HP exec confirms WebOS tablet
But Palm OS won't go into netbooks
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HP's attempt to out-iPad the iPad will indeed be based on Palm's WebOS, a company executive has revealed.
Alleged insiders have said as much already, but this is the first time a staffer has gone on record with the information.
According to Monty Wong, VP of PCs at HP's Taiwan operation, WebOS will be used in smartphones and tablets, but not in netbooks, DigiTimes reports.
WebOS was, of course, designed for smartphones, so that's no great surprise, but it's interesting that HP doesn't see the operating system making it into netbooks. Wong suggested that these machines are really small computers so require a computer OS.
Maybe he's forgotten that HP is already using a smartphone OS - Google's Android - in a netbook: the ARM-based Compaq AirLife 100, due to go on sale through Spanish cellco Telefonica in the near future.
That said, with its emphasis on touch control, WebOS may simply not yet be suited to keyboard- and mouse-based kit. HP undoubtedly wants to ensure tablet sales don't canibalise netbook sales, though all the evidence so far suggests they will.
Wong confirmed HP's tablet - originally due to run Windows 7 - will arrive before the end of October. He told punters to expect a wide range of apps at launch, suggesting HP will ensure the machine can run apps developed for Palm's smartphones.
HP bought Palm last month for $1.2bn. ®
COMMENTS
I don't believe it
I am sure we will see WebOS making an appearance on a tablet.
But I simply don't believe HP will be able to create a fit-for-market product in five months.
Also
They can use a far cheaper CPU (ARM) which has far lower power draw than the Atom hence smaller battery. Plus, having ditched Windows they need to provide much less memory (primary and secondary) and don't need to worry about also providing enough "juice" to cover the additional needs of a real time virus scanner.
With all these savings it is quite conceivable to make a device that is smaller, lighter, cheaper and more usable than could ever be imagined on the Wintel platform.
Cannibalised netbook sales?
Surely with low-margin devices, owning your own OS has got to to the advantage of your bottom line over paying a third party (ie Microsoft).
And to those above making derogatory comments about WebOS - have you actually used it? it's quite possibly the finest of the current crop of smartphone UIs from a design and usability perspective, and it runs on a sufficiently vanilla build of linux that you can run desktop linux apps with a bit of tweaking ( http://www.geekword.net/openoffice-on-palm-pre/ ).
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