32 GB HP TouchPad to cost $599

We still don't know when the HP TouchPad media tablet will arrive this summer, but a little bird has given PreCentral.net an inkling of what the pricing will be like.

A source tells the site that Wal-Mart will be carrying a 32GB version of the 9.5-inch tablet running HP's own in-house webOS, for the Apple iPad-like price of $599.

A Wal-Mart listing presumably passed along by the tipster doesn't contain a lot of detail, though it does list the $599 TouchPad as Wi-Fi-enabled. Other connectivity options weren't indicated.

The source must have passed on other details, because PreCentral.net reports that the TouchPad will be 9.5x10x1.78 inches, weigh in at 3 pounds, and that a number of TouchPad accessories will also be available from Wal-Mart.

The listed dimensions do seem to conflict with earlier reports that the TouchPad is 9.7 inches across. Whether that's just reflects a shorthand rounding of dimensions that often occurs in reporting on mobile devices remains to be seen.

These include the Touchstone Dock/Stand for the TouchPad, priced at $79.88 and capable of docking the upcoming tablet in both its portrait and landscape orientations. Other accessories include a webOS Bluetooth keyboard for $69.88, the first-party TouchPad case for $49.88, and an AC charger priced at $29.88.

Dates for pre-orders and official release were unavailable, but PreCentral.net did say its tipster believed that Wal-Mart could have the TouchPad in its retail stores as early as June 1.

An earlier report in March indicated that the TouchPad would not be available until September, and that different versions would be priced from $499 to $599.

This article, written by Damon Poeter, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc.