HP to give TouchPad early adopters $50 for apps 57
Sat, 06 Aug 2011 5:03 pm EDT 
You bought an HP TouchPad early on and now you’re fuming over recent price cuts? HP hears you, and they want to sooth your wounded ego, so they’re going to give you $50 of credit for the App Catalog. How cool is that?
Today’s posting on The Official HP Palm Blog states that anybody who purchased a TouchPad in the United States before August 4th, regardless of retailer, will get the $50 App Catalog credit to spend on the apps of their choice. Qualifying TouchPad owners should receive an email next week with the details (so make sure your webOS Account/Palm Profile email is good).
Does this make up for HP cutting the price so quickly after launch? Maybe, maybe not, but this blogger isn't going to turn down $50 he didn't have before. And that $50 plus the $50 "you owned a Pre, congratulations" rebate equals out to the $100 that HP cut this weekend. This isn't something HP had to do, but despite their massive size, it's clear they understand the value of loyal customers and early adopters.
Source: The Official HP Palm Blog
57 Comments
Good deal, HP. I'm quite happy with this and I'm sure the app developers are happy too.
Though some will grouse that this isn't enough (they'll never be satisfied), this will be a boon for developers and the app catalog.
I applaud HP for offering this.
Now go show the devs some love! Download some sweet apps, visit your local coffee house to be seen with your coolness-emitting gadget, and spill a latte on an iPad.
And get your *ss kicked as a result.
Would love to see 99.9% of iPad users kick my *ss. You said it, I am not saying iPad users are weak, but the majority of iPad users sitting in a coffee house aren't going to be anywhere near kicking my ***
I say that because I am a pretty big dude...
THAT'S what I call making it right... even though you didn't need to.
THANK SO MUCH HP!
I wasn't expecting anything so grateful for this.
It's progress. Twice this week, HP showed signed that they might be willing to stop using end-users and developers as a door matt for their poodle p**p covered Hushpuppies.
Still a long way to go, but atleast it's not getting worse.
really? i'm sorry but you just sound like a sad person... stop being so dramatic!
Sad? Dramatic?
LOL,get off the sofa.
HP can fall all over themselves with celebrities and half baked new products, but until they start finishing older products, they'll have to litterally pay for all the buzz they seek. The market rejected TP in it's July 1st form. Reducing the pain of the charter buyers is a refreshing step forward. They didn't owe them anything, but they finally recognized their value for building a loyal customer base.
This week, they started something new. Nurturing customers that already gave them their money, but are still waiting for HP to finish the products they publicly showcased. Baby steps, WebOS is still a series of unconnected bright spots in a vast tech wasteland. Leo still needs to start connecting those dots to move up to #4 in the mobile o/s market place.
Way to go HP!
I just bought my TP today, so I can't get in on this, but that's pretty awesome for HP to do!
This is pure discrimination!! Europeans already pay MORE for a TP and don't get this $50 for apps. Isn't there a way to sue the guys, you Americans should know, it's your core business :D
Go buy and register your Touchpad in the states. You cant sue somebody because you don't live in the country they do. If you it makes you feel any better, I'll pay the .99 cents for the Baltimore Oriole app for you. It's not like you're missing out on Shazam or Netflix.
Hehehe, that's what I was wondering too, are there even enough worthwhile apps to spend the $50 :)
I was not serious about the sueing of course. But it is a bit frustrating to see HP leaving the rest of the world out of all the pricecuts and other stuff (Pre make it right action, this action). I thought they would go for the whole world by now.
I would say I have easily spent $25 on apps, I know of 2 apps in development I haven't purchased yet that I will when they come out. Once I get the $50 credit this will probably lead to us purchasing kalemsoft and Doggy Bag ($10 in those 2 apps alone).
I also see a lot of development out there, so yeah I can use the $50.... and it gives devs incentive to get to work. Can't complain about any of this =).
edit: just checked, been just under $30 in the last month, so thanks HP and thanks to the developers for putting out good content. This also doesn't count the multiple free (promo code) apps I have gotten lately.
That's a classy gesture. Little things do make a difference.
Nice to make it right for Pre early adopters! (Just getting the pre 3 out on our carriers would be nice :P)
The one time I think I have a cool tip to send in to PreCentral, HP officially posts it in a Blog. Haha :-)
Just when I was getting slightly annoyed with the non-stop price drops this weekend, I hear about this nice surprise for early adopters such as myself.
This deal is F'ing sweet!! I'm going to buy the **** out of some apps. Thanks HP! I'm already loving TouchPad something fierce, and this makes the experience even cooler.
......is it possible to complain about this $50 credit deal?? I'm sure someone will find a way ;-)
Peace out yo!
As you noticed it is :) For not getting any outside US!
As a Canadian I'm not upset that we aren't getting the $100 off this weekend but it is rather annoying that they are limiting this to the US only.
HP did say that Canadians would receive the $50 device rebate for Pre early adopters but that rebate has never materialized.
I don't see why this rebate is regional, with a regular rebate I could understand the extra overhead of applying it outside the US but when HP run the App catalog it doesn't really make any difference based on region.
I am guessing it is because you didn't get the $100 off this weekend, so they aren't giving you the $50 in app store credit. If you had bought your TP from a US retailer this weekend you would have gotten the $100, if you had purchased from a US retailer prior you would have gotten the $50 app store credit.
The sale is regional so the credit is regional. Not saying it is right or wrong, but wouldn't be nice to people purchasing in Canada after the 4th to not receive the $100 discount or the $50 credit.
BTW, the wife and I would love to move to Canadia... just had to add as we were discussing it today.
Would really like to see UK early adopters rewarded.
More fool me for paying through the nose each time, but its in trying to support the platform that we love that we adopt.
A Pre3 SIM free discount in the UK - make my day HP!!
LOVE IT!
Great stuff HP ... you're heading in the right direction.
Pre 3 please?
I'm glad to see the marketing push, but it is so frustrating to have Canada once again ignored. Still waiting for my early adopters credit, which was certainly implied for Canada,now this one is for US only.
Andrew
WOW....I sure wasn't expecting this. I was a little sad thinking I had bought my TP too soon and was missing all the great discounts. BUT now I've very HAPPY, thank you HP. I LOVE WebOS !!!
Lol I got my 32g Touchpad, case, touchstone, and keyboard for >$700, and now I get a $50 app credit? HP is winning me over from Apple more and more each day!
Let's hope they continue the "making it right" push with the pre3!
Yet again.....classy move.
Stuff like this goes a long way. I will say I wish they could execute a launch as efficiently and with as much impact as they do this stuff.
I purchased my 32GB Touchpad from Best Buy soon after it was released. I was able to go into their store this weekend and receive $100 back from them for their price match guarantee. So, technically I got my 32GB Touchpad for $500 plus I am eligible for the $50 "make it right" credit plus this $50 credit for the App Catalog. I'm feeling like a pretty satisfied customer at this point.
You should be! I am jealous of you because you have been using the device and yet you still are retroactively getting all the right hookups from HP. Good show HP! You guys rock and Touchpad is awesome.
Now I just want to see a commercial where Paquiao fights and beats down a green robot and a piece of fruit! Can you imagine that? He could literally smash an apple apart and knock the block off the android mascot. Since HP obviously reads these boards and then makes things happen for us to remain satisfied, perhaps my commercial dream will become a reality. :)
Till now it was never a big deal for me to pay the "normal high price".
I bought the touchpadon June 29th in germany. So I was an early adopter. I also bought the Palm Pre- the first date it came out here. But I couldn`t get the Palm Pre early adopter refund or now this refund. We als have noch discount with any program here in germany. And we pay more for the touchpad than the guys in US with 479€! I`m a little bid pissed. I hope you can understand. This makes me sad and I don`t understand this one sided policy
They will help you too. Give them time.
I'm sorry about this. I don't like it either. I live in the USA, but I don't understand this policy either. Maybe HP will do savings events for other regions of the globe, maybe it will be a month after it first came available? I'm hopeful they (HP) would do this.
What can we in the USA do to 'raise the awareness' of our friends across the world who also would like to enjoy some of the savings they have provided us here? I'd like to see something happen.
Great... now lets get some apps on there to actually purchase.
Give me the following;
Spotify
Words with friends
SSH App
Remote Desktop App
I think that this is a great idea. It will make most of the early adopters (including myself) happy, and will increase developer revenue in the App Catalog (which I hope will lead to more apps).
...it's clear they understand the value of loyal customers and early adopters.
Are you serious about this statement with all the Pre users that got screwed.
lol@people who find it necessary to thumb this down just because they didn't get crapped on. Jmaestro1 has made the point. loyal customers and early adopters applies more to Pre- users than any other group, and while it does no good to complain here, it's a very valid point, and they have NOT been "taken care of" or at all highly valued.
