It was a big weekend for HP, but for all the wrong reasons. Shoppers overloaded the HP servers and rushed to their local Best Buy stores in the hopes of nabbing a TouchPad tablet at rock-bottom prices. But unfortunately for HP, it was just getting rid of existing inventory; those discounts are not likely to help its bottom line.
"All this clamoring for the TouchPad, kind of bittersweet," Bryna Corcoran, HP's social media manager, tweeted last night. "For those of you who end up with one in the end of all this, I want tweets and pics of how much you love it b/c I know you will."
Late Friday night, news broke that HP was selling its TouchPads at a heavy discount: $99 for the 16GB and $149 for the 32GB. By Saturday, Corcoran tweeted that all TouchPads were sold out in the U.S., though she said there were "more coming." The company set up a Web site that allowed customers to sign up and be alerted when more were available.
But that doesn't mean HP is hard at work making new tablets. "Regarding 'next batch' coming in.. it's called a warehouse. No more being made, but have inventory coming from ones already manufactured," she said.
"HP getting more early this week," she said, though she did not know how many.
Apparently people are getting testy about their TouchPads. "PLS, if you call hp stores 2morrow re: #Touchpad be kind and patient with your fellow man. #overloaded," Corcoran tweeted. If you get a message about HP being unable to process your order that instructs you to contact a representative, that means "PLS DON'T CALL & overload staff," she said.
HP was selling the TouchPads through two channels: its SMB Store and via its Home and Home Office. Corcoran warned that they have "separate inventory, different process." Some of those who purchased via the SMB site were charged incorrectly, but Corcoran said buyers will be credited.
How do you know if your TouchPad is on the way? Cocoran said chances are good if you were charged for the TouchPad, got an order number email, and received a final confirmation email. "If one of those are missing (see prev. tweet) then you are backordered and have to hope for the best when more come in," she wrote.
Best Buy, meanwhile, is sold out online and in stores and will not be receiving any more inventory. You could, however, drown your sorrows with a free iPhone 3GS. Best Buy is offering a one-day discount for those who purchase the 8GB version on AT&T.
The TouchPad is also available on the Barnes & Noble Web site, though some shoppers are saying that it's already sold out (Update: TouchPad sold out on B&N, with some users reporting cancelled orders due to demand). The TouchPad also jumped to the top of Amazon's best-selling tablets list.
What's all the fuss? HP shocked the tech community on Thursday when it announced plans to pull the plug on support for webOS devices, including the TouchPad. Despite the largely positive reviews, the tablet just couldn't compete with the likes of the iPad and HP ditched the device after less than two months on the market. At $399, the tablet wasn't a compelling offer; at $99, though, where do I sign up? The main drawback is the lack of apps; about 300 at launch. That isn't likely to change with the demise of webOS, but if hackers and enthusiasts are able to come up with a way for the TouchPad to run Android, it could be a different story.
For more, see PCMag's full review of the TouchPad, as well as The 10 Best Apps For The HP TouchPad and the slideshow above.
Also check out HP is Too Big to Build Stuff and HP's Stunning Moves Bode Ill for the PC Industry as well as 6 Ways to Get Rid of Your HP TouchPad