HP to make $209 Android tablet, eschewing Windows

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Hewlett-Packard is making a tablet computer that uses Google's Android operating system, steering clear of Microsoft's latest tablet-oriented version of Windows, the company said on Sunday.

The HP Slate 7 will have a 7-inch screen, making it similar in size to the Amazon Kindle Fire. It will cost US$169 (S$209) when it goes on sale in April in the United States.

Most tablet makers, including Samsung and Amazon, have chosen Android as the best and cheapest operating system for products that can compete against Apple's iPad. HP previously made a tablet based on Palm's WebOS software, but the effort fizzled. The company also makes a more powerful tablet with PC-type components for the corporate market, which runs a PC-style version of Windows 8. It has not produced a tablet using Windows RT, Microsoft's product for iPad-type tablets.

"When we looked at creating a real killer product for consumers, a very portable, very entertainment-focused device, we thought that Android was the better choice," said Mr Alberto Torres, who signed on as head of HP's mobile devices division five months ago. Previously, he worked for cellphone maker Nokia. "Of course, we continue to work closely with Microsoft on other products as well."