I’ll be honest here, I really want HP to do well in the tablet space Theoretically, HP has many of the same advantages with webOS as Apple has with iOS: the two companies totally control both their software and their hardware… a potentially huge advantage over the competition. Plus, webOS is genuinely an awesome, exciting platform, and if it ever gets off the ground properly, iOS will benefit from some real competition.
That said, their first tablet, the TouchPad, was very much a beta product. Featuring a bulky design and a serious derth of tablet-optimized apps, not many people chose a TouchPad over the iPad. No wonder, then, that HP’s had to slice $100 off its asking price.
All Things D’s Ina Fried reports:
If the $50 discount on the HP TouchPad wasn’t telling enough, the WebOS tablet is now being offered in a few spots for $100 or more below its original price.
Earlier this week I noticed the 32GB model at Costco for $479 — $120 off the standard $599 price. Then, a few minutes ago, while watching ABC’s “Modern Family,” I caught an HP TouchPad ad touting that the entry-level model is being offered for $399 — a Benjamin Franklin less than the original asking price.
The fine print of the TV spot does say it is a limited-time offer running Friday through Sunday, while the Costco deal appears to run only through Friday. It remains to be seen whether HP needs to make the price drop permanent in order to compete with the iPad and other tablets on the market.
I admit, that doesn’t look good, but honestly, that’s a steal of a price for a tablet with a lot of promise. If for whatever reason you’re looking for something besides an iPad in a tablet, or just want to see what the competition is like, $399 for an HP TouchPad is a great deal.
