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From the quotes that were gathered from HP's PR, it sounds like they weren't at all confident in the TouchPad's ability to turn profits in the coming years. As

by A-K 15y ago

From the quotes that were gathered from HP's PR, it sounds like they weren't at all confident in the TouchPad's ability to turn profits in the coming years. Assuming they didn't withhold a bunch of evidence that led them to that opinion, they'd surely have had a tough time finding a buyer. It also doesn't inspire a lot of confidence if you're trying to spin off a product division after giving it only 49 days on the market.

ars 15y ago
At a good enough price I'm sure they would have found a buyer. They got zero dollars for it now, so any sale prices seems better than what they did. And if patents were the problem they could have required a cross licensing agreement with any buyer as a condition of sale.
- Joeri 15y ago
  They can still sell off the patents.
- raganwald 15y ago
  INAA, but in many cases you do better to shutter something and write it down than to sell it for a pittance. Let’s say it’s bleeding money. Keeping the lights on while you find a buyer costs money, and buyers are no fools: If you can’t find two buyers to bid against each other, the one buyer you find has you over a barrel: Every day they delay in negotiations with you costs you money, so you are under tremendous pressure to conclude a deal at their price with their terms. I have no idea what’s going on with HP, but its not unreasonable to close something quickly if you don’t have a buyer or buyers already lined up to do a deal. I suspect that if HP had received feelers from a possible buyer, they would already have tried to sell Palm. Closing it means that they either don’t have any serious buyers or have already tried to sell and discovered that it’s cheaper to close it and keep the patents.
  - nivertech 15y ago
    It's the same as some VCs will prefer to shutdown a startup, instead of selling it for a low price. If they will sell it and it turned to be success with new owners - others will think this VC is dumb. If he shut it down - no chances to look dumb ;)

by A-K 15y ago

ars 15y ago

At a good enough price I'm sure they would have found a buyer. They got zero dollars for it now, so any sale prices seems better than what they did. And if patents were the problem they could have required a cross licensing agreement with any buyer as a condition of sale.

Joeri 15y ago
They can still sell off the patents.
raganwald 15y ago
INAA, but in many cases you do better to shutter something and write it down than to sell it for a pittance. Let’s say it’s bleeding money. Keeping the lights on while you find a buyer costs money, and buyers are no fools: If you can’t find two buyers to bid against each other, the one buyer you find has you over a barrel: Every day they delay in negotiations with you costs you money, so you are under tremendous pressure to conclude a deal at their price with their terms. I have no idea what’s going on with HP, but its not unreasonable to close something quickly if you don’t have a buyer or buyers already lined up to do a deal. I suspect that if HP had received feelers from a possible buyer, they would already have tried to sell Palm. Closing it means that they either don’t have any serious buyers or have already tried to sell and discovered that it’s cheaper to close it and keep the patents.
- nivertech 15y ago
  It's the same as some VCs will prefer to shutdown a startup, instead of selling it for a low price. If they will sell it and it turned to be success with new owners - others will think this VC is dumb. If he shut it down - no chances to look dumb ;)