HP to make one last batch of TouchPad tablets

End-of-line webOS tablet will meet consumers again, don't know where, don't know when...

HP is making more TouchPad tablets, despite having announced ealrier this month that it was canning the device. As prices dropped below $100 in order to clear stock, it seems the rush of consumers has led to a partial rethink.

"Since we announced the price drop, the number of inquiries about the product and the speed at which it disappeared from inventory has been stunning," blogs HP's Mark Budgell.

"I think it’s safe to say we were pleasantly surprised by the response. Despite announcing an end to manufacturing webOS hardware, we have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand. We don’t know exactly when these units will be available or how many we’ll get, and we can’t promise we’ll have enough for everyone. We do know that it will be at least a few weeks before you can purchase."

This isn't quite a U-turn yet, but HP's decision is bound to call into question the company's strategy, which seemed to be a firm decision to get out of the tablet and smartphone market.

That strategy has been further muddied by comments made by Todd Bradley, the head of HP's personal systems group, in an interview with Reuters. Bradley suggests that HP could launch a new TouchPad in the future, especially if it spins off its PC division into a separate company.