HP bought Palm...

[QueBert]

Something like Sense UI? Heck, it's even possible HP could adapt WebOS as a custom UI for Android.

Why would they wanna do that? WebOS smokes Android and the iPhone OS, it's just the Pre was shitty hardware wise. A WebOS handset with a fast ass CPU would be the only phone I'd dump my iPhone for, I'd actually do it in a heartbeat.

Here's to hoping HP can make this happen!

 

[Deeko]

Yea I used a pre for a little bit, I absolutely loved WebOS. The hardware was just kinda meh. If they can make an iPad that is well built, fast, a good battery, and WebOS, it'd be a contendor.

 

[zerocool84]

Why would they wanna do that? WebOS smokes Android and the iPhone OS, it's just the Pre was shitty hardware wise. A WebOS handset with a fast ass CPU would be the only phone I'd dump my iPhone for, I'd actually do it in a heartbeat.

Here's to hoping HP can make this happen!

Yep WebOS is the best mobile OS out there. I had a Palm Pre through work for a couple months and the hardware just felt like crap but the OS was great. I went Android cus the future of Palm was uncertain. Here's to hoping they throw out some good handsets this year.

The only big thing I fear is that WebOS is going to become something they bought for some patents and never use it and let it die.. I really hope it doesn't happen.

 

[BigSmooth]

Why would they wanna do that? WebOS smokes Android and the iPhone OS, it's just the Pre was shitty hardware wise. A WebOS handset with a fast ass CPU would be the only phone I'd dump my iPhone for, I'd actually do it in a heartbeat.

Here's to hoping HP can make this happen!

Not saying they'll do it, but it's not inconceivable IMO. Android has a lot of momentum and the backing of a lot of hardware and software companies. 6 months from now when this acquisition actually goes through, the Android market and the Android user base will be very large if current trends continue. I know WebOS is awesome but in the current mobile market the "ecosystem" is very important and right now it is just not there.

HP is one of the few companies with the resources to keep WebOS alive the way it is, but you never know. If they could do it right and make an Android UI that retained all the best features of WebOS, they'd have to at least consider it.

 

[Slick5150]

Yep WebOS is the best mobile OS out there. I had a Palm Pre through work for a couple months and the hardware just felt like crap but the OS was great. I went Android cus the future of Palm was uncertain. Here's to hoping they throw out some good handsets this year.

The only big thing I fear is that WebOS is going to become something they bought for some patents and never use it and let it die.. I really hope it doesn't happen.

It was pretty clear in the conference call that HP has no intention of doing that. They seem really geeked about the opportunities WebOS provides them. Talked about future phones, tablets, and possibly netbooks running WebOS. I think WebOS' future looks brighter than ever thanks to this move.

 

[Narmer]

With all these computer companies jumping into the phone market, the commodization of smartphones may begin. The days of $500 contractless phones will come to an end.

 

[EarthwormJim]

Yep WebOS is the best mobile OS out there. I had a Palm Pre through work for a couple months and the hardware just felt like crap but the OS was great. I went Android cus the future of Palm was uncertain. Here's to hoping they throw out some good handsets this year.

The only big thing I fear is that WebOS is going to become something they bought for some patents and never use it and let it die.. I really hope it doesn't happen.

They would not be keeping the employees of Palm if they wanted Palm for its patents.

 

[theeedude]

Could be good for Flash too, since now developers may want to write apps that run on Android, Blackberry, and now revived WebOS.

 

[Spoooon]

Maybe a new Slate with WebOS?

 

[randomlinh]

I'm happy for Palm, they won't completely disappear into the abyss. However, it still might be too late for the mobile market, I dunno. Depends how fast HP can crank out hardware for Palm.. and if Palm even has anything in the works.

But... as I tempt myself to put my Pre into backup mode for an EVO, I would gladly take a WebOS tablet over android. So long as it can get Netflix and Hulu too.... and more importantly, have a decent way to stream video to.

 

[teiresias]

I'm not a developer on either of these platforms, though I do currently use a Pre, but will be moving to an Android phone (EVO) when it comes out.

Since I'm not a developer on these mobile platforms (I do embedded systems that aren't consumer oriented) I don't really have a good sense about what makes one better or worse than the other from a developer point of view and the technicalities of why, but I do know that at least the UI conventions used on WebOS are very nice and intuitive. The app-switching "card" metaphor is worth its weight in gold alone and is perfect for a tablet application with some tweaks (I think the iconography in the current WebOS is getting a bit stale and fisher-price looking, IMO)

That's sort of why I don't really see why WebOS couldn't just morph into another UI-skin for Android, particularly if the developer support is mainly going to split between Android and iPhone OS. It seems like a bit of a problem to have to try and be a third OS that needs to gain developer support to get an app-base that is attractive, particularly on a tablet. It seems the biggest problem with stock Android is its UI from what I read - something I have no experience with, so I'm obviously talking a bit out of school - and not its developer environment.

 

[Slick5150]

Palm has gone to great lengths to make WebOS developer friendly. The SDK makes it very quick and easy to port an app from iPhone to WebOS, so there really isn't any reason they'd need to rely on Android's app base as developers are not going to shy away from WebOS due to difficulty in developing for a 3rd OS.

 

[Gooberlx2]

One question is going to be how community friendly will WebOS remain? Preware and many of the community patches have really helped to improve or solve most of my irritations (mostly UI inconveniences) with WebOS.

A slate with WebOS would be awesome, but I wonder HP will fare in the mobile handset market. I don't remember ever actually seeing any HP branded phones in the wild. For that reason, I wonder if HP will invest a lot of energy in that direction, or just really concentrate on the other markets for WebOS. This injection of doubt keeps me on the edge of moving to Android at my next renewal.

HP was definitely not one on my list of expected buyers. Talk about a shocker.