Torres's first job will be to create consumer tablets nearly a year after HP axed its webOS-based TouchPad. According to a leaked HP memo the new HP Mobility unit will produce “mobility solutions” beginning with consumer tablets and expanding to include unspecified “additional segments and categories”.
It is not clear what operating system or systems these products might use. HP has said that it will create a Windows 8 tablet running on x86 hardware. Torres was in charge of Nokia’s MeeGo operations as executive vice president at that company, and will become HP’s senior vice president of mobility.
Nokia last year dropped MeeGo in favour of Windows devices, but a startup was formed by ex-Nokia engineers earlier this year to continue developing the OS. Torres, who starts in September, is supposed to speed up HP’s tablet strategy and to focus consumers and small business.