WebOS dead [was: Recommendations for Android wifi tablet?]

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Thu, Aug 18, 2011 at 06:21:12PM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:
> HP today announced it is dicontinuing its tablet and phones.  I
> extrapolate that this means that WebOS is dead.
>   <http://h30261.www3.hp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71087&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1598003&highlight=>
> 
>     "Exploring strategic alternatives for Personal Systems Group;
>     shutting down operations for webOS devices and exploring strategic
>     alternatives for webOS software "
> 
> If there is not hardware for WebOS, I'm not sure that the software has
> any purpose.
> 
> They are thinking of / working on spinning off or disposing their PC
> business.
> 
> They've been selling the tablet for a month or two.  Hard to imagine
> that they can figure market acceptance in such a short time.

Best Buy US apparently has 250,000 in stock.  That probably was a hint
to HP about how well their tablet is (not) selling.

> If I bought one, I'd be mad.  I'd hope they'd buy it back.

Seems no one has except a few early adapters that seem to like it.
No one else cares.

> If it were open source, the owners could manage to keep software
> support going.  Hardware support is another matter but I think that US
> law forces HP to provide 5 years of hardware support.

Well they have plenty to simply give as a swap if any of the sold ones
break, so no problem there other than storage and shipping costs.

> HP should release WebOS source now, but I imagine that it won't and
> perhaps cannot.

This is HP you are talking about.  These are the guys still pushing
the Itanium.

-- 
Len Sorensen
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