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Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

arstechnica.com

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Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#11

Post by j_col »

mgkimsal wrote: post #10
j_col wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you apply the 3.0.2 patch (an over the air update), it resolves most of the performance issues with webOS on the tablet. Unfortunately all of the online reviews were done using 3.0, so the misconception that webOS on the Touchpad = slow has stuck.

It's not a misconception. If I use webOS on a touchpad - as it comes out of the box - it's slow. There were 'misconceptions' that Java was slow too. And Java was slow. And still is in some use cases. But somehow that's the fault of the user, not the technology?

webOS out of the box will auto-update itself over the air to 3.0.2. It just wasn't available when the reviews were written. If I read a review now, it's based on outdated information.

Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#12

Post by mgkimsal »

canistr wrote: post #2

If the TouchPad, with all its geek cred, is only able to move 25,000 units, then it really makes me wonder how well the other tablets are doing. I went to Best Buy (note: this is Canada) the other day and they had a huge number of tablets in their tablet section. The TouchPad, Xoom, Acer's Iconia, the Galaxy Tab, and various Windows 7-based tablets. If the TouchPad has only been able to move that many units, then the…

I'd loved to have played with some of them at my local store, but as is the case with almost most consumer PC stuff, the units are not on.

The Apple display section at our local Best Buys are always loaded with functioning units that are open for people to explore - not locked down with crappy "BUY GEEK SQUAD SERVICE!" screen savers.

The table with all the tablets at multiple Best Buy stores I've been in to recently are all filled with multiple tablets that are just sitting there with black screens. Not plugged in, not running on batteries, not in demo mode. Just... sitting there.

If Best Buy sold TVs like they sell tablets, they'd have 3 LG units running full color shows in HD with surround sound, and 85 empty screens just hanging on the wall, then they'd be sending all the TVs back to Vizio, Mitsubishi, Sony, etc, complaining that they're not selling.

Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#13

Post by huhtenberg »

j_col wrote: post #9
abcd_f wrote: post #4

If tapping an icon on a home screen takes the tablet a fraction of a second just to provide visual feedback for that, I'm sorry, but this is simply not a good tablet. Not anymore, not with iPad in the picture.

If you apply the 3.0.2 patch (an over the air update), it resolves most of the performance issues with webOS on the tablet. Unfortunately all of the online reviews were done using 3.0, so the misconception that webOS on the Touchpad = slow has stuck.

I saw TouchPad at BestBuy last night and it was sluggish as hell. I don't really care if it had a patch applied or not. They had exactly one chance to make a great first impression and they failed. We can point finger at whoever, but what I saw pretty much explains why TouchPad did not gather interest with BestBuy buyers.

Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#14

Post by lallysingh »

j_col wrote: post #11
mgkimsal wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a misconception. If I use webOS on a touchpad - as it comes out of the box - it's slow. There were 'misconceptions' that Java was slow too. And Java was slow. And still is in some use cases. But somehow that's the fault of the user, not the technology?

webOS out of the box will auto-update itself over the air to 3.0.2. It just wasn't available when the reviews were written. If I read a review now, it's based on outdated information.

They should've waited until 3.0.2 was available before sending the devices out to reviewers.

Frankly, if you're gonna have error for reviewers, I'd put in as many cheap, unmaintainable perf hacks as I could.

Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#15

Post by canistr »

mgkimsal wrote: post #12
canistr wrote: post #2

If the TouchPad, with all its geek cred, is only able to move 25,000 units, then it really makes me wonder how well the other tablets are doing. I went to Best Buy (note: this is Canada) the other day and they had a huge number of tablets in their tablet section. The TouchPad, Xoom, Acer's Iconia, the Galaxy Tab, and various Windows 7-based tablets. If the TouchPad has only been able to move that many units, then the…

I'd loved to have played with some of them at my local store, but as is the case with almost most consumer PC stuff, the units are not on. The Apple display section at our local Best Buys are always loaded with functioning units that are open for people to explore - not locked down with crappy "BUY GEEK SQUAD SERVICE!" screen savers. The table with all the tablets at multiple Best Buy stores I've been in to recently…

Agreed. It's the same thing with the way they sell laptops or phones. Why leave dumb units lying around? Why would anyone ever buy a device that they haven't tried? Best Buy (as well as other stores) need to have well-functioning devices turned on and available for customers to try.

Additionally, they need their employees to go around and reset the devices to ensure a proper functioning system instead of the ones bogged down by apps/content downloaded by random kids onto the device.

Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#16

Post by protomyth »

mgkimsal wrote: post #12
canistr wrote: post #2

If the TouchPad, with all its geek cred, is only able to move 25,000 units, then it really makes me wonder how well the other tablets are doing. I went to Best Buy (note: this is Canada) the other day and they had a huge number of tablets in their tablet section. The TouchPad, Xoom, Acer's Iconia, the Galaxy Tab, and various Windows 7-based tablets. If the TouchPad has only been able to move that many units, then the…

I'd loved to have played with some of them at my local store, but as is the case with almost most consumer PC stuff, the units are not on. The Apple display section at our local Best Buys are always loaded with functioning units that are open for people to explore - not locked down with crappy "BUY GEEK SQUAD SERVICE!" screen savers. The table with all the tablets at multiple Best Buy stores I've been in to recently…

Everything you said is dead on, and makes me cringe when I think about the past. In the 90's and early 00's, the same would have been true of the Macintosh computers at the big box stores. Perhaps HP needs to put the same effort they put in promoting their PC line into their WebOS line. Microsoft's marketing and placement dollars are not available for their current endeavors.

Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#17

Post by canistr »

acabal wrote: post #8

I think the problem is that people still don't care about or want tablet computers; they care about and want iPads. All the companies jumping on the tablet bandwagon forgot what happened to 95% of the mp3 players that sprang up to compete with the iPod.

That's not really a 'problem' though if people understand what they want. What it really means is that HP needs to step up their game on all fronts to make a product and compel people to buy it.

I mean, I tried the TouchPad. It's good in a lot of ways but mediocre in other ways. It's a lot like how the G1 launched. Die-hards bought it, the tech-savvy liked it but weren't 'flocking' to it, and the average consumer just thought of it as another electronic device. HP needs something like a 'Droid' campaign to really spark interest in their products. You have to make it appear cool. Unfortunately, HP has never been able to do that and they're only just learning about the cool-factor with Beats by Dre.

Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#18

Post by recoiledsnake »

acabal wrote: post #8

I think the problem is that people still don't care about or want tablet computers; they care about and want iPads. All the companies jumping on the tablet bandwagon forgot what happened to 95% of the mp3 players that sprang up to compete with the iPod.

Yes, the tablet market is very different from phones. Everyone needs a phone and when their contract expires, many of go to the carrier store and get the one they like, which in some cases, is the latest Android phone that people remember seeing in the Droid or Evo commercials on TV.

With tablets, it's very different, many people just don't see the need for one yet. While the iPad is shipping very well, much of that growth would be from iPhone and word-of-mouth publicity. Then there's the whole issue of apps and 3rd party support/corporate support.

While MS dissed tablets [1], with Windows 8 they're coming out with a strategy to make tablets of all flavors with a fresh UI, including x86 ones with backward compatibility. Let whether that can make a dent in the market.

[1] http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/microsoft-exec-questions...

Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#19

Post by dmix »

acabal wrote: post #8

I think the problem is that people still don't care about or want tablet computers; they care about and want iPads. All the companies jumping on the tablet bandwagon forgot what happened to 95% of the mp3 players that sprang up to compete with the iPod.

> people still don't care about or want tablet computers; they care about and want iPads

I've seen this many times when I try to explain to normal people what I do for a living. When I explain we create tablet apps, I get blank stares.

If I say we create iPad apps, they reply "oh I saw the commercial for those".

iPads are mainstream. Tablets in general, not so much.

Re: Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

#20

Post by recoiledsnake »

canistr wrote: post #17
acabal wrote: post #8

I think the problem is that people still don't care about or want tablet computers; they care about and want iPads. All the companies jumping on the tablet bandwagon forgot what happened to 95% of the mp3 players that sprang up to compete with the iPod.

That's not really a 'problem' though if people understand what they want. What it really means is that HP needs to step up their game on all fronts to make a product and compel people to buy it. I mean, I tried the TouchPad. It's good in a lot of ways but mediocre in other ways. It's a lot like how the G1 launched. Die-hards bought it, the tech-savvy liked it but weren't 'flocking' to it, and the average consumer jus…

>HP needs something like a 'Droid' campaign to really spark interest in their products.

I see a lot of Touchpad, Playbook and Xoom ads on TV. Atleast the Xoom ones seem to be on the level of the Droid ads(it's Motorola again, of course). The ads seem ok and cool but if the current sales figures are something to go by, don't seem to be very effective. As I said in another comment, it's easier to get people to buy a phone when their old ones gets too old or when the contract expires but it's hard to push people to a completely new kind of device where the use case is harder for the average consumer to see.

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