$99 HP TouchPad Flies Off Shelves, 'Deal Not Over'

The Hewlett-Packard (HP) TouchPad hasn't proven much of a competitor for Apple's iPad, but at the right price it's an attractive alternative. And at $99, it's the kind of deal few Best Buy or Amazon shoppers have been able to pass up.

The price reduction has a lot to do with HP's recent decision to discontinue the TouchPad tablet, a decision that came not long after the company announced it would move away from the WebOS proprietary operating system.

16GB for $99; 32GB for $149

Last Friday, HP drastically reduced the price of each version of the TouchPad. The 16GB model went down from $399 to an incredible $99, while the 32GB version dipped from $499 to just $149. It didn't take shoppers long to notice the deal, and TouchPads flew off store shelves over the course of the weekend.

Surprisingly, the deal isn't yet over -- in fact, HP has announced it has more TouchPads to sell at the reduced rate, and will be shipping them out to retailers soon. Via Twitter, an HP representative recently tweeted: "Regarding 'next batch' coming in... [there are] no more being made, but [we have] inventory coming from ones already manufactured." (Source: cnet.com)

However, it's not yet clear how much more stock is available, or how long the deal will last.

Prices Vary Amongst Retailers

Not all retailers have caught on to the deal and many continue to sell the TouchPad for $399 and $499. That's true for many of Amazon.com's re-sellers, the retailers who sell through Amazon but are not really tied to the site.

Reports suggest that various U.S. Best Buy retailers have seen great demand for the heavily-slashed device. Cnet News notes that both Pennsylvania and California stores reported long lines outside before opening on Sunday.

Many stores are said to be enforcing the sale of one TouchPad per customer. (Source: msn.com)