newjerseynewsroom.com

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Hewlett-Packard finally found the answer to improving sales of its TouchPad tablet, but only after discontinuing the product. Major bargains.

Most major retailers sold out of their Hewlett-Packard Touch Pad stock during fire sales on Saturday because they offered customers significant price cuts. The International Business Times reports that Best Buy, Walmart and Staples were selling the16GB TouchPad for $99 and the 32GB model for $149.

The original price of the 16GB TouchPad was $399, while the 32GB version was at $499. Before that, HP offered a $100 discount earlier in August.

PC World reports that HP isn't making any more TouchPads but they promise more fire sale prices early this week. Also, Barnes And Noble's site listed 16GB HP TouchPads going for $102 earlier, but they have sold out.

According to mp3newswire.net, Hewlett-Packard pulled the plug on the Touchpad after only 49 days on the market. HP initially sent 200,000 TouchPad units to dealers, and during that 49-day period, HP only sold 25,000 TouchPads. On Thursday HP said it was discontinuing all webOS-powered devices, including the HP TouchPad and Pre 3 smartphone.

ALSO

More HP Touch Pads on sale for $99

But now, the few sites that still had TouchPads remaining are quickly selling out. Costcentral.com listed the 16GB HP TouchPad at $100 and the 32GB at $149.99, and texasmatrix.com offered the 16GB at $98.48 and the 32GB at $143.49, but both are no longer in stock. It might be best to sign up for an e-mail notification for an e-mail alert from the HP site when the TouchPad becomes available again at sale prices.

According to eWeek.com, critics were complaining about the slowness of the tablet's user interface, and the TouchPad’s supply of apps was limited, in comparison to Apple’s App Store and Google’s Android Marketplace.