E-books & Kids

HP Touchpad… a tablet with many uses including e-reading

Hewlett-Packard recently introduced a product to compete with the iPad, a tablet called the TouchPad. The device can be used for a range of purposes, including as an e-reader. 

In its promotional material, HP describes its e-reading functionality this way: "Remember when books were analog? Neither do we. Not with the neverending library's worth of book and reference apps you can load onto your webOS Touchpad or smartphone and feed your thirst for knowledge. Read on." 

How is "library's worth of book and reference apps" defined? They don't specify. But the Amazon Kindle e-reader software is available for the TouchPad, and they've got a huge number of titles. HP also promotes three e-reader storybooks that are ready to be downloaded for the device:

Curious George, application by Scrollmotion Kids. The HP promotional description reads: "Discover the beloved CURIOUS GEORGE in a whole new way! ScrollMotion Kids transforms the story of a little monkey with big curiosity into an unparalleled experience on your HP TouchPad. Follow along as George explores the city and his curiosity gets him into all sorts of misadventures!"

How to Train Your Dragon, application by iStoryTime. The HP promotional description reads: "iStoryTime brings the adventures of Vikings and dragons to the convenience of your TouchPad in this entertaining kid's book application based on the DreamWorks Animation movie, How To Train Your Dragon."

Kung Fu Panda 2 Storybook, application by iStorytime. The HP promotional description reads: "iStoryTime brings the fun and adventure of Kung Fu Panda 2 to your TouchPad. Parents and their children can enjoy images from the film and hear the voices of Po and Tigress directly from the movie. FEATURES: - Includes actual character audio from the movie - Includes actual images from the movie for authentic experience - Automatic navigation and 'narrator' options."