$99 HP Touchpad

AnandTech - Updated: HP TouchPad Reduced to $99 and $149 (16GB & 32GB)

Curious if anyone else is getting one of these just because. I got mine because you can toss a kindle and nook reader app on there, which makes it cheaper than the original platforms, but with color.

Anyway, may be other threads about this, so delete if it's a repeat.

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qwertyiop

cyberguypr wrote: »

Got my $99 Touchpad from Newegg yesterday. I find it ridiculously slow compared to my iPad 2. On many occasions I had to tap twice so it would actually click what I wanted. The whole experience was reminiscent of a ChinaPad I got back in March. Good thing it's for my wife to read PDFs and do Facebook. I couldn't live with it.

I hope you updated the firmware, many claim that the update improves performance, also people have been overclocking this. Some claim to have gotten it to run between 1.5 - 1.9 ghz.

cyberguypr

Yep, first thing I did. Since it's the wife's toy it will see no mods. We are both happier that way.

tiersten

cyberguypr wrote: »

Yep, first thing I did. Since it's the wife's toy it will see no mods. We are both happier that way.

Set logging to minimal. Its all within the standard firmware so you're not modding anything so future updates won't be affected and apparently performance improves quite a bit.

erpadmin

cyberguypr wrote: »

Yep, first thing I did. Since it's the wife's toy it will see no mods. We are both happier that way.

I would have bought it for my wife too...at $99. By the time I found out about this, it was long gone.

I doubt that the $99 deal will come back for this final shipment. HP will probably do it for $199 and that would have been too much...

UPDATE: After reading this: http://www.beatweek.com/news/9314-hp-touchpad-is-a-brick-android-99-price-tag-cant-save-it/ , I feel a lot better now.

tiersten

erpadmin wrote: »

UPDATE: After reading this: HP TouchPad is a brick: Android, $99 price tag can’t save it : Beatweek Magazine , I feel a lot better now.

Ehh. There is so much wrong factually with that article which is just FUD and bashing for the hell of it.

I'll concede that it doesn't have as many apps but its not as dead as people think. If you already know WebOS then you might as well continue to push apps since you know there are thousands of people out there with the tablet.

HP are still support WebOS at least as of right this minute. They claim they want to license it and put it into things like printers etc... No guarantee that HP won't kill off the WebOS division on Monday though.

iPad 1 cases fit the TouchPad. There isn't a special dock connector so you won't have any of those accessories anyway. The thing charges via Micro USB. Not sure what else you really need or want for it.

People have managed to get Android mostly working on the TouchPad already. Cyanogen are working on it and they're a pretty established team.

I agree that the TouchPad isn't ideal for your first experience of a tablet. If you understand the limitations such as lack of apps then its fine as something to browse the web with. If you want all singing all dancing with hundreds of thousands of apps then why did you buy a Touchpad? Go get an iPad.

HP are still supporting the TouchPad with updates, repairs and servicing. They have to do warranty repairs for at least 1 year because of European law if nothing else. It may even be 2 years.

zaxbysauce

erpadmin wrote: »

UPDATE: After reading this: HP TouchPad is a brick: Android, $99 price tag can’t save it : Beatweek Magazine , I feel a lot better now.

Not only is almost everything in that article straight up wrong, there is a clear and obvious bias towards Apple throughout the entire thing. What a bunch of drivel. One by one rebuttal using common sense

1. Yes it is discontinued. It did not sell because it was too expensive. It tried to compete on the Ipad's ground and it could not, end of story.

2. Apps are considerably less than Android, IOS, or even Windows Phone, but there are certainly more poeple deveoping for it now than there ever where due to how many flew off the shelves. Does the writer not understand what millions of extra users means?

3. This guy is ridiculous. WebOS was not aimed at geeks, it was aimed at business users. Way to sneak in a soooo subtle jab at Android.

4. This is probably true.

5. He obviously has no grip on how many touchpads were sold recently.

6. There are more accessories for it than you can throw a stick at, especially considering all the ipad cases and such work with it.

7. This is completely false. The hardware (aside from the touchscreen) is the same as quite a few Android tablets. The "small group" mentioned has not only already moved android over, they have also managed to create working drivers for the touchscreen in remarkable time. They are driven, they are dedicated, and they have no lives, this will be done and it will be done well (see CyanogenMod).

8. Obvious Ipad bias, building on already proven wrong points. Nothing to see here.

9. Even if HP does not manage to sell off WebOS, there is still a dedicated homebrew community. Not to mention that hackers and virus makers tend to go after popular platforms. This one is just fear mongering.

10. Just as wrong as always. Yes it is discontinued, no that does not mean it is not still a great value at that price.

I have no great love for the toucphad, but I hate people posting such false and obviously biased information and making people take it for truth.

