back to article Piles of unshiftable HP fondle-slabs choke Best Buy

Crates of HP fondleslabs are mounting up stateside at Best Buy as it emerged the retailer has shifted less than one-tenth of its 270,000 strong unit order. Evidence is mounting that HP's shiny slate, dubbed the OuchPad in the US, is failing to capture the attention of shoppers on both sides of the Atlantic, as indicated by …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Danny 14
    Thumb Down

    not really surprising

    it is pretty crap and any business is going to shun the compulsory login for mass rollouts. Plus lack of anything decent on the app front means it is going to be a lemon.

    1. Goat Jam
      FAIL

      Executards

      It's hard to believe that with the enormous pay packets HP's exec's undoubtedly enjoy that they could get the basics of supply and demand so monumentally wrong.

      When they announced the touchpad at the same price as the ipad it should have been obvious to even the most dimmest ivy league business graduate that there would be little demand for the product.

      But no, they go and build millions of the things (to get cheaper unit costs obviously) only to be left with a mountain of unsold touchpads that are no doubt bound for the discount bins real soon now.

      Epic FAIL

      1. tmTM
        FAIL

        Oops

        An expensive lesson to learn that HP is not Apple.

        in hindsight should have walked outside and looked at the name on the building to figure that one out.

    2. Anton Ivanov
      Devil

      Release an Ubuntu for it and I will buy one

      Release an Ubuntu or Debian for it and I will buy it (at the reduced price of course).

      WebOS? Android? iOS?

      No thanks - I still write some code from time to time and like to be able to do it and test it right away.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    WebOS

    How many apps are there on WebOS ?

    In the US, how does the price compare with the iPAD now it's been discounted ?

    There has to be a reason people aren't tempted to buy something completely different.

    1. peter 45

      reasons

      Reason 1. It doesn't have/do anything better than the competition.

      Reason 2. The apps available are minimal compared to the competition

      Reason 3. It is not any cheaper than the competition. (not to the point of overcoming reason 1 and 2)

      In summary. It is not value for money.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Surprise surprise...

    .. people don't want a tablet, they want an iPad.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      What people want

      Or more accurately

      Apple cultists want an iPad

      Everyone else sees that there is no point in a tablet computer

      1. Giles Jones Gold badge

        Erm.

        Which is why Apple only sold 14.8 million of them last year.

        Put that into perspective, the XBox 360 has sold about 55 million consoles to date and it has been available for over 6 years now.

    2. Paul RND*1000
      Thumb Down

      *sigh*

      No, they want a tablet *which works*. The iPad happens to be one of very few which meet that requirement just now. HP's effort, not so much.

    3. N13L5
      FAIL

      not buying till its user's choice what OS to install on tablets.

      All tablets right now are a game for suckers. On all my computers, I can install any OS I want. Dual boot, triple boot, whatever I want, I can do, I OWN the device.

      With tablets, the jerks that made them, seem to continue to own them after you pay for them.

      So no, I don't want an iCrap, or any other overpriced, unproductive jail cell.

      Gadgets are becoming increasingly totalitarian, which leaves you wondering that our governments must be close behind. These are scary times.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Not just gadgets ...

        The whole computing arena has become increasingly totalitarian -- ever since computers became ubiquitous to the masses.

      2. SisterClamp
        Megaphone

        You know that Archos...

        ...have just opened up their system? I'm waiting for an Angstrom Linux image to load on mine. Six months, I read somewhere. I've set the alarm.

  4. Colin Hillier
    Thumb Down

    Does it work?

    I picked one up in Car phone Warehouse the other day and I have to say it seemed like a nice tablet, on a par with iPad 1.

    However it just didn't really work properly. Applications took an age to load and the thing would grind to a halt once a few apps were open. To boot, a few web pages I tried just gave the 'your browser is not supported' error...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Errrm...

      "...on a par with iPad 1.

      However it just didn't really work properly. Applications took an age to load and the thing would grind to a halt once a few apps were open. To boot, a few web pages I tried just gave the 'your browser is not supported' error..."

