HP announces...

[exscentric]

no more hp touchpads except a few in some retail outlets.

From their site for updates on the touchpad: "UPDATE: Last Chance
by Administrator Mark_Budgell August - last edited Friday

"More TouchPads on the Way UPDATE: Last Chance

"At HP, we try very hard to provide a positive experience to every customer who purchases an HP product. In some cases, like the HP TouchPad where supply has been extremely limited from the start, we simply cannot meet demand. We are now announcing that while some retailers will have limited stock available, HP’s online inventory is depleted."

"Thank you for your interest in this product and the feedback you provided. Your input plays a critical role in defining our product roadmap and will help us continue to bring innovative products to market."

Best Buy is advertizing them at 149 but with a huge catch.

"HP TouchPad $149.99 Offer Coming Soon

"Beginning November 1, 2011 at BestBuy.com® and November 4, 2011 in Best Buy® stores, you can buy the 32GB HP TouchPad tablet for just $149.99 when you also buy a qualifying HP laptop, desktop or all-in-one computer."

Soooo glad I waited for their second wave! NOT!

[SCION]

Originally Posted by exscentric

"Beginning November 1, 2011 at BestBuy.com® and November 4, 2011 in Best Buy® stores, you can buy the 32GB HP TouchPad tablet for just $149.99 when you also buy a qualifying HP laptop, desktop or all-in-one computer."

...

They should give those things away when you buy one of those products.

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by SCION

They should give those things away when you buy one of those products.

If not free, then for the same price (if not lower) than their fire-sale pricing.

[soondai]

149 was their fire sale price for the 32G

[exscentric]

Just read this in an article about HP's new management. "A second run was sold-out to employees who spent the whole day ordering HP TouchPads with some complaining about the loss of work time."

[HansTWN]

They should have priced it at $299 right from the start. They are great devices. There are so many people out there who want one, such $149 give-aways make no sense at all.

[khalleron]

Originally Posted by exscentric

Just read this in an article about HP's new management. "A second run was sold-out to employees who spent the whole day ordering HP TouchPads with some complaining about the loss of work time."

That's because, according to my source, there were so many HP employees trying to get one that it crashed HP's servers.

You'd think they'd know better.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by khalleron

That's because, according to my source, there were so many HP employees trying to get one that it crashed HP's servers.

You'd think they'd know better.

It is very difficult to predict that. Usually, our databases are not designed to handle so much transactions per minute; very unusual cases. I've seen similar problems on Apple or even Amazon servers though.

Regardless, people received their TP as promised :-) ... two max per employees I think ...

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

They should have priced it at $299 right from the start. They are great devices. There are so many people out there who want one, such $149 give-aways make no sense at all.

Cost is about that ... so profit would be zero or too low ...

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by jocampo

Cost is about that ... so profit would be zero or too low ...

True enough, but they would have accomplished two things:

1.)Build up considerable market share to make it easier for future devices to succeed and attract developers to the platform.

2.)Make money off the market, accessories, etc.

The the tablet market is right now, I don't think they could have come in, sold large quantities and make a reasonable profit on the hardware for the first model run. No matter how good the device.