WebOS will have 'huge advantages' over iOS and Android

Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman says the company's soon-to-be open source WebOS software will eventually be better than both the Android and iOS platforms.

HP will launch the first version of the reimagined operating system in September this year after deciding to commit the storied software to the open source community.

Whitman said the result will prove to be superior to the 'closed' Apple iOS ecosystem and the undeniably 'fragmented' Android platform.

She also confirmed that the company will re-enter the tablet market, following the HP TouchPad debacle of 2011.

An open and closed case

In an interview with CRN, she said: "There is a clear vision of what we're trying to accomplish.

"There will be some people who will not love that vision, and then there are people who are very excited about this vision, and what it can mean for an alternative, open-source operating system that has some real strengths to it.

"We're going to build another operating system that has huge advantages, in my view, over iOS, which is a closed system, [and] Android, which is incredibly fragmented and may ultimately be more closed with [Google's] acquisition of Motorola Mobility."

Windows 8 tablet

Whitman, who took the reigns at the world's largest PC manufacturer in September last year, also stated that HP will be in amongst it when the first Windows 8 tablets come to market later this year.

She said: "We have to have a tablet offering," Whitman said. "We will be back in that business. We're coming back into the market with a Windows 8 tablet, first on an x86 chip and then maybe on an ARM chip."

Via: CRN, BGR

WebOS fate to be decided in two weeks

HP CEO Meg Whitman says the company will announce whether it plans to ditch the troubled WebOS software in two weeks time.

The new boss, who took over from Leo Apotheker in September, told French newspaper Le Figaro that the company is taking time to consider all options, with 600 jobs in the division on the line.

HP has been strongly tipped to put WebOS up for sale since it discontinued the HP TouchPad tablet and the similarly poorly received new breed of Pre handsets.

She said: "We should announce our decision in the next two weeks. This is not an easy decision, because we have a team of 600 people which is in limbo. We need to have another operating system."

Indecision

The world's largest PC manufacturer has endured a roller-coaster 2011, marred by its over-committal on the WebOS purchased from Palm and indecision at the top of the company.

After deciding to discontinue WebOS operations, the company also considered selling-off its Personal Systems (PC) business before vowing to stay the course.

Whitman added: "To separate PC would have cost nearly $1 billion. Then, the impact on our revenues would have been too high.

"For businesses that purchase our servers, our networks and storage facilities also buy PC. Finally, the HP brand is indisputably linked to our PC."

Despite the HP TouchPad's abject failure, it still provided one of the biggest tech stories of 2011 when a fire sale saw an insane demand for the tablet.

Amazon thrown into the WebOS buyout rumour mix

Amazon is the latest company to be linked to the buyout of Palm, with the e-tailer heavily linked to purchasing the likes of WebOS from HP.

Amazon has been busy of late, announcing its first tablet, the Kindle Fire, and both a cheaper and touchscreen variant of its Kindle ebook reader.

Given that the Kindle Fire has come packing Android, the idea that the company would want WebOS is an interesting one.

HP has said that Amazon would make an ideal partner for WebOS but Amazon has not mentioned whether it would be interested in buying Palm.

In Amazon's basket?

If it was to buy Palm, and with it WebOS, it would mean the company would avoid any messy Android licensing problems in the future but it would also mean that – due to the fact it has only just announced new products – the company would have to wait at least six months to launch anything with WebOS on it.

One fact that is giving this rumour some weight is that former Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein, now at HP as a 'product innovator, is part of Amazon's board, so will have some clout as to whether Palm is acquired or not.

If it were to buy Palm, it would have to dig deep into its pockets – HP paid $1.2 billion for the company is 2010, although its price to a potential buyer will be far lower than this.

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Analysis of HP's event : It's Raining webOS

Today's HP webOS event was all about letting everyone know that webOS is definitely here to stay and HP is putting in massive resources (human and monetary) to ensure that webOS puts up a decent fight. To this effect, three product announcements were made today; the TouchPad tablet, the Pre 3 smartphone targetted at professionals and the Veer, which is unlike anything out there today (except maybe the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini).

Read on to find out how strong a fight webOS is going to put up and what it will be bringing to the table.

 

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webOS 2.0 Overview

Seeing Palm, one of the pioneers in the PDA space, stagnate towards the end was sad. But in the Linux-based webOS, Palm would find their much needed shot in the arm--or at least, some part of it. Purely as a mobile operating system, webOS brought a lot to the table on the usability front. While previous iterations of PalmOS, Symbian, and later Android/iOS did support multitasking, it was webOS that placed it at the very center of the mobile user experience. In fact, I honestly feel webOS has one of the most useful and user-friendly multitasking implementations currently available.

Other manufacturers have taken note of this and have slowly but steadily included webOS-inspired features in their respective platforms. And it wasn't just the multitasking ability; the notifications, message, and contact management along with the browser are all top-notch in webOS. It is because of these reasons I have found it very difficult to let go of using the Pre Plus as my primary phone. In spite of the variety of smartphones available these days with vastly superior specifications, platform eco-systems, and build quality, reliance on webOS has made it very difficult for me to upgrade. But that doesn’t mean webOS doesn’t have any flaws or room for further improvement.

Read on to see if webOS 2.0 builds on it's predessors strengths.

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