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[Dreams-Visions]

There have been plenty of hints that Hewlett-Packard’s TouchPad isn’t selling well.

First there was a $50 discount . Then there were spot discounts of $100 at outlets like Costco. Then the $100 discount became permanent . Adding insult to apparent injury, a deal on Woot for $120 off an entry-level 16 gigabyte TouchPad netted all of 612 takers .

With HP set to report quarterly earnings tomorrow, sources familiar with the matter tell AllThingsD that TouchPad sales are failing yet another critical test: Sales at big-box consumer electronics retailer Best Buy.

According to one source who has seen internal HP reports, Best Buy has taken delivery of 270,000 TouchPads and has so far managed to sell only 25,000, or less than 10 percent of the units in its inventory.

A second person who has seen Best Buy’s TouchPad sales figures confirmed the results as “consistent with what I’ve seen,” and went so far as to say that 25,000 sold might be “charitable.” This source suggested that the 25,000-unit sales number may not account for units that consumers return to stores for a refund.

Best Buy, sources tell us, is so unhappy that it has told HP it is unwilling to pay for all the TouchPads taking up expensive space in its stores and warehouses, and wants HP to take them back. HP, for its part, is pleading with Best Buy to be patient. We’re also told that a senior HP executive, possibly executive VP Todd Bradley, is slated to travel to Minneapolis soon to discuss the matter with Best Buy executives.

These numbers are emerging just one day before HP is set to report quarterly earnings. While it’s possible that HP will choose not to disclose any unit-sales results for the TouchPad — because as yet they’re unlikely to be large enough to be material — if it does report anything on the subject, that will probably be a figure known in industry circles as “channel sales,” which are the number of units sold to stores like Best Buy and Costco. Channel sales don’t reflect sales to end customers, known as “sell-through.”
HP declined to comment, as did Best Buy.

There’s more. TouchPad sales aren’t only failing to catch on at Best Buy, but also at other retailers, including Wal-Mart, Micro Center and Fry’s, says analyst Rich Doherty, head of the Envisioneering Group. Doherty says that spot interviews at stores on both coasts show that HP’s “wildcat pricing moves” on the TouchPad have prompted consumers to wait and see what happens in the next few months.

“After the initial surge of interest after the July release, all those price promotions have caused consumers interested in buying a TouchPad to pause, because they think the price is going to fall further,” Doherty told me.

For the record, the TouchPad costs $399.99 for the 16GB model and $499.99 for the 32GB version. Both started at prices exactly $100 higher when first announced in June .

So what’s HP’s next move? Doherty says that with the back-to-school PC buying season underway, HP will likely use its leverage as one of Best Buy’s top suppliers — the other is Samsung — to offer bundle deals: Buy an HP computer, get the TouchPad for a special price.

http://allthingsd.com/20110816/ouchpad-best-buy-sitting-on-a-pile-of-unsold-hp-tablets/

Dying faster than the Kin.

Sympathies to all those who had been waiting on this. I wouldn't buy one with someone else's money until it proves it has a place in the market.

Didn't see a thread and considering this is the first big tablet release from HP post-Palm acquisition (afaik), it seemed to be worth talking about. It may foreshadow things to come.

 

[daviyoung]

Won't change until people want a tablet rather than an Ipad.

 

[Medalion]

Playbook?

 

[Mr_Brit]

Do any non ipad tablets sell well?

 

[Yoshiya]

Do any non ipad tablets sell well?

Usually better than this.

 

[Ramen]

No real market for tablets? iPad an anomaly that won't stay popular forever once the novelty wears off? A fad, if you will?

 

[Grizzlyjin]

My buddy works at Best Buy on the sales floor, and he has told me essentially the same thing. People come in asking for an iPad, not a tablet.

Hasn't HP been spending a pretty penny on marketing too? I've been seeing the commercials for months now. Russel Brand, Lea Michele, etc.

 

[Crumpet Trumpet]

That commercial with the Glee chick actually convinced me to never give this product any chance whatsoever.

 

[Witchfinder General]

No real market for tablets? iPad an anomaly that won't stay popular forever once the novelty wears off? A fad, if you will?

The rise of e-books & e-magazines (including newspapers) says no.

 

[victreeb3l]

That commercial with the Glee chick actually convinced me to never give this product any chance whatsoever.

yeah the ads were stupid as shit. how hard is it to have a competent marketing team?

