HP TouchPad $99 Fire Sale - Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Buy the Tablet

Hewlett Packard (HP) said on Aug. 18 it would exit the PC business and stop production of WebOS-based devices. The announcement came amidst reports that retailers were complaining about sluggish TouchPad sales.

Even after HP decided to slash the price of TouchPad by $100 just weeks after its release, sales continued to be sluggish and retailers like BestBuy complained that inventories were piling up.

And, in spite of having a dual-core processor, people complained about the device's slowness and customers have reported about frequent crashes. Some say you would be doing a lot of rebooting if you are using a TouchPad.

HP TouchPad also has some glitches. For instance, the e-mail app sometimes may refuse to display the contents of messages. If you want to resolve it, you have to reboot the device. Also, when you rotate the screen, it takes the screen two seconds to match (an eternity for tablet users). Apps can also sometimes take forever to launch.

And, let's face it - the TouchPad does feel like a brick when compared to the svelte, slim and light-weight iPad.

No wonder, retailers found it difficult to push TouchPad off the shelves.

But now, HP has instructed its retailers to sell the TouchPad for $99 (16GB) and $149 (32GB). So should you buy one? We say "Yes" and there are 10 reasons why. Start the slideshow to find out.

Must Read: HP TouchPad $99 Fire Sale: Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Touch the TouchPad

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HP may have stopped production of WebOS devices but no matter how you look at it, WebOS is not fatally flawed.

WebOS actually makes the TouchPad's UI look and feel pretty cool. Instead of having a row of icons, like in iPad, the TouchPad’s patented WebOS app switcher is formed of clever window ‘cards’. When you press the Home button, all open apps will change to half-size window 'cards'. You can move them around anywhere on the screen with a swipe of your finger or if you've had enough of any app, simply flick it off the top of the screen.

WebOS also allows you to integrate all the data from different online accounts together, thanks to Synergy, even as it handles multi-tasking like a pro unlike the iPad, which tries hard but fails at multi-tasking.

HP also said it will continue to support WebOS updates despite ending production of WebOS-based devices.

"We expect that HP TouchPad owners can look forward to an over-the-air update that will enhance the platform and add functionality," the company said.

And if you still don't like webOS, you're in luck because already TouchPad runs Linux and once the developer community gets a port of Android over to this tablet, you'll have the cheapest decent Android tablet money can buy.

When it comes to looks, TouchPad bears a strong resemblance to iPad though the former is thicker and heavier than the iPad.

Just like the iPad, HP TouchPad has a Home button below the display, volume up/down buttons on the side and it has a similar border around its screen.

Unlike iPad 2, which runs on 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 processor, TouchPad runs on a more powerful dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and both come with 16/32GB storage space.

TouchPad also boasts of 1GB RAM compared to 512MB RAM in iPad 2.

One of the major gripes of iPad owners is that iPad doesn't support Adobe Flash. Apple said it's because of security and stability reasons but absent a workaround it means that a lot of Web video is inaccessible, as are many interactive web sites such as Google Finance.

Unlike iPad, TouchPad includes Flash support. Apple has asserted that that Flash won't be the standard for video in the near future and many sites will start moving over to H.264. Apple may be right but for now, if you want to use Flash, TouchPad is the answer.

Another big draw of TouchPad is the magnetic wireless charging technology it supports. Users will like the magnetic charging facility on TouchPad.

You can charge the TouchPad wirelessly simply by sliding it into its Touchstone charging dock (sold separately). On the other hand, you have to physically plug the iPad to charge it.

Besides, the $80 TouchPad dock can hold TouchPad upright and auto-activates a useful screensaver mode, like photo slideshows. Pretty innovative and fun.

If you're looking for a functional tablet that comes with accelerometer, light sensor, gyroscope and digital compass, you won't find anything cheaper than TouchPad.

HP made a mistake by not pricing TouchPad lower at the beginning (Touchpad was originally priced to match iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 at $499 for 16GB model and $599 for 32GB model) but now at $99 for 16GB and $149 for 32GB, the TouchPad is definitely a steal.

Even if WebOS is staring at an uncertain, if not doomed future, you still get to own a device that can double up as a good quality media player, comes with a decent Web browser, a generous 9.7-inch display and can be used to send out emails. Add 6-8 Hr batter life and the fact that it supports Flash, WiFi and can even be used as a color e-reader makes TouchPad a compelling buy at $99 or even $149.

Of course the TouchPad has its rough edges, but they don't look so rough when you're paying so little. Why, the $99 TouchPad is even cheaper than Amazon Kindle, which is only a standalone e-reader.

All the numbers keys in the TouchPad are just on the top row. You can clearly see them without switching keyboard views. However, iPad doesn’t have this function. This feature might seem insignificant but is quite innovative as no other has thought of this before.

Moreover, there are four key heights for you to choose. The keyboard can be made larger or smaller to match the thickness of your finger.

There are nearly half a million apps in Apple's App Store, of which more than 100,000 apps are iPad-specific. Even Android Market Place has over 200,000 apps.

In comparison, there are only 300 tablet-optimized apps in Palm's App Catalog and only about 8,000 apps for WebOS, of which about 700 don't work on the TouchPad.

However, let's not forget that a lack of apps didn't cripple the iPad or Honeycomb tablets at launch.

Moreover, HP has promised that WebOS applications will grow. "We expect that HP TouchPad owners can look forward to an over-the-air update that will enhance the platform and add functionality and a growing applications catalog," the company said.

So as long as HP can steadily grow their app catalog, TouchPad users won't feel lacking.

Unlike iPad's notifications which shout out at you, HP TouchPad's notifications are more well-mannered and discrete. When a notification is delivered, the TouchPad top bar lights up softly if the HP tablet is sleeping. As for iPad, well if it's sleeping, it continues sleeping and you won't even get to know whether you've received any notification unless you wake up the device.

HP TouchPad's Beats Audio and premium stereo speakers are way better than the iPad's.

WebOS is a true multi-tasking OS. The multitasking feature is handy on TouchPad - simply scroll through opened apps and pick up where you left off on your email, calendar, etc. With iPad2, you can scroll through the apps that are used, but when you go to them, they basically start from the beginning.

The way WebOS handles multi-tasking is a standout feature of the TouchPad. You can keep all open apps running. In contrast, only some apps on the iPad stay in the background while everything else is suspended until you return.

In conclusion, it's a no-brainer that you should get the TouchPad. At $99, TouchPads are an anomaly, the kind of thing you just have to jump on and grab when you see it.

Of course, the TouchPad's not perfect. Its WebOS operating system may soon become obsolete and you can't expect technical support from HP and if you're into apps, you'll feel starved.

However, the TouchPad's a great device and for the price ($99 or $149), it's the best tablet out - you can use it for Web browsing, for sending emails, as a media player, an e-reader or even as a digital photo album. The only tablet that comes close to beating TouchPad in terms of price AND quality is Barnes & Noble Nook Color but even that's for $250.

And here's the scoop - TouchPad buyers, according to ZDNet, will receive a free 50GB of lifetime cloud storage through Box.net.

So what are you waiting for? Go grab a TouchPad while stock lasts.