HP TouchPad Release Date and Pricing Leaked?

HP Touchpad release date pricing info According to the Boy Genius Report, an anonymous tipster has revealed leaked pricing and release dates for HP's new WebOS 3.0-powered TouchPad. The device is reportedly slated to hit the market by the end of June carrying a $699 price tag. While the exact memory, carrier partners, and radio configuration of this particular TouchPad price point is not specified, it's widely assumed that $699 will represent the 32GB + 3G version, undercutting a comparable-equipped 1st-generation iPad by $30 while bringing a dual-core CPU and a front-facing camera to the party.

This pricing structure places HP in a somewhat odd spot occupying the upper-midrange of the currently available tablets. The reported $699 figure for the Touchpad is $100 to 200 above the lowest-cost Wi-Fi iPads that comprises the majority of the platform's sales volume. Conversely, $699 puts the TouchPad only $100 below the higher-spec'd Android Honeycomb-based Xoom from Motorola. With the annual iPad refresh anticipated in April and the Xoom arriving next week, HP's TouchPad may lose much of its early buzz in the transition from an early February announcement to late June retail availability.

Article Comments

 (242 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Start a new Comment Down View Full Comment Thread

The Secret Reason HP Needs The TouchPad To Be A Success

Gekko @ 2/15/2011 12:26:54 PM # Q

There are a lot of reasons HP wants its iPad-clone, the TouchPad, to be a success, but one reason we hadn't thought of until now was how tablets will affect the sales of printers and print supplies.

The more people use tablets, the less they print out documents, says Morgan Stanley in a big report on the tablet market.

Specifically, Morgan Stanley says, "Printing behavior is structurally changing; we expect a reduction in enterprise and commercial printing."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/02/15/businessinsider-the-reason-hp-needs-the-touchpad-to-be-a-success-2011-2.DTL#ixzz1E3rcwAMt


RE: The Secret Reason HP Needs The TouchPad To Be A Success
mikecane @ 2/15/2011 12:47:54 PM # Q
Oh, that's interesting. I hadn't ever considered that angle. But who really thinks of printers these days? When was the last time you printed something out? (Well, OK, not *you personally*, you pr0n perv with your DIY posters, but someone normal!)
RE: The Secret Reason HP Needs The TouchPad To Be A Success
bhartman34 @ 2/15/2011 3:14:48 PM # Q
I hadn't printed out anything in a while, but I've started to do it more often. I've been looking for a job, so I was printing out my resume pretty regularly to take to interviews. And I'm involved in a writers' group, and they're very much attached to the idea of reading from paper, for some reason.

I don't think that tablets (or anything else that's come out in the past 10 years or so) has gotten us any closer to a paperless office. At best, maybe it's gotten us a little bit closer to a paperless home.

RE: The Secret Reason HP Needs The TouchPad To Be A Success
Gekko @ 2/15/2011 4:54:25 PM # Q

i'm not sure tablets themselves are a big factor yet but they probably will be. i think that the advent of the internet itself has reduced all kinds of printing -

1. electronic paperless billing.
2. internet product materials.
3. internet advertising (vs. paper).
4. "just email it to me" mentality in business.
5. online instruction manuals.

i'm sure the list goes on and on but as the example the previous poster gave (Doctor's Office) - the tablet will probably further drive this trend.

personally i hate the waste and inefficiency and abuse of paper.

RE: The Secret Reason HP Needs The TouchPad To Be A Success
mikecane @ 2/15/2011 6:01:36 PM # Q
Also, eBook readers. No more printing out crap. Read it on a device, either eInk or via phone app.
RE: The Secret Reason HP Needs The TouchPad To Be A Success
nastebu @ 2/15/2011 9:37:32 PM # Q
I don't know. Judging by how often I get handed piles of pointlessly printed paper at work, made easy to do by fast and widely available laser printers, I'd be shocked if the per capita number of printed pages were going down.
RE: The Secret Reason HP Needs The TouchPad To Be A Success
mikecane @ 2/19/2011 8:58:14 AM # Q
That's work and you mentioned laser printer. People at home tend to have inkjets.
RE: The Secret Reason HP Needs The TouchPad To Be A Success
CFreymarc @ 3/14/2011 1:09:03 AM # Q
It is not all doom and gloom for the printer market but definately compromsed. The tablet market is still pricey. IMO, I see the middle ground of printers dissapearing but the high and low end I expect to say the same.

