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So much for the HP TouchPad...
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Matt D
18-08-2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14584428

Originally Posted by BBC News:
“Hewlett Packard has confirmed plans to stop making PCs, tablets and phones, in order to refocus on software.

It has also emerged that the US company has agreed to buy UK software firm Autonomy for £6.2bn ($10.3bn).

HP added that it was considering selling its personal systems group, which includes the world's biggest PC-making business, and that it will discontinue its webOS devices.

The webOS operating system is used in its tablet computers and smartphones.

The announcements mark a significant U-turn for the company, which announced in a March strategic review that it would integrate webOS into all of its future hardware.

HP had launched its Pre tablet computer as a competitor to the iPad and devices based on Google's Android operating system.

However, webOS failed to gain traction with reviewers, operators and retailers.

(snip)”

I love the press release...

"HP Confirms Discussions with Autonomy Corporation plc Regarding Possible Business Combination; Makes Other Announcements"

Originally Posted by HP:
“HP Confirms Discussions with Autonomy Corporation plc Regarding Possible Business Combination; Makes Other Announcements

<blah blah blah blah blah>

In addition, HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.”

"Oh, and by the way..."
IvanIV
19-08-2011
HP Kills TouchPad, Puts WebOS in Hibernation

“Our WebOS devices have not gained enough traction in the marketplace with consumers,” said HP CEO Leo Apotheker in a conference call on Thursday. “Continuing to execute our current device approach in this space is no longer in the interest of HP or its shareholders.”
c4rv
19-08-2011
Actually the announcement is much bigger. HP are pulling out of the PC, Tablet and Phone hardware market.

As for their tablet, it has good hardware but being a propriety OS was never a good idea unless you have the developer support that ipad and android have.
Hutchy_Muse
19-08-2011
Good job I didn't buy a Palm Pre 2 then!
Mandark
19-08-2011
The hardware division may be sealed its own fate. The HP Touchpad launched big and bulky just as the top end tablets were getting thinner and lighter. The HP bosses couldn't have been happy about that.
alanwarwic
19-08-2011
Its not exactly big and bulky.
It is a consumer market device that is both 'on its own' and not part of a fashion brand.

Considering these things are below a netbook in computing power they have to offer extra to justify a higher price.
The big unknown at the moment is how many people really want a relatively expensive tablet and how many are just buying into fashion.
Erlang
19-08-2011
Apparently WebOS runs faster on an iPad than it does on its own hardware.

It seems the hardware was a done deal, and the WebOS team had to make the software work on the less than optimised hardware.

Reminds me of budgets running a project rather than engineers.
lininjim
20-08-2011
Is see HP has dropped the prices to clear them to $99 (16GB) and $149 (32GB) in the US and Canada. I wonder if UK ones would be dropped in price to match?
I'd have one at that price for a laugh.
Tassium
20-08-2011
If they were to be massively discounted then I would imagine the exchange rate would be along the lines of $1 = £1.

If Android/linux could be ported over then it would be a nice gadget to have for £100.
alanwarwic
20-08-2011
One could quite imagine those might just be those farcical headline prices that come complete with a 2 year $40 a month contract.
Or else its the usual search engine subversion.

Seems to me that if they made the things dual boot (+Android) then they could have had a winner on their hands.
The Alpha Gamer
20-08-2011
Originally Posted by lininjim:
“Is see HP has dropped the prices to clear them to $99 (16GB) and $149 (32GB) in the US and Canada. I wonder if UK ones would be dropped in price to match?
I'd have one at that price for a laugh.”

I read that some guy contacted HP UK and although they knew about the price drop, they hadn't been told to do it over here. But they might be told Monday
lininjim
20-08-2011
Originally Posted by The Alpha Gamer:
“I read that some guy contacted HP UK and although they knew about the price drop, they hadn't been told to do it over here. But they might be told Monday”

Thanks for that mate.
cribology
20-08-2011
Originally Posted by The Alpha Gamer:
“I read that some guy contacted HP UK and although they knew about the price drop, they hadn't been told to do it over here. But they might be told Monday”

Thats what I was told when I rang hp in UK.
clonmult
20-08-2011
Originally Posted by c4rv:
“As for their tablet, it has good hardware but being a propriety OS was never a good idea unless you have the developer support that ipad and android have.”

