HTC definitely not buying HP webOS

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

HTC  definitely not buying HP webOS.

This is  bad news for webOS fans who were expecting HP sell webOS to HTC , a great smartphone hardware maker, but according to FT today  news , Peter Chou  HTC CEO  says however that HTC no plans to buy its operating system.  The company had considered buying HP´s  webOS  operating system, but had decided to stick with licensing Google´s Android system and Microsoft´s Windows, he says.

The main reason is , he was outweighed by the benefits  of being part of a large Android market place for applications.

HTC has developed its own OS, HTC Sense which makes easier to use the camera or to get and automatic weather report to the handset, he said.

There is  a rumored unkown list of 12 bidders , but we have had information of Samsung, HTC (both not buying HP webOS) and Amazon, only.

The question  is who is the company  interested in buying webOS, that could launch webOS units in 2012, if HTC and Samsung are not in ? Well, rumors still.

Source: FT

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HP webOS future is now on Companies interested. A Company could launch webOS units in 2012.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

HP webOs future is now on Companies interested. A Company could launch webOS units in 2012.

In our previous report  we announced to the world after AppleInsider source of news, they received information from people close to HP,that will hold a  meeting Today October 11, 2011  with all HP executives and CEO Meg Whitman HP   webOS software team (Palm Division), in order  to take a major decision for the world of Palm fans now owned by HP.

The HP webOS (Palm) is under the tutelage of PSG VP Todd Bradley, vice president of HP Personal Systems Group. Bradley spoke before the future of webOS:

"We have 400, almost 600 engineers working on making webOS is attractive, strong, and it is a system that will be in the market for long. We have seen much interest, partners who want to see how to participate, "said Bradley, but that does not clarify anything about where and when will we see again the operating system in action.

As you know the new Palm operating system HP webOS now offers a stylish performance against other mobile operating systems like Apple IOS, BlackBerry QNX (this is replicating everything from the Palm webOS), Android and Windows Phone, with extraordinary applications as the famous Multi-tasking, notifications system and Synergy , that all other now want to replicate.

But the fate of webOS has not been good over these short two and half years of life. It has had ups and downs in performance and a very bad company when it concerns to hardware designs specifications against a wonderful as the iPad, the TouchPad left much to be desired with cheap plastic design and specifications obsolete and errors (bugs) when launched.

I am very sad as one of many fans on a Palm OS phone like the Treo 680 that I still use, and who was waiting for a more perfect smartphone with Palm webOS (HP) as the best mobile operating system today , will disappear or be sold.

There are 12 sources as interested in buying the HP webOS (Palm), and before bought  by HP for 1.2 billion dollars, there were  others companies interested and  Apple among them.

Although no specific names, it seems that a company interested in HP webOS will compromise in launching  webOS units in 2012.

So expect very attentive to what happens today and this week. I wish WebOS hopefully reach safe hands.

Related post: 

HP to decide future of webOS this week. Will hold an all-hands meeting tomorrow.

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Futuro del HP webOS se decide esta semana. Interesado lanzaría unidades webOS en 2012.

Técnología  y  Ciencia Mundial. Francisco De Jesús.

Futuro del HP webOS se decide esta semana. Más probable se venda.

En nuestro informe anterior en Inglés dimos a conocer al mundo después de AppleInsider fuente de la noticia, que ellos recibieron una información de personas cercanas a HP, sobre una reunión hoy Octubre 11, 2011 de todos los ejecutivos de HP con Meg Whitman CEO y el equipo que hacen el HP  webOS software ( Palm Division)  para tomar una decisión importantísima para el mundo de los  fanáticos de Palm ahora propiedad de  HP.

La unidad HP webOS (Palm) está bajo la tutela de Todd Bradley VP PSG, Vicepresidente de HP para la división de Sistemas Personales. Bradley se refirió antes al futuro de webOS:

“Tenemos 400, casi 600 ingenieros trabajando en hacer que webOS sea atractivo, fuerte, y que sea un sistema que estará en el mercado por mucho tiempo. Hemos visto mucho interés, socios que quieren ver cómo participar”, aseguró Bradley, aunque eso no clarifica nada respecto a dónde y cuándo veremos de nuevo el sistema operativo en acción.

Como ustedes conocen el nuevo sistema operativo Palm webOS  ahora HP webOS, ofrece un elegante desempeño frente a otros sistemas operativos de móviles como el de Apple iOS, BlackBerry QNX  (este está  replicando todo lo del Palm webOS),  Android y Windows Phone, con aplicaciones extraordinarias como el famoso Multi-tareas, notificaciones y Sinergia que todos los otros ahora quieren replicar.

Sin embargo la suerte de webOS no ha sido buena a lo largo de estos cortos dos años y  medio de vida. Ha tenido altos y bajos  en su desempeño y además muy mal acompañado en  lo que  hardware se refiere frente a diseños maravillosos como el iPad , la TouchPad dejó mucho que desear con  su diseño barato en plástico y con especificaciones obsoletas y errores (bugs) al momento de su lanzamiento.

