11 ms·

HP to produce 100,000-200,000 TouchPads to clear out supplier inventories

46 points by j_col 15y ago

epo 15y ago
So is this company run by 13-year olds? They just can a product line without thinking through the consequences?
- schiptsov 15y ago
  Hardware is cheap, software is expensive nowadays. And software was the cause of failure.
  - j_col 15y ago
    > And software was the cause of failure. How so?
    - schiptsov 15y ago
      Too late, no momentum, no real innovations. Just one Javascript/node.js hype is not enough to push to the market a new product, that should compete with iOS and Android. Try to imagine how big Android is today and what momentum it has.
      - j_col 15y ago
        Momentum that even Google has no control over, and it likely to pull the platform apart into multiple branches (fragmentation). Just look at what Amazon has planned for their new 7" tablet for example, it will be hardly recognisable as Android. They are stripping out all of the Google services and branding. As another example, look at what Baidu are planning to do with Android in China. Again, a completely different branch of Android is forming, it's like desktop Linux all over again (and we all remember how well that went when it came to dislodging Windows). It you had said that iOS had won, I would have thought fair enough (as much as it pains me that iOS currently represents the future of mobile computing), but Android? Really?
        watty 15y ago
        I agree that iOS has won but the "fragmentation" issue that was spouted since day one is way over sensationalized. If Amazon strips out all of the Google products it shouldn't be considered "Android" but the first true branch. It again reinforces how open Google and Android are.
        j_col 15y ago
        I agree that it is the first true branch, with more to come. Is Android becoming a mobile OS kernal, rather than a full-stack OS?
        Maakuth 15y ago
        > Again, a completely different branch of Android is forming, it's like desktop Linux all over again (and we all remember how well that went when it came to dislodging Windows). I for one am optimistic though, as Google-branded Android already is in commanding market position. I think these non-cooperating Android distributions might serve as a good motivator for Google to improve their work.
        hackerbob 15y ago
        Where there will be at times small or major fragmentation in the branding, Android app development is still the unifying factor, and while apps are still the name of the game in town, Android will gradually gain strengthen.
        schiptsov 15y ago
        IOS vs. Android is almost the same story as Win 2000 vs. Linux 10 years ago, don't you see? Community of active developers, not mere consumers, is what matters. At least I believe it is Google's strategy. ^_^ And fragmentation issues will self-resolve, as it was in modern Linux world - only strongest will survive. And the winner is Ubuntu, like it or not. Community matters.
  - ra 15y ago
    Actually no, the touchpad processor was below par. WebOS / Enyo is a great tablet OS. The real problem was HP (the new HP) just wasn't commited to WebOS.
    - schiptsov 15y ago
      No one needs yet another Android today. Especially investing it its development. The game is over. Google won. ^_^ Update: the key words here are today and investing.
      - deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
      - ugh 15y ago
        In the tablet market Android is still pretty invisible. Saying that it won is just wrong, at least for the tablet market. It might win in the future but it certainly hasn’t yet.
        schiptsov 15y ago
        OK, lets name some names. Kindle. Nook. Galaxy Tab. Xoom. All those Japanese, Korean and Chinese vendors who're trying to catch.
        ugh 15y ago
        Keep up, not catch. That’s doable.
        schiptsov 15y ago
        Oh I get it, it's very clever. Consider what will happen in a not so long run when the money spent by companies behind those brands start to work in full swing.
        ugh 15y ago
  - epo 15y ago
    Lookup "non sequitor".
KevinEldon 15y ago
HP says they're getting ready to spin off or sell their PC division. According to this article that would be mean the new company or the acquiring company would: - Be the #1 PC manufacturer - Be the #2 tablet manufacturer - Have a 1 million installed base for WebOS - Have taken 1 million customers away from their competitors who at least in the Android space seem to be struggling a bit That's a pretty compelling story especially if this new entity can capitalize on it with more management and sales autonomy, focus, and agility. I'm not saying everything about this strategic change is pretty, but I'd wait before calling this a failure.
- j_col 15y ago
  I completely agree with all of your points, and I think that a lot of people are missing the point of just how disruptive HP have been in all of this, in terms of mopping up tablet users with the cheap Touchpad who would have otherwise opted to buy a cheap Android tablet. Amazon for one, must be furious with HP given that this fire-sale happened on the eve of their $250 tablet launch, especially given that the Touchpad makes a sweet Kindle device. It will be very interesting to see what happens with this spin-off entity, and indeed, what it will be called (anyone taking bets on Compaq or Palm making a come back)?
- 0x12 15y ago
  One possible acquirer would be Lenovo.

