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HP TouchPad gets webOS update

By | October 18, 2011, 7:08am PDT

Summary: HP released an update for webOS for the TouchPad today, available OTA. The update has all of the expected performance improvements, along with the ability to use the TouchPad with non-HP phones.

My favorite tablet got even better today as HP released webOS 3.0.4 that adds some nice new features. According to Ari Jaaksi (on his blog), the head of webOS and services at HP, the update adds a new camera app, and an intriguing feature that makes “connectivity with non-HP phones possible”.

I have been trying to download the update for a little while but it seems HP’s servers might be slammed with all of those TouchPad owners trying to get the new stuff. I will report on the new version once I get to try it first-hand, but meanwhile Ari’s description sets the stage:

We improved performance, added better support for the camera, made connectivity with non-HP phones possible, improved messaging, touched the UI in many places, etc. Also, we’ve got over 1000 applications available for TouchPad through Application Catalogue.

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Topics

Hewlett-Packard Co., HP TouchPad, WebOS, Mobile Operating Systems, James Kendrick

James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long.

Disclosure

James Kendrick

James Kendrick has no affiliations or relationships that need to be disclosed.

Biography

James Kendrick

James Kendrick has been using mobile devices since they weighed 30 pounds, and has been sharing his insights on mobile technology for almost that long. Prior to joining ZDNet, James was the Founding Editor of jkOnTheRun, a CNET Top 100 Tech Blog that was acquired by GigaOM in 2008 and is now part of that prestigious tech network. James' writing has appeared in many print publications: Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine, Information Week and Laptop Magazine to name a few. James' coverage of the mobile technology sector has regularly appeared in the New York Times, Salon.com and CNN/ Fortune online. Not just a writer, James has filmed numerous video reviews and how-tos that have garnered well over a million viewers. He has appeared on local news segments and been interviewed by the Associated Press on mobile technology topics. Additionally, James has been podcasting about mobile technology for years.

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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
nevertells@... 19th Oct
@kingcobra23, do not install Cyanogenmnod7 until after you install the 3.0.4 update of WebOS. The update breaks the Cyanogenmnod7 install.
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
Bauce 18th Oct
Wow, glad to see they're still updating the Touchpad, I love my Touchpad, love to see the updates, just hoping developers keep bringing new apps!
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
SlyOS 18th Oct
HP should continu updating webos as selling the touchpad at 99$. You can still install android4 in a short time

Posted from a Virtual Private Desktop "VPU"
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
flannery 18th Oct
I'm downloading the update now on the East coast (CT).
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
chapelhillice 18th Oct
James, thanks for continuing to blog on the Touchpad.
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
mdgoler 18th Oct
I'm downloading it now from the north coast (Ohio). Looking forward to installing it and seeing improved performance. The biggest thing for me would be snappier opening of programs - annoyingly long lag time after tapping an icon.

Also, any word when Hulu will be accessible again to webOS?
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
umamigo Updated - 18th Oct
Thanks for the update James! I can't wait to see what's new.

UPDATE: I just finished installing the update. This thing is very, very fast!!! The Box.Net app and QuickOffice are noticeably quicker. PDF reader also loads much faster. The browser seems to be 2x as fast too.
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
zzmfyx 18th Oct
How long did the download take?
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WebOs
somereader 18th Oct
Google succeeded in building a system around a Linux kernel for consumer, not professional, use. Many did try the same later, and I think in the end some may be successful. But in the short term, the market is already fully populated.

With Chrome OS Google had an other good idea. Other systems build around the Linux kernel, like WebOs, should perhaps better have a look at that second idea, where the market is not yet populated with Linux based system, and there may be also more room for improvement.
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
boomchuck1 18th Oct
Cool! I just got my Touchpad last week, did the bit to shut down most of the logging, and have been pretty pleased with how fast it does run. I'm really happy with the device, but a OS update and more features is a real bonus! Glad to see that while the product line may be dead that HP hasn't completely orphaned the TP.
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
kingcobra23 18th Oct
Anybody installed this who is running Cyanogenmod dual boot?
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
nevertells@... 19th Oct
@kingcobra23, do not install Cyanogenmnod7 until after you install the 3.0.4 update of WebOS. The update breaks the Cyanogenmnod7 install.
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RE: HP TouchPad gets webOS update
Lagoon Power 18th Oct
Thanks for the continued coverage James. I got hint of the update early today and downloaded before the servers got jammed. It is a serious update so it takes time to download and install. The camera and video work great, the Outlook Exchange Server install is a cinch as well. For me Touchpad is the tablet to beat. I have played with iPad1 and 2; none of them come close to the Touchpad as far as my needs are concerned. Awesome Touchpad support HP!
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Look out for the Touch Pad Update
nevertells@... 19th Oct
Be forewarned, WebOS update 3.0.4 will delete all your Preware patches that you installed, so all those little tweaks that you searched for so hard will no longer work. They will still show up as installed in Preware, but notice that each one has a X beside it. You will also notice that if you installed UberKernal to bump your TP to 1.5 Ghz from 1.1 Ghz, UberKernal is gone and you are back to 1.1 Ghz. What no one seems to know is exactly what this update does for TP users.

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