HP Looks To Give Consumer Tablets Another Go

HP is forming a new Mobility division which will make another attempt and breaking into the tablet space. This much was confirmed in a internal memo unearthed by The Verge, and details HP's plan to form what has been dubbed the "Mobility Global Business Unit." At first, HP's Mobility GBU will focus on developing consumer tablets, and will do so under the guidance of Alberto Torres, who most recently was in charge of Nokia's MeeGo products.

The memo itself comes from Printing and Personal Systems Group boss Todd Bradley, who says that Torres will be starting on September 3. After tackling the consumer tablet space, HP Mobility GBU will then "expand to additional segments and categories where we believe we can offer differentiated value to our customers." Torres will not be taking the reins on HP's incoming commercial tablet, as that will be staying with HP's PC Global Business Unit, overseen by James Mouton. The same goes for HP's notebook teams, but Bradley seems to suggest that the Mobility and PC GBUs will be merging (or at least collaborating) at some point in the future.

According to the memo, Torres' initial duties will be to "accelerate our tablet strategy and begin to execute products against our consumer/SMB target." It sounds like HP wants to ramp up on this second shot quickly, but it has a tough road ahead. Most of us can still recall HP's difficulties with the TouchPad after all, and it's pretty clear that the company will be doing all it can to avoid another failure like that.

Torres has a couple weeks left to go before he begins at HP, but we're thinking that once he's there, HP will waste no time in putting him to work. Even though the TouchPad can't be labeled a smashing success, it did have some redeeming features, so the idea of HP getting serious about tablet development does get us excited. Stay tuned to SlashGear for more information, as we imagine that HP will be making some announcements not long after Torres officially joins the team.