Perhaps Best Buy’s U.S. managers saw all those HP TouchPads being sold around them and decided to join in the fun, too. After saying that its U.S. stores would not partake in the fire sale of the webOS tablet, deciding instead to send the unsold inventory to HP, the big box retailer has made a U-turn and starting immediately it will offer the heavily discounted device at stores and online. A message on the Best Buy online forum says that due to HP’s decision to discontinue producing the tablets, it is now offering the tablets at clearance prices regardless of any other promotion or advertisement.

Just to reiterate the pricing laid out by HP, the 16GB TouchPad (SKU 2842056) now sells for $99.99, down from $399.99. The 32GB (SKU 2842092) version has a $149.99 price tag, down from $499.99. There is a limit of one of each SKU for each customer, which is a fancy way of saying that a customer can buy no more than one of each model. As of Saturday night, the tablets have yet to show up on Best Buy’s web site. The good news is that those who were unable to find an HP TouchPad on Saturday just might find some inventory at their local Best Buy on Sunday. The company says that inventory might be low for the online store.

By the way, if you bought the HP TouchPad from Best Buy after June 19th, you can receive the difference between what you paid for the tablet and the new sales price. If you bought it at a Best Buy store, you simply need to return to the store you bought it at. Those who bought it online need to call Best Buy.com support at 888BestBuy (888-237-8289).

source: BestBuy via PCMag

For those who got up early this morning to beat the crowd at Best Buy and pick up an HP TouchPad for $99.99, well it would have been best if you had just hit the snooze button. Unlike its Canadian partners up north, U.S. Best Buy stores will not be selling the HP TouchPad at the fire sale prices directed by the Palo Alto firm. Instead, the big box retailer is packing up the webOS flavored tablets for return to HP. Best Buy’s web site has removed the tablet which has disappeared from the site as though it were in the Witness Protection program. The only hint that such a product ever was offered at Best Buy is the $30 screen protector available online. If you think you’ll have better luck buying directly from the manufacturer, at HP’s web site, both the 16GB and 32GB versions of the TouchPad are listed as being out of stock.

There is good news, though, for those who paid the higher prices for the tablet when it was originally launched. HP is refunding the difference between the higher prices and the new discounted prices it set forth yesterday, as we reported. You will need to call HP or the store where you purchased the TouchPad. The new prices as set forth by HP are $99.99 for the 16GB tablet and $149.99 for the 32GB variant.

source: webOSRoundup, BestBuy via Engadget

Both versions of the TouchPad are out of stock according to HP's web site

Once the word spread that HP was halting production of webOS flavored hardware, those with such devices were a little concerned about the webOS App Catalog. Those still sporting a Pre or a Pixi, a Veer or even a TouchPad will be happy to learn that the Palo Alto based firm will not only continue to support the online app store, but also plans on making it better. Meanwhile, Microsoft has been trying to lure webOS developers to its online app store by offering free phones and other tools.

On Friday, HP webOS Developer Relations VP Richard Kerris wrote in a letter on HP’s webOS Developer Blog that HP will continue to support the App Catalog and will even refine it. In the letter, the executive wrote that HP will  “enhance merchandising and presentation” of apps. Events for developers are still planned around the world, albeit with a different emphasis now that HP is not producing webOS hardware. Kerris gave developers “sincere appreciation” for continuing to support webOS and said that more information would be coming in the next few weeks.

HP’s decision to support the App Catalog might help boost sales of whatever inventory of webOS flavored product is in stores. As we reported, HP has started a fire sale on the TouchPad tablet with the 16GB model going for $99.99 and the 32GB version priced at $149.99.

source: HP via electronista

With HP deciding to pull the plug on all of its webOS flavored hardware, it’s no surprise that prices of the HP TouchPad tablet are falling almost faster than the company’s stock. Starting Saturday, the price of the 16GB TouchPad drops from $399.99 to $99.99 and the 32GB version will be reduced in price from $499.99 to $149.99.

