Rumour: Best Buy tells HP to take back their TouchPads

[yllus]

Ars Technica - Report: Best Buy tells HP to take back its TouchPads

Best Buy has managed to sell only 25,000 HP TouchPads across its retail stores and apparently wants to return unsold units to HP, according to a source who spoke to AllThingsD on Tuesday. The tablet which initially used the same pricing structure as the iPad (starting at $499 for a 16GB model) has failed to interest consumers even when prices were reduced by $100 for each model.

We faulted the HP TouchPad in our review for falling short in several metrics compared to the iPad, but at the same price. In recent weeks, many retailers carrying the TouchPad applied discounts of $50, then $100, in temporary flash sales that eventually became permanent as the tablets refused to budge. The biggest sale yet from flash sale site Woot, which sold the tablet for $120 off, got HP a meager 612 customers.

According to the same source, Best Buy took 270,000 TouchPads into inventory, and so far has managed to move less than ten percent of them—and that figure may not even take returned units into account. Best Buy reportedly no longer wants unsold TouchPads taking up space in its stores and warehouses, and is requesting that HP take the stock back.

Best Buy and Woot are not alone in their inability to move TouchPads, analyst Rich Doherty of the Envisioneering Group told AllThingsD; WalMart, Microcenter, and Fry's have all struck out. Though these stores will often give refunds on device price drops for a few weeks after purchase, Doherty says that the fluctuations so soon after release make customers hesitate to buy today, when the TouchPad could easily be another $50 or $100 off tomorrow.

Whatever unsold TouchPad stock Best Buy can't give back to HP will likely find itself bundled along with HP computers in back-to-school sales, according to Doherty.

It's a shame seeing as WebOS on the original Pre was a revelation, and as a PlayBook owner I can see a lot of influence of it upon QNX.

 

[poofyhairguy]

And its dead.

 

[Slick5150]

It's partly due to Best Buy's idiot staff not knowing how to sell them. I overheard one say it ran "some weird version of Android, but you can't load your apps on it for some reason", while others just say "it's not an iPad".

Plus that demo app they leave running on it sucks bad and causes the stupid device to lag and get memory errors.

Nice launch job all around by HP and Best Buy really.

 

[dougp]

It's partly due to Best Buy's idiot staff not knowing how to sell them. I overheard one say it ran "some weird version of Android, but you can't load your apps on it for some reason", while others just say "it's not an iPad".

Plus that demo app they leave running on it sucks bad and causes the stupid device to lag and get memory errors.

Nice launch job all around by HP and Best Buy really.

Wonder if HP offered to send reps or even train sales staff. The failure of the TouchPad lies squarely on HP's shoulders.

 

[Tristicus]

We've sold 1 that I know of at our store. It's ridiculous, they suck. There was no training for it afaik, and when I tell customers it doesn't run Android or iOS and has barely any apps, they automatically say "nope".

 

[Pliablemoose]

I've purchased one or two HP products and they were to say the least, uninspiring.

What I'd love to see HP do is to stop using WebOS on tablets and aggressively license it. Imagine what Samsung could build...

 

[Texashiker]

Wonder if HP offered to send reps or even train sales staff.

Stuff like that cost money, and companies do not want to spend money.

Most of the sales reps from best buy I have seen, they act like they barely know anything about computers. Most of them stay right around the service desk, and barely walk through the isles asking customers if they need help.

I can go to best buy, go to the video card section, stand there for 15 minutes, and not a single person ask me if I need some help.

Not to mention that best buys prices are pretty bad. Some of their hard drives are twice as much as amazon.

 

[smartpatrol]

WebOS is becoming a running joke.

Pre failed due mainly to poor hardware. So what does HP do as their first move with WebOS? Announce the Pre 3, which looks almost exactly like the original Pre (like they were trying to remind the public of failure). BTW they announced it in early February, and today it just became available in Europe. Still nothing for the USA. Oh yeah and don't forget the Veer, which you need the hands of a 5-year-old just to use the keyboard.

Then there's the TouchPad, which hardware-wise is clearly inferior to the iPad. All reports were that the software was choppy and laggy as well. Meanwhile the "anything but Apple" crowd already has a dozen Android tablets to choose from. Who the hell did HP expect to buy a TouchPad?

The thought of HP becoming a vertically-integrated manufacturer of smartphones and tablets, running their own OS, just seems laughable. Time to put WebOS to rest.

 

[Sheep]

webOS is a fine but flawed OS. It was Palm and it's now HP that are the running punchlines. I don't know what's worse--the god-awful Pre- hardware with its barely-baked, glitchy OS that was only useable with PreWare enhancements or "in the coming months".

Reading PreCentral sure is entertaining though. Some of those people actually believe things like dropping the Touchpad price just weeks after launch is all part of HP's master plan and that everyone except Palm/HP is to blame for the hardware's complete failures.

 

[Bateluer]

It's partly due to Best Buy's idiot staff not knowing how to sell them. I overheard one say it ran "some weird version of Android, but you can't load your apps on it for some reason", while others just say "it's not an iPad".

Plus that demo app they leave running on it sucks bad and causes the stupid device to lag and get memory errors.

Nice launch job all around by HP and Best Buy really.