Me da mucha pena como uno de tantos aficionados a un teléfono Palm OS como el Treo 680 que aún utilizo, y quien estuvo esperando para una versión más perfecta en teléfonos inteligentes con el Palm webOS (HP) considerado el mejor sistema operativo móvil de la actualidad ,vaya a desaparecer o a ser vendido.

Hay según las fuentes 12 interesados en comprar el HP webOS (Palm), ya antes de adquirirlo HP  por 1.2 billones de dólares , estuvieron interesados  Apple entre algunos.

Aunque no hay nombres concretos, parece que habría un compromiso de un interesado en lanzar unidades webOS en el 2012.

Así  que a esperar muy atentos que sucede hoy y durante esta semana. Ojalá webOS llegue a buenas manos.

Artículo relacionado: 

HP to decide future of webOS this week. Will hold an all-hands meeting tomorrow.

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HP to decide future of webOS this week. Will hold an all-hands meeting tomorrow.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

According to  AppleInsider  HP is rumored to have finished the initial bidding process for its webOS unit and will hold an all-hands meeting tomorrow that may reveal its future plans for selling or spinning off the group, according to people familiar with the company's plans.

HP appeared to be clearly uninterested in investing the capital needed to launch webOS as a major competitor to Apple's iOS, Google's Android, RIM's BlackBerry OS and Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platforms; such a task would be very difficult even if HP made it a company priority.

While webOS is now largely finished and its hardware was ready to sell, HP's cancelation of the hardware side of the equation, motivated by dismal sales, means that a spinoff of Palm would result in a return to square one for the group, forcing it to formulate a new licensing business in a market where even Microsoft has had a very difficult time assembling a viable ecosystem of mobile licensees.

That makes the most likely outcome for webOS a direct sale to a third party (such as Amazon) that wants to own its own mobile environment without having to start from scratch. 

HP's PSG has also completed work on the Enyo development framework for webOS, which could be used by either an existing mobile platform or by a software vendor to create web-based software for existing platforms.

Source: AppleInsider

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HP is keeping webOS.

WorldWide Tech & SCience. Francisco De Jesús.

Do you remember this week PC  World originally posted about HP investigating  HP TouchPads launched with Android to three customesr? 

PC World: HP Investigates Android TouchPads.

One of the reasons might be: HP was likely testing Android on the TouchPad internally (where else would a TouchPad-enabled Android build have come from?) and a device loaded with Android was somehow returned to the customer-destined inventory. The question we have to ask then is what was HP doing with Android on a TouchPad in the first place?  Forum member: Or they were testing the hardware against official Android tablets.

  Source:  precentral

Well on the original e-mail  between Phil Robb Director - Open Source Program Office Hewlett Packard and Joe Rafferty  dated Oct 4, 2011 here and below, Phil Robb wrote:

HP believes that the version of webOS that we deliver on the Touchpad is a superior user experience for our customers, and the best development platform for today’s and tomorrow’s mobile applications and services. WebOS is where HP spends its development and support efforts.

So there is no Amazon buying or anything else at this time to make us bellieve HP webOS is not staying in.

e-mails exchange:

I got another email from HP (I sent them the same email as I sent QC), it seems odd that because they consider this distribution to be unauthorised that HP believe they are exempt from the requirements of the GPL.
 
When we have ample proof that HP distributed this edition it may be in the interest of the open source community to get the EFF involved on the behalf of a proven Linux copyright holder (oleg, im looking @ you  :)). I believe this sort of view is hazardous to the the open source community and is a bigger problem than not having a perfect android port.

from Robb, Philip J (Open Source Program Office) phil.robb@hp.com
sender-time Sent at 7:33 PM (UTC). Current time there: 7:11 PM. 
to      Joe
date Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 7:33 PM
subject RE: Potential GPL Breach
mailed-by hp.com

Hello Joe:
 
It’s nice to meet you.  I too am an open source advocate. 
 
Let me begin by saying that HP is a proud and committed member of the open source community, and the Linux development community in particular.  We take our participation and obligation to this community, and the licenses associated with its software very seriously.
 
As for the Touchpad units that have been allegedly purchased with a version of Android on them, we have begun an internal investigation on this within HP.  We have confirmed that HP never authorized the distribution of any version of Android on the HP Touchpad.  In addition, from a review of our manufacturing process, we believe that all Touchpad units have been shipped out of manufacturing with the webOS operating system only, and that no Touchpad units were shipped with Android, even by mistake.  Hence, we presently believe that some person or persons unknown may have facilitated the delivery of these Android-based units strictly against the policy and authorization of HP.
 
Regarding your specific request for source code below, I must decline at the present time.  HP has never authorized the distribution of any binaries for Android in association with the HP Touchpad.  Therefore, HP is not under any license obligation to provide any corresponding Android source code to you.  Hopefully, this doesn’t come across too harsh.  

As always, any member of the public can access all open source software source code distributions and other open source software licensing information for the HP webOS software products at any time at http://opensource.palm.com/.
 
