It’s ironic that when HP released the now defunct TouchPad, hardly anyone noticed it, and even less part with their cash to get one. Now that HP said they don’t want it anymore, all of a sudden, five million people step over each other just to get one. Do people really think that $99 is good enough a justification for an oversize internet browser (notwithstanding Android being ported)?
The TouchPad has some mixed reviews in the lead up to the release. I am in the market for a tablet, and the TouchPad hardly make a bleep on my shortlist. It has no HDMI, no USB and no expandable memory. But then again, the iPad doesn’t have those features either (and that’s why I’m not really keen on it). On top of that, WebOS is hardly an ecosystem that gets a huge following. Meego, Symbian are dying left and right, WebOS is heading for the same graveyard, even if HP does not abandon it.
So what makes people want a dying tablet? Let’s see who actually bought one.
Who bought one?
The first group are those who actually wanted one and bought it at full price. These are the people who think neither iOS nor the Android (or other OS) is right for them, and think that the WebOS will do much of what they want. Now that HP decided not to spend another development dollar on the OS (thought they did say they will support it), these people are holding onto a tablet that basically has no future. However, this group has the luxury of not having to rush off to the fire sale, which the second group of people didn’t have.
The second group are the fire sale customer, who rushed off to pick up a bargain. So for $99, what do they get? Android porting aside, the only thing that they are getting is an oversize internet browser, whatever is pre-installed, plus whatever apps they can savage for the WebOS. These people know the WebOS is no more, and are getting it because it is cheap. Admittedly, I agree with them.
The third group is just like the second group, except they bought it with the sole purpose of selling it on eBay to make a quick buck. They don’t care what the thing is, they just know that there are people out there crazy (or stupid) enough to want to get one at an inflated price. Just do a quick search on eBay and you’ll notice the many listings of the TouchPad that are sold / selling at more than the fire sale price. There are just some listings that are blindingly obvious that the seller is out for a quick buck. And then there are people who would get it.
The fourth group of people, and these are the ones I don’t quite understand, are those who actually bought the TouchPad from the third group of people (i.e. buy the tablet at an inflated price). Why would you want an outdated tablet? Yes, I understand that it’s still cheaper than buying a proper Honeycomb tablet, but where is the support? Where are the new apps? Are they just fuelling the scaplers out there?
The only explanation I can think of is…
The Android promise
So there is already a community of developers who are planning to put Honeycomb on the TouchPad. There is even a $1500 bounty on the first group who can do exactly that.
For the techies, that’s good news, because if and when Honeycomb finally arrives, those who bought one will effectively have the cheapest Honeycomb tablet to-date. So they are basically gambling on that one day Honeycomb will come.
But then what happens when Ice Cream Sandwich (or Jam Donut or Kimchi Chicken) arrives? How long is it going to take before a port to the TouchPad is available? Or is the TouchPad so versatile that once Honeycomb is on, it’s just as easy to upgrade as, say, a Motorola Xoom or an Acer Iconia? That’s a question for the long term future, but for now (or at least the short term future) consumer should be able to enjoy the Honeycomb experience if/when it comes. And if it doesn’t, well, you’ve got yourself a $99 web browser.
Is $99 really that attractive a price for a tablet?
“Hell yeah” is probably the right answer. The ZTE v9 (which runs on a now seemingly outdated Android 2.1, or 2.2 if you upgrade it) basically flies out the door (though not as quickly as the TouchPad) when it was discounted to $99. And it has 3G that the TouchPad doesn’t have. I went to several retailers, and they all sold out. The only ones that I can find are for the original $275 price tag, or more recently, $129. Mind you, if Acer or Motorola or Toshiba or RIM or whoever else decided tomorrow that their tablets will start at $99, I will be one of the thousands to grab one.
So yes, the $99 is probably the most attractive price point for a tablet right now. But let’s not forget that the millions Apple fanboys bought one for $500+ a pop. So maybe it is something else…
Maybe our brain is wired to think that an 80% discount is too good to miss. From the $499 price tag drop all the way to $99 is seen as a super bargain, regardless of what the junk it is selling. In this economic climate, I’m actually quite surprised that people are willing to fork out $99 for an obsolete tech, but not $30 for a T-shirt.
So I’ve got a plan, just build a tablet that can only access the internet and nothing else, and sell it for $500, then discount it to $50 two days later, and people will still queue up to get one.
The gullible people will think $50 is still good value for an internet ready paperweight, even if the internet is not working.
So let’s recap, in the end, regardless of whether it’s being bought at $99 or $999, an obsolete technology ends up in the hands of people who mostly bet on it being Android Honeycomb compatiable in order for it to be useful. If Honeycomb is not ported (highly unlikely), or if future Android is not ported (more likely than not), then it will become an oversize web browser / media player / organiser / paperweight.
I feel sorry for those who bought it on eBay already.
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