The BBs I've been to have an HP rep on site to 'sell' the Touchpads, but they do a horrible job too. They're fine with showing you how to interact with the UI and such, but any questions about apps, whats available for it, etc, nothing. The Touchpads on the floor can't even grab free apps from their app store because HP/BB don't set up any kind of account on the tablets, so consumers can't test that aspect out.

With the iPad and HoneyComb tablets, you can grab all the free apps you want from iTunes or Android Market, and get much more of a 'feel' for how the tablet is going to work once you have it home. With the Touchpad, you don't get anything close to that.

Its a shame, WebOS isn't bad at all. The Touchpad is a victim of horrible marketing more than anything else, I think.

 

[GTSRguy]

They dropped the price to $399 and it had little or zero effect. HP is telling best buy to hold on and give it time. I think they need to 1.) Market the chit out of it and 2.) drop the price to $299 and then they might see some sales. Problem is, Apple already sold the iPad at a rock bottom price of $499 (base model), its very hard for competing companies to even match that price, let alone beat it by $100+ dollars.

 

[Bateluer]

They dropped the price to $399 and it had little or zero effect. HP is telling best buy to hold on and give it time. I think they need to 1.) Market the chit out of it and 2.) drop the price to $299 and then they might see some sales. Problem is, Apple already sold the iPad at a rock bottom price of $499 (base model), its very hard for competing companies to even match that price, let alone beat it by $100+ dollars.

There's also the whole 'developers won't develop for it if people don't buy it, and people won't buy it until there's apps for it.' HP would also do well to employ some developers of their own as well as 'motivate' 3rd party developers to support the device. They're going to have to spend some serious cash to build the base up if they intend to continue with WebOS as a viable future product.

 

[SAWYER]

Web OS has been dead, dont tell the hardcore that though

 

[shortylickens]

WebOS is becoming a running joke.

Pre failed due mainly to poor hardware. So what does HP do as their first move with WebOS? Announce the Pre 3, which looks almost exactly like the original Pre (like they were trying to remind the public of failure). BTW they announced it in early February, and today it just became available in Europe. Still nothing for the USA. Oh yeah and don't forget the Veer, which you need the hands of a 5-year-old just to use the keyboard.

Then there's the TouchPad, which hardware-wise is clearly inferior to the iPad. All reports were that the software was choppy and laggy as well. Meanwhile the "anything but Apple" crowd already has a dozen Android tablets to choose from. Who the hell did HP expect to buy a TouchPad?

The thought of HP becoming a vertically-integrated manufacturer of smartphones and tablets, running their own OS, just seems laughable. Time to put WebOS to rest.

I dont watch TV but I heard the creepy ad campaign didnt help either.

 

[lupi]

with tablets starting to get tied to a type of phone for full functionality, not surprised that a webos tablet fails.

 

[shortylickens]

There's also the whole 'developers won't develop for it if people don't buy it, and people won't buy it until there's apps for it.' HP would also do well to employ some developers of their own as well as 'motivate' 3rd party developers to support the device. They're going to have to spend some serious cash to build the base up if they intend to continue with WebOS as a viable future product.

Yeah if the Xoom and PLaybook are any indication you need to have a CRAPLOAD of apps ready to go at launch of any new platform. Anything less and the average consumer doesnt care. And the nerd community wont be buying 3 or 4 each so you have to appeal to the mass market.

 

[Sephire]

The simple fact that no Best Buy employee will recommend it to Cx.

 

[wirednuts]

if you compare those hp tablets to an ipad, the hp's should cost about $199 max.

 

[Mopetar]

It's partly due to Best Buy's idiot staff not knowing how to sell them. I overheard one say it ran "some weird version of Android, but you can't load your apps on it for some reason", while others just say "it's not an iPad".

Small wonder Apple spent so much effort setting up their own retail stores.

 

[Fingolfin269]

It pains me to say it but RIP WebOS. I had hoped to use it again in a form better than what I had in the Pre but I guess that just isn't to be.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Small wonder Apple spent so much effort setting up their own retail stores.

They even have an Apple-specific kiosk/area in my local BB that is run by people who deal only with Apple products.

 

[Trader05]

I feel bad for those people who bought it when it first came out for full price....this is going to drop low soon. I got a 32gb TP when staples had the 100 off coupon plus the 100 drop, I had it for a little over a week and noticed I really didn't need it and use it after the wow factor wore off. I returned it today. I think the main thing with tablets is, they dont replace anything yet, its more of a "gadget to have" and the gadget to have is an Ipad for the average consumer. Coming from a long time user and fan of WebOS, HP better make some killer hardware and get some really good developers on their hands quick before it dies.

 

[s44]

I think they need to 1.) Market the chit out of it

Wait, I've seen multiple TouchPad commercials on TV (with celebs and everything) and not a single Transformer or Galaxy Tab commercial.

Maybe HP needs Apple to sue them or something so people know they exist.

 

[foghorn67]

Paul Rubenstein is dangerous to things you care about. I hope companies avoid him like the plague.
What a totally limited and uninspiring vision folks had with it.
Really, thanks for killing something that had potential.

 

[alent1234]

instead of Tv ads HP should have paid some developers to port some popular apps to the TP