[Inclag]

absolutely agree, but they made the same mistake as microsoft

So you mean not having black turtle necked and thin framed glasses wearing speakers at conventions? Or not playing mass appeal hipster'ish music while using lots of white space during commercials?

 

[jonKranked]

So you mean not having black turtle necked and thin framed glasses wearing speakers at conventions? Or not playing mass appeal hipster'ish music while using lots of white space during commercials?

was my single post too long for you to read? are you the montasheu?

 

[jonKranked]

and just like that, its done, delegated to the dustbin of history.


http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/18/hp-will-discontinue-operations-for-webos-devices/

 

[jimmydean]

and just like that, its done, delegated to the dustbin of history.


http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/18/hp-will-discontinue-operations-for-webos-devices/

I'll give you tree fity.

 

[jonKranked]

I'll give you tree fity.

if they really slash the touchpad prices i might pick one up

 

[syadasti]

if they really slash the touchpad prices i might pick one up

Oh yeah, Palm Fooleo 2

 

[jimmydean]

if they really slash the touchpad prices i might pick one up

I would too if I can put a real OS on it.

 

[CBJ]

That did not last long. So why did they buy it in the first place then. Tax write off or something. Nobody has mentioned patents that the could resell.

 

[ohio]

That did not last long. So why did they buy it in the first place then.

Because HP is a sinking ship casting lines at anything that floats by.

 

[CBJ]

Yes, they can't survive over charging customers for printer ink forever.

 

[Fool]

Anyone read Makers by Cory Doctorow?

 

[bdamschen]

say bye bye to their PC division too: http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/18/technology/hp_pc_spinoff/index.htm?iid=A_T_News

Gnarly.

 

[jonKranked]

fire sale is on. $99 for the 16gig, $149 for the 32 gig. nobody has touchpads in stock tho. From what i've heard most brick n mortars have already returned their inventory to HP, so keep an eye on hp's website.

 

[IH8Rice]

nobody has touchpads in stock tho.

the first 4 sites i looked up had them in stock.

this is from BB :

What should I do if I purchased the HP TouchPad outside of the 14-day return policy and would like to return it?Best Buy is extending its return/exchange policy on the HP TouchPad and all HP TouchPad accessories to 60 days. Come into a Best Buy store and we will help you find another tablet to fit your needs or issue you a refund.

 

[jonKranked]

only places them have them in stock are still selling them at full price. i talked to someone at bestbuy, and was informed that all their inventory had been returned to HP, so some should turn up through hp's site in the next few days.

 

[Nobody]

I'd buy one and consider it disposable, just to have a backup that I wasn't so invested in. [I use my iPad for photography and instead of a laptop] - for $99, that is.

 

[binary visions]

HP should organize a school donation program. They can take a charitable tax writeoff on them, and they'd be great for kids to browse web content at school.

 

[jonKranked]

success! managed to get an order submitted through hp's small business website

 

[syadasti]

If the GPS works well in it, $99 is a bargain for a 10" GPS. Does the Bing mapping application have a navigation mode?

 

[jonKranked]

If the GPS works well in it, $99 is a bargain for a 10" GPS. Does the Bing mapping application have a navigation mode?

no clue. i'll let you know.

 

[jutny]

trying to snag one but their cart application is total fail. I'll give it to my mother if I don't like it.

anyone hacked them to run android yet? EDIT: Nope but theoretically it's possible.

server ERROR, you suck HP. EDIT: I understand your servers are probably getting hammered, but it still frustrates me.

TAKE MY MONEY!

 

[jonKranked]

Latest ive heard is that hp is out of stock until they receive inventory returns

 

[jutny]

yeah, i was the payment information step away from a completed order, now the site is just shot, and they've updated the frontends so you cant order them anymore citing stock issues, I wonder if my cart is still saved in there so i can get the order through once the traffic stops.

oh well, gotta love the internet.

 

[TheTruth]

twenty one pages later and every one owns an ipad and an ipad2.

 

[syadasti]

twenty one pages later and every one owns an ipad and an ipad2.

A lot of people don't own any tablets just like smartphone sales make up a fraction of worldwide cellular handset sales - despite staggering growth they only account for less than 20% (actually tablets are a fraction of smartphone sales even - predicted to sell 120 million/year by 2015 - about one quarter's worth of smartphone sales in 2011)

 

[jonKranked]

twenty one pages later and every one owns an ipad and an ipad2.