MrRyte

zaxbysauce wrote: »

Not only is almost everything in that article straight up wrong, there is a clear and obvious bias towards Apple throughout the entire thing. What a bunch of drivel.

Indeed. Maybe if it didn't have the IPHONE+IPOD+IPAD link at the top of the webpage right under BEATWEEK MAGAZINE title I would have taken the article more seriously.

Devilsbane

zaxbysauce wrote: »

Not only is almost everything in that article straight up wrong, there is a clear and obvious bias towards Apple throughout the entire thing. What a bunch of drivel. One by one rebuttal using common sense

1. Yes it is discontinued. It did not sell because it was too expensive. It tried to compete on the Ipad's ground and it could not, end of story.

2. Apps are considerably less than Android, IOS, or even Windows Phone, but there are certainly more poeple deveoping for it now than there ever where due to how many flew off the shelves. Does the writer not understand what millions of extra users means?

3. This guy is ridiculous. WebOS was not aimed at geeks, it was aimed at business users. Way to sneak in a soooo subtle jab at Android.

4. This is probably true.

5. He obviously has no grip on how many touchpads were sold recently.

6. There are more accessories for it than you can throw a stick at, especially considering all the ipad cases and such work with it.

7. This is completely false. The hardware (aside from the touchscreen) is the same as quite a few Android tablets. The "small group" mentioned has not only already moved android over, they have also managed to create working drivers for the touchscreen in remarkable time. They are driven, they are dedicated, and they have no lives, this will be done and it will be done well (see CyanogenMod).

8. Obvious Ipad bias, building on already proven wrong points. Nothing to see here.

9. Even if HP does not manage to sell off WebOS, there is still a dedicated homebrew community. Not to mention that hackers and virus makers tend to go after popular platforms. This one is just fear mongering.

10. Just as wrong as always. Yes it is discontinued, no that does not mean it is not still a great value at that price.

I have no great love for the toucphad, but I hate people posting such false and obviously biased information and making people take it for truth.

Thanks for writing this. I had much the same feelings but was feeling much too lazy to do all of that guys homework for him.

erpadmin

tiersten wrote: »

I agree that the TouchPad isn't ideal for your first experience of a tablet. If you understand the limitations such as lack of apps then its fine as something to browse the web with. If you want all singing all dancing with hundreds of thousands of apps then why did you buy a Touchpad? Go get an iPad.

zaxbysauce wrote: »

Not only is almost everything in that article straight up wrong, there is a clear and obvious bias towards Apple throughout the entire thing. What a bunch of drivel. One by one rebuttal using common sense

While I am usually turned off by anyone who *blanks* Apple's *blank* as this author obviously does, I'd like to think that like me, he's just jealous that he too could not get the Touchpad for $99. I would never get an iPad...I'd get an Android Tablet. Especially since I have a Samsung Droid Charge. I love it!

For browsing the web though....I think the Touchpad would have been worth the $99 bucks.

Still though, the author may be a rabid Apple fanboy, his points have validity on some points.

tiersten

erpadmin wrote: »

While I am usually turned off by anyone who *blanks* Apple's *blank* as this author obviously does, I'd like to think that like me, he's just jealous that he too could not get the Touchpad for $99. I would never get an iPad...I'd get an Android Tablet. Especially since I have a Samsung Droid Charge. I love it!

I'd prefer an Android tablet over an Apple one personally but if I had to choose a tablet for somebody else then I'd generally recommend the iPad. Its whats on the adverts, what their friends will mostly have and the walled garden is generally what they want. Assuming you're doing what Apple want you to do then it will pretty much just work. Just working is a great feature if its for somebody who will call you for tech support otherwise

erpadmin wrote: »

For browsing the web though....I think the Touchpad would have been worth the $99 bucks.

Thats my opinion of it. It is cheap but has a decent specification. For $99 its great. For the same price as an iPad or XOOM, it just wasn't viable. A lot of the other sub $100 devices couple a terrible Android port with no official Google backing and a cost reduced hardware specification so you lose out on the touchscreen.

erpadmin wrote: »

Still though, the author may be a rabid Apple fanboy, his points have validity on some points.

Yup. There are valid points in there or at least half truths which do have a basis in fact. The "Hah! Its not an iPad! Therefore it automatically sucks!" tone is very evident though.

erpadmin

tiersten wrote: »

Yup. There are valid points in there or at least half truths which do have a basis in fact. The "Hah! Its not an iPad! Therefore it automatically sucks!" tone is very evident though.

It certainly was, but I just tuned it out the noise.

rogue2shadow

Random: Anyone receive their CostCentral Touchpad yet?

jahsoul

I think I'm the only person in the world who realizes that 99% of the apps on ALL markets are worthless. I don't need fart sounds or 20 versions of Angry Birds. I needed a tablet that was going to help my productivity and a Touchpad was on top of my list. I've been a dedicated user of Android since the beginning (I still have a G1 in my closet) but Honeycomb sucked until 3.2 and I refuse to get an iPad. I weighed it out an this worked for me...

