Trying to get a share of the tablet market.
During the holiday season, it's important to try to get your product out front and center. In the business industry, the holiday season can be make or break for a company's bottom line. This is especially true for electronic companies. The markets are getting tighter as technology grows and in order to claim some market share, companies have to compete harder than ever.
For PC makers trying to get a slice of the tablet market, they are finding it difficult to compete with Apple's iPad and iPad 2. Although Apple is the clear market leader, many other computer companies have released their own tablets that work with the Anroid operating system.
Earlier this year, HP found a successful way to sell more tablets - they slashed the price to $99 for the base model. The sale lasted only for a short time and it was seen by many as a fire sale. However, the company has announced that they plan to resurrect the sale just in time for the holiday season.
In a statement from the company, the new sale will start on December 11 at 6pm on their Ebay store. HP will be pricing their refurbished Touchpads for $99 for the 16GB and $149 for the 32GB model. In addition to the Touchpads, customers will be given an option to buy a case, charging dock and wireless keyboard in a bundle package for an additional $79.
If their last sale was any indication, these low cost tablets will be in high demand. Last time, I thought for sure that it was an attempt by HP to get out of the tablet market, but now, I'm not so sure. Even though they are bound to take a loss on these special priced tablets, in the long run they will increase their odds of surviving the technology wars to come. When it comes to mobile devices, people become attached to whatever system they first use. If their first tablet is an iPad they are more likely to buy an iPhone and iPod. By getting people who wouldn't ordinarily buy a tablet to get an HP one, they will look for other HP and Android devices in the future.
It's a smart marketing move and will no doubt help them get a piece of the holiday dollars.
Would you buy a tablet for $99? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for BusinessWorkForceBlog and Nexxt. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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