Or not. My household: 2 android phones, one android tablet. Last apple product purchased was an ipod nano when it still had a clickwheel

A lot of people don't own any tablets just like smartphone sales make up a fraction of worldwide cellular handset sales - despite staggering growth they only account for less than 20% (actually tablets are a fraction of smartphone sales even - predicted to sell 120 million/year by 2015 - about one quarter's worth of smartphone sales in 2011)

its easy to have staggering growth when the product segment is ~2 years old.

 

[jutny]

order successfully placed!

lets see how long it takes to get to me.

 

[Nobody]

I use Apple products for many reasons. I'm NOT gonna tell anyone they're 'better' than 'yours' - it's just what I like to use, and they combine nicely. I HATED my HTC touch with Windows Pocket PC 6 - which I now assume to be virtually unrecognizable vs things like Android.

I wouldn't object to a viable alternative if it could sync properly with my main system. Or, even better with my camera.

So, what prices are you guys paying?

 

[jutny]

just paid $149+shippinh for a 32gb. HP small business store, but I was able to get a cart saved earlier. before they took them down citing stock issues. It let me log in finally, and let me successfully place the order.

 

[woodsguy]

twenty one pages later and every one owns an ipad and an ipad2.

I'm waiting for Windows 8. Its more than just a big phone.

 

[jonKranked]

I use Apple products for many reasons. I'm NOT gonna tell anyone they're 'better' than 'yours' - it's just what I like to use, and they combine nicely. I HATED my HTC touch with Windows Pocket PC 6 - which I now assume to be virtually unrecognizable vs things like Android.

I wouldn't object to a viable alternative if it could sync properly with my main system. Or, even better with my camera.

So, what prices are you guys paying?

Old winmo is ancient history compared to windows phone 7. Wp7 is actually awesome.

 

[woodsguy]

Old winmo is ancient history compared to windows phone 7. Wp7 is actually awesome.

YES! And the Mango update coming in a couple weeks is going to be really awesome!

 

[Nobody]

I'm waiting for Windows 8. Its more than just a big phone.

Looks good. Obviously, they have ALSO embraced a new paradigm of input. This is good, as I'm pretty sold on the tablet vs. laptop form.

When it's time to actually type, I would not complain about an external keyboard. If I was using my iPad for spreadsheets and wordprocessing [i'm not, but I have the apps for it] I'd get, without quibble, either a decent sort of workstation or a portable keyboard.

But I find that when travelling, I don't do that sort of work, so I wouldn't have that issue in Real Life.

Here's hoping that the Win8 does NOT get screwed over by ****ty hardware.

 

[jimmydean]

The Transformer is pretty bad ass and I might end up using it for now. The price keeps getting better and better. But with rapid development in full swing, it can be tough to pull the trigger when something fast is 4 months away and you are obsolete in a year.

 

[binary visions]

With the prices absolutely plummeting on tablets, and HP dumping the TouchPad, I'm guessing by Christmas time you'll be able to snag a nice, new tablet for <$300, and the TouchPads will be littering eBay once people have gotten the "OOH, new shiny tablet for $100" out of their system and have hit the "f**k, the app support for this sucks and nobody will be updating the OS to fix bugs."

I almost bought one of the TouchPads for $100. That's a crazy bargain. But I'm being good and saving my money for more practical purposes.

 

[syadasti]

Relevant realistic coverage on engadget:

Editorial: tablets aren't the 'third device' I'd hoped for... from a productivity standpoint, anyway

Hang tight just a second -- let me preface all of this with a quick reminder that I'm speaking on a personal level, and I'm absolutely certain that slates have a place in this world somewhere. We could go back and forth for hours with use-case scenarios (and the same could be done with cars, time machines or your luxury good of choice), but this isn't about proving that a tablet can do one or two things; it's about the limitations and awkwardness of using one that no one seems to talk about.

After years of watching the masses fawn over the iPad (and every other PC maker scramble to come out with something that serves a similar purpose), I still can't ever imagine myself investing in one, let alone actually using one in place of a smartphone or laptop. I've met quite a few folks in my line of work that all ask me the same thing: "Should I buy an iPad?" It's worth noting that no one actually asks if "they should buy a tablet," but that's speaking more about Apple's absurdly enviable mind (and in turn, market) share than anything else. My response is always the same: "If you can't think of a reason you'd need it, you don't need it."

