Aussies on hold for HP's July 1 TouchPad launch

HP has put technology-hungry Australia on the back burner for its iPad-challenger the TouchPad, which will hit stores in the US on July 1.  

The computer giant will only initially release the 16 GB and 32 GB Wi-Fi versions of the device, as previously promised for US$499 and US$599 respectively.

It expected to provide more information on the 3G-supported version at some stage in the northern hemisphere’s summer.  

While Europe and Canada will be delivered the TouchPad by mid-July, HP said it would provide details for Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore “at a later date”. 

The staggered launch will be the first opportunity for customers to judge HP’s prized webOS 3.0, which it hopes will offer a better shot at toppling the iPad than existing rivals. 

"What makes HP TouchPad a compelling alternative to competing products is webOS," said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP.

Samsung, Acer, RIM and Motorola had recently cut production of their tablet devices fearing a potential oversupply, because consumers had shown little interest in anything but Apple’s iPad.