46 points by j_col 15y ago

epo 15y ago

So is this company run by 13-year olds? They just can a product line without thinking through the consequences?

schiptsov 15y ago
Hardware is cheap, software is expensive nowadays. And software was the cause of failure.
- j_col 15y ago
  > And software was the cause of failure. How so?
  - schiptsov 15y ago
    Too late, no momentum, no real innovations. Just one Javascript/node.js hype is not enough to push to the market a new product, that should compete with iOS and Android. Try to imagine how big Android is today and what momentum it has.
    - j_col 15y ago
      Momentum that even Google has no control over, and it likely to pull the platform apart into multiple branches (fragmentation). Just look at what Amazon has planned for their new 7" tablet for example, it will be hardly recognisable as Android. They are stripping out all of the Google services and branding. As another example, look at what Baidu are planning to do with Android in China. Again, a completely different branch of Android is forming, it's like desktop Linux all over again (and we all remember how well that went when it came to dislodging Windows). It you had said that iOS had won, I would have thought fair enough (as much as it pains me that iOS currently represents the future of mobile computing), but Android? Really?
      - watty 15y ago
        I agree that iOS has won but the "fragmentation" issue that was spouted since day one is way over sensationalized. If Amazon strips out all of the Google products it shouldn't be considered "Android" but the first true branch. It again reinforces how open Google and Android are.
        j_col 15y ago
        I agree that it is the first true branch, with more to come. Is Android becoming a mobile OS kernal, rather than a full-stack OS?
      - Maakuth 15y ago
        > Again, a completely different branch of Android is forming, it's like desktop Linux all over again (and we all remember how well that went when it came to dislodging Windows). I for one am optimistic though, as Google-branded Android already is in commanding market position. I think these non-cooperating Android distributions might serve as a good motivator for Google to improve their work.
      - hackerbob 15y ago
        Where there will be at times small or major fragmentation in the branding, Android app development is still the unifying factor, and while apps are still the name of the game in town, Android will gradually gain strengthen.
      - schiptsov 15y ago
        IOS vs. Android is almost the same story as Win 2000 vs. Linux 10 years ago, don't you see? Community of active developers, not mere consumers, is what matters. At least I believe it is Google's strategy. ^_^ And fragmentation issues will self-resolve, as it was in modern Linux world - only strongest will survive. And the winner is Ubuntu, like it or not. Community matters.
- ra 15y ago
  Actually no, the touchpad processor was below par. WebOS / Enyo is a great tablet OS. The real problem was HP (the new HP) just wasn't commited to WebOS.
  - schiptsov 15y ago
    No one needs yet another Android today. Especially investing it its development. The game is over. Google won. ^_^ Update: the key words here are today and investing.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    - ugh 15y ago
      In the tablet market Android is still pretty invisible. Saying that it won is just wrong, at least for the tablet market. It might win in the future but it certainly hasn’t yet.
      - schiptsov 15y ago
        OK, lets name some names. Kindle. Nook. Galaxy Tab. Xoom. All those Japanese, Korean and Chinese vendors who're trying to catch.
        ugh 15y ago
        Keep up, not catch. That’s doable.
        schiptsov 15y ago
        Oh I get it, it's very clever. Consider what will happen in a not so long run when the money spent by companies behind those brands start to work in full swing.
        ugh 15y ago
- epo 15y ago
  Lookup "non sequitor".

KevinEldon 15y ago

HP says they're getting ready to spin off or sell their PC division. According to this article that would be mean the new company or the acquiring company would: - Be the #1 PC manufacturer - Be the #2 tablet manufacturer - Have a 1 million installed base for WebOS - Have taken 1 million customers away from their competitors who at least in the Android space seem to be struggling a bit That's a pretty compelling story especially if this new entity can capitalize on it with more management and sales autonomy, focus, and agility. I'm not saying everything about this strategic change is pretty, but I'd wait before calling this a failure.

j_col 15y ago
I completely agree with all of your points, and I think that a lot of people are missing the point of just how disruptive HP have been in all of this, in terms of mopping up tablet users with the cheap Touchpad who would have otherwise opted to buy a cheap Android tablet. Amazon for one, must be furious with HP given that this fire-sale happened on the eve of their $250 tablet launch, especially given that the Touchpad makes a sweet Kindle device. It will be very interesting to see what happens with this spin-off entity, and indeed, what it will be called (anyone taking bets on Compaq or Palm making a come back)?
0x12 15y ago
One possible acquirer would be Lenovo.