HP TouchPad Remains In Public Eye, 7-Inch Model Makes Appearance
The Chinese Web site Palm Joy posted photos late last week of HP's purported 7-inch TouchPad Go tablet , and noted that it's essentially the same as the 10-inch model, with the main exception being that the TouchPad Go uses the same smudge-proof plastic casing found in the also defunct Veer and Pre3 smartphones.
Palm Joy, in its review of the TouchPad Go, also acknowledged that there's very little chance the TouchPad Go will ever hit the market. The TouchPad Go, previously code named "Opal," first surfaced in August in a filing on the Federal Communications Commission's web site.
HP never officially announced the TouchPad Go, and, of course, it scuttled the 10-inch TouchPad in August, a decision that elicited more than its fair share of industry head scratching. HP couldn't be reached for comment on the TouchPad Go.
Meanwhile, HP's retail partners continue dangle the TouchPad as a loss leader to spark HP PC sales. TigerDirect earlier this month sold out of a $280 TouchPad bundle that included a tablet case, Bluetooth speakers and USB Flash drive, and now it's selling 32-GB TouchPads for $149 with a qualifying HP PC purchase, joining Best Buy, Circuit City and Office Depot, among others.
HP last week offered registered WebOS developers the opportunity to buy $149 TouchPads with no strings attached, although supplies have apparently been exhausted. Indeed, after HP's initial TouchPad fire sale in early September, TouchPads have been basically impossible to find at this price.
That hasn't stopped bargain hungry shoppers from looking, though, and the existence of a #FoundTP hash tag on Twitter serves as a lasting reminder of the rapt -- some might say fanatical -- attention people are paying to the product.