HP Confirms More TouchPads Are On The Way In Response To High Demand
It was a mere ten days ago that HP announced they were liquidating their discontinued TouchPad tablet at the shocking low price of $99. News of the fire-sale pushed hundreds of consumers to run out and snatch up as many of the bargain slabs as they could. The buying frenzy resulted in sold out retailers in just a matter of days.
In the time since the liquidation, the TouchPad’s reputation has reached the same infamy that the Tickle Me Elmo doll did back in 1996 (who could forget that). Consumers and tech junkies alike want more of the now famous TouchPad, and they’re making sure HP knows it.
HP’s websites have been overwhelmed with consumers demanding to know when the remaining unsold inventory would become available. Here’s where it gets a little interesting. HP just announced that the inventory will not be ready until a few weeks. Instead of HP just emptying out its warehouses, they are actually going to manufacture a run of TouchPad’s to meet the overwhelming demand.
HP has yet to confirm that the new batch of TouchPad’s will be sold at the $99 price point, but their website still references the price. We’re hoping the $99 price tag stays. Here are a few excerpts from HP’s blog on the matter:
Q: When is HP getting more HP TouchPads? One week, two weeks, a month?
A limited supply are coming and it will be a few weeks before they are available. As we know more about how, when, and where TouchPads will be available, we will communicate that here and through email to those who requested notification. We can tell you that HP’s Small and Medium Business team has sold out of HP TouchPads and will not have more inventory.Q: Can you comment on whether HP had to manufacture more to meet the recent demand?
HP will be manufacturing a limited quantity of TouchPads with webOS during our fourth fiscal quarter 2011, which ends October 31.Q: Will HP continue to make more TouchPads with webOS to meet the demand?
HP is discontinuing the development of webOS devices and is winding down device operations within our fourth fiscal quarter 2011.
