HP clearly wants people to check out the WebOS based HP TouchPad tablet. Last weekend, the company held a sale cut the price of both the 16 GB and 32 GB versions of the TouchPad by $100 (you got an even bigger price cut at Staples if you used a coupon). Now HP has decided to go all in and make those price cuts permanent. As News.com reports, you can now purchase the 16 GB version for just $399 and the 32 GB version for $499 at HP's web site. HP issued a statement confining that it was "[...] pleased to permanently extend its back-to-school promotion on the HP TouchPad."
The price cut could be HP's way of trying its best to get more interest in the TouchPad which has suffered from mixed reviews from critics since its launch in July. The company has also been pushing out the TV ads for the device using celebs such as Glee actress Lea Michele and British comedian and actor Russell Brand to show off the tablet's social networking and entertainment features.
This new pricing move could also be the start of a pricing war between rival tablets such as the Motorola Xoom and the Galaxy Tab. The article quotes Richard Shim, an analyst at DisplaySearch, as saying, "You know this was eventually going to happen because there are so many players entering the market at the same time. And it's the same market opportunity. That is, whatever remains in the market after Apple takes its share. And price is the only advantage these other players have early on."
Image Credit: Business Insider
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