In case you missed it, HP discontinued the TouchPad, a tablet designed to compete with the iPad. Which means for $99, you’ll be able to watch movies on a HD screen, listen to music, browse the internet, and access email.
Some people will argue that the iPad is still far superior for its $499 (!!!!) pricetag. And in some ways they’re right—the greatest thing about iPads are their ginormous user base. If anyone comes up with a cool way to use a tablet, it’ll be on the iPad first, because that’s where developers will be able to make money off of their products.
This might make the discontinued TouchPad seem like a raw deal, no matter how much HP is losing per sale. But here’s what makes it a potentially awesome investment: the only people scouring the internet for the dwindling supply of tablets (aside from cheapskates like me) are hackers that don’t care about how many applications the iPad has to offer. Eventually, these hackers will organize and start to do really cool things with these already useful, super-cheap devices.
If you’re still looking to grab one, check out this constantly updated Slick Deals wiki.
I got screwed by B&N over their release last night, but got confirmation on my 32g from ***conection.com. Bring on Touchdroid.
The coolest thing that can/might happen with the TouchPad (and people are working on it) is Android getting ported to it.
If that’s not successful it will never amount to much of anything beyond what it is today. But there’s a pretty decent chance it will be successful.
Otherwise, you’re gonna be stuck with whatever software the small community of TouchPad owners decides to make. And make no mistake that software will be of much, much less quality than that on iOS and Android (where the user base is much bigger and there’s actual potential to make money.)
It already does a fair bit without apps. Facebook, email, internet, video, pictures, skype, even phone calls if you are one of the dozen or so people with a Palm Pre. Certainly not enough to justify 500 when there is the iPad and Android tablets, but a steal at 100.
I bought one even though I am not really sold on the usefulness of tablets in my life mostly for plane rides and pooping.
Getting Android on it would be sweet though. Especially if it could dual-boot.
Touch Pad in the morning,
Then just go awaaaayyy.
The hacker community also has a penchant for getting more excited about the possibility of these things than there are people with the technical expertise and follow-through needed to actually get them done, and for getting these kinds of projects done long after the hardware they are targeting has been obsoleted.
In other words, they’re about as reliable as any people whose hobbies compete with their full time jobs.
So I’d say, buy a Touchpad if you like the prospect of what it gets you today for $99, and don’t get overblown expectations for an Android port.
I agree with #5. If Android was already ported over to the Touchpad I would have been all over that deal this weekend, but from what I was able to read, the dev’s are just starting to work on that. I figure that by the time a good working version of Android for this tablet is available the hardware will be as outdated at that on my original EEEpc 701 netbook. (which is for sale, BTW, if anyone is interested).
The iPad3 will be out around Christmas.
Looks like they took our alpha feedback and pushed the 3D to the next version.