It looks like pretty much everyone is entering the tablet market big time; well maybe reentering is the right word to use for the HP Zeen. This tablet has been spotted in China, all revamped and ready to ship. You may have seen some pictures of the Zeen earlier on the net, but this one is as close as you will get to final product before it releases.
This tablet will ship with the PhotoSmart eStation C510 printer system and it also has a seven inch screen. Though this is basically an Android device, the stock Android home-screen has been sacrificed for the sake of the TouchSmart user interface, owned by HP.
From the earlier predictions made by Engadget, there is no Gmail app or any way to access the Android Market. Wonder how you are meant to get apps for the device! However, apart from being a little iPadish, it must be said that the tablet has advanced integration with Yahoo services such as Mail and Messenger. There is also an inbuilt email client, probably HP’s handiwork.
You get a preloaded Facebook app and as the leaked image shows, apps for 60 Minutes, MSNBC and DreamWorks. So you can expect to play streaming video on this tablet.
Then there is the Barnes & Noble logo on the screen, which means that this device may be compatible with the Nook e-reader. The presence of coupon and printing apps point to the various printer functions that you will be able to access via this device.
It has also been reported that the software on HP Zeen C510 is better than ever before and the touch screen too, has been improved. This device is expected to be available later this month, but not without a printer. The package of the Zeen and the Zeus printer will cost you around $399. Might be worth a buy when it finally comes out?
