HP to Sell More $100 TouchPads, Surprised by Frenzy

Hewlett-Packard TouchPad is all set for one final production run before the device retires completely from the market.

Last week HP was bombarded with a buying frenzy after the company slashed the price of the 16 GB TouchPad to $100, following the decision to shut down its WebOS operating system.

HP has pledged to manufacture some more units after being “pleasantly surprised” by the outrageous demand that the low price had generated.

“The number of inquiries about the product and the speed at which it disappeared from inventory has been stunning,” an HP executive wrote in a company blog post. 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.

The units will be available by the end of October at $100 for the 16 gigabytesTouchPad, and $150 for 32 gigabytes, the same prices charged during the first liquidation sale.

For the ones who have missed the chance to grab the TouchPad, during the last offer, this is one last chance to rush for it. Developers are trying to install Android operating system in the HP Touchpad, so even the early adopters don’t have to be stuck with WebOS, an operating system which has an uncertain future.

However, HP has not explained why the company is continuing to make tablets to sell at a loss as the current prices are far below the estimated cost for building each TouchPad. HP is expected to decide by the end of this year whether to split off its PC arm, which started selling the TouchPad in July, into a separate company, a move it considers the best for shareholders, Reuters reported.