$99 HP TouchPad Sale Sparks BlackBerry PlayBook Massive Price Drop
The BlackBerry PlayBook developed by Research In Motion is beginning to see its prices slashed after disappointing sales.
RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie reported that just 200,000 units were shipped to retailers for sale during the tablet first full quarter. This has prompted the price cuts to help sales.
Employee sales such as one hosted by RIM's Canadian affiliate Rogers have slashed the price of the PlayBook by 50 percent.
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Now the general public will be able to receive massive discounts of up to $200 from retail sales.
The PlayBook comes in three models, the 16GB that originally sells for $499.99; the 32GB that originally sells for $599.99; and the 64GB that originally sells for $699.99.
Currently, Staples and Office Depot are offering an instant $100 off on all models of the PlayBook as well as another $100 off via a mail-in rebate.
BGR has received reports that 16GB PlayBooks have been ringing up at Walmart for $250 despite still being advertised at its original, already discounted price of $498.
Specs for the PlayBook include a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1080 HD video camera with HD playback as well as forward and rear facing cameras, Flash 10.1 and HTML 5 support, 7.0" LCD touch screen, 1024x600 pixel resolution, eight-hour battery life, BlackBerry Messanger and Wi-Fi.
The PlayBook's sales have suffered in the wake of the Apple iPad, which has dominated the tablet computer market.
Most other tablet computers have experienced a significant lag in sales since the debut of the iPad in April 2010 and the iPad 2 in March 2011.
The 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models of the Wi-Fi only iPad 2 sell for $499, $599 and $699 respectively.
The HP TouchPad saw a similar fate this past summer after disappointing sales caused prices to be slashed all the way down to $99, from its original price of $499.
The $99 sale however sparked demand for the tablet and it began selling out at a number of stores. After purchase, many TouchPad users have stated that they prefer the HP tablet to the iPad.
The PlayBook may see similar drastic price cuts if it continues to see disappointing sales.
However, RIM said in a statement that it is not liquidating the PlayBook and the tablet’s retail prices will remain as advertised once the sales end.
PlayBook sales are expected to last through the holiday season.
