HP TouchPad Sale Offered to Employees, Will There Be $99 Tablets Left for the Public?

According to an internal memo email from HP leaked to TechCrunch, HP TouchPads will be available in the HP Employee Store beginning on Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. PDT.

Since the fire sale, which began Aug. 20, HP made a decision to make an additional 100,000-200,000 tablets to deliver more TouchPads for unfulfilled orders and to satisfy demand for the discontinued device.

However, now HP employees will have a greater shot at nabbing a $99 tablet before the sale goes public, which will most likely leave few up for grabs. Staffers will be eligible to purchase one 16GB TouchPad for $99 or a 32GB for $149 at a first come, first serve basis when the sale begins.

The e-mail to HP Employees from Senior Vice President and General Manager Stephen Dewitt, released by TechCrunch, reads:

As was shared during Leo's recent all-employee meeting, we have been looking at possibilities to extend the employee purchase program around the HP TouchPad as we complete the process of clearing out inventories and winding down manufacturing operations.

After a thorough review of options, I'm pleased to share that starting at 9:00am (Pacific Time) on Wednesday, September 28th, HP employees in the United States will have one last chance to buy an HP TouchPad through the Employee Purchase Program on a first come first serve basis. Pricing will remain the same as it has been during the wind down process -- $99.99 for the 16GB TouchPad, $149.99 for the 32GB TouchPad...while limited supplies last.

Mark your calendars.

The e-mail from Dewitt continues on to delineate the terms, which state purchases must be made online, are non-exchangeable, are limited and only one allowed.

The announcement from HP back early in Sept. to release more TouchPads with additional production required, has sparked interest again in the discontinued tablet at it's $99/$149 price point.

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, HP said in its blog, The Next Bench. We do know that it will be at least a few weeks before you can purchase.

With the HP staff's advantage and the imminent final chapter of the sale, there may be limited or even no $99 HP TouchPads available for sale to the public after the Sept. 28 employee sale.