HP TouchPad Fire Sales Begin, $99 for 16GB

If you told me last week that I'd be buying an HP TouchPad this evening, I probably wouldn't have believed you. But in the wake of the company's stunning decision to pull the plug on support for webOS devices, including the TouchPad, the fire sales have started and I nabbed a 32GB version for $149.

Details about where and when the official sales begin are still a bit sketchy, but I followed these instructions to find a $149 32GB device on HP's Web site. The 16GB, which some were purchasing for $99 earlier in the night, are apparently out of stock on the company's Web site.

Various tech blogs around the Web are pointing to a PreCentral post that is currently down, but it appears that the discounts first went live in Canada at Best Buy, Future Shop, The Source, London Drugs, and Staples. Indeed, the Canadian Best Buy site lists the 16GB TouchPad for $99. Future Shop also has it listed, but says it's unavailable.

According to Daily Tech, however, PreCentral posted a memo that HP reportedly sent to its affiliates. "HP will be lowering the price of the TouchPad beginning Saturday 8/20/11. This is the lowest price ever for the TouchPad so please post it as soon as it goes live. 16GB TouchPad- $99; 32GB TouchPad - $149," the note reads.

No mention of when on Saturday the deals might start in the U.S., but Best Buy is apparently sitting on a huge supply of TouchPads, so they might have a few in stock. At this point, the U.S. versions of the Amazon and Best Buy Web sites list the old prices; $499 for 16GB or $599 for 32GB. If the hysteria from the tech press on Twitter this evening was any indication, people are going to snap these up quickly, so grab one while you can.

Why would you buy a TouchPad? The device has received largely positive reviews, with the main drawback being the lack of apps. That's not likely to improve with the TouchPad's demise, but if you just want a tablet for browsing the Web, it's not a bad deal.

Are you seeing the cheaper TouchPads showing up on any other sites? Did you buy one? Let us know in the comments.

HP Considered Buying Tibco, Teradata

Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) considered buying Tibco Software Inc. (TIBX) and Teradata Corp. before pursuing the U.K.’s Autonomy Corp., said people with direct knowledge of the situation.

HP agreed to buy Cambridge, England-based Autonomy yesterday for $10.3 billion. HP approached Tibco this year, indicating it could make a per-share offer in the high $30s, said one of the people, who declined to be identified because the details aren’t public. Tibco Chief Executive Officer Vivek Ranadive held out for a higher bid, telling the board he could get the stock to the proposed price range without a takeover, the person said. Tibco’s shares closed yesterday at $19.07.

HP also examined Dayton, Ohio-based software maker Teradata before approaching Autonomy in April, said some of the people. Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch, who had known HP chief Leo Apotheker since his days at the helm of SAP AG (SAP), entered talks with HP without seeking competing bids because the company had performed well independently, lessening the need for a sale, the people said.

HP had hesitated about whether to pursue the deal, announced yesterday, following Standard & Poor’s cut this month to the U.S. credit rating and the widening European sovereign- debt crisis, rattled global markets, the people said.

Palo Alto, California-based HP, whose debt financing for the deal was arranged Barclays Plc, is using part of its cash abroad for the acquisition, said the people.