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HP Touchpad: HP promises to keep them coming until they run out

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The HP TouchPad is in greater demand than ever before, selling out in stores across the U.S. and Canada over the weekend after a price drop down to $99.99.

So what does any good business do when its products are in demand? Deliver more of that product, of course. And that’s what Hewlett-Packard said Monday that it intends to do with the TouchPad.

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Well, until it is really and truly sold out.

HP spokeswoman Bryna Corcoran said on Twitter that more TouchPads will hit HP’s own online store.

‘Regarding ‘next batch’ coming in.. it’s called a warehouse,’ Corcoran said in a tweet. ‘No more being made, but have inventory coming from ones already manufactured.’

Corcoran said she didn’t know how many TouchPads were on the way or when they’d arrive, but HP is still taking orders for the TouchPad online at $99.99 for a 16-gigabyte Wi-Fi model or $149.99 for a 32-gigabyte Wi-Fi unit.

Those who have ordered a TouchPad from HP online aren’t guaranteed to get a device, but they have been placed on a wait list; orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis, she said. HP also set up a Web page where consumers can sign up to be emailed an alert when the TouchPads go on sale online again.

‘All this clamoring for the TouchPad, kind of bittersweet,’ Corcoran said in another tweet.

HP last week announced that it was halting production of its now-hot-selling tablet, which didn’t sell well before the dramatic price drop, and also killing off HP’s line of smartphones. Both the TouchPad and HP’s phones run the WebOS operating system, which HP took over in a $1.2-billion purchase of Palm last year.

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HP has said that although it is giving up on making WebOS hardware itself, it hopes to license WebOS to other hardware makers. Last week, that move sounded far fetched given that HP couldn’t sell WebOS products. But with the weekend sellouts across two countries, WebOS’ user base has grown by at least a few hundred thousand, which could help the operating system’s chances of living on.

Another business that HP wants out of -- personal computers -- also saw some action Monday. The world’s largest PC maker is looking to spin off or sell its laptop and desktop computer business, but announced a new all-in-one desktop called the HP Compaq 8200 Elite that starts at a price of $999.99 and is aimed at business users.

HP’s stock took a 20% dive last week on the news of its plan to cancel its WebOS hardware and possibly exit the PC business. On Monday afternoon, before the close of the market, HP stock was up about 3% to about $24.46 a share.

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HP to kill TouchPad and stop making WebOS devices, may spin off PC business

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

twitter.com/nateog

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