      All of which puts it on a par with the iPad 1 how, exactly?

      1. LaeMing
        Unhappy

        I assume op meant

        It /looked/ on par with iPad - untll they tried to use it in the real world.

  5. Gerrit Hoekstra
    Angel

    So, ya wanna compete with the Jobsian Cult?

    The Gospel according to St Steve of the Jobsian Cult explicitly teaches its sheeple in the First Commandment that thou shalt not purchase from the unclean, clovenhooved, non-Apple vendors, lest ye be cast into purgatory and end up with something that does not integrate with other Apple devices. And lo, it is also written that only Apple devices shall interface and 'know' each other through non-standard connectors and modified protocols sanctified by the holiest in Cupertino, lest the devices be tainted by the technologies of the heathens and ye be cast into further iniquity.

    If HP seriously wants to tempt sheeple from eating from the Jobsian forbidden tree, then it should drop to a £199 price point.

    1. Tom 38

      £199?

      I think the original idea was to make some money, so selling at £300 under cost may be a bit of a poor business move. They'll get there when they are truly unshiftable though.

      I think the primary problem for these vendors is that Apple now have a good reputation for producing simple to use devices. I'm not saying that other devices are hard to use, just that a user deciding between an ipad and any other tablet will know that the Apple device will work, and be easy to use, which is a boon when deciding to spend £500+ on a toy.

      1. Ammaross Danan
        Facepalm

        Re

        "will know that the Apple device will work, and be easy to use"

        I think the biggest thing Apple has going for them is the iPod. A lot of people has/had one. They're used to being forced to use iTunes to manage their device. They like the idea of their iPad having the same interface, being able to use the same apps, etc. Everyone thinks "iPad" when they think of a tablet now, simply because it's "the thing to have." I've talked to a lot of people that want to use a tablet for everything an iPad CANT do (very well at least...), but they still want the iPad because they think it will do it "best." They won't even hear alternatives. It's quite sad really...like trying to give someone purified tap water as opposed to the bottled water at the store... "It's just not my <insert brand here>"

      2. Stoneshop

        @Tom 38

        "I think the original idea was to make some money,"

        Two words: printer ink.

    2. R 11

      Non standard protocols?

      One thing I'd say about iOS is that its protocol support in some areas is great.

      If you use the free zimbra server for groupware, your iPod, iPhones and iPads can sync mail using IMAP, calendars using CalDav and contacts using CardDav.

      That's mobile groupware with no licensing costs. Quite a boon for small businesses and non-profits.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I would have thought

      competing with Cupertino would require raising the price to get the 'you get what you pay for' sfb crowd.

    4. Franklin
      FAIL

      A title is required

      There is one thing you can always count on from the Apple haterz: If some product that competes with Apple fails, it's because Apple users are all mindless sheep. It's not because the competing product is poorly designed, or there are no apps for it, or it crashes frequently, or it's slower than the product it competes with; the only possible explanation is that Apple users are sheep.

      I've looked at the HP tablet. It's rubbish. I wouldn't buy one if they dropped the price to $99...and I say this as a person who does *not* own an iPad, and who got rid of my iPhone in favor of an HTC Sensation Android phone.

  6. spencer

    Cut the price then.

    You can't move something at that spec for £429 that isn't an Ipad.

    The Playstation 3 cost less than that at lunch....

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Joke

      at lunch ?

      what about dinner ?

      1. LaeMing
        Coat

        Re: what about dinner?

        I am flattered, but I don't think you are my type.

  7. Christopher Rogers
    Thumb Down

    Shame

    WebOS could have been soo good.

    1. ThomH

      Hopefully this isn't the end

      Though I may be investing a little more hope than is realistic. It'd be interesting to read a postmortem if HP do either kill it or restrict it to being the fast boot option on laptops, a use I think they've hinted at before. I'm aware of negative stories about build quality, the iTunes syncing spat (which made both parties look bad in my opinion) and performance, but there's got to be more to the ongoing failure to find traction than those factors alone.

