HTC Joins Tablet PC Race, Targets Gamers With OnLive

In the shadow of the Apple iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the HP Slate 500 were two of the first models out of the tablet PC gate.

But now other manufacturers are getting on board by releasing their very own models, designed with a variety of operating systems and price points in mind.

HTC, known most prominently for its line-up of mobile phones, has entered the market with its first tablet PC product, the HTC Flyer. Flyer runs on a uniquely customized version of the Android OS and showcases all sorts of newly developed technology.

According to PC Magazine, HTC’s Flyer “…integrates all sorts of new technologies: a new 3D UI, OnLive cloud-based console gaming, a new streaming movie-and-video store from Saffron Digital, and even a capacitive pen which lets you scribble words on the screen to launch actions.”

Flyer mimics the 7 inch structure of the tablet PCs, but it goes a little further with its focus: digital multimedia delivery.

The HTC Flyer harnesses the technology of Saffron Digital, a company which utilizes quick and efficient encoding and domain-based DRM delivery. As an aside, HTC recently levied some assets towards Saffron Digital, calling it a “strategic investment.”

The Flyer’s other multimedia assets clearly show a particular demographic,

And it appears that HTC may be targeting a key demographic with this tablet PC release: the gamers.

The new HTC Flyer will have several multimedia features, including integration with OnLive, a cloud-based video game service that offers instant-play capabilities. What this means, in laymen’s terms, is that: you can play any of the hottest “console” games from whatever platform you want (including mobile devices).

Taking its interest in association with OnLive a step further, HTC has just announced a subsequent 40 million dollar investment in OnLive– it certainly has faith in its tablet’s future.

This is essentially the Netflix of the gaming world – gamers will no longer be dependant on operating systems or platforms. They can play the games when they want, where they want – and I can see this having positive implications for Apple, whose products are often spurned by this market segment.

In other, past formats, tests of OnLive have been lackluster, so here’s hoping they iron out any of the fragmenting, lag and performance issues that have been seen in the past.

How successfully OnLive performs on a tablet PC platform should be a good indicator of its future.