Hewlett Packard has confirmed that it will be manufacturing and shipping a “limited quantity” of webOS-powered TouchPads up until October 31st, 2011.
However, the corporation still intends to discontinue development of webOS devices as it winds down operations during the fourth fiscal quarter.
“Since we announced the price drop [to $99], the number of inquiries about the product and the speed at which it disappeared from inventory has been stunning. I think it’s safe to say we were pleasantly surprised by the response,” HP rep Mark Budgell wrote in an official blog post.
“Despite announcing an end to manufacturing webOS hardware, we have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand. We don’t know exactly when these units will be available or how many we’ll get, and we can’t promise we’ll have enough for everyone. We do know that it will be at least a few weeks before you can purchase.”
Unfortunately, it remains unclear if retailers will offer a $99 price point this time around. Budgell emphasized that each would be responsible for managing their own policy and process regarding pricing or price matching.
As TG Daily previously reported, despite a highly aggressive advertising campaign and recent price cuts, HP was unable to generate enough interest for the TouchPad.
It seems as if consumers who were already confused enough with the choice between Android and iPad just didn’t understand the point of webOS – until the TouchPad’s $99 price point kicked in.
