By now we have all heard the weekend buzz surrounding HP's decision to discontinue all WebOS devices, and most notably, the massive price cuts on the TouchPad line, leading to frantic sales, both online and at local outlets.
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| Not for Harry Potter (but we kinda wish it was) |
The thing I find curious is the number of negative opinions about buying a TouchPad, starting at just $99 for the 16GB model. I have to think that the critics are either suffering from sour grapes because they missed the boat, or are in denial about the price drop from $499, and continue to compare it against the iPad.
Sure, compared to the the iPad line, the TouchPad just can't compete with the Apple polish and App Store juggernaut. But at $99, a more accurate comparison would be against a Chumby.
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| "Hey, I always win the Cute category!" |
The critics also incorrectly state WebOS itself is dead, and developers have already left. I would say the conclusion is premature, and offer the following two points for consideration:
1. Huge increase of TouchPad owners - The price cuts on TouchPads have resulted in consumer response usually only seen on Black Friday. Estimates put the number of TouchPads sold at approximately 400,000 over the weekend. Based on the well publicized Best Buy sales figures just prior to the price cuts, one could estimate that TouchPad owners increased tenfold in two days. No longer is there the "chicken or the egg" philosophy of which comes first - users or developers. HP has set the table for developers by putting ALL of the TouchPads currently available into the hands of consumers.
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| "I'm pretty sure I was here first!" |
2. Small HP App Catalog - While an app listing in the dozens may not be good for users, it is a target rich environment for developers. Release an app, and you will probably have a captive audience, simply because there are so few apps out there now. As a developer marketing their app, do you want to be 1 in 1000, or 1 in 350,000? App quality aside, the odds alone would probably garner sales. It's like the odds of winning a local church raffle vs. dying from an asteroid impact.
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| "Do you feel lucky? Well do ya?" |
HP's decision to slash TouchPad prices may end up being the aggressive move that was needed to jump start WebOS. Hardware may come and go rapidly, but a software platform needs time to grow and develop. As I eagerly await the arrival of my TouchPad, I hope there is more of a future than what is delivered out of the box, but at $99, I know those out-of-box features alone will be worth it.
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