HP Considers Tablets With Windows 8

"We already make a Windows 7-based tablet, the HP Slate 500, so you could probably guess we'll continue to work with them", said Marlene Somsak, a spokesperson for HP's Personal Systems Group. HP has reportedly been working with Microsoft for some time on a Windows 8 tablet, even before the TouchPad came out.

The Slate is a commercial product for the health care, financial and hospitality industries, and Somsak didn't give any indication if a new Windows 8 tablet would be for commercial or consumer use.

HP's last commercial tablet attempt was the TouchPad, which was discontinued and sold at bargain-basement prices less than two months after it was released in July. The TouchPad was powered by WebOS, a system that did not meet with public enthusiasm and has since been stopped.

The TouchPad was only one of HP's problems over the past year. The company experienced a management shakeup recently after former CEO Leo Apotheker was ousted after a year of declining profits, being replaced by new CEO Meg Whitman.

If Whitman can bring HP's fortunes back through a popular new device, such as a Windows 8 tablet, she may return the once-powerful computer giant to a more prominent market role.

However, the new tablet may have to meet some challenges if it is to compete in a consumer market against Apple's iPad 2 or the Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablets. The TouchPad didn't have the selection of apps that Apple and Android tabs offer, and if the Windows 8 tab also lacks apps, consumers might also reject it.

A new Windows tablet may prove popular, though, by attracting customers who have become familiar with Microsoft programming over the years and who would appreciate a more familiar OS on their handheld devices. Windows 8 also promises to tightly integrate mobile and desktop devices, which may appeal to consumers and developers alike.

HP's new tablet may also face competition from Dell, which is also reportedly working on its own Window 8 tablet line. Other competitors, such as Acer and Asus are planning to keep using Android in their tablets, according to DigiTimes.

HP's plans to develop Windows 8 tablets may be an indication that the company plans to stick with hardware for some time, even after considering a spinoff of its once-profitable personal computer division.