News, Rumors

RUMOR: HP Moving TouchPad Design Away From Palm?

By: Arthur Thornton, 3/8/2011 1:19 am | 115 comments

Electronista is reporting from their “inside sources” that HP is may be removing TouchPad 2 design responsibilities away from Palm GBU and over to their own notebook design divisions. The reason? iPad 2 “panic!”

According to Electronista, HP has “supposedly” made the decision to move the development of the TouchPad 2 over to their “notebook division rather than rely on the former Palm team” after the iPad 2 had triggered a “minor panic among PC and tablet makers.”

If this rumor were to be true, we can only guess that perhaps HP saw it fit to take a more proactive stance in product development – more hands-on than to support Palm from the sidelines. Either way, everyone should have the salt shakers out with this story until more is known.

So, would you prefer the TouchPad 2 be designed by HP’s notebook division, or by Palm’s design teams?

[Source: Electronista]

About Arthur Thornton

Arthur is an 18-year-old webOS fanboy and developer. Arthur's first experience with webOS was in August 2009 when he got a Palm Pre. Since then he's owned many of the webOS phones produced, released several loved apps into the App Catalog, and even held an internship with HP's webOS GBU. Fresh off of that internship, Arthur is back at webOSroundup as a contributor.

View all posts by Arthur Thornton →

Remi

Give it to team Palm!

Chris

The problem with this shift is that it will affect team dynamics and cause internal turmoil that HP management must avoid at all costs. We have already seen a multitude of quality Palm engineers and personnel leave shortly after the acquisition. Transitions need to be carefully planned out and any drastic actions should take team interaction into serious consideration. By removing development from its creators, HP is not only encouraging people to leave, but it is also endangering it’s mobile strategy as a whole. If HP wants to be a heavyweight contender in the tablet space, it should pay close attention to developing a way to fully integrate the teams from both companies. Afterall, HP was after Palm’s robust portfolio of patents and strong roots in the mobile space. Should those who are responsible for Palm’s development leave, HP will be left with nothing but the Palm name.

Echauvet1

agree. synergies are lost between phones and touchpad if this happens

Raun

Tick tock, tick tock

Xvlfaf

All this shows is that HP is unprepared for the rapid pace advancements in this part of the tech industry. IMO they are going to miss the boat completely and this platform will disappear.
Xvlfaf

All this shows is that HP is unprepared for the rapid pace advancements in this part of the tech industry. IMO they are going to miss the boat completely and this platform will disappear.
Xvlfaf

All this shows is that HP is unprepared for the rapid pace advancements in this part of the tech industry. IMO they are going to miss the boat completely and this platform will disappear.
Xvlfaf

All this shows is that HP is unprepared for the rapid pace advancements in this part of the tech industry. IMO they are going to miss the boat completely and this platform will disappear.

http://www.arthurthornton.net/ Arthur Thornton

Personally, I want Palm to keep designing, with a few HP people ensuring those designs can be sustained (i.e. no curved sliders.. while nice, they suck at robustness)
http://twitter.com/dtilem Daniel Tilem

What kind of panic could an established form factor with an established OS really cause? I say give it to the Palm people. Why? Because HP has kept them around.

If they just wanted the OS then they would have tossed the Palm employees to the curb a long time ago.
Ethic3

I say give hardware design to Mark Solomon and the team the handles the ENVY line…let the Palm folks focus on webOS and driving it into the future.

Anonymous

I’d say leave it with palm, but if HP had to make a change, I agree. Let the team that designed the Envy line handle this.

http://aneyotto.com Noso86

I don’t believe it but only time will tell. As long as Palm GBU works on smartphones and webOS I’m ok with the move.
http://aneyotto.com Noso86

I don’t believe it but only time will tell. As long as Palm GBU works on smartphones and webOS I’m ok with the move.
http://twitter.com/jdmulloy Joe Mulloy

I don’t care who designs it as long as the Pre 3 and TouchPad are released in a reasonable amount of time. I certainly hope they aren’t going to start over now as they’re already way behind. I can’t think of anything the iPad 2 has over the TouchPad other than apps and a back camera. They’re both have the same size & resolution screens and dual core CPUs. They just need to get the TouchPad out the door already!

