If the official blog of Fox News Channel anchor Clayton Morris is correct, HP is testing out Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system on some ...interesting hardware.
Morris writes, "Sources at HP tell me the hardware team has been busy doing proof of concept work testing Windows 8 Preview Edition on the fire sale devices. Internally there's been discussion about reviving the defunct tablets or building new devices with Windows 8 in mind."
Hearing that HP is testing Windows 8 on the defunct WebOS-based tablet isn't that much of a surprise. After all, it takes time to create an all new hardware prototype combined with a new operating system. The TouchPads are already available so why not use them to test some concepts using Windows 8's Metro touch screen interface?
What is surprising to hear is that HP might actually revive the TouchPad. The tablet was considered a sales failure when it launched in July. HP announced it was discontinuing production of the tablet in mid-August and sold the remaining units at fire sale price. That's when sales actually took off, enough so that HP said a final production run of the TouchPad will be made and released later this year.
Of course, there's now a new CEO running things at HP, Meg Whitman, and she may see an opportunity to raise the TouchPad from the grave (appropriate since we are close to Halloween). If that actually happens we would be flat out shocked. It's more likely that HP would develop an all new tablet device to run Windows 8.
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