BestBuy asks HP to take TouchPads back

[Peter Gibbons]

news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2895569

One of the posters on HN - summed up my feeling exactly:

"They had one chance to make good first impression ... the unit I tried in BestBuy was slow as hell!"

[Richardk]

And they looked so promising. Must be bad if BestBuy won't sell them.

[PhilFromNY]

"They had one chance to make good first impression ... the unit I tried in BestBuy was slow as hell!"

You have to wonder if the corporate mandate to make the project ship date didn't trump delivering a good product. From what I've read since the product was released the hardware is inadequate.

Didn't anyone at HP take a prototype and compare the user experience to what Apple ships.

[TRexx]

Didn't anyone at HP take a prototype and compare the user experience to what Apple ships.

I've been involved in several product rollouts and this is all too common.  There is so much hype that the decision makers often ignore any evidence that contradicts their plan.  Of course that assumes such evidence ever made it to  their desk.  Product deployments take on a life of their own and no one wants to be the one that says "Stop!".  It's much easier to just go along and hope and pray no one notices.

[Richardk]

I've also seen the wrong people having control to say "Stop!". Internally they make mountains out of molehills while ignoring someone with a real issue.

Too bad for HP.

[PhilFromNY]

So I guess those Touchpads are going to be significantly discounted now.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/18/its-official-hp-kills-off-webos-phones-and-the-touchpad/

Hewlett-Packard Co. to end mobile businesses.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/HewlettPackard-Co-to-end-apf-707823588.html;_ylt=Ahm1z1f3SeXybmUqXuztrey7YWsA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1MjJyOXA2BHBvcwM0BHNlYwN0b3BTdG9yaWVzBHNsawNoZXdsZXR0LXBhY2s-?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=&ccode=

[Peter Gibbons]

What a bunch of losers!

I actually did some research about the WebOS and it looked interesting.

Then I found that HP is not WebOS developer friendly. They were overly secretive, NDAs and such ... So I decided not to bother.

If a company can't do simple things like treat the 3rd party developers right - what about the hard parts?

This is actually good. Fewer players on the field - Android, iOS, QNX ... Did I forget something ... Ah ... WM7

[PhilFromNY]

What do you think about Samsung buying webOS from HP? With the Google-Motorola, and Microsoft-Nokia hookups they may be feeling the need to have alternative other than Bada(?). Also I can see Apple wanting the patents but I think that would be too embarrassing for HP with them both in the Valley.

I say Samsung buys it.

[pxsant]

That is what Cringely thinks will happen.

http://www.cringely.com/2011/02/why-leo-apotheker-will-be-fired-from-hewlett-packard/

Not as unlikely as it might seem.   Leo Apotheker seems to be slipping and sliding since he assumed the CEO role.  Now with the hardware and WebOS fiasco unfolding, his days may be numbered.   Don't forget that he lasted less than a year at SAP.

Meg is a high powered executive and she is on the HP board.  I think Cringely may be onto something.

[benali72]

Carly was a disaster for HP. She wanted to make "big decisions" but lacked the judgement required to make good ones. Hurd was an excellent leader who really brought the company back (though he had a bad end).  I agree with the stock market that Apo's decisions are radical and it's not clear he has the ability to successfully implement them. Cringley could be on to something...

[Peter Gibbons]

So I guess those Touchpads are going to be significantly discounted now.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/18/its-official-hp-kills-off-webos-phones-and-the-touchpad/

Hewlett-Packard Co. to end mobile businesses.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/HewlettPackard-Co-to-end-
apf-707823588.html;_ylt=Ahm1z1f3SeXybmUqXuztrey7YWsA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1MjJyOXA2BHBvcwM0BHNlYwN0b3BTdG9yaWVzBHNsawNoZXdsZXR0LXBhY2s-?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=&ccode=

Down from $399 to $99 - quite a bargain!

I wonder if the could load Android?

I don't have very low expectations that anybody will pick up WebOS.

[Peter Gibbons]

They are absolutely dead.

There were 2 people that complained when HP killed the TouchPad couple of days ago.

This forum would be considered buzzing with activity compared to that one.

I guess killing Palm phones, tablets and WebOS made sense.
Horrible execution by HP. And I remember when the iPAQ was the king of the mobile hill.

I think their announcement of intent to exit the PC business is absolutely idiotic.
They are the leading manufacturer right now! Their shares were hammered and Dell's shares rose.

[TRexx]

While watching the Yankees trounce the Twins last night, I was surprise to see a commercial for the TouchPad.  Perhaps HP thinks baseball fans don't read the news.