A peek into the HP TouchPad: webOS 3.0 screenshots

In a world of iPads and Honeycomb tablets, one operating system stands truly unique – you guessed it right, it's webOS. As we're approaching the “summer” release date of the HP TouchPad, folks over at PreCentral have gotten hold of five precious screenshots of webOS 3.0, the tablet-optimized version of the platform.

First and foremost is the wittily called "Browser." You should be already familiar with the on-screen keyboard on webOS 3.0, but nothing is better than a real screenshot confirming a five-row layout, with a separate row for numbers and symbols. The default seems to be for lowercase letters, at least until you switch using the Shift button, just like on a regular keyboard. Everything keeps the signature webOS looks with the familiar Prelude font, rounded shapes and minimalistic styling. The top holds navigational keys, as well as three buttons on the right for sharing, opening a tab and bookmarks.

In the Maps department, settings look austere as well, freeing up space on the 9.7-inch screen. You have a search box, as well as separate buttons for switching between "Search" and "Directions." Finally, the top right holds the additional information and bookmarks keys. By the looks of it, we're treated with Bing maps. While it definitely has its pluses such as the scale bar in the bottom right, we would prefer to see the data-rich Google Maps.

Messaging is equally simplified, with two panes allowing you to view your contacts (on the left), while you chat with a particular person (on the right.) Next on the list is the contextual menu, brought up by hitting the upper right corner clock/battery bar. It grants you quick access to the date, battery status and brightness controls among others. You'll also see the VPN toggle switch, particularly useful for corporate folks.

Finally, the Music application carries strong resemblance to iTunes, both in color and styling. We can't say much except for the obvious – it supports filtering your media by songs, artists, albums and genres. Finally, we still have months until summer, so everything is subject to change, but it's very likely for the basic apps to stay this way. So what are your thoughts - webOS 3.0 has the looks, but will it match other operating systems in content? Sound off in the comments below.

source: PreCentral

Thanks, Philip!