Hewlett-Packard Reportedly Plans $99 Media Tablet for Back-to-School Season

From X-bit Labs: Being unable to offer a device that would be truly competitive against Apple iPad or iPad mini, Hewlett Packard reportedly readies a plan that once already worked out. The firm plans to sell ultra-low-cost tablets.

Few people remember these days, but Hewlett-Packard managed to become a significant player on the market of media tablet some two years ago. Back then, the company started sale of its ill-fated TouchPad media tablets for just $99. Despite of the fact that the device came on a nearly dead operating system, the demand was overwhelming. Apparently, the company wants to perform the same action this back-to-school season, but only this time the tablets will be based on evolving Google Android operating system.

The $99 media tablet from Hewlett-Packard will use 7” display and will be based on a single-core Intel Atom “Medfield” application processor. The slate is projected to be made by China-based contract maker BYD, reports DigiTimes web-site. The product will be sold primarily in Wal-Mart.

Many leading PC makers, including Acer Group and Asustek Computer this year launched inexpensive – in the $129 - $199 price range – media tablets running Google Android operating systems after their more expensive products failed to gain massive popularity and take away market share from Apple’s iPad. Since in the recent quarters market share of the iPads has been decreasing under the pressure of more affordable products, launching a low-cost consumer tablet in addition to HP Slate7 (which retails for $169) seems to be a right decision of HP.

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