Meet the HP Zeen

Meet the HP eStation Zeen. It’s a tablet. But not the fabled Windows 7 tablet– that’s a whole nother story.

No, according to early FCC filings, this tablet is supposedly running everybody’s favorite, Google Android–interestingly, not webOS (more on that in a sec).

The Zeen’s “hook” is that can plug into a printer and act as the printer’s controller without a computer.  But, it appears that the Zeen can’t control any printer… just the Zeus printer.  For now, that’s all we know for sure (thanks Engadget and the FCC). The rest, which is below, are just the rumored specs:

• The Zeen will have a  capacitive touch screen
• It will run a custom Andoid skin, not stock.
• eBooks and eMagazines are going to be important, hence the name Zeen.  Other reports indicate that there could be Barnes and Noble’s Nook eBookstore integration.
• It will cost about $399 with the Zeus printer while the price for just the tablet remains unknown. We’re obviously assuming that it will run less than the $399 combo.

What’s most surprising to me though is that the Zeen might actually run Android (as opposed to webOS).  Everyone at HP, and I mean everyone, is pushing webOS: it seems that they’re all truly excited about integrating the software with printers, tablets, netbooks and other cool peripherals! Oh wait–did I just say printers and tablets?  My god– that’s what we have here!

Look, I understand that this may have been in the works months before the tech behemoth bought Palm, but this would look really silly.  Just imagine it: “WebOS on printers! On tablets! On netbooks! On smartphones! On fridges! Did we mention we just released an Android tablet/printer combination?  It’s pretty cool.  Check it out sometime.”  It just doesn’t make sense.