Dcllero

At this point Apple has too much of the market share for other devices to be at par with them. I don’t agree with the whole panic mode because Touchpad is a solid device, but you said so yourself, no camera and apps is a pretty big deal, and definitely not helping HP get a foot in the door.

http://twitter.com/1JLE 1jle

If they are able to speed up the process of announcement to delivered to consumers hands I’m all for it. Ipad announced on the second of match released on the eleventh of march

http://www.arthurthornton.net/ Arthur Thornton

I hope the process of announcement to delivery is sped up as well, but the TouchPad (hardware-wise) is done. The only thing they’re waiting on is webOS 3.0. Unfortunately, due to the acquisition, things took longer within Palm. They had to get things looked at by HP before they could proceed. Add on that HP changed lots of things about webOS, and you end up with the delays we’ve seen (Pre2 release, webOS releases, product announcements, product releases, etc.)

Mannyman

I say HP throws everything under the sun at it. Use their PC Tablet experience to have some fine stylus action as well as touch control. Make a high end version that can be used by creators instead of just consumers.
http://www.newnessdevelopments.com DeCorvett

I hardly believe Touchpad’s design was done by Palm…

GeeWhiz

I agree. Certainly all future tablet design should be done by the HP notebook HARDWARE group. Leave webOS to Palm. The TouchPad has to be put into HP’s support & maintenance process as well …

Al

webOS, with high performance kicks iOS and Andoid’s butt. Don’t loose that. improve it. was hoping HP’s hardware prowess would drive the new hardware anyway.
http://twitter.com/McFly81 Christian Lange

iPad 2 caused a “minor panic”? Every iPad Owner I know was dissapointed by the iPad 2 as it was just a minor upgrade. So, someone is lying here.^^

Anonymous

I had the opposite experience. Three people I know threw their iPads on eBay cuz they wanted the new one so badly. Another person I know had already sold theirs a month ago in anticipation of the iPad 2, and are really happy now that they did. She’s getting in line on Friday.

Skid

I heard the same thing. Market share and pricing will hurt HP.

Raun

You are entitled to your opinion no matter how wrong you are, which in this case approaches 100%.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Gavin-Coles/524862901 Gavin Coles

Surely the best thing to do would be to amalgamate both teams of designers, ensuring that the wealth of experience and knowledge each group has can be brought to bear on the task of producing hardware that at the very least equals if not exceeds that which Apple produces.

I love HP/Palm but if I could have an iPad, either 1 or 2 running webOS then I would, although strangely I hate the iPhone. The TouchPad is good but its failing are all physical:

no front facing camera
a plastic back panel that attaches smeared fingerprints
thickness
weight

I’m convinced that HP/Palm only went for a plastic back panel to keep the weight as close to the iPad1 as possible, making it from metal would have meant it would have been even heavier. All of the above should have been included or far improved even before there was the iPad2 to compare it against.

I would hope that HP/Palm already do this but they need to go out and buy one of every piece of Apple hardware. Then break everything down, see where Apple are ahead and improve from there.

http://www.arthurthornton.net/ Arthur Thornton

The TouchPad has a front facing camera, just not a rear camera.
Travis

I love how the iPad2 comes out and suddenly everything else is “thick” amd “heavy”. The TouchPad is 0.54″. Since when is a half-inch thick? At some point, thin is worse in my opinion. I like to have something I can hold.

At the end of the day, the iPad can get thinner, it can get lighter, it can get 100,000 more apps, but it will never run webOS, and that is why I am buying a TouchPad.

http://www.facebook.com/kurell.julien Mr. Pre-D

You make an excellent point and what you say is the main thing: no matter what Apple and Google do, they will never be able to make software as excellent as webOs. It. Just. Isn’t. Possible.