  8. tuna 1
    Pint

    Oh My, Yes

    Couldn't have happened to two more deserving outfits. Rarely in nature do you see the equalizing force of comeuppance so vividly.

  9. Marky W
    Devil

    What's that noise?

    Oh, it's the sound of Steve Jobs' maniacal laughter.

  10. Number6
    Linux

    Target Price

    Drop it to £100 and make sure I can run Linux on it and I'd be more likely to buy one.

    1. BRYN

      Re Number6

      Yup i'd 2nd that

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      RE: Target Price

      "Drop it to £100 and make sure I can run Linux on it and I'd be more likely to buy one."

      well, WebOS is linux ....

      1. The Fuzzy Wotnot
        Happy

        No...

        Proper Linux, not some locked down pretend version of Linux!

      2. Anonymous Coward
        WTF?

        Why?

        Why on earth would you want to install Linux on it?

        When are the penguinista going to realise that regular uses don't care about OSs? And it's not because they're dumb or sheeple - it's because they just want a device that does the job. In the case of fondle-slabs that means something that can consume online media, maybe play the odd game install a few Apps etc..

        I'm not saying you can't do those things with Linux - no doubt you can if you're prepared to dedicate your life to trawling forums to get just the right combination of versions you need to get the thing to work. Most people have better ways of spending their time...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Thumb Up

          Because ... we can ...

          Its an engineering challenge and fun.

          I recall they asked George Mallory a similar question about Everest.

    3. Tom Sparrow

      Linux

      WebOS is linux.

      Unless they've changed it since my Pixi, proper linux too - terminal access via USB cable with novacom or directly with a small app install.

      I don't think it would be too hard, by phone/tablet standards (though way above most people) to install your own distro on there. Be nice to to see it running meego...

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I Don't know what the architecture is ...

      But if it happens to be x86 and bootable from an external device I bet you could hackintosh it as well. You could even have it dual boot from OS X or Linux. Just to prove a point.

      This never fails to piss off the fanbois.

  11. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Mike Moyle

      Actually...

      ...more a case of, "If you build it, they will laugh," I think.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Typing this on my iPad

    I know why the HP tablet isnt selling very well - it's crap

    1. Cameron Colley

      Typing this on my iPad.

      This is annoyng too -- no way I would have payed the asking price for this locked-down, dumbed-down phone without a phone.

      The browser belongs in an iPaq, the lack of flash belongs to an old WinCE device and the complete lack of a way to transer files to and from the device belongs to a '90s mobile phone.

      1. Robert Hill
        Gimp

        Transfer files?

        There are plenty of ways to transfer files to/from an iDevice - iFunbox is my personal fave at the moment. Needs a cable, not wireless, but can access the raw file space on an iPhone or iPad.

        This stuff isn't hard, and believe it or not there actually are Apple hackers that can write stuff too...

  13. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Prices

    Over here the HP is reduced to $399 on Best Buy's website for the base 16Gb wifi

    They are charging $519 for the 16Gb wifi iPad2

    But you can buy a refurb 16Gb wifi Ipad1 from the apple store for $350

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    Solved

    They need to lay off a few tens of thousands of workers. That will instantly fix the problem.

    1. Tom 35

      Don't forget

      The big bonus for the top exec.

    2. Marvin the Martian
      Thumb Up

      Further step

      ... and pay the employees' severance fee in TouchPads (bought back at discount from Best Buy), solving TWO problems at once.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Is this Marvin the Martian? Please hold...

        Hey Marv! No no it's not Dubya, it's Mark Hurd here. You got what it takes buddy, and I want you on board. Take this plastic lapel badge and wear it with pride!

  15. Valerion

    Looting

    Are there any statistics on how many of these were looted compared to iPads in the riots?

    1. Gareth Gouldstone
      Facepalm

      How do you think the police caught them?

      They brought them back for a refund ...

    2. Mark 65

      Re:Looting

      None, you couldn't give them away.