Low end: For those that can't afford tablets and will still print in their el-chepo ink jet printers connected to a gallon jug of printer ink.

Middle end: the "print only" middle quality printer will be replaced by multifunctional devices such as combination printers and scanners.

High end: high quality printers that have resolutions and page sizes greater than the screens of tablets.

Reply to this comment

dozens

Gekko @ 2/15/2011 12:27:50 PM # Q

they'll sell dozens!!!


RE: dozens
CFreymarc @ 2/17/2011 12:20:48 AM # Q
What if someone made an webOS tablet and on one came?
Reply to this comment

WTF?! Old news!

mikecane @ 2/15/2011 12:46:22 PM # Q
Here I thought I was coming from Twitter to see something new -- and it's the BGR report of the 11th! Keep up or stop following days later.
RE: WTF?! Old news!
Gekko @ 2/15/2011 1:03:36 PM # Q

that twitter is rotting your brain 140 characters at a time.

Reply to this comment

good luck

linds @ 2/15/2011 1:40:54 PM # Q
I laugh at the new pricing structures that have come out of late. Engadget had a couple of sources saying that the xoom would be over $1,100. I really think apple priced their tablet too low to start off with. At the same time tablets might not have take off if Apple had started with such a low price. My prediction is the next apple tablet will be at least $300 more expensive, if it isn't then android tablets/touch pads will have to come down in order to compete. IPAD market penetration is amazing, my doctor was using one in place of the old thick manila folders. If Ipad can penetrate the Doctors world this quickly then wow is all I can say, or good luck to the competition.
RE: good luck
Gekko @ 2/15/2011 2:29:12 PM # Q

Xoom will be $800.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/06/best-buy-ad-prices-motorola-xoom-at-800-affirms-february-24th/

IMO any tablet that does not match or beat iPad's basic specs and price will fail.

RE: good luck
hkklife @ 2/15/2011 2:40:02 PM # M Q
Amen to everything Gekko said! Never before in modern tech history (ie post iPhone launch in 2007) have I been so mystified at all of these so-called "name players" missing the boat over and over and over on pricepoints and specs.

A 16GB wi-fi Xoom or Touchpad at $500 would STILL be no guaranteed success against the comparably priced iPad. At $700+ these things will be as dead as WebTV or Audrey....or the Fooleo.

RE: good luck
bhartman34 @ 2/15/2011 3:41:14 PM # Q
At $700+ these things will be as dead as WebTV or Audrey....or the Fooleo.

In all fairness, nothing could be as dead as the Foleo. They never even launched the damn thing. :)

RE: good luck
Gekko @ 2/15/2011 4:55:08 PM # Q

stillborn? Cobalt? ALP?

RE: good luck
mikecane @ 2/15/2011 6:04:41 PM # Q
>>>IMO any tablet that does not match or beat iPad's basic specs and price will fail.

Yes. Apple must have locked in very good supply contracts to crush the price down as it has.

But then all these other companies are always looking to put a slice of cheese on their business with higher prices. Look at how no one really matched Palm's PDA prices (although at $500 for the damn LifeDrive, Palm was price bloating to Pocket PC levels).

RE: good luck
Gekko @ 2/15/2011 6:12:27 PM # Q

slice of cheese. i like that one - i'll have to use it.

it's funny how everyone criticizes Apple products for be arrogantly and obnoxiously overpriced and buyers having to pay an "Apple tax" - and Apple demanding and getting a premium price - yet when you look at the iPad at $499 - and even the iPhone at $199 - there's extreme industry-changing value pricing there setting the bar pretty high for all others to try to jump (low price/high value).

perhaps it's part of the first mover strategy - price it cheap - get the market share - get the developers - get the apps - get more market share - crush the competition - raise volumes and economies of scale and market share - positive spiral - rinse and repeat.

