My decision to buy a tablet

When the hype really started to take off for tablet computers, I insisted that I wasn’t in the market for a tablet… yet. I had a strong feeling that a tablet would be in my future. I just had to wait for my needs to increase and the costs to come down.

Earlier this year, HP pulled the plug on its TouchPads. This brought prices to $100 and $150 depending on the model. I brushed off the idea of buying one because I still wasn’t in the market, and the format was essentially dead. They sold out in a hurry, then I realized something. I should definitely be in the market for that kind of deal. Unfortunately, I missed my opportunity.

There were reports that HP was going to produce one more run of TouchPads to fill demand. I started paying attention to news. I even signed up for their mailing list. Periodic reports about employee sales and HP readying their last round of sales came and went. Eventually, I received an email telling me that they weren’t going to be able to fill any more orders.

Rumors during this time extended to another platform that was in a similar situation. There were reports of plans for Research in Motion (RIM) to reduce the price of the Blackberry Playbook to $200. Before the TouchPad failure, I actually considered the Playbook to be one of the more intriguing tablets on the market. I decided that I would jump at the opportunity to grab one of those devices if these rumors turned out to be true.

RIM eventually decided to go through with a $200 promotional offer. They were also a little late. Black Friday was coming up. After seeing the popularity of the deeply discounted TouchPads, it seemed probable that there would be some good discounts. Instead of rushing to buy a PlayBook, I spent some time doing a little research on what was out there and how much they would cost. I was getting a tablet, but I was no longer fixated on the PlayBook. What did I decide on? Rather than come out and say it right now, I will save that for another day.