    3. This post has been deleted by its author

    4. TeeCee Gold badge
      Joke

      Re: Looting

      I heard that one retailer going in to clean up the mess found that they had more HP tablets in stock than they started with...

  16. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Meh...

    They could price it at £9.99 and i still wouldn't buy one......

    Fell out with shoddy goods and piss poor aftercare from HP a long time ago...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      I call bollocks on that statement

      For a tenner you could experiment to your hearts content, or just practice taking it apart and putting it together again.

      Now if you'd said £99.99, I might have believed you. But no, you went too far to make a point.

  17. Andrew Holt

    From a 'fanboy'...

    I would call myself a webOS 'fanboy' - love the operating system, great to develop on using my existing skills as a web developer. Also love the multitasking and the fact that it feels more productive (email, messaging etc) than other, more popular, mobile operating systems.

    Price - I agree with the fact that the price is too high but only in comparison with what is out there in the marketplace currently.

    Apps - These will come; how many apps did Android or iOS have on launch? The built-in apps are more than adequate for using the tablet for productivity purposes i.e. not wasting time on games.

    3G - This is the killer for me; I'd much rather have one with 3G OR a good discount on one without (and use my phone/wifi for net connectivity). 3G is a convenience item which makes sense to me for a tablet where I'll be wanting to do "stuff" on it wherever I whip it out.

    OS - Definately geared towards business/productivity but will work beautifully for home/leisure (once there are more leisure apps for it).

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Happy

      Hmmm

      You don't by any chance happen to work for HP, HP's favourite PR firm or Best Buy?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Unhappy

      Re Andrew Holt

      You said,

      "OS - Definately geared towards business/productivity but will work beautifully for home/leisure (once there are more leisure apps for it)."

      Shouldn't this really be:-

      "OS - Definately geared towards business/productivity but will work beautifully for home/leisure (IF and ONLY IF there are more leisure apps for it)."

      Sadly, I think it is doomed as a Tablet/fondleslab platform just like WP7(is for phones).

      I have to say sadly as I spent 20+ years working for that once great company. Far too many PHB's and that Witch (Carly) have ruined it as a serious company.

  18. Mike Wilson

    I might buy one if the price dropped a long way

    I'd quite like a tablet of some sort or other. I just can't pay the outrageous prices everyone is asking for them. If UK shops start discounting heavily to make space for iPads, I just might buy one of these.

  19. Arctic fox
    Windows

    I know that this is going to get me a shed load of down votes but I do not care.

    I speak as a very happy Desire Z owner, I think that Android as a mob os is an excellent operating system. However, it is (so far at any rate) not impressive as a tab os and the hardware with few exceptions (the most notable IMHO being the Asus Transformer) being decidedly mediocre. The fact of the matter is, whether you like or not, the only serious challenge that Apple is likely to face in the tab market is Win8 (if MS *actually* succeed in doing what they claim they are trying to do). MS are in reality the only company currently who has a cat's chance in hell of making a dent in Cupertino's lead in that market. Embarrassing isn't it?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      A shedload of votes?

      TL;DR you may be misjudging your salientness.

  20. fLaMePrOoF
    FAIL

    WebOS..?

    If HP want them to sell, implement Android on them, simples.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      Re: WebOS..?

      Yeah, 'cause that's working out great for everyone else.

  21. Matt 20
    FAIL

    Hardly a surprise...

    If the demonstration I saw on Click! was anything to go by, it is absolutely shocking in use. Just another example of a company rushing out a meagre "me too" product to capture market share, at the ultimate expense of customer satisfaction and brand credibility.

    I hope they at least dispose of and recycle the mountain of unwanted, crap devices responsibly.

    1. 404

      Matt 20? I Disagree!

      <drives away>

      Seriously though, it's not a 'me too" situation. Hp stuck their neck out with WebOS, they could have easily did Android like everybody else lol. I think it might be too early to tell, they will drop the price and it will begin to get traction. If they stick with it and don't panic right away, the apps will come. Everybody and their mother is trying to dev that killer app and WebOS looks interesting on the surface. I own the Acer A500 due to the usb host, but I did like the Hp, just over priced for what you get.