RE: good luck
nastebu @ 2/15/2011 9:34:07 PM # Q
One funny thing about Apple is that they rarely cut prices. That habit has earned them the "apple tax" reputation, but it also means that the Apple brand is very stable.

Compare that strategy to Palm's attempt to differentiate between an upper tier Pre and a lower tier Pixie, which collapses as Pre's dropped in price.

RE: good luck
LiveFaith @ 2/15/2011 10:15:38 PM # Q
That's the deal. Apple put a smackdown on the market by placing excellent (and I mean excellent) hardware at the $199 price point. A optimized OS and huge ecosystem makes anyone else look like fools for selling above $200.

The squashes the also-rans like the plasticky Pre well below the $199, and leaves almost no room for the Pixi. For $50 more who would go with less of a device when the TCO over 2 years is a lot of money with data plan. The Pixi has no home.

But, none of that history helped HP with it's decision making. What do the new stewards of the mighty WebOS do? Set up a giant hypefest only to announce ANOTHER 'Pixi', and announce another lackluster "Pre clone', and then top it all off with a gigantic cherry called "in the coming months".

Bewildering!

As far as the Touchpad goes. Rest assured Apple will bring better and more powerful hardware to the iPad2 by the time the HP sees the light of day. But that's ABSOLUTELY NOT the problem.

The problem is in this question. Why would consumers be compelled to buy the Touchpad, when they could have an iPad a similar price. The iPad will come stock with #1 Prestige (never underestimate this) #2 A relatively monstrous apps portfolio #3 An ecosystem that has made it to main street and is recognized by the unwashed masses. What feature does the Touchpad have that would make anyone reject the iPad in favor of it? Printing? Multi-tasking? Integration with a phone OS nobody uses? Plastic? Really?

HP does have popularity no doubt. But in this arena they are just an also-ran. They have to leapfrog and offer compelling reasons to compell consumers. They have shown exactly NONE. And to watch them tell lies on top of lies, alienating their already ghastly user base, is unreal.

Over at PreCentral, they have been running a poll to guage interest in the VZW Pre2. Of all respondents, only 7% either have or plan to get the device. These are the platforms fanboys! Only 1:14 rabid WebOS fans have / plan to buy the ONLY flagship device of the platform. And it is the ONLY device that carries the current living OS. WebOS 1.x is now officially dead. How exactly does HP expect to build anything when their will be hardly anyone on the living platform for 5 months? iPhone 4 will be $99 at VZW and ATT by the time the Pre3 even gets to market.

Good luck HP, you're gonna need lots of it "in the coming months".
Pat Horne

RE: good luck
Gekko @ 2/16/2011 8:05:36 AM # Q

wow - you're almost as bitter as Vampire Boy.

RE: good luck
bhartman34 @ 2/16/2011 12:56:18 PM # Q
@Pat:

I don't think the relatively non-existent interest in the Pre 2 on Verizon among the PreCentral crowd shows a lack of interest in the platform. What you failed to mention is that a full 60% of the respondents on that survey plan to get the Pre 3 or the Veer.

Now, that in itself is remarkable to me, considering the fact that I think a lot of what you say about WebOS lacking an app ecosystem should be blatantly obvious to them, but I think it demonstrates that a good portion of the Palm faithful remain...faithful. And even that number might go up in the future, if HP actually makes good on their stated intention of rewarding the loyalty of Pre owners. (Obviously, that's a big "if", but the possibility's still out there.)

I'm not really sure what HP was thinking with the TouchPad. Nothing about it looks terrible, but there should have been a lot more software partners lined up for it, and more working app demos. People looking at the TouchPad know how far behind WebOS is in apps right now, and they could've used reassurance.

I don't think the price is necessarily a deal-breaker. The price quoted was almost certainly for the top-of-the-line TouchPad. I don't think that's unreasonable when compared to the iPad.

