HP to make one last TouchPad production run

Just a couple of weeks ago, nobody wanted the HP TouchPad. After HP stopped making the webOS-based tablet because of low sales, it sold its remaining stock at highly reduced prices. After that, the tablet suddenly became the most sought after consumer electronics product in recent memory. Now HP has indeed confirmed that it will be going back to make one last batch of the HP TouchPad, but once these tablets are gone, they are gone.

In a post on HP's blog site The Next Bench, HP spokesperson Mark Budgell said, "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." In the newly updated FAQ about the TouchPad's future, HP adds, "We can tell you that HP’s Small and Medium Business team has sold out of HP TouchPads and will not have more inventory."

One thing that the FAQ doesn't answer is what price HP will set for this final batch of TouchPads. The recent sale frenzy was generated because HP cut the price of the 16 GB version of the tablet down to just $99 from its original $499 and the 32 GB version down to $149 from its original $599. We suspect that many people might get upset if HP raises the prices from those super-low levels.