HP just announced they are giving early adopters a $50 credit to spend as they choose. If I'm a dev with a TouchPad app in development, I think I just told them to work overtime.
BTW: I plan on buying PreWare Dacumentation to support them.
Don't understand why only AMERICANS can get a $50,00 rebate on APPs, why? why? why?
Doesn't other people/person from all over the world counts? It's HP a World Company or not!?????
How about canadians (like me), europeans, asians, africans?
Are u guys/gals (us citizens) better & deserve more than anybody else?
This is NOT fair!
Hello HP are you DEAF?
I agree with you - it's a disgrace HP is being so US-focused. We in the EU are getting no discounts, no rebates, no early adopter rebates, NADA! It's all US, US, US ! In fact we are paying 140-200 EUR more per TP just for the privilege of living in the EU.
HP - please reward your WebOS fans / early users / supporters in EU countries !
What the **** I'm confused? ! We finally have a bunch of positive comments about something HP has done. Way-to-go HP, keep it going !
Is this a bizarro universe? ;)
Life would be easier if the devices they sold customers, would work as well as the demonstrations they had six months earlier.
These "composed demos" are great for showcasing what a device can do when released, but if HP can't live up to their own imagination from a half year earlier, it's just a self inflicted gunshot wound for each device.
Six months ago, Veer and Pre3 with doc editing and TTS. Six months later, no TTS for two devices that were demonstrated and the third device is still vaporware with no release date.
Its a bandaid (though a positive step) for an underlying concern that they keep offering something so complicated, they cant deliver it to market.
(It's a fact. Commence downranking to make the problem go away, ostrich style.)
I'm very happy for those in USA that got the TouchPad but I think it is very not fair for us in Canada!! :(
1. We were told we could have the 50$ "Pre" rebate. (This is why I've buy a 32GB). We never saw that rebate.
2. Now we can't have this 50$ app credit.
I don't want to be negative because I think it is really great what HP just did but I find it frustrating for us not in the US.
Bought my 16Gb TP in Boston, MA last month and brought it back to Malaysia. Had set United States as Country on set up, but profile shows the UK! I hope I am eligible for the $50 app credit seeing as I purchased it in the States.
As I've said before, I intended to be an early-adopter, fully realizing that the OS wouldn't be ready, and there would likely be discounts ahead.
I am satisfied. I hope more folks on the fence decide to try the TouchPad because of the discounts.
Yeessss!
i bought one of the first touchpads on end of june in germany. i didn't get the chance to get the early-adopters rebate, now i don't get the 50 bucks for apps.
i'm living in europe, so there's nothing for me. hp thinks - as most us-americans - that the world ends on the pacific or atlantic coast.
let me tell you, there's newer scientific knowledge that the earth is round - and there's more then america on it.
blame on you, shame on you.
I'm getting a bit fucked off with all of these US only discounts, we are good enough to pay full price, but not qualify for discounts?
Pushing me away HP, at pace.
Of course world-wide markets are just as important to HP as the US market. Something more complicated than a mere oversight or greed is getting in the way of running these deals elsewhere at the moment.
Good move by HP. Much appreciated. But, there always seems to be a but with HP, why leave out those outside the US?
The 'Preware Homebrew Documentation' should be the first app everyone purchases. That is the least anyone can do to support all the great work they do.
... and hp isn't able to abide critic - as they don't make my comment on their blog public.
again:
shame on you
I'm sick of all these HP deals in the US for early adopters and the instant rebates for all comers, etc. (don't get me wrong, I'm a long term WebOS supporter still using a Pre- and good luck to all you US consumers) ... but for Gods sake HP, stop treating us EU consumers as second rate WebOS citizens - no loyalty rebate, no instant rebate weekends, no promo's, no nothing .. in fact more expensive TP's by > 15-20% for the privilege of living in the EU !! C'mon HP ... you can do better than that!
HP - here's a big thanks and a nudge to make it right for all! Thank you - feeling much better today after seeing those huge discount ads......thanks...thanks...thanks!!
This is a win for everyone, users get to spend $50 worth of applications for free, HP gets 30% back, even though they appear to be giving $50 to the user, and developers receive way more revenue as users buy way more applications than they normally would.
Holy Cow! This is stupendous. I price matched $200 last week, waiting for $50 "pre users" rebate, and now $50 bucks in apps! Now that's making it right! Thanks HP!
Great if you're in the US.
There are many of us outside of the US that are early adopters.
Come on HP where's the love outside of the US!