RE: good luck
hkklife @ 2/16/2011 2:25:01 PM # Q
I can certainly share Pat's frustrations and also sadly fall in line with him as not only a Palm Pessimist, but a scorned/burned Palm Pessimist. Besides, Pat has even more reasons to be sour than the rest of us do because:

1. He's still under contract from his Pre Plus for AT&T purchase
2. He uses a Pre Plus as his daily driver
3. He was really looking forward to a WebOS 2.0 update

Right now, relative to the competition, I'd rate WebOS 2.0 as an OS about a 6.5/10. For hardware, the Veer gets a 2/10, the Pre 2 is a 5/10, the Pre 3 gets a 7.5/10 and the TouchPad probably a 7 or an 8.

As far as the TouchPad price goes, it's too much considering its specs other than the CPU are not an improvement AT ALL over the year-old iPad. Pundits are already claiming the Moto Xoom and the RIM Playbook DOA at price that are comparable or slightly better than equivalent first-gen iPads.

More so than specs, Apple has had an entire year to totally run roughshod over the entire tablet market. They've catptured marketshare and mindshare and sold oodles of the first-gen iPad with relatively weak specs. Can you imagine if they decide to drop the price by $50 or $100 of the 16gb Wi-fi model and keep it around as the entry level iPad? No one is buying 64gb 3G iPads. EVERYONE wants a 16gb wi-fi model or a 32gb wi-fi version if they want to store more stuff on it. You can justify paying more for WWAN connectivity on something you need (smartphone, PC). A tablet falls somewhere between a toy and a luxury "spare" computing device and should be priced accordingly.

If Apple had launched the iPad with ONLY a 32gb or 64gb 3G SKU last year those things would as stillborn as the 25th anniversary Mac. The brilliance of launching a low-margin $500 base model had a reverse halo effect on the pricier iPad SKUs. Instead of cheapening the brand or the line, that single "cheap" iPad convinced a LOT of people to go with a $500 tablet over a $400 netbook last year.

And the strangest part about all of this (at least to me) is how the only carriers fielding non-iOS tablets are these damned phone manufacturers, NOT PC or CE companies! Where was Sony's tablet 6 months ago? Why is Toshiba's tablet taking so long to appear? Samsung? Where are the Asian no-name clones? Where is Dell with a REAL tablet effort? Acer and Asus, two companies that absolutely mopped the floor with an endless array of solid netbooks back in 2007-20010, have done absolutely nothing in the tablet space ...other than stand around and release more netbooks. I don't expect HP's entry to be any different than the others. I also question the value of spending resources to integrate Fooleo-type features of dubious value into the Touchpad.

Transfer a call from my HP smartphone to my Touchpad? Exhibition mode? Please. Instead of all of that foolishness that tried to to trick me into buying two WebOS devices, how about sourcing a higher-qualityresolution or better quality LCD panel or figuring out how to incorporate removable storage into WebOS. Or just give us USB 3.0 or a user-replacable battery.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: good luck
LiveFaith @ 2/16/2011 6:30:28 PM # Q
bhartman,
True about the Pre3 survey. But my point is more concerning WebOS v2. Who is actually USING this OS for the next 3-6 months in NA? A few unlocked GSMers and drunk people who grab a Pre2 at VZW in the midst of a bunch of killer hardware. Seriously, what I'm saying is that HP is (like everyone) clamoring for developers. But who wants to develop for a nice user friendly and powerful platform with no users, aka revenue stream. Not many biggies I can assure you. If M$, Apple, or Google had leaked news that made 60-70% of WebOS users NOT upgrade to the platforms ONLY device, we might call it sabotage. But who needs that when HP did it freely to themselves?

Khris,
Yep, you nailed it. The Touchpad is a pretty attractive device IMO, but like all others has a monumental task ahead in taking iPad market share.

