whether the lack of an iPad camera is a problem depends perhaps on whether you want to use a tablet as a camera. There is speculation that iPad 2 will add a camera, in part to support Apple's FaceTime video calling.

WIRELESS NETWORKING

TouchPad: initially only Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication; Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth; HP will eventually add 3G and 4G support.

iPad: the Wi-Fi only model has Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, and Bluetooth Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR ; the 3G model adds support for data-only 3G: multiband UMTS/HSDPA and GSM/EDGE.

SENSORS

TouchPad: light sensor, accelerometer, compass (magnetometer), and gyroscope

iPad: ambient light sensor, accelerometer

PROCESSOR AND INTERNAL STORAGE

TouchPad: Qualcomm 1.2GHz Snapdragon APQ8060 dual-core CPU; 16GB or 32GB storage

iPad: Apple's custom 1GHz A4 processor; 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive

The dual-core Qualcomm chip may give TouchPad a performance edge, though Apple's custom A4 wowed reviewers with its speed when the iPad was unveiled. A year later, it's still not too shabby. The iPad 2 is expected to have an upgraded processor, though opinion is divided over whether it will be dual-core.