HP, which is weeks from launching its TouchPad tablet computer, is planning its own music locker service to take on Apple’s iCloud and offerings from Google and Amazon. The technology giant is locked in negotiations with music, TV and movie studios.
The new TouchPad is expected to come with a new music-synching solution that utilises cloud servers to sync and remotely store music, as well as stream songs users could buy.
However, according to Billboard magazine, music industry executives are cautious and insist the negotiations are still in their early stages.
The service is expected to resemble Sony’s Qriocity service and can be delivered to any HP device.
HP previously abandoned an unprofitable download-and-burn kiosk venture with Starbucks.
Last year, it acquired streaming music service Melodeo.
The TouchPad is coming
HP said recently it plans to launch the Wi-Fi version of its webOS tablet, the TouchPad, the first week of July.
The release coincides with the German, French and UK release date. The tablet will arrive in the US first on 1 July.
The TouchPad will be available as a Wi-Fi-only model, with a 3G and Wi-Fi version to launch sometime later.
Users can avail of a 16GB version for €479 or a 32GB version for €579. Pre-orders can be placed on 19 June.
The tablet will have a 9.7-inch diagonal flush capacitive multitouch display, instant-on access and support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1.
The TouchPad will include a headphone jack, a front-facing camera, a micro-USB port and internal stereo speakers with Beats Audio.