 

[SmokyDave]

I can't see why anyone in the market for a tablet would choose anything other than an iPad. You've got to be a pretty hardcore tweaker / fiddler to look elsewhere.

 

[Ramen]

The rise of e-books & e-magazines (including newspapers) says no.

Maybe, but a product that's essentially a magazine/newspaper reader really needs to be lighter and cheaper.

 

[ShinNL]

I can't see why anyone in the market for a tablet would choose anything other than an iPad. You've got to be a pretty hardcore tweaker / fiddler to look elsewhere.

Or like, just wanna pay less for more? I'm waiting for Arnova 10 G2.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Won't change until people want a tablet rather than an Ipad.

I don't follow?

People come in asking for an iPad, not a tablet.

Oh, I see what you guys are alluding to. That's a bullshit play on words.

People come in asking for an iPad tablet. And iPad is a tablet. It's just that they're not coming in looking for other tablets. They know exactly which one they want and don't necessarily want to see any others. It's not unfair that consumers know what they want...and it's not surprising they're so clear considering the years of iOS marketing (iPhone, commercials, etc.) vs...very little for any Android-based tablets.

Let's not be so petty as to suggest the iPad isn't itself a tablet competing in the tablet space. It's just the one people want the most.

People will want tablets that aren't iPad tablets when Apple's competitors step the fuck up and start extolling the virtues of their hardware to people outside of the tech community. When I see a commercial with a doctor showing the ultrasound of a baby to expecting parents on an Android device, we'll be able to say their devices are moving in the right marketing direction.

But again, let's not be petty.

I can't see why anyone in the market for a tablet would choose anything other than an iPad. You've got to be a pretty hardcore tweaker / fiddler to look elsewhere.

It really depends on your needs. Android tablets have more feautres out of the box (no need for HDMI dongles, for instance), come with flash ready to go (more or less) and can use a mouse.

but yea, there are some cons.

 

[Medalion]

So it's like the iPhone all over again

Why would I want a non iPhone phone but for tablets

 

[SmokyDave]

Or like, just wanna pay less for more? I'm waiting for Arnova 10 G2.

I don't see the 'more'. I see people pay less and get less, particularly regarding software selection. User interface is another area where the iPad seems slicker and smoother than it's more powerful competitors. Power is nothing without control

It really depends on your needs. Android tablets have more conductibility out of the box (no need for HDMI dongles, for instance), come with flash ready to go (more or less) and can use a mouse.

but yea, there are some cons.

But how many people actually give a shit about any of that? Techies and GAFfers, sure, but the mainstream? Not many, I'd wager.

Browser is nothing without flash.

I've had one, yes one, instance where the lack of Flash was nearly an issue. I just used a different website to book my restaurant table. I really don't think the mainstream give a shit about Flash in their browsers. Hell, I doubt the mainstream even know what Flash is (unless their browser plugin crashes a lot).

 

[ShinNL]

I don't see the 'more'. I see people pay less and get less, particularly regarding software selection. User interface is another area where the iPad seems slicker and smoother than it's more powerful competitors. Power is nothing without control

Browser is nothing without flash.

 

[thelatestmodel]

I don't see the 'more'. I see people pay less and get less, particularly regarding software selection. User interface is another area where the iPad seems slicker and smoother than it's more powerful competitors. Power is nothing without control

Completely agree - it's all about the interface and the App Store. The fact that it's pretty powerful, a status symbol, and nice to look at is the icing on the cake.

Browser is nothing without flash.

Disagree. Times are changing.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Browser is nothing without flash.

tbh, there are so few websites that depend on flash anymore it's a non-factor. If this were 2007, I would have agreed with you. But the internet adapted fast. Probably because there was money riding on the adjustment.

 

[daviyoung]

Let's not be so petty as to suggest the iPad isn't itself a tablet competing in the tablet space. It's just the one people want the most.

Of course it is. But there comes a point in a product's life where the name is strong enough to carry it across the brewing seas of competition. Look at Coca Cola, Dyson vacuum cleaners, Ipods...all of those are etched into the public psyche, the same way an Ipad is.

Now, when people go and buy a TV or when they buy a stereo they'll look at the specifications and the output and the quality of the product. Tablets are nowhere near that stage yet, and Apple have pretty much put a huge stamp on them already.

 

[onken]

Humm doesn't bode well for the S1.