I wish people would stop throwing around that phrase and abusing it.

Its a pretty standard Linux distribution, its not proprietary, and with minimal work applications written for the device (okay, not many) can easily work on other standard linux boxes (like the N900).

Now iOS, that is definitely proprietary, being an OS/X offshoot.

But the way that HP have handled this makes Stephen Elop and his disaster handling the Nokia/MS move seem like perfection. There's been some mind-numbing levels of incompetence displayed by some senior IT systems executives this year.
spanglysteve
20-08-2011
Originally Posted by alanwarwic:
“One could quite imagine those might just be those farcical headline prices that come complete with a 2 year $40 a month contract.”

Nope, $99 on its own, no contract http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ...fd3272bd05en02
c4rv
20-08-2011
Originally Posted by clonmult:
“I wish people would stop throwing around that phrase and abusing it.

Its a pretty standard Linux distribution, its not proprietary, and with minimal work applications written for the device (okay, not many) can easily work on other standard linux boxes (like the N900).

Now iOS, that is definitely proprietary, being an OS/X offshoot.

But the way that HP have handled this makes Stephen Elop and his disaster handling the Nokia/MS move seem like perfection. There's been some mind-numbing levels of incompetence displayed by some senior IT systems executives this year.”

the type of users buying the HP device are like apple users, they aren't the type to tinker. They want something that works out the box and the reality is that neither android nor ipad apps work and there is a very limited number of touchpad apps and nobody is writing apps for it.
Mandark
21-08-2011
Could become a homebrew favourite though for a geeky minority. Updates to the OS, apps etc.
Quickblood
21-08-2011
They guys at XDA are already working on Touchdroid so I'm desperate to get a HP Touchpad if I can possibly get one for under £200 quid I'll happily take it.

Can't quite beliveve they were as low as $99 dollars in the States, that's an insane bargain. I'd have probably bought 5 or 6 at that price.
tony le mesmer
21-08-2011
Originally Posted by Quickblood:
“They guys at XDA are already working on Touchdroid so I'm desperate to get a HP Touchpad if I can possibly get one for under £200 quid I'll happily take it.

Can't quite beliveve they were as low as $99 dollars in the States, that's an insane bargain. I'd have probably bought 5 or 6 at that price.”

I would snap one up at £99, probably a couple.
cjuk
21-08-2011
Tablets page has been removed from HP UK website as well. Got Argos reservation for tomorrow just in case.
alanwarwic
21-08-2011
Originally Posted by spanglysteve:
“Nope, $99 on its own, no contract”

If you read the headlines most were qualified with the words 'out of stock'.
Whether they ever had stock or if it was the usual bait advertising one never quite knows.

If a store has half a dozen, a quick witted manager also knows its a way to get very cheap publicity.
Mandark
21-08-2011
Originally Posted by cjuk:
“Tablets page has been removed from HP UK website as well. Got Argos reservation for tomorrow just in case.”

I've read it's selling out in the States already. Could be a stock issue here too. Stock numbers are really low on Amazon thanks to the previous discount. Perhaps the sales might encourage someone to buy HP's mobile business.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...ouchpad+tablet
lininjim
21-08-2011
Originally Posted by cjuk:
“Tablets page has been removed from HP UK website as well. Got Argos reservation for tomorrow just in case.”

Nice thinking there batman
Tassium
21-08-2011
I really wouldn't expect anything close to the $99 price in the US.

Maybe £199.99, at least at first.

This is rip-off country cousins, yeehaw!
clonmult
22-08-2011
Originally Posted by cjuk:
“Tablets page has been removed from HP UK website as well. Got Argos reservation for tomorrow just in case.”

I was thinking the same, but then every single Argos within my range has none in stock.
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