Who would have imagined that the 16GB HP TouchPad would quickly drop under $100 in price? Sure, HP started cutting the price almost immediately after it was launched, but no one could have predicted this happening. Imagine what those who bought the tablet last week must be thinking. And just to make it clear, the price reduction is not the idea of the retailers. This liquidation is coming straight from Palo Alto and HP is telling retailers that this is the “lowest price ever” for the TouchPad (which is pretty obvious, don’t you think?), and HP suggests that the new prices should be posted as soon as they go live, which is tomorrow. As we reported, HP is planning on reimbursing retailers to the tune of $100 million for unsold inventory of the tablet.

Paying $99.99 for a tablet that was priced at $499.99 at launch just a few weeks ago seems like a great deal and no doubt, webOS devotees are going to take advantage of the deal. But what about those who favor other platforms; will you pass up the opportunity to grab either HP TouchPad at the new fire sale prices?

source: MobileSyrup

HP has drastically cut the price of both the 16GB and 32GB HP TouchPad

It seems like the mismanagement of webOS is something we’ll be hearing about for a long time going forward. The webOS system has been celebrated by tech pundits and users, but just can’t seem to find its way onto quality hardware with reasonable marketing and support behind it. WebOS started out life on dying Palm hardware running on the bottom tier US carrier, Sprint. Out of death, it was bought by HP and put on the TouchPad, which we knew wasn’t the best hardware, but it may have been worse that even we expected.

TheNextWeb is reporting now that HP tested webOS on an iPad 2, and it ran “twice as fast” on the iPad than on the TouchPad. It’s unclear exactly how the testing was done, or how the conclusion was reached as it seems devs tested webOS framework Enyo apps on the iPad, and also tested the full OS on the iPad. Still, it has been confirmed by webOS developers that they were forced to scale back features, and not innovate too far because the TouchPad hardware was so slow and had so many restrictions.

It’s always sad to see promising software mismanaged, and never find a hold, but at the very least we can hope that Matias Duarte can bring some of the webOS magic to Android.

source: TheNextWeb

With the HP TouchPad selling considerably worse than anyone at the company would have ever imagined, one might wonder what would retail outlets do with all the leftover units taking up precious space in their warehouses. Well, the manufacturer shed some light on the matter yesterday and stated that $100 million will be reimbursed to retailers for their unsold HP TouchPad inventory.

The announcement was made during the company’s Q3 earnings report soon after Léo Apotheker, chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard Corporation, dropped the bomb by stating that his company was through with webOS tablets and smartphones. Now, assuming that HP was charging about $400 per unit on average, we can estimate that roughly 250,000 TouchPads are still collecting dust around retailer warehouses nationwide, which lines up with the rumor that Best Buy still has nearly 245,000 of them. Of course, these numbers are nothing but a guess and the manufacturer might have shipped the tablet at a much lower price in order to boost sales and gain market share.

HP has been persistently trying to find a way to increase its profits, which have been dropping steadily over the past year, but its low operating margins have left the company struggling against the competition. Initial hopes for the webOS platform and the devices that it would power, the HP TouchPad included, were pretty high as they were viewed as more or less as a lifeline for HP. However, due to poor marketing and low developer support, webOS simply failed to catch up with the market.

With webOS awaiting its uncertain fate, HP might consider dropping TouchPad prices even further, possibly even going below its production cost after a while. As we reported not long ago, the tablet now bears a permanent $400 price tag for its 16-gig Wi-Fi-only model and $500 for the 32-gig one at the manufacturer official online store.

source: HP via AppleInsider

After acquiring Palm for $1.2 billion in April 2010, HP has decided to call it quits and will no longer sell hardware powered by the webOS software that was the key behind its purchase of Palm. In a terse statement, the Palo Alto based firm said, “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.”

When HP bought webOS, the idea was to have the software in printers, tablets, phones and computers all connecting with each other through the use of the operating system. Instead, HP was slow in bringing products to market and when something new was produced, like the HP TouchPad, it sold poorly despite HP’s price-cutting on the tablet.

Back in June, HP announced that it was willing to license webOS, but that was mostly for manufacturers producing products outside of HP’s usual areas. As far as HP making back its investment in Palm, that would be unlikely. It is still being said that HP will be exploring ways to license the webOS software, and we do hope that it will finally fall in the hands of a capable smartphone manufacturer, which will take full advantage of the platform and manage to present it to the users in its finest.