I WILL be buying myself a TouchPad and whatever iteration of the Pre3 or some latter phone that hits for Sprint (on my 2nd Pre)…

Travis

I love how the iPad2 comes out and suddenly everything else is “thick” amd “heavy”. The TouchPad is 0.54″. Since when is a half-inch thick? At some point, thin is worse in my opinion. I like to have something I can hold.

At the end of the day, the iPad can get thinner, it can get lighter, it can get 100,000 more apps, but it will never run webOS, and that is why I am buying a TouchPad.
Lavender

The TouchPad has a plastic back panel to make it Touchstone compatible, not to reduce weight/quality.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Gavin-Coles/524862901 Gavin Coles

Right couple of apologies, yes got my cameras mixed… My excuse not enough sleep the night before posting, but you get my point. Plastic back = Touchstone compatible, no I had not thought of that. Again not enough sleep.

It is not that the TouchPad is thick it was just that it was expected that the iPad2 was going to be thinner than its older sibling. HP/Palm would have stolen some of Apple’s thunder if the TP had been slimmer than the iPad1.

As and when the TouchPad arrives I will be getting one regardless, and fitting the appropriate protective covers that I am sure Zagg will produce.

Anonymous

1) is hp/palm really that dumb? Did they not expect the ipad2 to be thinner? The first one had tones of empty space inside, and it’s an apple product, of course it’s going to get thinner. The day it was leaked I told a friend “this is going to be too thick once ipad2 comes out.” I doubt anyone started to panic after the ipad2, if they did, they should be fired for not having seen it coming.

2) why did they want their hardware to be exactly likr apples? Would anyone have not bought it if it shipped with a usb-in, hdmi-out, or a sd card?
http://Bungie.net TheKingOfHalo

Palm hasn’t been great at making smartphones, their first tablet wasn’t bad; I just think HP has more of a capacity to design hardware.

http://atothet.org/ Ajay

Hp did design this hw, not palm.
http://atothet.org/ Ajay

Hp did design this hw, not palm.

http://twitter.com/crash_pr crash_pr

In my opinion let the HP Envy people get their hand on this…. The touchpad looks nice but there things that were expected, for me one of them was hdmi-out.. Palm should have know that the ipad 2 would have 2 cameras and now people will want 2 cameras even if the dont use them…. Palm should have make the Touchpad expandable, one of the things apple does nice is the amount of third party stuff that you can connect to their devices… HP/Palm need to be more agresssive in hardware design and specs..
falconrap

Before I address the article, I have to say that these comments that it is “too thick” are absurd. If a device is too thin it can actually be a detriment to holding the item for an extended period of time. That’s one reason why the iPad2 has wowed exactly nobody.

Now, as far as the article is concerned, I highly doubt the legitimacy of the rumor. Why? Simple. I’ve seen the Slate design, and the TouchPad is a much nicer design. Really…what more can you do to it other than add/change specs? And you only need to tell Palm what needs to be in the pad at that point. So I call “moooooooo!” on this Electonista rumor.

Anonymous

“. . . iPad2 has wowed exactly nobody.” You are so far removed from reality that you will be shocked on Friday when the iPad 2 comes out to rave reviews and the longest lines that Apple has ever seen.

You think that the thickness of the Touchpad has wowed everybody?
Matt C.

I’m going to agree with LouisLouis4 and say that you are oblivious to many important things. the more important argument is if a device is too light or too heavy. That’s more relevant than relating it to if a device is too thick or too thin. The iPad2 has the ILLLUSION of being lighter because they got rid of the plane, the side of the iPad. It’s not much lighter, but it is a third thinner, and that matters. And youre right, the iPad2 hasn’t wowed anybody…NOT.

You are comparing the Slate to the TouchPad. Let’s get real here, they are not even in the same breath. They are different teams, different internal architecture, different demographic, different software, etc….

http://twitter.com/Cringer63 Jonathan

Ok, so who was they guy who decided on the shiny plastic black back of the TouchPad, like the original Pre? Anyone but that guy.

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

I think it has to do with the touchstone feature. Honestly I never look at the back of my device so I could care less what it looks like – :P

Matt C.