1. Flashcards for WebOS is one of the best applications (PC or mobile) to use for studying. I create Flashcard sets online from what I have studied and when I'm done, go to my Touchpad and download it.

2. OpenVPN works for the setup that I have (using DD-WRT)

3. The best browser that I have ever used on any mobile device....

4. Multitasking is something that you really don't care about until you need it. I need it a lot.

5. While they don't have a plethora of apps, a lot of what they do have add to productivity.

Honestly, after spending all this time with WebOS, I hate that the Pre3 isn't coming to Verizon. But with most things, this is just my opinion.

cyberguypr wrote: »

Got my $99 Touchpad from Newegg yesterday. I find it ridiculously slow compared to my iPad 2. On many occasions I had to tap twice so it would actually click what I wanted. The whole experience was reminiscent of a ChinaPad I got back in March. Good thing it's for my wife to read PDFs and do Facebook. I couldn't live with it.

I would have hated to see your reaction to the Xoom when it was first released...lol. Everything is slow compared to the iPad because it is the only tablet whose software is completely optimized for the hardware. Hardware isn't better and IMO software isn't (push, open, aaaah...what doesn't do that...lol). It's just fine tuned to run with what is has. I had 10 cards open at the same time last night without an hiccup so I'm good with what I have...lol

erpadmin wrote: »

While I am usually turned off by anyone who *blanks* Apple's *blank* as this author obviously does, I'd like to think that like me, he's just jealous that he too could not get the Touchpad for $99. I would never get an iPad...I'd get an Android Tablet. Especially since I have a Samsung Droid Charge. I love it!

For browsing the web though....I think the Touchpad would have been worth the $99 bucks.

Still though, the author may be a rabid Apple fanboy, his points have validity on some points.

Many people agree that if the Touchpad was sold for $300, it would have sold out just the same. It cost over $300 to build so I can say that it is well worth over $99 and this is coming from someone who was going to purchase it at full retail next month. Someone should have told HP that apps run the tablet market. That why Apple dominates the market and Android is the 2nd most desired (because if you really knew the performance of an Android tablet without tweaks and mod....I'm just saying...lol.)

NOC-Ninja

here's mine. I think it does its job for a cheap price. I wanted the IPAD but I cant afford it. Well, I can afford it but I rather spend money on my CCIE lab.

demonfurbie

HP TouchPad FB356UT WebOS Tablet and Belkin F8N200-BLK Tablet Sleeve and HP FB341AA#ABA North America Power Adapter Bundle at TigerDirect.com

welp that sold out in 4 min nevermind

billyr

You lot make me sick. Coming on here, giving it the big one about your WebOS and your 99$ Touchpads.
Think of your poor cousins across the Atlantic who hardly got a sniff of one before they were all gone.

I'm so jealous...

apoole15

Strange - my order through TigerDirect went through... hope it's for real!

petedude

apoole15 wrote: »

Strange - my order through TigerDirect went through... hope it's for real!

That was over with quick. There's a page up at TigerDirect now where you can sign up to be notified if they get more.

Devilsbane

HP selling touchpads to employees.

HP’s Internal $99 TouchPad Sale More Popular Than Expected, Crushes Web Server | TechCrunch

undomiel

I'm still waiting for them to ship the one I ordered for my wife.

demonfurbie

woot

HP to launch another Touchpad fire sale this weekend, because it's cold outside -- Engadget

erpadmin

demonfurbie wrote: »

woot

HP to launch another Touchpad fire sale this weekend, because it's cold outside -- Engadget

No Netflix and no HDMI output...

If I hadn't given the missus her Toshiba Thrive (16GB), I'd have jumped on this...Reburbished and all. However, with no Netflix and HDMI output, I'd have to pass.

Yeah, the days that this Tablet might be able to run on Android is seemingly coming, but for that, I'll take my chances with upcoming deals.

I do need a tablet for myself, and after seeing her use her's everyday, I figure why not. (It would really be useful for meetings when I have to look something up/take notes/etc.) But for the ones I want, they're the same price as laptops....I'm almost sure prices will come down....just have to wait.

Bl8ckr0uter

Do you seriously need an HDMI output on a tablet device?

qwertyiop

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Do you seriously need an HDMI output on a tablet device?

Well I know that I dont my touchpad has almost completely replaced my netbook

demonfurbie

im gonna try and get one for my 6 year old, rip a few dvds and put them on it for the car

terryfera

There's an alpha copy of Cyanogen out for the touchpad now that's apparently pretty stable (kills the battery fairly fast though from what I hear).

CM7.1 Alpha for the HP Touchpad released | CyanogenMod