I went to sleep last night and woke up this morning fully intent on diving head first into the HP Touchpad fire sale that had geeks camping out in front of Best Buy for the recently discontinued WebOS tablet going for a fifth of its initial launch price just 7 weeks earlier.
Much to my dismay, my friend I planned to meet in front of Best Buy along with his 2 y.o. daughter, called me as I was lacing up my running shoes and announced that our "early morning" efforts were futile thanks to the 100+ geeks who camped overnight outside the big blue box store with a Saturday morning shipment of 60 Touchpads.
I was initially upset I wouldn't get a tablet today at a bargain price, apps or no apps, which was the main reason for the disappointment of early adapters. Well, that and the fact that HP jumpkicked WebOS to the curb.
I feel bad for the HP marketers that had to tell Manny Pacquiao the product he promoted was about to get KTFO!!
However, I was so enamored by the idea of owning a tablet that I started looking at the iPad when I finally visited my local Best Buy campsite 20 mins AFTER the store opened and for the first time considered paying $500 for a tablet.
I went home to ruminate over the decision - after a trip to Lowe's to look at faux wood flooring for my girlfriend's recently flooded kitchen floor - and returned to another Best Buy around 1pm, fully expecting to purchase a 16GB WiFi iPad2.
Admittedly, I read a few iPad2 reviews on my Android phone between BB visits and arrived ready to purchase an Apple tablet, though once in the store, I googled and read another review on my phone - iPad2 v Gingerbread tabs - and made a snap decision to purchase the 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab complete w/case, screen protectors and docking keyboard.
My decision to go w/Android over Apple ultimately hinged on the review which favored the customization of Android products and the comparable specs on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.
That, along with 18-month interest free financing and a new policy that waives restocking fees. I guess there is an advantage to a down economy when it comes to purchasing high end ticket items!
I entered the tablet market two days earlier when a friend came home with a Touchpad and the speed and ferocity with which I decided I needed a tablet in my life was phenomenal, particularly considering I've sold a limited array of Tablets for T-Mobile for nearly a year now.
Long story short, the readiness of information and first-adapter reviews certainly influenced my purchasing decision and I'd be willing to bet that HP's firesale not only cleared most shelves of the Touchpad, but also influenced increased - if not record - tablet sales this weekend and likely benefitted Android tablets across the various manufacturers more than iPad sales.
1 comment:
I should let readers know I took advantage of Best Buy's zero-fee restocking policy 7 days after purchasing the Galaxy Tab so I could give the iPad 2 a try. I wasn't sure which I'd end up keeping in the end, but after just a few days with the iPad 2, I decided it was the superior product. I love the user interface of the Android Gingerbread tablets and the Galaxy 10.1 is the cream of the crop, but there are so many more apps I want available on the iPad2 than there are for Gingerbread. Eventually, I believe, Android will catch up with Apple in the app race, but for now it seems the iProducts get the new apps just a little bit sooner. I love my iPad 2!
Post a Comment