The HP Zeen: that’s the slightly alien named slapped on the latest tablet rumoured to be on the cards from the PC and printer making powerhouse. The word is it’s not packing Windows 7 like the enterprise-bound HP Slate or one of the first webOS tablets but an Android tablet paired with a printer called Zeus. Will this Olympian effort a godly offering or a mortal error?
The HP Zeen was spotted in a batch of FCC filings and great fistfuls of rumours have followed the documents, painting a picture of the Android tablet. The unusual offering is said to have e-reader smarts and will come paired with the HP Zeus printer which will connect directly to it without any need for a computer.
Rumoured specs for the HP Zeen promise Android 2.1 (though that may be kicked up to Android 2.2 Froyo by the time it launches) with capacitive touch buttons, an SD card slot and a built-in camera. The e-reader app will reportedly sport Nook integration which could suggest we won’t see the HP Zeen in the UK.
The HP Zeen will apparently arrive in two bundles – one with the Zeus printer, the other as a standalone tablet. The HP Zeus printer is said to have its own basic controls but a fuller interface when paired with the Zeen.
The extensive nature of the HP Zeen rumours suggest the Android tablet was in the works before the HP Palm deal was completed. We’ve seen other Android devices from HP like the HP Compaq Airline 100 netbook so we know it’s not afraid to play with the Google OS.
The HP Zeen definitely sounds intriguing. Pairing a tablet with a dedicated printer opens up the option to quickly print documents and photos without having to fling the files to your computer first. That’s not all really possible with current options like the iPad or the Dell Streak.
Do you like the sound of the HP Zeen? We definitely dig the sci-fi name but wonder whether HP will be able to deliver an attractive device to go with it.
Out TBC | £TBC | HP (via Engadget) ?