Tablets, for whatever reason, seem to defy logic when it comes to purchase rationalization in the consumer electronics realm. I've yet to meet a bloke who purchased an ultraportable without knowing full-well that they would take advantage of enhanced battery life and a highly mobile chassis. Everyone I've know that invested in a high-end gaming rig knew why they were shelling out on that $500 GPU (read: frames-per-second). And all of my movie cuttin' pals knew precisely why they just had to have a Thunderbolt RAID setup. But tablets? People are just buying these things in a fit of hysteria -- does anyone actually know why this "third device" is such a necessity? Let's dive a little deeper, shall we?

The obvious answers (and the not-so-obvious question)
Look, I'm not disputing that tablets serve a purpose. I would've leaped for ever-loving joy if my middle school classes were delivered on one, and my photographing wife uses hers to show example poses to nervous brides and grooms who want to look good in their wedding album. But when it comes to using one as a tool for myself -- a device which should make me more productive -- slates have failed to provide me with a compelling reason to drop $500+ on yet another computing instrument.

And here's why. With qHD displays becoming the norm, most modern smartphones can nearly match even the highest-resolution tablet display. Pixel-for-pixel, I can see almost as much information in the palm of my hand as I can with an unwieldy screen that requires two hands to use with any precision whatsoever. And then, there's typing. Let's say I'm in class, or at a conference, or in a boardroom meeting, and I'm attempting to jot a few notes down for later. If needed, I can peck away with a shocking amount of accuracy using SwiftKey's magical prediction keyboard on insert-your-Android-phone-here... with one hand. Is it really worth the pocketbook hit to bring something else in there to do the same thing?

If you're asking what the big deal is with using both of your arms to operate a handheld computing apparatus, you're asking the wrong question. What you should be asking is this: "Why did I just spend $500 on a device that's just marginally easier to get work done on than the smartphone I already own, while being entirely more limiting than even a netbook from an OS standpoint?" If anything, it's just a testament to how immensely useful, longevous and mobile the modern day laptop truly is.

Look, tablets are weird to use
C'mon, admit it. Slates are silly to hold and silly to operate. Ever tried taking a photo with a tablet? You're guaranteed to get perfect facial expressions for tomorrow's highlight image on Awkward Family Photos, but that's about it. Without a case, it's even awkward to type on a tablet. You're usually left with two options: propping it up against your leg, or laying it flat on a table and forcing yourself to hover directly over it, neither of which strike me as "natural." You might say that using one is no less strange than pecking away on a laptop, but if I have to sit down with it I might as well use something with a keyboard.

I'll confess that using one as an in-flight entertainment device looks pretty practical, but my 4.3-inch smartphone screen would accomplish the same task with a lot less fuss (and without taking up another square millimeter of precious space within my carry-on bag -- something only hardcore minimalist travelers like myself will appreciate).

I also can't seem to grok the value in spending half a grand on something with a souped-up mobile OS. Marketers have stated from the start that a tablet is a "third device" -- something that's worth owning even if you already posses a smartphone and a laptop. I'm guessing it's because they know tablets aren't capable of replacing either. It's too big to fit into any pair of pants I own (MC Hammer digs from Halloween 2008 notwithstanding), and it's downright frustrating to use as a netbook replacement.

Even something as basic as chewing through unread emails proves to be a gigantic pain on a tablet. I typically get through eight or nine messages before I need to a) add an attachment from a file system that doesn't exist or b) open up a new browser to complete an inbox search whilst keeping the existing message open in a nearby window. Foiled again. This also brings up the point of multitasking; even with webOS' absolutely laudatory "Cards" system on the now-defunct TouchPad, there's no actual multi-window, multi-app multitasking. I can grab a 10-inch netbook -- priced at $300 or less, usually -- and multitask in ways that iOS could only dream of. Again, I'm looking at this strictly from a productivity standpoint, and if you're still trying to convince me that I need a "third device," you're barking up the wrong tree. I also won't argue that the "experience" of using iOS on a tablet is exemplary, but at most, it's a novelty in my world.

The "third device" requirement is manufactured
Apple, and everyone else trying their best to hawk tablets, would have you believe that there's a huge hole in your technophile lifestyle that can only be filled by hauling around yet another contraption. I beg to differ. For consumers who don't consider themselves power users, you might be able to get away with using a tablet in place of a laptop. If that's you, fantastic. You just figured out a way to stick with only two devices, and you made the second one a good bit more compact. But if use things like Photoshop and Windows Movie Maker (real esoteric stuff, I tell ya), or you like to actually add attachments to your email from a file system, you'll probably find yourself in a place like myself: wondering what the heck the fuss is all about.