 

[Secks4Food]

That commercial with the Glee chick actually convinced me to never give this product any chance whatsoever.

Not like I'd want one anyway but yeah those commercials are everywhere and super annoying...in fact every non-Ipad tablet commercial I've seen does a really awful job of showing of its product. Tough shit, HP.

 

[markot]

Did it offer anything special?

 

[numble]

No real market for tablets? iPad an anomaly that won't stay popular forever once the novelty wears off? A fad, if you will?

I don't see how it's a fad. Lightweight couch/bed browsing is much more enjoyable than with a laptop. My mom who struggles with a mouse is watching movies and playing games like an expert. People in China who are not adept at typing on QWERTY keyboards can just draw out their characters instead of learning how to write Chinese characters on a roman keyboard. And the apps and games are neat.

 

[eastmen]

The ipad is the most established and had the best app store brought over from the ipod/iphone products.

The first andriod build for tablets came a year after the ipad and its only just starting to catch up in terms of tablet software. Also few tablets were constructed well . I would wager the transformer is the most popular of the bunch.


But what were they thinking with the playbook. It has no apps and the andriod apps run slower so why not just get an andriod tablet ? They also priced it to high $500/$600 is ipad pricing and it did not have the software to compete. The transformer is $400/$500 and actually has software people want.


For the ipad I think its going to have trouble next year. Googles platform will be more mature and the important apps will be found on both platforms. MS will also move windows 8 into the market and with arm / x86 tablets out there they will cover the busniess aspect better than the ipad and also the home user to boot.

I think the ipad is going to still be wildly popular (more so than any single product has any right to be) but like mobile phones total market share will belong to another OS .

I just don't see where something like web os can exist. You have ios /andriod already established and you have windows phone becoming a strong 3rd out infront of web os

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Did it offer anything special?

Some people think so:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=420148

Considering there are 1600+ posts in the thread about the OS and in large part about this product, I'd say so.

and so I'm surprised that almost a full day went by without this story being reported on. Had this been...

...never mind.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

I don't follow?


Oh, I see what you guys are alluding to. That's a bullshit play on words.

People come in asking for an iPad tablet. And iPad is a tablet. It's just that they're not coming in looking for other tablets. They know exactly which one they want and don't necessarily want to see any others. It's not unfair that consumers know what they want...and it's not surprising they're so clear considering the years of iOS marketing (iPhone, commercials, etc.) vs...very little for any Android-based tablets.

Let's not be so petty as to suggest the iPad isn't itself a tablet competing in the tablet space. It's just the one people want the most.

People will want tablets that aren't iPad tablets when Apple's competitors step the fuck up and start extolling the virtues of their hardware to people outside of the tech community. When I see a commercial with a doctor showing the ultrasound of a baby to expecting parents on an Android device, we'll be able to say their devices are moving in the right marketing direction.

But again, let's not be petty.

I agree with you, you kinda got worked up on your own there. It's just the way things are now. A lot of people aren't even open to the idea of getting something else. They come into Best Buy asking for an iPad, Best Buy sells them an iPad.

There isn't any incentive for the sales people to push the customer in another direction if they are adamant about the exact product they want. If there was, these HP tablets would be selling just fine. But in retail if someone comes in asking for a specific high price item, you don't interrogate them on what their needs are like you would when you need to "make the sale." You let them go with what they came for, and try to attach some accessories on top of it. It's not complicated.

 

[Kentpaul]

Good news for me, I love snatching up dead products on the cheap

 

[Jamesfrom818]

I'd buy one for $50. $100 tops.

 

[Polk]

Most people will chose Ipad. Those who doesn't like Apple/like tinkering with their stuff will chose any of Android tablets. Who choses HP tablet? Diehard Palm guys?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

The ipad is the most established and had the best app store brought over from the ipod/iphone products.

The first andriod build for tablets came a year after the ipad and its only just starting to catch up in terms of tablet software. Also few tablets were constructed well . I would wager the transformer is the most popular of the bunch.


But what were they thinking with the playbook. It has no apps and the andriod apps run slower so why not just get an andriod tablet ? They also priced it to high $500/$600 is ipad pricing and it did not have the software to compete. The transformer is $400/$500 and actually has software people want.


For the ipad I think its going to have trouble next year. Googles platform will be more mature and the important apps will be found on both platforms. MS will also move windows 8 into the market and with arm / x86 tablets out there they will cover the busniess aspect better than the ipad and also the home user to boot.

