Why?...

As a veteran of the Pre+ and the Pre2, and now the owner of a TouchPad, I guess I'm as qualified as anyone out there to write a bit about the state of the nation that encompassses HP/Palm and WebOS.

Right up front, I'm pullin' for HP/Palm and the TouchPad, but they don't make it easy for a fella!

Potential.

This is the word we've heard a ton of over the past two years in connection with the Pre, Pixi and Veer devices... and now again with the TouchPad.  This is the time to deliver, but the device reeks of potential, and continues not to fully deliver on it. They tease us again with the promise of updates -- which should have originally been on the device -- "coming soon".

Incomplete.

That's what I'd have to call the TouchPad at this point, which seriously raises the question as to why would a non-fan lay their money down on it at this point in time.  And how do you get the world's attention again when you finally have the device upgraded to where it should have been in the first place?

Hey, HP, what have you been doing for the past year? It seems as if you've been doing something else other than concentrating on the TouchPad.

I'm not one of those who is troubled by the thickness or weight of the device. I'm not one of those who cares about how many dozens/hundreds/thousands of apps you have in your store catalog. I don't want an Apple iPad killer. I want a machine that comes from the factory in a state that allows me to be really productive right out of the box.

The TouchPad does not meet that standard -- really productive right out of the box -- for me. Why isn't there a built-in Task/To Do app? You've had one in the past WebOS devices. Where is the document/spreadsheet editing capabilities you promised for the launch? I could go on...

Flash is fine. The mail program is ok. But I wish you had done a little better for the launch.

I'm sure that the time needed to get the launch apps completed, approved, and into the hands of the vendor for the manufacturing process played a role in this sad affair.

Just wondering out loud here... Since the launch was July 1, how far in advance did Palm actually have to have everything ready so that units could be built overseas, shipped, and in the hands of vendors (in sufficient quantities) for the event?

For me, this timing issue is only part of why the TouchPad is "incomplete".

So, can anyone out there give a credible answer to the other part of why we're still stuck talking about "potential"?