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HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

blog.palm.com

11–20 of 95 posts

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#11

They are also offering free TouchPads to webOS developers who can demonstrate a working TouchPad app that they intend to submit to the App Catalog. Details on their blog: http://developer.palm.com/blog/2011/05/show-us-your-app-at-w...

Step 1 to get your free TouchPad: get to Paris or Berlin.

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#12

I still fail to understand on why companies prefer to price their products at the same level as iPad?! Spec for spec, there are not many things that put HP TouchPad to an advantage. No extendable memory, no extra ports, a weak app ecosystem, etc. Ever since the ASUS Transformer was released at 399$ for a 16GB model, that pretty much became the price to beat for a tablet which wanted to compete with the iPad2

In principle I agree, however, much has been made of Apple's buying power when it comes to key components (displays, solid state storage, etc). Apple may well have the lowest actual component cost.

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#13

I still fail to understand on why companies prefer to price their products at the same level as iPad?! Spec for spec, there are not many things that put HP TouchPad to an advantage. No extendable memory, no extra ports, a weak app ecosystem, etc. Ever since the ASUS Transformer was released at 399$ for a 16GB model, that pretty much became the price to beat for a tablet which wanted to compete with the iPad2

In principle I agree, however, much has been made of Apple's buying power when it comes to key components (displays, solid state storage, etc). Apple may well have the lowest actual component cost.

I understand the fact about Apple's buying power. But when someone is trying to compete with an established product, you gotta offer something more at some price less to get people to even look at it!

It's going to be interesting to see how the HP Touchpad & Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 do in the next few months. However, the real competition will start when Amazon jumps into the market with their rumored Kal-El tablets later this year.

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#14

I still fail to understand on why companies prefer to price their products at the same level as iPad?! Spec for spec, there are not many things that put HP TouchPad to an advantage. No extendable memory, no extra ports, a weak app ecosystem, etc. Ever since the ASUS Transformer was released at 399$ for a 16GB model, that pretty much became the price to beat for a tablet which wanted to compete with the iPad2

I was going to post a snarky comment about how the Transformer can't compete with the iPad because its not actually shipping yet, blah blah, but I did a search first and found out that it shipped over a month ago.

Which can only mean that ASUS really botched the PR on this one. Neither Engadget nor Gizmodo (arguably the two largest gadget sites) have reviewed it, but the few reviews I did find were generally positive.

I've read about tablets from Motorola, Toshiba, and Samsung, but nothing about the ASUS, which looks to be a decent, relatively cheap Honeycomb tablet.

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#15
post #11

They are also offering free TouchPads to webOS developers who can demonstrate a working TouchPad app that they intend to submit to the App Catalog. Details on their blog: http://developer.palm.com/blog/2011/05/show-us-your-app-at-w...

Step 1 to get your free TouchPad: get to Paris or Berlin.

A company the size of HP can afford to give away piles of TouchPads and Pres to developers that might be mildly interested. HP should have somebody hunting down the twitter accounts of prolific app developers and mailing out starter packs of hardware. Google has been handing out hardware left and right and doesn't seem to be slowing down one bit.

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#16

I still fail to understand on why companies prefer to price their products at the same level as iPad?! Spec for spec, there are not many things that put HP TouchPad to an advantage. No extendable memory, no extra ports, a weak app ecosystem, etc. Ever since the ASUS Transformer was released at 399$ for a 16GB model, that pretty much became the price to beat for a tablet which wanted to compete with the iPad2

Pricing is also signaling, so you have to be careful undercutting someone if your story is "we have a better product". If the TouchPad is destined for failure, undercutting Apple isn't going to prevent that. The market's already said "$499 is good for a tablet" so it's smart of them to listen to that.

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#17

I still fail to understand on why companies prefer to price their products at the same level as iPad?! Spec for spec, there are not many things that put HP TouchPad to an advantage. No extendable memory, no extra ports, a weak app ecosystem, etc. Ever since the ASUS Transformer was released at 399$ for a 16GB model, that pretty much became the price to beat for a tablet which wanted to compete with the iPad2

I was going to post a snarky comment about how the Transformer can't compete with the iPad because its not actually shipping yet, blah blah, but I did a search first and found out that it shipped over a month ago. Which can only mean that ASUS really botched the PR on this one. Neither Engadget nor Gizmodo (arguably the two largest gadget sites) have reviewed it, but the few reviews I did find were generally positive…

[deleted]

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#18

I still fail to understand on why companies prefer to price their products at the same level as iPad?! Spec for spec, there are not many things that put HP TouchPad to an advantage. No extendable memory, no extra ports, a weak app ecosystem, etc. Ever since the ASUS Transformer was released at 399$ for a 16GB model, that pretty much became the price to beat for a tablet which wanted to compete with the iPad2

I was going to post a snarky comment about how the Transformer can't compete with the iPad because its not actually shipping yet, blah blah, but I did a search first and found out that it shipped over a month ago. Which can only mean that ASUS really botched the PR on this one. Neither Engadget nor Gizmodo (arguably the two largest gadget sites) have reviewed it, but the few reviews I did find were generally positive…

FWIW, Asus Transformer was reviewed at Engadget not too long ago and it got a good review.

The fact that it's been sold out from Amazon, J&R, etc. every time they get a new shipment says that it's atleast partly successful. What doesn't help right now is the supply chain issue that Asus has been having. It has been limiting them to just 10,000 units a month.

Anandtech Review: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4277/asus-eee-pad-transformer-...

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#19

I still fail to understand on why companies prefer to price their products at the same level as iPad?! Spec for spec, there are not many things that put HP TouchPad to an advantage. No extendable memory, no extra ports, a weak app ecosystem, etc. Ever since the ASUS Transformer was released at 399$ for a 16GB model, that pretty much became the price to beat for a tablet which wanted to compete with the iPad2

I was going to post a snarky comment about how the Transformer can't compete with the iPad because its not actually shipping yet, blah blah, but I did a search first and found out that it shipped over a month ago. Which can only mean that ASUS really botched the PR on this one. Neither Engadget nor Gizmodo (arguably the two largest gadget sites) have reviewed it, but the few reviews I did find were generally positive…

Engadget reviewed the UK edition of the Transformer in April and seemed to generally like it. http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/18/asus-eee-pad-transformer-...

Re: HP TouchPad: Shipping July 1

#20
post #11

They are also offering free TouchPads to webOS developers who can demonstrate a working TouchPad app that they intend to submit to the App Catalog. Details on their blog: http://developer.palm.com/blog/2011/05/show-us-your-app-at-w...

Step 1 to get your free TouchPad: get to Paris or Berlin.

You don't have to get to Paris or Berlin. You can email them (that's what I did).
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