The HP Touchpad will be fighting uphill for the foreseeable future and it seems HP is helping its employees eat their own dog food on the cheap. At this point it doesn’t matter how good webOS multitasks, makes video calls, or browses the Internet. There are already a billion (or so) iPads worldwide and a proportionate amount of developers very comfortable with the slick iOS SDK. The key to the Touchpad’s future is to get it into anyone’s hands, including HP employees, and let the marketing go viral. This is why HP is reportedly giving employees 20% off the Touchpad, effectively dropping the $500 price of the 16GB version down to an attractive $400. Will it help the Touchpad’s chances? Probably not. [Twitter via PreCentral]