I think the ipad is going to still be wildly popular (more so than any single product has any right to be) but like mobile phones total market share will belong to another OS .

I just don't see where something like web os can exist. You have ios /andriod already established and you have windows phone becoming a strong 3rd out infront of web os

You could very well end up right on all points.

But let us all remember: rare is the time when Apple's products and technology get blown away by the competition. Android will be a year older and stronger. But so will iOS. And with the expected high-resolution "retina display" coming to the iPad 3 (and we'd expect a beefier processor to match) and new features, it should--at minimum--remain an equal to the best tablets out there...while still holding the mammoth-sized advantage that is the iTunes Store.

Windows 8 tablets are a wait-and-see thing for me. Pricing, battery life, launch feature set, launch software support will go a long way in helping us figure out their place in the market.

Ultimately, as long as Apple's ecosystem continues to print money for developers, they will continue to give it their very best software. THAT is one issue Android needs to find a way to address in short order, or its software quality will always lag behind what is available for iOS. People may not notice a lot of things...but they'll always notice polish. And that's something iOS and its 3rd party apps tend to have in spades.

Most people will chose Ipad. Those who doesn't like Apple/like tinkering with their stuff will chose any of Android tablets. Who choses HP tablet? Diehard Palm guys?

well...yes, actually. people who owned Pre's and swear by the OS. I'm sure there was a hope that HP would be able to expand that market...but it was always going to be the toughest of uphill battles. Despite 1600+ posts of GAF positive energy in the dedicated thread.

 

[Kentpaul]

Most people will chose Ipad. Those who doesn't like Apple/like tinkering with their stuff will chose any of Android tablets. Who choses HP tablet? Diehard Palm guys?

Perhaps clueless grandmothers and soccer moms buying Christmas/birthday presents.

 

[numble]

Most people will chose Ipad. Those who doesn't like Apple/like tinkering with their stuff will chose any of Android tablets. Who choses HP tablet? Diehard Palm guys?

Touchpad has Homebrew, True Multitasking, and Beats Audio.

 

[markot]

They all gave Apple such a huge headstart that its kinda stupid.

 

[dr3upmushroom]

This runs a proprietary OS, right? Android is having enough trouble catching on, and that's been around on phones for awhile now to get people acclimated/interested.

Trying to break into this market with a third OS was just boneheaded.

And Apple lion, I seriously, seriously doubt people go to Best Buy and ask for an "iPad tablet" with any regularity. Also, people aren't saying that the iPad isn't a tablet as you've chosen to interpret and take offense at, they're saying that "tablet" isn't what a lot of people think about when they think iPad. Sure, it is one, but many people just think "iPad," not "tablet" or the ridiculous "iPad tablet."

Beats Audio.

lol

 

[Dreams-Visions]

They all gave Apple such a huge headstart that its kinda stupid.

idunno. only 1 year before the Android devices started showing up.

And let's not forget that Microsoft + partners had been trying to sell their vision of the TabletPC for a decade, but with minimal uptake. (I own a real tabletPC, btw).

A 1-year lead isn't supposed to be some unbeatable head-start. In fact, I'd suggest that if Android had come out a year before iOS...we'd probably see the same sales figures today. People would have waited for the Apple device.

Touchpad has Homebrew, True Multitasking, and Beats Audio.

 

[Takao]

If you got so many Best Buy, you can just give me one. I won't care.

 

[PastorOfMuppets]

In terms of productivity, does a tablet add anything to your life that a laptop/netbook doesn't? I ask because I'm re-enrolling for school and I just can't think of a single reason for me to buy one.

 

[eastmen]

idunno. only 1 year before the Android devices started showing up.

And let's not forget that Microsoft + partners had been trying to sell their vision of the TabletPC for a decade, but with minimal uptake. (I own a real tabletPC, btw).

A 1-year lead isn't supposed to be some unbeatable head-start. In fact, I'd suggest that if Android had come out a year before iOS...we'd probably see the same sales figures today. People would have waited for the Apple device.

The verison of MS's tablet has been highly sucessful for its target market. They are used in schools and busniesses all over the world.

The problem with it like windows mobile was that they were designed for busniess users not teens and soccer moms.

The tech to make an ipad didn't exist 5 or 10 years ago if it did then we would have seen a tablet boon a long time ago.