Gekko,
Bitter. Yeah, mainly because I let that dirty rotten scoundrel beat me and abuse me for years, and I stayed b/c he kept telling me he was changing this time. On the 9th, he broke all his promises again and came home drunk singing "Red Neck Woman" with Wild Turkey on his breath and started swinging at me when I asked where he had been. When I brandished the double barrell, I think he finally left for good. I guess I'm a little angry at him, but I'm BITTER about the fact that I stayed with him all these years, singin' "Stand By Your Man".
Signed; the ex-Mrs. Pam Pilate, battered wife
Pat Horne

RE: good luck
bhartman34 @ 2/17/2011 5:31:23 AM # Q
Fair point, Pat. I think HP screwed itself with the timing, and, somewhat ironically, by releasing too many devices. Who in God's name would buy a Pre 2 now, with the Pre3 in sight? Assuming you're staying with WebOS at all, the Pre 2 is certainly the wrong horse to bet on.

As I've said in response to the update checker story, I'm probably done with WebOS unless Sprint provides a very cheap upgrade path from my Pre. But I have to believe that people who bought a Pre Plus at least have a shot at getting an update eventually. I don't think HP would've bothered with an update checker otherwise. I'm sure they understand now how screwed over some people feel. (The only reason I don't feel that way is because I expected to have to upgrade after 2 years.)

When HP bought Palm, I sort of expected them to do a lot more with the software. The changes have been too incremental, and they haven't done enough work either encouraging third party development or developing WebOS software themselves. Maybe I missed it, but I was really expecting some new apps out of WebOS 2.0 (and certainly 3.0), but instead we got refinements of old software and "social integration" of existing software. There were the magazines, of course, but that was for the TouchPad. And I just can't' fathom why they'd want to limit Kindle software to the TouchPad. It would've gone at least some way towards pleasing faithful users if they'd ported the Kindle software to the 1.45 software -- or at least to the 2.0 software. But to leave it for the TouchPad? Eghad! I just don't understand the thought process at all.

I'll see what the EVO 2 brings to the table.


RE: good luck
hotpaw4 @ 2/17/2011 2:50:47 PM # Q
> In all fairness, nothing could be as dead as the Foleo. They never even launched the damn thing. :)

But that doesn't prevent Motorola from cloning the concept (Atrix)!

RE: good luck
bhartman34 @ 2/18/2011 9:57:39 PM # Q
Sadly, the Foleo was actually a little more advanced than the Atrix, in some ways. The Atrix is just a keyboard and display you plug your phone into. The Foleo had an OS of its own. It could actually run applications (although not Palm OS ones). It did this in addition to syncing the screen with the phone.

If the Foleo had just a little more horsepower, it would've been similar to the netbooks that were just around the corner at the time. The lack of Flash video and the price were deal-killers, though. (Does that sound familiar to anyone?)


RE: good luck
Gekko @ 2/18/2011 11:27:29 PM # Q

please stop perpetuating the myth that the fooleo was ahead of its time or ahead of anything of the time. it was a dumb idea and thus aborted.

RE: good luck
bhartman34 @ 2/19/2011 10:09:38 AM # Q
Please notice I never used the words "ahead of its time". I simply compared it to the Atrix, which does considerably less than what the Foleo could do. And if you look at it, it's absolutely true that it would've been similar to a netbook, if it had more horsepower. It was a dumb idea because it didn't have the specs that would've made it a useful netbook, but that in no way contradictory to the idea that it was a precursor to the netbooks that were just around the corner. Other companies came along and finally got the idea right, which Palm failed to do with the Foleo.

http://www.ismashphone.com/2010/07/retrospect-a-look-back-at-the-palms-foleo.html

RE: good luck
Gekko @ 2/19/2011 10:22:29 AM # Q

we have already discussed this here ad nauseum -

1. Netbook-equivalents existed far before the fooleo was ever conceived. hkk can list them all for you if you'd like.
2. fooleo is not a Netbook.
3. fooleo copied Celio Redfly's "Companion" concept.
4. fooleo is a Netbook like a calculator is a smartphone.


RE: good luck
bhartman34 @ 2/19/2011 1:07:40 PM # Q
I think you have the chronology wrong concerning Redfly and Foleo:

http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/ontherun/celio-redfly-could-be-what-the-palm-foleo-wanted-to-be-if-it-grew-up-22017

And the RedFly was just a dumb terminal for your phone. The Foleo could operate independently. The Atrix has more in common w/ Redfly than the Foleo.

