WebOS

Hewlett-Packard's decision to release WebOS as open-source software doesn't bode well for the future of the project.

There are two common outcomes when companies convert a complicated proprietary project into open-source software. One is that a vibrant community of contributors grows up around the project, expanding its abilities, broadening its popularity, and making it into a better component of a broader technology package.

The other is that the project, tossed over its sponsor's transom, sinks beneath the waves.

I think HP would like the first outcome based on Chief Executive Meg Whitman's high hopes: "By … Read more

commentary Hewlett-Packard may think it's resuscitating WebOS by turning it into an open-source platform, but the truth is the plug was pulled a long time ago.

In a case of too little, too late, HP said it felt the open-source route was the best one for WebOS. The company is gambling that the operating system will take off on its own.

It's a bad bet. Past open-source platforms have had a mixed record of success. And people who had any interest in WebOS, whether consumers or developers, have been jerked around enough by the companies that have mismanaged … Read more

Hewlett-Packard said it is open sourcing WebOS and the Enyo application framework.

Company officials told ZDNet that open sourcing WebOS was the best move after the company reviewed the various possibilities for the mobile operating system. There are two reads on the WebOS news: HP couldn't find a reasonable buyer or the company is betting it can take off on its own.

HP's WebOS was a casualty when the company exited the tablet and smartphone business. HP acquired WebOS via the Palm acquisition, a deal that looked interesting at the time, but amounted to a $1.2 billion … Read more

It seems we may finally know the fate of Hewlett-Packard's WebOS unit.

HP has scheduled a companywide meeting for 10:30 a.m. PT tomorrow, during which CEO Meg Whitman is expected to reveal what the company intends to do with the troubled mobile operating system, according to a PreCentral.net report.

HP representatives declined to comment.

An announcement on the unit's fate was expected in early November, but Whitman delayed the decision, saying, "It's really important to me to make the right decision, not the fast decision."

The mobile platform's future has been … Read more

Android continues to outpace iOS as the top smartphone OS, but Apple remains the dominant manufacturer of handsets.

Google's mobile OS captured a 42.8 percent share of smartphone subscribers in the third quarter, according to the latest stats from Nielsen. That left Apple's iOS in second place with 28.3 percent.

The latest figures revealed gains for both platforms, according to a Nielsen report that showed Android with a 38 percent share and IOS with 27 percent during the months from March to May.

The news was less positive for the remaining players in the mobile OS … Read more

The fate of WebOS will be decided in the next couple weeks.

"We should announce our decision in the next two weeks," HP CEO Meg Whitman told French newspaper Le Figaro in an interview (translation) published today. "This is not an easy decision, because we have a team of 600 people which is in limbo."

Although Whitman didn't indicate whether she's leaning either way in her decision, she did say that HP needs "to have another operating system," seemingly indicating that WebOS could stage a comeback.

HP announced in August that it … Read more

The latest buzz around the rumor mill is that Amazon is working on a smartphone that will launch in the fourth quarter of 2012, but can such a device succeed in today's competitive market?

Analysts at Citigroup say that based on supply chain checks, Amazon is in talks with Foxconn to develop a handset that could feature a Texas Instrument OMAP 4 processor and cost between $150 to $170 to build. Citigroup notes in its report (PDF) that a smartphone would be the next logical step for Amazon after seeing success with its Kindle e-readers and its recent foray into the tablet market with the Kindle Fire.

Analysts aren't the only who think this; in fact, CNET executive editor David Carnoy made this prediction a month ago, and I'm of the same thought that a Kindle smartphone isn't so much a case of if, but when.

Whether you agree or disagree, for the sake of argument, let's say that a Kindle smartphone is coming. The question then becomes what can Amazon do to make its handset stand out from the rest and convince customers to choose it over the latest iPhone, Android or even Windows Phone device?

Well, it won't be easy, but I can think of a few ways it can get ahead. … Read more

Hewlett-Packard mulls what to do with WebOS, Asus unveils a powerful tablet, and Adobe ceases development of a Flash Player plug-in for mobile devices.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Despite reports that Hewlett-Packard was nearing an announcement regarding plans for its WebOS business, Meg Whitman is still undecided.

The company was reportedly expected to reveal the fate of its troubled mobile operating system this evening, but HP's recently installed chief executive officer told a company-wide meeting that a decision would not come for at least a few more weeks, according to a report on The Verge.

"It's really important to me to make the right decision, not the fast decision," Whitman reportedly told a room full of Palm and HP employees. "If HP decides to do this [to keep WebOS], we're going to do it in a very significant way over a multi year period."

HP representatives did not respond to a request for comment on the report. … Read more