      1. asdf
        Flame

        oops

        > If they stick with it

        You must have posted this just a few hours before the death sentence came down which is hardly surprising.

  22. DrXym

    Not surprised

    The TouchPad is expensive, doesn't run an OS anybody wants and is flawed. Same problem affects Android tablets to some extent as well, especially the issue of price. There is no reason they should cost so much. When tablet makers stop running in greed mode competing with Apple and start competing with each other they may realise that. The first brand name manufacturer to turn out a sub €300 tablet with a reasonable spec (which is eminently possible) will clean up.

  23. Ian 35
    FAIL

    "If you use the free zimbra server for groupware"

    So that's six more sales assured, then.

  24. Aaron Scully

    Rubbish Hardware

    I did point out in a comment to the blog post announcing the tablet specs that it's hardware (specifically the screen) was letting the tablet down. This has been the case with most WebOS devices - the screen resolution always seems to be lower than the current standard when benchmarked against Android (forget Apple, they literally sell people overpriced and underspecced hardware every day, due to their cult status). Which is a bit rubbish when you want a phone or tablet to read PDF programming books (with the source code formatting retained).

    Shame, 'cos it would have been nice to have a strong competitor to Android (Apple - we'll tell you what you can and can't do with your own device - aside).

  25. Ms123

    Can't sell a HP Touchpad

    My brother is a very lucky guy. They had a raft in a local megastore in Milan and guess what he won one of these HP Touchpads the lucky thing. He was happy at start but didn't know what to do with it since he has an iPad. He put it up on E-bay for sale at a start price of 80€, He ran the auction 3 times and didn't received one offer. I guess if he had won a iPad and put it up for 80€ me and him would have already been out for a nice meal, but with the HP pad we are getting very hungry.

  26. Mike S

    no killer app

    The iPad is the standard. They've been out for a while, I know people who have them. I have used it extensively but I have not purchased one. Its like the iPhone, which I think is pretty useful.

    I may have seen another tablet on the train. Tried a [xoom|galaxy|playbook|webos tablet] in BestBuy, but it was a pain because the security cord was too short and the wireless network was slow, and the interface not intuitive enough to pick it up well enough in the store.

    They all cost about as much or more than an iPad. I might like Android better than iOS if I gave it enough time. But I'm busy.

    What it comes down to is this:

    I know I like the iPad. Don't love it, but its pretty nice. i know I might like a [xoom|galaxy|etc]. But I don't know for sure. Might love it, might regret not getting an iPad.

    If I wanted to do more couch surfing, why would I buy anything other than an iPad? Its a know quantity and the decision is easy.

    If there was some killer app for another one then I'd consider it. But they're are all focused on copying Apple, and they haven't done a great job of it yet.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    make a lose to gain market share

    as I wrote before, HP should really consider allowing piracy with WebOS on the PC, and now I'll add, they should consider making a lose on the phone and tablet as well. Take the money lost and consider it as money spent on advertisement. Or another way, you are going makeup for the money lost through your AppStore (yes, Jobs, we know).

    I my biased and objected opinion, Microsoft is where it is today because of the amount of piracy that DOS and earlier version of Windows/Office had. If Microsoft was tough on piracy back then, then I believe they won't be where they are today. Piracy allowed everyone to have their product on everyone's desktop. As time passed and people upgraded, and many of those _pirates_ ended up _buying_ the Windows OS on their new PC and opting for MS Office on their work PC.

    HP, you are coming late to the market, a market that have many big players. Being cheap or free might be your only way to take a share from this market. You will make money one of these days (with version 3 of webOS), but for now, getting your webOS to as many people as possible should be your goal. Allow people to upgrade their old unsupported _Windows_ PC to your webOS for free (piracy). And they might remember you when it is time to upgrade their PC.

  28. SisterClamp

    A friend of a friend...

    ...who still works for HP (I know, who knew?) said that their Big Honcho had "surprised" everyone with "gifts" of Touchpads about a month ago. "Oh, not selling well at all then," was my comment. Touche, oh smart Sister Clamp.

