Hewlett-Packard has been expected to release an Android tablet for several months now, having all but abandoned its plans for a Palm tablet. And while this week’s HP release may not be the iPad rival for mobile computing, at least it will will help you print documents with ease.
The 7-inch tablet computer acts as a control panel for HP’s new PhotoSmart eStation C510 all-in-one printer. It’s built on Android’s operating system, and has its own apps as well. These apps won’t come from the Android Market, but custom apps can be developed for the printer. Yahoo!, for instance, is looking to develop apps for remotely accessing information from the web, which you’ll be able to print on-demand.
Google is also looking to make document access an easier task, with an update to its mobile Google Docs application. This isn’t a stand-alone app in the App Market, but your Google Docs are still accessible via the mobile web. In addition to viewing documents, you can now edit them on your Android smartphone. Google has updated the application for iPad use as well, indicating similar support for any upcoming Android tablets.
