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The HP TouchPad

engadget.com

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Re: The HP TouchPad

#11

Post by roc »

glhaynes wrote: post #8
ambirex wrote: post #2

Anyone else notice the very "Apple" presentation style? No mention of price yet? I kind of take that as a bad sign. I'm very glad to see this space expand. I have a couple elderly relatives that I have considered buying a tablet/slate to replace their computers.

No point announcing a price when they're so far away from shipping and they don't know what iPad 2's price is gonna be.

Free preview: $500. And $100 increments for more storage.

Apple history suggests they don't change price, they let Moore's law and software updates sweeten the deal.

They're absolutely killing it at their current prices and would-be competitors are apparently unable to build a comparable device for less. Why would they go off-script?

The charge for cellular capability is the only real question mark, but I'm guessing it remains a ~$100 premium.

Re: The HP TouchPad

#12

Post by YooLi »

bvi wrote: post #7

Since no price was mentioned, and given the tech specs, what's the maximum price HN'ers would pay for the TouchPad? Any takers?

Max == as much as the iPad (which ever model is out when this actually ships). I think most will agree the TouchPad will be out when the iPad 2 is, and based on rumors the hardware should be comparable. It then becomes a question of which OS/apps you prefer but that's not enough that one device should be priced much more than the other.

Re: The HP TouchPad

#13

Post by maqr »

I'm not sure I understand the point of webOS. If Android is maturing quickly and free-as-in-speech, why wouldn't HP simply adopt that?

I can understand Apple carving out their own proprietary path, because of their legions of fans and widely accepted interface design patterns. I can also understand Microsoft putting Windows 7 on tablets (because people want to run MS applications that already exist). But why would I want webOS? Are they trying to be like Apple and blaze an entirely new trail?

It seems like it would have been smarter for HP to go with Android. The cost surely would have been cheaper and the product would have had a greater chance at gaining acceptance.

Re: The HP TouchPad

#14

Post by m_eiman »

apress wrote: post #5

Granted the software looks very cool and highlights some of the weaknesses of iOS and the iPad. But it's worrisome that there was no talk of price or battery life and availability was listed as "summer" for wifi and "later" for 3G. I fear the Touchpad will be lapped by the upcoming iPad refresh before it even hits. And how much air went out of the Xoom balloon as soon as the $800 price tag leaked? The iPad definitely…

I think that they'll announce the pricing about when the iPad 2 buzz has died down a bit after that has been announced. That'll let them set the price low enough, if Apple has any more surprises in that area (people expected the iPad to be a lot more expensive).

When will they announce the new iPad, btw?

Re: The HP TouchPad

#15

Post by msbarnett »

maqr wrote: post #13

I'm not sure I understand the point of webOS. If Android is maturing quickly and free-as-in-speech, why wouldn't HP simply adopt that? I can understand Apple carving out their own proprietary path, because of their legions of fans and widely accepted interface design patterns. I can also understand Microsoft putting Windows 7 on tablets (because people want to run MS applications that already exist). But why would I…

Presumably because HP wants to control their own fate. They've seen what happened to their PC division in the race-to-the-bottom Windows world, why would they want to sign up to do that all over again with the same razor thin margins and anemic profits that every Android hardware vendor other than HTC is experiencing?

WebOS gives them a real differentiator and a chance to build an ecosystem they can grow and control, rather than just half-assing it with Android re-skin #17.

Re: The HP TouchPad

#16

Post by Xuzz »

ambirex wrote: post #2

Anyone else notice the very "Apple" presentation style? No mention of price yet? I kind of take that as a bad sign. I'm very glad to see this space expand. I have a couple elderly relatives that I have considered buying a tablet/slate to replace their computers.

I bet they're waiting for the iPad 2, and will price it to be competitive with whatever Apple announces.

Re: The HP TouchPad

#17

Post by YooLi »

maqr wrote: post #13

I'm not sure I understand the point of webOS. If Android is maturing quickly and free-as-in-speech, why wouldn't HP simply adopt that? I can understand Apple carving out their own proprietary path, because of their legions of fans and widely accepted interface design patterns. I can also understand Microsoft putting Windows 7 on tablets (because people want to run MS applications that already exist). But why would I…

If they went with Android, what would distinguish their tablet from the 120 other tablets demoed at CES?

Besides, the Honeycomb demo (imo) did not look nearly as nice as the TouchPad demo.

Re: The HP TouchPad

#18

Post by kenjackson »

maqr wrote: post #13

I'm not sure I understand the point of webOS. If Android is maturing quickly and free-as-in-speech, why wouldn't HP simply adopt that? I can understand Apple carving out their own proprietary path, because of their legions of fans and widely accepted interface design patterns. I can also understand Microsoft putting Windows 7 on tablets (because people want to run MS applications that already exist). But why would I…

The point is to control your own destiny. HP has been stuck behind MS for the past 20 years. They couldn't innovate on hardware w/o MS.

This would just trade one devil for another devil. Even though Android is open source, development happens in isolation. Even with HoneyComb Google only gave Moto access. So Samsung, LG, HTC, Accer -- no Honeycomb for you yet. Moto gets special treatment.

If you're HP do you want to get in bed with a company who may decide that Motorola or Dell or Lenovo is the "preferred" partner? Do you want to have to throttle your development (or develop on an old version of Android) to introduce your latest HW innovation.

HP can finally own the full stack... ala Apple. And honestly, I think HP looks at what Apple has done and thinks, "We can do a lot of what they do. Maybe without the style -- but enough to put us beyond all of the Android clones".

Re: The HP TouchPad

#19

Post by apress »

m_eiman wrote: post #14
apress wrote: post #5

Granted the software looks very cool and highlights some of the weaknesses of iOS and the iPad. But it's worrisome that there was no talk of price or battery life and availability was listed as "summer" for wifi and "later" for 3G. I fear the Touchpad will be lapped by the upcoming iPad refresh before it even hits. And how much air went out of the Xoom balloon as soon as the $800 price tag leaked? The iPad definitely…

I think that they'll announce the pricing about when the iPad 2 buzz has died down a bit after that has been announced. That'll let them set the price low enough, if Apple has any more surprises in that area (people expected the iPad to be a lot more expensive). When will they announce the new iPad, btw?

WSJ today said "next couple of months" http://on.wsj.com/dYaPqw

Re: The HP TouchPad

#20

Post by mgkimsal »

bvi wrote: post #7

Since no price was mentioned, and given the tech specs, what's the maximum price HN'ers would pay for the TouchPad? Any takers?

$400. I might pay a bit more, but I'd love to see it at a $299 price point. Or perhaps an ability to buy in bulk for client projects at $299.
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