Apple hit the ipad out of the park because of the software support that transitioned over from the ipod/ipad IOS platform. From there it wasn't to hard for the developers to create hd verisons of the already finished software.

 

[ana]

..and Beats Audio.

Didn't HTC just buy beats audio? Or was it an investement?

 

[Polk]

Touchpad has Homebrew, True Multitasking, and Beats Audio.

Almost noone cares about latter two things. I don't even know wtf is Beats Audio aside it has something to do with Dr. Dre which makes me even less interested in the topic.

 

[eastmen]

In terms of productivity, does a tablet add anything to your life that a laptop/netbook doesn't? I ask because I'm re-enrolling for school and I just can't think of a single reason for me to buy one.

ITs really not going to help ya except for laying in your bed and watching movies or surfing the web.

Its hand writing software is horrible (all of the ones i've found on the app store) so you wont use it during class to take notes.

There is no keyboard on it so your most likely not going to write your papers on it unless you want to get a blue tooth keyboard but then again what software will u use.

If your going to buy something for school get a tablet pc a proper one with a keyboard and proper pen input.

windows is amazing at decoding chicken scratch and alot of people will perfer taking notes free hand instead of typing. IF your doing alot of math classes or science classes you can also use the pen input to solve equations and other work.


But if you have a laptop and want more of an entertainment device then sure go for it.
(we have an ipad 2 and a trasnformer in the house along with a acer w500 )

 

[Dreams-Visions]

The verison of MS's tablet has been highly sucessful for its target market. They are used in schools and busniesses all over the world.

The problem with it like windows mobile was that they were designed for busniess users not teens and soccer moms.

The tech to make an ipad didn't exist 5 or 10 years ago if it did then we would have seen a tablet boon a long time ago.

Apple hit the ipad out of the park because of the software support that transitioned over from the ipod/ipad IOS platform. From there it wasn't to hard for the developers to create hd verisons of the already finished software.

Perhaps so. But I'd still say you're being overly generous by saying MS's tablet "has been highly successful for its target market." I think responses have been tepid in all markets.

 

[Sinatar]

Yea I work at a Futureshop (which is owned by BB) and the touchpads are not selling at all. I've gotten to play around with one and it's just not a very good product, especially at the price.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

dumb question but what is it that's so bad about the touchpad? hardware only? frankly I wouldn't touch anything HP but I'd still like to know.

 

[Kentpaul]

dumb question but what is it that's so bad about the touchpad? hardware only? frankly I wouldn't touch anything HP but I'd still like to know.

Having a non apple touch pad is like having a cheap Chinese ripoff.

I suppose if you are not going to take it out your home then i don't see a problem with them

 

[Sinatar]

dumb question but what is it that's so bad about the touchpad? hardware only? frankly I wouldn't touch anything HP but I'd still like to know.

From my experience it was very slow, the interface was clunky and the tablet itself was heavy and awkward to hold.

 

[numble]

In terms of productivity, does a tablet add anything to your life that a laptop/netbook doesn't? I ask because I'm re-enrolling for school and I just can't think of a single reason for me to buy one.

In reading Chinese text, I can turn something into an interactive touch-to-define reader:

And I can draw out characters I don't recognize for their definition:

And when I used to need to read long PDFs for assignments, I can just load it up into a reader, and sit on my couch or lie on my bed to read them, instead of printing them out, or bringing a unwiedy laptop out. I also did this when I reviewed outlines before exams. You can still highlight and annotate, maybe even better than with a laptop, since you can quickly draw circles, arrows, stick figures, whathaveyou.

Finally, you can give mini-Powerpoint presentations in small meetings without having to have people huddle around a laptop that might have poor viewing angles.

 

[SmokyDave]

You can still highlight and annotate, maybe even better than with a laptop, since you can quickly draw circles, arrows, stick figures, whathaveyou.

Cocks. Let's be honest here, you can draw cocks on PDF's. It's a killer feature.

 

[PastorOfMuppets]

And when I used to need to read long PDFs for assignments, I can just load it up into a reader, and sit on my couch or lie on my bed to read them, instead of printing them out, or bringing a unwiedy laptop out. I also did this when I reviewed outlines before exams. You can still highlight and annotate, maybe even better than with a laptop, since you can quickly draw circles, arrows, stick figuredps, whathaveyou.

You make a pretty interesting case for a tablet right there actually. Maybe if I can get one for cheap I might pick it up for those purposes. Kindle PDF reader is pretty much worthless.