I'm not saying that the Foleo was the first netbook, or the only mini-laptop. But neither was it just a detachable keyboard and display, as the Atrix is.

RE: good luck
LiveFaith @ 2/19/2011 10:03:53 PM # Q
I actually liked the concept of the FOLDeo. But, as usual Palm's hardware was the turd in the punchbowl. 416mhz when the identical chip could be had at 612mhz. Even JH whined @ the wimpy specs at the All Things D.

Had this had a WebOS (the other Linux OS they were working on @ the time), horsepower at least approaching the emerging netbook craze, and did some serious real time sync, that could have been a very worthwhile concept IMO.

Then again, looking back at my list, Palm was not close to delivering ANY of that. so who cares. Well, at least we've got the Veer to look forward to.
Pat Horne

RE: good luck
Gekko @ 2/20/2011 4:47:44 AM # Q

the best moment from that whole debacle -

WM Let me get this straight. It won't do the hottest thing on the Web? [They blame the flashware, but its obviously the processor]
JH Let me be clear: it will do it, but not well.
WM When?
JH UHHH...In the future.
JH If I could do it again, I'd put a faster processor in here.

http://gizmodo.com/#!264533/liveblog-palm-foleo-unveil-now?comment=1562805


RE: good luck
LiveFaith @ 3/8/2011 2:06:33 PM # Q
The Fooleo was ahead of it's time, IF Palm had had extremely updated specs in every area as opposed to what they were going to trot out. :-/
Pat Horne
RE: good luck
LiveFaith @ 3/8/2011 2:10:45 PM # Q
Here was my Photoshop on the day of the announcement ... I forgot all about this. Hehe!

http://tinyurl.com/4m54fhh
Pat Horne

Reply to this comment

Apple secures 60% of global touch panel capacity, causing tight s

Gekko @ 2/17/2011 6:12:45 AM # Q

Apple secures 60% of global touch panel capacity, causing tight supply
Yenting Chen and Rebecca Kuo, Taipei; Joseph Tsai, DIGITIMES [Thursday 17 February 2011]

In order to achieve its internal goal of shipping 40 million iPad products in 2011, Apple has occupied close to 60% of the global touch panel capacity causing tight supply among Apple's competitors, according to sources from upstream component makers.

Sources from tablet PC makers also pointed out that the component shortage is causing their shipment volumes to be unable to catch up with their orders, especially for second-tier players. Touch panels are currently suffering the most serious shortage due to Apple holding control over the capacity of major touch panel makers such as Wintek and TPK, and with US-based RIM, Motorola and Hewlett-Packard (HP) also competing for related components, second-tier players are already out of the game, the sources noted.

http://www.digitimes.com/print/a20110216PD219.html

RE: Apple secures 60% of global touch panel capacity, causing tight s
LiveFaith @ 2/17/2011 6:15:58 PM # Q
Hey, at least they called HP 1st tier. Best news since they said no more announcing with months before release. Oh wait.
Pat Horne
RE: Apple secures 60% of global touch panel capacity, causing tight s
mikecane @ 2/19/2011 9:05:05 AM # Q
Yes, that's what I said way back there about Apple locking in prices and supply. All of the others -- probably including HP and even Sony(!) -- will have to scramble to fight over the crumbs, meaning their screens will cost more and that'll be reflected in the final customer pricing. They will all come in at the start with a price disadvantage.

And what's doubly bizarre is Samsung dropping 7" screens for 10" screens. 7" screen is a niche that would do very well because people like having something smaller they can drop in a bag and tote around. Some people say there isn't that much of a difference between a 4" screen and 7" screen but that's baloney. I'm disappointed HP didn't show a 7" TouchPad too, although one has been rumored. HP could have locked in a huge supply of 7" screens and addressed a market Apple has chosen to ignore.

Reply to this comment
Start a New Comment Thread Top View Full Comment Thread
Achtung! Only the first 50 comments are displayed within the article.
    Click here for the full story discussion page...

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: