Hackers trying to port Android and Linux into Touchpad

While the company is discontinuing WebOS hardware including Smartphone’s and the recently launched HP touchpad tablet, as HP has reported but still the webOS operating system will continue. And HP is searching for a partner to license the software for use on other products so that the users get some software updates for existing webOS devices.

The HP TouchPad tablet with a reduced price of $99 is really a pretty good deal. It has a 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core processor, a 9.7 inch, and 1024 x 768 pixel capacitive touch screen display.  And even if you can surf the web, watch videos and read eBooks it’s quite a good deal for this much of price though the web webOS doesn’t provide much until now.

Right now there’s no good way to replace the webOS on the HP touchpad but there may be soon. As several teams of developers has announced plans to port Google Android to the HP touchpad. And even the hackers are already playing around with early versions of Ubunto Linux on the tablet.

While official updates like the Ubunto or Google android for the tab may take some more time. If either project seriously takes off, there will probably be hundreds of independent developers and users working with the software and forming an unofficial support group. More importantly, while there are only a few hundred tablets apps for the HP TouchPad running webOS, there’s already a much wider selection of third party apps for Ubuntu and Android. Installing an alternate operating system could be a way to breathe new life into the tablet.

Android

A skilled developer’s team already plans to first try to get a version of Android based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) up and running on the HP touchpad. If that works, they will next try to port CyanogenMod.

Though the early build will be based on Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but eventually they will shift to Google Android 3.x Honeycomb. Or it may skip it to Ice cream sandwich the upcoming version of Google’s Android platform for Smartphone’s and Tablets. While Google hasn’t released the source code for Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich source code is expected to be made available.

Linux

Till now getting Linux Ubunto up and running won’t be a better idea for a beginner. Some areas are still rough around the edges. But users report that this method will allow you to install Ubuntu as well as a number of apps including web browsers, office software, bit torrent clients, and graphical user environments.

 The on-screen keyboard is also currently having some problem as on connecting an external one via Bluetooth does not make it disappear. Developers are working to fix it though.

So no need to get scared to go for the affordable HP touchpad as the future is already planned till now and won’t be longer to help you for its support.

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