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Last week we asked was the the price cut of the HP Touchpad enough to sustain the platform and on Friday HP answered the question by canning the product. Since the launch of the Touchpad we have been very sceptical about HP’s policy of pricing the Touchpad at the same price as the iPad, without offering any serious advantages. On the podcast we discussed how readily HP are willing to drop a non performing platform and the Touchpad goes in the scrapyard along with other HP devices like the Windows Home Server, MediaSmart Extender (a Windows Media Center extender) and the MediaSmart TV.

One thing that I have found interesting is the feeding frenzy caused by vendors looking to get rid of the device. In the US the $99 Touchpad shot to the number one spot on Amazon’s electrical list and here in the UK buyers have been scrabbling to buy the £89 tablet. Tonight within 10 minutes Best Buy’s UK online store had sold out of the 16gb and 32gb models with Dixon’s also selling out and its been interesting to see the disappointment buyers on twitter struggling to buy a product nobody wanted until last week. I think you would be better saving your money and putting it towards an iPad 🙂

This maybe highlights that the price was the biggest problem and that HP could have gained some market share by undercutting the iPad and selling it as a loss leader to build up some market share and having the balls to stick with the platform.

I still think the only challenger for the iPad will come from Amazon’s Android device and Windows 8 tablets (if done right)

4 thoughts on “HP Touchpad sale causes feeding frenzy, save your cash and buy an iPad”
  1. Would have been nice to get my hands on one at a bargain price, always been interested in see what its all about, (or could have been all about more to the point). However I stick by the thought I’ve always had and agree with you Ian that there is no way it could compete at iPad prices when the apps werent there & they released a buggy device that didnt seem ready for market. HP should have definiely released it cheaper and then maybe they would have had more take up.

    Certainly not going to lose any sleep about not getting one.

  2. Couldn’t agree more. I’m waiting patiently for Ipad 3. In the meantime, why would anyone want a discontinued Web OS device? As if to underline that it was just price that made the product fail before it got going, now it’s a giveaway, everyone wants it. But again, what idiot would want a failed device operating on an underdeveloped platform? Well actually, mine is charging up right now, come on it’s the thrill of the chase and getting it at a rock bottom price below the cost of production. Just waiting now for the charging docks to be cleared out as well.

    You know you want one.

  3. Well Ive just spent my £115 and got one of the last Touchpads. ( Insight have 1500 and have been removed from the web but will go live again later today) have I already have an ipad but the thought of a device to hack for £115 was to tempting. Im sure there will be Android ports and linux ports available.

  4. The biggest problem is no one can compete with Apple’s app store, not HP not Amazon or Microsoft. Apple as the tablet market sewn up mainly because you can’t beat their app store.
    Anyone wanting to make an iPad killer is facing an up hill battle no matter how good their hardware and price points are. You would have to give the tablets away for free and then maybe they’d stand a chance with getting everyone on-board and creating an app store to beat Apple.

    I don’t think it can be done not even with Windows 8 tablets. Its just too late and Apple are to entrenched. Microsoft are not innovators they are now followers.

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