  29. Wolfhound57

    Tablets are just a fashion statement

    The Tablet format is awkward and cumbersome, at least in sizes that make two hands a better proposition than one.

    The iPad has succeeded despite the limitations of the format because many of its punters are just demonstating their love for Apple not any advanced IT knowledge, yes I know now I will be assaulted in writing by legions of System Administrators and Network tekkies but before you put finger to keyboard or touchscreen I would say that even you can be fashion victims and in my opinion that is what you are the format is ergonomically flawed.

    I suspect this format will lose its appeal in a dramatic fashion in a relatively short space of time when the massive Apple fanbase find another product to adulate and worship.

    I have used several tablets including two versions of the religious icon that is the iPad and haven't changed my opinion of the serious ergonomic problems.

    I do own a tablet, I purchased the Asus eee pad Transformer a much better total format, actually genuinely useful as a sub Netbook device with a built in Tablet for the few occasions this is useful.

    I will admit not to have used any of the smaller tablet formats but suspect that in these it is ergonomically better but you probably have the problem that lookers on won't realise you are the owner of a Tablet.

    1. asdf
      FAIL

      last paragraph sums it up

      First of all the double post makes you look brilliant to start with but after skipping %90 of your worthless post the sentence one expects is to be found.

      >I will admit not to have used any of the smaller tablet formats

      Try a non POS Intel tablet and you might change your opinion. They really are the ultimate couch surfing devices and if you avoid Intel you can get one that stays cool without a fan.

  30. Wolfhound57

    Tablets are just a fashion statement

    The Tablet format is awkward and cumbersome, at least in sizes that make two hands a better proposition.

    The iPad has succeeded despite the limitations of the format because many of its punters are just demonstating their love for Apple.

    I suspect this format will lose its appeal in a dramatic fashion in a relatively short space of time when the massive Apple fanbase find another product to adulate and worship.

    I have used several tablets including two versions of the religious icon that is the iPad and haven't changed my opinion of the serious ergonomic problems.

    I do own a tablet, I purchased the Asus eeepad Transformer a much better total format, actually genuinely useful as a sub Netbook device with a built in Tablet for the few occasions this is useful.

    I will admit not to have used any of the smaller tablet formats but suspect that in these it is ergonomically better but you probably have the problem that lookers on won't realise you are the owner of a Tablet.

  31. Peter 48
    Angel

    hopeless

    I have no love lost for apple, but if it was the choice between the HP slab and the Apple slab I would choose the apple one purely because of the app availability. And then ditch that and use my Asus Transformer instead anyway.

    I guess the fact the his Holiness, saint Jobs of Cupertino isn't trying to get it banned is proof enough that it has failed.

  32. Anonymous Coward
    Pirate

    PADD clone

    Someone should do some programming-fu and make it imitate the interface on ST:Voy's PADD complete with noises and convincing looking graphics.

    that might shift a few units to Trek fanbois.

    Alternate option:- write a 'scope/spectrum analyzer/multimeter/etc add-on for it and sell that as an app. Maybe some electronics hobbyists will buy them then, as I recall the problem with the Ipadx is that you can't write your own software for it or plug your own hardware in.

    Presumably the HP has Bluetooth and some sort of USB so this isn't as hard as it sounds.

    Maybe even fit the board(s) internally to reduce space?

    AC/DC

  33. Anonymous Coward
    FAIL

    Now no-one will be buying them!

    Now no-one will be buying them! HP may as well knock them out at half price before they can't shirt them at all.

  34. David Evans
    FAIL

    Its simple

    It's shit. Sorry but it is. Had a play with one in Dixons in the airport the other day and it just didn't work properly (I eventually got stuck in a game and couldn't get out). Personally I wouldn't buy an iPad because of file support issues (and my deep loathing of iTunes), and I was keen to see if HP had created a credible alternative. Answer; no. I'll be sticking to Android, at least until I see what Windows 8 brings to the party.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like