Just because you don’t look at bad product design (which they should have learned from the Pre back…) doesn’t mean it doesnt exist. And the fact that you HAVE to run your life around the Touchstone dock means that there won’t be any cases on TouchPads.

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

Aren’t there cases that work now with the Pre that allow you to leave the case on and still use the touchstone?

http://twitter.com/McFly81 Christian Lange

HP/Palm (and any other company as well) should have anticipated that the iPad 2 will have some improvements over the iPad 1. That’s a nobrainer.
Looking at the release cycle of the iPhone, it was also pretty clear when iPad 2 will arive. So, why did HP/Palm design similar to iPad 1 when they knew that by the time of the TouchPad arrival the iPad 2 will be out there with improvements over the iPad 1?

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

The touchpad still has better specs (I know specs are not everything) than the iPad2

Matt C.

Many people have said this before, but I will say it again to help everyone understand what is going on now in the mobile industry…Specs don’t matter as much as they did before. Software is overpowering hardware, and the general consumer won’t even distinguish between dual-core processors and megapixel counts, they only want to use the product and be completely engulfed, amazed, and satisfied with it. The more you involve the notion of physical hardware, the more you invite the idea of a temporary existence that you can discard. Make the software incredible and all the specs disappear.

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

I agree with that. Personally I think WebOS gives the best experience over the others, but that is my personal opinion others might not feel that way.
http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

I agree with that. Personally I think WebOS gives the best experience over the others, but that is my personal opinion others might not feel that way.

http://twitter.com/2254 Michael Marr

Gearheads just want to recreate the Mhz and Ghz wars of the past decades. Give me something that works. I really don’t need 2500 Ghz to run Wordperfect.

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

Exactly! Take Linux (Ubuntu) I can run it just fine on a 5 year old laptop, try that with Windows 7

Anonymous

By hardware specs the TouchPad is superior to iPad, but no longer iPad2. And iPad2 will be available this month. TouchPad? September? Palm is MUCH TOO SLOW. So it is sensible to try to have at least the hardware development for the next gen TouchPad happening in parallel. Palms hardware design history is not a success story anyway…

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

The TouchPad as a better dual processor and more RAM than the iPad2

http://www.arthurthornton.net/ Arthur Thornton

Yup, TouchPad has a dual core 1.2GHz processor with one of the best GPUs out there. The iPad2 has a dual core 1GHz processor.

Not only that, but the TouchPad has double, if not quadruple the RAM of the iPad2 (Apple didn’t mention RAM, which could mean there’s still just 256MB, or could be 512MB, not likely to be 1GB though).

Raun

The touchpad isn’t even a real product at this point. And Hp hasn’t proven yet that they are even a player unless this is a check writing contest.
http://www.webosroundup.com/ DanR

Most importantly, Apple left these details out because they simply don’t matter. Apple is hitting the nail on the head when they emphasize software, software, software… because that’s what it’s all about, folks.

http://twitter.com/2254 Michael Marr

No it doesn’t. My first gen iPad has more RAM and functionality than the Touchpad because it’s here in my hands whereas the FuturePad exists only in videos and trade shows.

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

Than that means we shouldn’t even compare it to the iPad2 since it’s not out yet either.

http://twitter.com/2254 Michael Marr

No it doesn’t. My first gen iPad has more RAM and functionality than the Touchpad because it’s here in my hands whereas the FuturePad exists only in videos and trade shows.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Edwin-Mamisho/100001989887827 Edwin Mamisho

mientras me den un dispositivo con WebOs no me importa..
pero eso si que la próxima generación salga con panel de gestos…

Jeremy

De acuerdo. Son los gestos parte de lo que pone a WebOS como OS superior.

Anonymous

Excellent. I was expecting the “Reply” button below a comment to work. Nevermind.
Michael Marr

Why do you insist on referring to the Touchpad in the present tense as if it competes with the iPad 1 or 2? Plus the future – future Touchpad 2 “may” be designed by the team that sort of brought us a few thousand Slate 500′s? I write this on my iPad since my since returned Xoom was not ready for prime time. And I Just checked the time on my Android phone since my Pre+ has forgotten it’s Gmail password for the last time.
http://amusicapp.blogspot.com Randy A

Sorry, but the iPad 2 is nothing that should scare HP if the iPad 1 didn’t. I don’t care what the specs of the iPad 2 are, it is still running the flawed iOS.