My dear friend and confidant Chris Ziegler said this of the iPad in January of 2010: "This is simply Cupertino's answer to the smartbook executed with typical Apple spit and polish, and whether anyone really needs the world's slickest smartbook remains to be seen." For me, it has been seen, and I'm no worse off without another computing apparatus forced between my already-capable phone and laptop. Another of my peers -- Mr. Michael Gartenberg -- confessed this about the iPad just over a year ago: "So what's missing? The required accessories. In order to make the iPad a real productivity tool capable of replacing your laptop, you're going to want a Bluetooth keyboard, the VGA adapter for presenting, and a copy of iWork (or another compatible office suite). Even then, you're still going to be missing some of the functionality that you're only going to get on a full computer."

I'm not disputing the fact that the iPad is a runaway hit; Apple has sold millions, and it'll continue to dominate this landscape for the foreseeable future. It's shareholders are obviously thrilled with the demand. But here's a genuine question: how many of you actually use your tablet (of any brand) for productivity tasks as much as you thought you would when you lined up around the block to buy it? And after you invest a couple hundred in accessories to make it halfway useful, aren't you better off (financially and otherwise) with a bona fide laptop? For me, that answer is "yes."

 

[binary visions]

The Engadget article is pretty much why the $99 TouchPad has been the first tablet that I seriously considered picking up. It's a total luxury item, and its primary purpose for me would be a surfing device from my couch, or an entertainment device when traveling, where keyboards are not a necessity.

 

[Nobody]

Relevant realistic coverage on engadget:

Well, that's like a guy who starts out telling me he doesn't need a DSLR, then tells me all the problems with it, all the things that don't work for him [carrying extra lenses, flashes, tripods, straps, batteries, memory cards, the bag itself], the scenarios where he DOES need a camera [informal family and friend gatherings, pcinics, a bike ride in the mountains].

In the article, he'd also point out that he'd never use 60% of the camera's settings, etc etc etc.

Then he'd say, if YOU, the reader, think you need a DSLR, by all means get one.

But most people DON'T need a DSLR.

Well, ****ing duh.

Same could be said for a DH bike. Or a Colnago road bike.

I disagree on it not being 'A third computing device' but fully agree on the fact that it's not 'HIS third computing device.'

The one repeated scenario he uses is broadly called 'productivity' - I don't recall seeing any commercial from any company touting the tablet as a productivity tool.

But he CANNOT convince me his smart-phone, standalone, IS. I have yet to see a 20-yr old college student texting WITH ONLY ONE HAND if they have the option of two. But apparently he does. <0>.<o>

 

[jonKranked]

the point that article misses is that tablets are very versatile devices. Yes, they're essentially jumbo sized phones. What he fails to realize is that how nice it is to have that extra real estate for things like web browsing and watching videos. I'd watch a video on my tablet over my smartphone in a heartbeat. Same with reading e-books. Sure, you can do it on a smartphone, but who in their right mind wants to read a book on a 4" screen?

things i'd rather do on my tablet than my smartphone:
-surf the internet
-watch netflix/youtube/etc
-games (i have an snes emulator installed. so awesome)
-read e-books


for what its worth, the only laptop i have now is my work one. which i basically never use outside of work unless i have conference calls.

 

[syadasti]

What he fails to realize is that how nice it is to have that extra real estate for things like web browsing and watching videos. I'd watch a video on my tablet over my smartphone in a heartbeat. Same with reading e-books. Sure, you can do it on a smartphone, but who in their right mind wants to read a book on a 4" screen?

As he points out, its not screen real estate in resolution terms but yeah a larger screen at the same resolution is easier to read but not as crisp - you won't gain any actual real estate comparing to the best smartphone resolutions (we'll see 1080p smartphones very soon even).

-read e-books

This will become more practical/comfortable in non-dedicated tablets once larger OLED and mems displays come out. Staring at a small backlight screen (especially after working on one all day if you use a computer monitor) for a long time is not comfortable and suck in sunlight which is why the leading e-readers have e-ink displays.

I think I'd pick up the touchpad if there was a community around to port android to support it in some way going forward.

Its a luxury/toy/non-essential device, to an even further degree than a smartphone for the majority of users.