HP’s WebOS-Powered $99 TouchPad’s Top 7 Features and Top 7 Apps [Videos]

HP, on Thursday, announced that the company will sell off its personal computer unit and kill off its Web tablet TouchPad that was launched a month ago.

The sudden decision came just a year after HP spent nearly $1.2 billion in buying Palm and its WebOS business to have its own operating system.

(WebOS) was a great operating system. Everybody was pulling for it but a lot of people weren't buying it, Avi Greengart, Analyst, Current Analysis, told Reuters. It's hard to compete against not just Apple but the ecosystem Apple has built which includes apps content and services. There were also a lot of missteps such as launching it (the TouchPad) a month before it was ready and pricing it the same as the iPad 2.

The TouchPad, however, packs features and apps via its webOS platform that could have soared had HP continued the production of its tablet computer and, in time, could have become an “iPad killer.” The finest features of a TouchPad and the complimenting apps are listed below.

Features:

Multitasking is one of the finest features the TouchPad brings to the user. It is undoubtedly one of the best features that webOS has to offer. You can move freely between texts, calendars, photos, or one of the 20 other tasks that you can leave open. The tasks keep running and there is no lag or interruption once you return. The technology is similar to the Alt+Tab theory of Microsoft’s Windows 7 which makes swiping through open apps easier.

The feature that follows the lag-free Multitasking is the Type technology where you just need to start typing and HP’s webOS starts presenting you with several options from searching to posting. It has been called the digital equivalent of someone finishing a certain sentence in a more useful way. You could now start working on an email, update your status, and even search the web without even opening an app.

That is followed by webOS’ Notification feature which is compared to a butler. You can check new messages, emails, events and events with notifications in a polite manner. As soon as you receive a new email, an icon appears in the status bar on top. Clicking the icon brings a drop-down menu which can be accessed without disrupting the homescreen.

The Touch to Share feature lets you share content from the tablet with the webOS-powered Pre 3 (recently cancelled in the U.S.) smartphone. The webOS devices work better when they work together. A simple touch on the tablet lets you read websites on a larger screen.

Web surfing is a unique experience on the TouchPad with a blazing fast browser and supports the latest technologies including HTML5 and support for Adobe Flash Player.

The Swipe feature on the TouchPad lets you close unwanted applications in a simple way with just a swipe. The closure of an application is very unique as the card window floats away from the screen with just a swipe.

The last but certainly not the least feature comes in the form of HP Synergy which brings all the contacts, calendars, photos and email from Facebook, Google and Microsoft Exchange and drops them in the same place for easier access.

Apps:

Facebook Tablet for HP webOS makes it easy to stay connected with your friends by posting status updates, uploading and tagging photos, reading your News Feed, browsing your friends' photo albums, profiles and more. The app also supports Facebook messaging, a list of upcoming events, and features HP webOS notifications. Photos allow for uploading directly to Facebook. You can send status updates with the HP webOS feature Just Type.

The 7digital MP3 Music app helps the user discover, purchase, and download high-quality, DRM-free MP3 music from a catalog of over 14 millions songs directly to the HP TouchPad. The user can enjoy browsing current charts and previewing the latest tracks to find exciting new music and artists.

The iHeartRadio features over 750 of America's Favorite Radio stations and exclusive digital-only stations, including New York's Z100, L.A.'s KFI and KIIS FM. Listen to Slow Jams, Smooth Jazz and America's Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, as well as top talk stations in the country featuring Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and many others.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit for HP TouchPad lets you choose from 20 super-charged cars in 20 hot events. Use weapons like roadblocks, spike strips, EMP locks, overdrive, jamming, and oil slicks. The game comes with HD-quality graphics.

Kindle for webOS delivers books to TouchPad wirelessly and quickly. You can shop the Kindle Store for over 950,000 Kindle books, read thousands of free books, and get free book samples before you decide to buy. And with Amazon's Whispersync technology, pages are synchronized across devices, so users can pick up where they left off and never lose their place.

HP MovieStore powered by RoxioNow lets you catch up on something you missed, or get hooked on to something new. Order the movie on your TouchPad and watch it on your TouchPad or PC without paying again.

The TIME Magazine app gives you the ability to purchase each week's digital issue. Each week's digital issue on TIME includes the print edition currently on newsstands, as well as additional international content, extra photos and video, and live updates from Time.com.