For those of you in the development community actively working to port Android to the Touchpad, we applaud your efforts.  HP has a strong commitment to your freedoms as a developer and technology enthusiast.  It is your device and you can do with it what you want.  If you want to put Android on your Touchpad, or Meego, or one of the altered webOS kernels from webOSInternals.org, you are welcome to do so (at your own risk of course).  While HP supports your freedom to do this, we are not part of the community behind such efforts.

  HP believes that the version of webOS that we deliver on the Touchpad is a superior user experience for our customers, and the best development platform for today’s and tomorrow’s mobile applications and services.  WebOS is where HP spends its development and support efforts.
 
Thank you very much for bringing this matter to our attention.  As you know, it is a significant detriment to HP and HP’s participation in and relationship with the open source community to have non-authorized Android software delivered on HP Touchpad devices.  If you can provide any information that will help us track down who is providing these unauthorized Touchpads and where they might be coming from, I would greatly appreciate it.
 
Best regards,
 
Phil.
===========
Phil Robb
Director - Open Source Program Office
Hewlett Packard

Source: Engadget via precentral

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Rumor: Amazon is a one click on the shopping cart for HP webOS ?

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.

VentureBeat is reporting that a well-placed source tells them that HP is currently looking to rid itself of Palm as soon as possible, and that Amazon is the closest to finalizing the deal, among a handful of contenders.

"It also appears that HP has been eyeing Amazon for some time as a potential webOS partner. In an interview with This is my next in July, Rubinstein revealed quite a bit about having Amazon use webOS in its future tablets:

 So, we’d like a partner that would allow us to expand the webOS ecosystem… There’s a variety of different sets of a characteristics to qualify as a good partner. I would say Amazon would certainly make a great partner, because they have a lot of characteristics that would help them expand the webOS ecosystem. As to whether there’s been discussions or not… that’s obviously not something I’m going to comment about.

HP paid $1.2 billion for Palm in 2010, but Amazon will end up spending a fraction of that if the deal goes through. Given just how badly the TouchPad failed, HP will likely offer what’s left of Palm at a major discount, especially since Amazon woudn’t be interested in resuscitating now extinct webOS hardware. "

Source: VentureBeat 

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HTC has mulled an acquisition of HP’s webOS platform,

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Cher Wang, chairman of HTC, acknowledged that the company may consider buying its own operating system, according to reports originating from the Economic Observer of China.

According to Wang ( pictured), the company has mulled an acquisition of HP’s webOS platform, after the computing giant announced it would explore its strategic options for this business. While acknowledging that it had considered such a move, Wang said that the company will not make a buy “on impulse.”

It was suggested that HTC may review its platform options after Google announced it would acquire Motorola Mobility, meaning that the Android platform supplier will also be competing with its customers. HTC is one of the top-tier Android device vendors, alongside Samsung, but unlike its South Korean rival it does not have an in-house device operating system of its own to fall back on.

HTC also offers devices powered by Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, and has been one of the key partners in the computer giant’s mobile strategy. However, earlier this year Microsoft announced a deep partnership with Nokia, which will impact the importance of the Taiwanese vendor in the Windows Phone ecosystem.

In the interview, the HTC head reiterated the company’s support for the Google/Motorola deal, on the grounds that Google’s ability to leverage Motorola’s patents will benefit the industry as a whole. Google recently transferred a number of patents to HTC, to aid its defence against an Apple lawsuit.

According to Focus Taiwan, Wang argues that “our strength lies in understanding an OS, but it does not mean that we have to produce an OS.” The company has previously tailored Android and Microsoft’s previous generation Windows Mobile platform by using its own user interface, to differentiate from similar products offered by rivals.

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July 1st Big Day for the webOS Community.

 

WorldWide Tech & Science . Francisco De Jesùs.

Today July 1^st, 2011 is a day to celebrate. The first HP webOS (before Palm webOS) device in a  tablet form factor HP TouchPad branded , is launching in the USA.

Good news are preceding this  event.  Samsung Electronics , one of the world´s electronics big companies is interested in license webOS.

Samsung , have a well granted fame in the electronics parts supply, computers , smartphones , TVs , refrigerators, wash machines, dvd and blue ray players and a wide range of appliances.

In June 2011 was a rumor that Samsung might be seeking for a cloud software for their smartphones hardware. Now the rumor is becoming real.

It will take some time until all the conditions converge to a satisfactory point for both companies, HP and  Samsung, said HP CEO Leo Apotheker according to Bloomberg.

Other prestigious companies might join the licensing process, like Sony and Motorola

The  reason is simple webOS is a real internet -cloud software built from the ground, which makes a big difference compared with Apple´s iOS, Google´s Android and RIM´s Blackberry.

Our congratulations to HP/Palm staff who made this date ,a worthly wait for all the webOS fans around the world.

We hope to receive  from HP/Palm a  Free HP TouchPad in the USA to make a video review of this wonderful tablet.

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