Businessweek on HP's TouchPad Launch Plans

Posted By: Kris Keilhack Tuesday, June 28, 2011 10:06:32 AM

Businessweek has just published an informative new article entitled "HP's Plan to Make TouchPad a Hit". In the article, written by Cliff Edwards and Aaron Ricadela, Businesweek talks with HP personal systems head Todd Bradley.

A six-year veteran of HP, Mr. Bradley starts off his talk by unequivocally stating that the Wintel era is drawing to a close and a new mobile and cloud-centric model focusing on ARM-based devices is now upon us. The article then goes on to give an overview of the differences between HP's home-grown WebOS efforts and the efforts of Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows licensees. Jon Rubinstein, former Palm CEO, is also quoted in the piece.

Somewhat puzzling, absolutely zero mention is made within this piece of the company's past, current, or forthcoming smartphone prospects. Despite promises to the contrary last year, this could fuel renewed speculation that WebOS is going to gradually segue into a larger-screen OS with the increasingly commoditized smartphone market playing an increasingly less important role in HP's future roadmap.

Additional details gleaned from the talk with Mr. Bradley include that the TouchPad will launch with 300 TouchPad-optimized applications along with a "recommendation engine" for highlight new applications (something that has long been a sore spot with both the WebOS and Android app stores). Reassuringly, a reference is also made to HP wooing software developers such as Netflix for a WebOS movie streaming client with prominent placement in the WebOS Pivot online magazine.

A final interesting tidbit revealed in the article is HP's push to win over corporate customers, something that has never historically been a key target for Palm's mobile offerings. As this is the first-ever non-phone device running WebOS and is being sold through conventional retail channels instead of carrier partners, HP is also in the midst of training Best Buy and various other retailers on the strengths of the TouchPad and WebOS. This step will hopefully prevent the kind of misinformed meltdown that plagued Palm's final push of WebOS last year. Word is also made of an impending HP marketing campaign featuring Jay-Z, which further bolsters HP's hip-hop aspirations with the TouchPad's Dr.Dre-endorsed "Beats" audio technology revealed in January.

The piece concludes with another quote from Rubinstein: "We have a really good opportunity to become No. 2 in tablets fairly quickly...possibly No. 1" along with Businessweek's bottom line take on the platform's prospects: HP has Apple-like control over WebOS hardware and software. Now comes the hard part: winning over consumers and developers.

Thanks to Gekko for the tip.

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Put this in your bong and smoke it

Tuckermaclain @ 6/28/2011 11:51:20 AM #

http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2011/06/28/google-now-activates-500000-android-devices-each-day/

HP has a large uphill battle to topple Android. Don't see it happening, but would be happy if they did.

RE: Put this in your bong and smoke it

hkklife @ 6/28/2011 1:12:04 PM #

IMO, theTP will be a non-starter in the 10" segment BUT they could really stir things up (relatively speaking) in the 7" sector due to the atrociously weak lineup so far in that category IF the 7" TP has otherwise identical specs tot the 10" version.

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: Put this in your bong and smoke it

Tuckermaclain @ 6/28/2011 2:28:04 PM #

If a developer has an OS with another million potential customers every other day he will put his effort into another Android program rather than a WebOS app, IMO. The potential paydays are so much different. Without the apps, it's harder to imagine consumers flocking to it unless it's significantly better than Android--and the consumer gets to decide, not tech guys.

RE: Put this in your bong and smoke it

richf @ 6/28/2011 3:03:33 PM #

According to this post on PreCentral.net HP intends to make it right. This is a start in the right direction. Wish I had a receipt for the Pre Plus I got. Well not really, I am still conflicted on how this device fits into my gadget scene. As much as I am looking for a gadget purchase I really I think I have all the bases covered and don't see myself springing for this thing at this time.
Oh well read this at this link...http://www.precentral.net/hp-makes-things-right-early-adopters-extra-50-discount
Have a nice day!
HP 41CX->HP 75C->Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->Pilot Pro->IIIe->IIIc->M500->M505->M515->TC->T3->T5->Treo 650P->Treo 700P->Droid>Pre Plus

RE: Put this in your bong and smoke it

hkklife @ 6/28/2011 3:47:13 PM #

That is a pretty much a POS offer and a huge cop-out on HP's part...still, it's $50 or at least $25 more than what I expected them to offer.

First of all, who has a receipt laying around from possibly two+ years ago? Assuming that is really part of the eligibility requirements...

More importantly, why just a discount on 32Gb TPs? Awfully presumptuous for HP to assume that everyone has big $ laying around for a $550 impulse purchase.

Finally, just a measly $50? $100 off of a 16Gb TP for Sprint users would be the way to go since they are likely denied any future WebOS phones on Sprint going forward. Or a $250 unlocked Veer or offer a Verizon Pre 2 to VZW Pre+/Pixi+ users with no contract for $250 or something.

Honestly, not offering the discount on the 16Gb version or not offering a bigger discount to begin with is my biggest gripe with this "deal".

Speaking of overpriced tablets, I would LOVE to see the BoM on the TouchPad. I bet HP's margins, especially on the 32Gb version they are pushing so hard, are astronomical. All of its hardware specs are circa Jan 2010 (iPad 1 release) other than the CPU.
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: Put this in your bong and smoke it

Gekko @ 6/29/2011 10:55:45 AM #

500,000 activations a day with 4% week over week growth is crazy. the mathematical compounding on that is mind boggling.

how many TOTAL active webOS devices are out there right now? maybe 1-2 million?

http://www.precentral.net/triangulating-number-webos-users

RE: Put this in your bong and smoke it

BaalthazaaR @ 6/29/2011 1:43:45 PM #

HP in talks about licensing webos

http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/29/hp-confirms-its-in-talks-about-licensing-webos-samsung-tipped

RE: Put this in your bong and smoke it

Gekko @ 6/29/2011 3:52:35 PM #

week new activations per DAY
0 500,000
1 520,000
2 540,800
3 562,432
4 584,929
5 608,326
6 632,660
7 657,966
8 684,285
9 711,656
10 740,122
11 769,727
12 800,516
13 832,537
14 865,838
15 900,472
16 936,491
17 973,950
18 1,012,908
19 1,053,425
20 1,095,562
21 1,139,384
22 1,184,959
23 1,232,358
24 1,281,652
25 1,332,918
26 1,386,235