HP has officially killed webOS. Offed it with two dinky sentences in a dinky little press release. It’s sad, sure. And now the handful of customers who forked out $500/$600 for a hunk of now-scrap metal called the TouchPad can get a refund from Harvey Norman.
The TouchPad is off shelves, and off Harvey Norman’s Website (though not HP Australia, strangely).
More:
- HP Kills WebOS Phones,Tablets (Including The TouchPad)
- Ten Ways HP Can Get Rid Of Unsold TouchPad Tablets
ARN reports that the roughly 1000 customers who picked up the TouchPad will be contacted in relation to the refund. Harvey Norman’s GM for computers told the site that “We’ll offer customers a full refund virtually with no questions asked in regards to lost packaging and so on. Either that or we’ll swap it or whatever they want to do to remain happy.”
If HP has outright abandoned webOS (as so far seems to be the case), then they’ve effectively rendered TouchPad useless. Developers won’t build apps for it any more than they would for MS-DOS. There will be no firmware updates, no bug fixes. It’s a product trapped in time, exiled to the Phantom Zone. It had more than its share of problems. Now, it’ll have them forever.
When you buy a tablet you’re not just buying the hardware. You’re buying the promise of what that hardware can do for you. You’re buying access to present and future apps, to modifications and improvements and an entire platform’s ecosystem. Even if you pick up one really cheap, that seems to have all gone up in smoke.
Reader
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 5:58 PMI laugh on the inside because JB has invested more than Harvey’s into the webOS tablet at this point, even heard their ads on the radio today which made me laugh even harder, “its been 7 years in development JUST for this tablet!”.
John Hedge
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 7:03 PMAnd they’re ditching hardware to go into software! *Laugh* Its always been the software that’s let their hardware down.
Chaosboi
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 7:20 PMThe adds are still running on QLD TV tonight.. I first saw the add on TV last night, then read the news today and though, wow…that lasted a whole day!
smurfydog
Friday, August 19, 2011 at 8:55 PMRIP WebOS.
I never got to know you, but I’ll remember you fondly as “the one that could have been”.
But seriously; less players in the market = less competion = bad for consumers.
Bring on fusiongarrage and their new GridOS!
Of course it will probably never release.
But still…
Steve
Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 12:08 AMHow about they don’t refund the phones and just give customers back most of their money, but allowing them to hold onto their TouchPads as a sign of goodwill. It’s not like HP’s gonna need them at this point. They’ll probably wind up in a landfill.
Steve
Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 12:10 AMtablets*
alan
Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 2:19 AMDon’t like the idea of Apple having too much power as I am sre they will abuse it.
alan
Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 2:21 AMHow can Apple get away with 30% commission on apps and Books. Microsoft don’t get 30% on windows programs.
Davo
Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 12:17 PMBecause Apple have set themselves up as the retailer got the apps… And the retailer needs their cut.
Jonathan
Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 7:28 PMI hope they DON’T end up in a landfill any time soon!
Forgetting any environmental ramifications for a moment, surely they’ll be quite useful for someone, somewhere? They could be donated to schools or universities, or offered to students at a fraction of the original price.
olearymo
Saturday, August 20, 2011 at 8:40 PMI don’t understand… how are they scrap metal?
Are they dead? Did HP flip some giant switch that stopped all Touchpads from working?
Jonathan
Monday, August 22, 2011 at 6:10 PMOr … they could sell them for a fraction of the original price two days after I posted that. Thank you HP! :D