Palm brought out webOS back in January 2009 when it introduced the Palm Pre at CES. At the time, webOS was lauded as revolutionary with its cards format and the ability to close an app by simply flicking a card off the screen. But poor marketing by Palm and a weak selection of apps was the downfall of the Pre and soon the launch of the Motorola DROID allowed Android to totally overwhelm webOS.

Is this the end of the line for the software or will a company come forward to keep it alive? We should know who is interested in the next few days.

source: AllThingsD

In what feels like forever at this point (roughly six months actually), we’re finally just about ready to see the HP Pre 3 making its long time arrival. In fact, pre-orders became available close to the end of last month for those intent about picking up the next-generation webOS smartphone,

Fortunately, UK consumers will soon have the prime opportunity of snatching a model seeing that online retailer Clove is set to start selling the handset tomorrow, August 17th. Recently, they’ve been able to secure their first batch of units, which are intended to begin shipping out as soon as tomorrow.

Paying out a cool £360 ($591) for it, you’ll be able to buy yourself a SIM-free and unlocked version of the handset – meaning, it’s ready to start making waves with just about any network carrier out there.
However, the speculation about it potentially being upgraded to a dual-core 1.2GHz processor is thrown out the door the moment you read its listed specs. Specifically, it’s mentioned to be sporting a 1.4GHz single-core processor instead. Nevertheless, we’re sure it’s going to be enough to handle all the intricacies of webOS.

source: Clove UK via Unwired View

It looks like the HP Pre3 is finally packed up and ready to hit the market, at least in some countries, but to the disappointment of all webOS fans Stateside, the US will likely not be among the places where the smartphone will debut. HP Germany has put the Pre3 up for pre-order and is promising to start shipping the device to customers in about 1 to 2 weeks.

The HP Pre3 is currently priced at 350 Euro (about $500), which, of course, buys you an unlocked device with no strings attached. In comparison, that is considerably cheaper than what Amazon was asking for the device when it was listed online for pre-order back in May. In terms of hardware, we will probably disappoint you, but do not expect finding a dual-core 1.2GHz processor under the Pre3’s hood. The smartphone packs a single-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8×55 chipset, 3.6-inch WVGA display and a 5-megapixel camera capable of shooting 720p video.

As far as the Pre3’s Stateside release goes, however, rumors suggest that we might have to wait until September 18 before the device finally sets foot on US soil. But will the wait be worth it and will the webOS flagship have what it takes to compete with the ranks of the iPhone 5 and the team of Android heavyweights? Feel free to place your bets in the comments section below.

Thanks, Ahmad!

source: HP Germany via PreCentral

Across the Atlantic, Orange UK has turned on its support page for the upcoming HP Pre3. Before Orange customers get terribly excited, the site offers nothing in the way of a UK launch date for the webOS device. On the other hand, it does confirm the specs on the device like the 1.2GHz dual-core processor, the 3.6 inch WVGA screen and a 5MP camera that captures video at 720p. Pre-installed is webOS 2.2 and 512MB of RAM is aboard. The HP Pre 3 comes with 8GB of internal storage but has no microSD slot.

As we recently reported, the US launch of the HP Pre 3 has been pushed back to September 18th, according to a leaked internal document, from an earlier September 4th release. At the same time, the document notes that HP’s Palm unit said that the UK division has had delays receiving the final product from its supplier. This probably explains why there is no launch date posted on Orange’s web site.

The launch delays for both the US and UK versions of the HP Pre 3 are just the latest in a series of missteps that has prevented this model from ever reaching its true potential. From the moment it was introduced at CES in January 2009 and appointed the heir apparent to the Apple iPhone, to its current position as a smartphone afterthought, the Pre has been about missed opportunities, miscalculations, and marketing mistakes. While the bump up in specs is really nice, is it enough to get Apple iPhone and Android users to drop their current touchscreen phone and replace it with the HP Pre 3?

source: OrangeUK via Engadget

Orange UK has gone live with its support site for the HP Pre 3