HP Ditches WebOS

HP has announced today that they will discontinue all development and production of webOS related smartphones and tablets. Featured on the Pre and TouchPad, webOS
is
was a pretty unique operating system that was favored by homebrew enthusiasts and those who wanted a fresh UX. The demand for Android and iOS devices is likely the cause of webOS’s death, since the Pre family of devices flew pretty far under the radar for most average users.

In addition, HP reported that it plans to announce that it will discontinue operations for webOS devices, specifically the TouchPad and webOS phones. HP will continue to explore options to optimize the value of webOS software going forward.

It’s sad to see webOS go, but there is a slim possibility that the operating system will live on in some incarnation if acquired by the competition.

Update: If various tweets by HP executives (most notably Richard Kerris, head of Developer Relations for webOS) are to be believed, only the physical products HP produces that run webOS will be eliminated. WebOS, as a platform, will live on, and it seems like the licensing idea is going to become a reality.



via iFans.com

New HP Products

HP has just unveiled three new products, the Pre 3, Veer, and the rumored TouchPad.


The Pre 3 is a 3.6 inch phone with a 1.4 GHz Snapdragon processor, 480-800 screen resolution, larger keyboard, 512 MB of RAM, and two cameras that can be used for video calling. It isn’t the most high-end device ever, but it does emphasize that HP wants their devices to be easy to transport, and to only be noticeable when you need it. The Pre 3 will work on both GSM and CDMA carriers, like Verizon and AT&T.

Next up we have the HP Veer, a tiny (seriously, it’s extremely small) device that is basically a Pre, but smaller in every possible way. The Veer is about the size of a credit card, and packs an 800 MHz processor (as far as I can tell, it is nearly identical to the one in the HTC G2, so this shouldn’t be a slacker by any means). The screen is 2.6 inches, with a 320×400 resolution. The keyboard is minuscule, just like everything else about the phone, so it remains to be seen how usable it is. The Veer is currently only available for GSM carriers, like AT&T and T-Mobile.

Last, but certainly not least, is the TouchPad. It basically matches every spec the iPad currently has, and then some. 1.2 dual-core Qualcomm processor, with a 1024×768 display, with Beats Audio makes for an interesting tablet. The device itself weighs 1.5 pounds, and is 13 mm thick. Overall, it isn’t the specs that make the tablet compelling; it’s the software. HP isn’t slacking in this aspect; webOS on a large form factor looks very compelling. Many other media outlets have already noted that this blows away the current iPad in terms of the possibility to be productive.

The TouchPad WiFi model will be shipping this summer, and 3G/4G versions of the device will be announced later on. It will be interesting to see if this new device will be able to compete with the next iPad, which is expected within the next few months.

Also of note: the “Palm” brand is dead. No products today have it, everything at the event is coated in “HP,” and there is no reason to assume that “Palm” as a brand will live on. Still, it was great while it lasted. Here’s to the startup that lasted for nineteen years!

[Palm]