Anonymous

WebOS is flawed as well.

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

Every mobile OS has it’s pros and cons. You just have to decide what you want.

Anonymous

The one with Garageband or an equal quality app.

http://www.arthurthornton.net/ Arthur Thornton

You only want that because Apple told you you did. Until Apple said they had that, you didn’t know it had it, and you didn’t know you wanted a device that included such an app.
Matt C.

this is so insightful. how did you formulate such insight?
Anonymous

You seem to be implying that Apple should have kept this app under wraps? Or not shown it off? If HP came up with an equal-quality app, you would insist that they not demo it to show off the power of the Touchpad? Why not? So sick of you sheep.
http://www.arthurthornton.net/ Arthur Thornton

Sheep? I’m implying they should have kept it under wraps?

No, what I said was that until Apple told you that you wanted it, you didn’t know you wanted it. You didn’t know because there was nothing like it included with other OSes. Not only that, but how do you know HP won’t bring out something ten times better with the TouchPad?
Anonymous

Logic is not your friend.
http://www.arthurthornton.net/ Arthur Thornton

Whatever you say, though logic is definitely on my side with this, as it always is.
JoeZiehmer

No lord Arthur of the arrogant class not this time. If you keep that stoic little command driven tone people will tell you where to go. Keep in mind noobie it takes awhile to build a line which can compete. You forget in your logic that Apple has a majority of apps and offers gamers and business those apps. Technically HP is still hurting logically from disenfranchised users. Now I can understand that logic works best in business but you have to understand it will take awhile for HP to build a real iPad killer, or Blackberry, and or Droid tablet killer. They need to compete and show promise not radically alter and start cost-cutting efforts. This takes time like building any sort of franchise or word of mouth to purchase products.

http://www.webosroundup.com/ David

What am I missing here? Why would the iPad 2 cause anymore panic than the iPad?

It is the same price and is a moderate spec bump

Same or slower processor than the TouchPad
Same screen as the TouchPad
Less RAM than the TouchPad

Unless the companies are freaked out because their tablets are fatter or are missing a camera I just don’t see the problem here.

http://twitter.com/ApMik Aploe Miktona

One of the most common complaints about the iPad hardware design was its weight, and the thinkness was also also a fairly common complaint. It is only reasonable now to assume the same complaints will be fielded about the TouchPad. Worse still, the low weight and the thinness of iPad 2 will make the TouchPad look decidedly last generation. Perceptions matter a lot, although personally in this case I think the weight issue is more than just perception.

http://www.webosroundup.com/ David

I agree with you that the new dimensions are a big deal, but they had been rumored for months. Why would HP and Samsung be surprised by them?

http://twitter.com/ApMik Aploe Miktona

I think Apple has better technology and tooling in place for making cheap(er) unibody designs. I am sure Sami and HP did try to reduce the weight, and made whatever compromises they had to, but did not have the technology to do what Apple has done, in a cost efficient way.
Here is my blog on it: http://bit.ly/ehlmZA
Also read Rahool Sood’s comments on what Apple is up to/what HP did NOT do here: http://bit.ly/fRkddc

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

Thank you, that’s what I have been replying to people. Specs aren’t everything. To me it’s the experience and in my eyes WebOS gives the best experience.

I also don’t need a camera on the back of my tablet device.

Utpharm

I don’t need a camera on the back of my tablet device either tsaunders. But do you honestly believe in your heart of hearts that HP made a good move/decision by being the only company (of significance) to be releasing a tablet withOUT a front facing camera. Personally the thought of holding up a 10 inch tablet to take a picture of something seems comical to me but to the average consumer who does not currently own a tablet of any kind and knows nothing of webOs (which I would guess is the vast majority of the public), it WILL matter. And we have no idea yet about the price.

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

I agree, just wish people could think outside the box instead of believing everything they hear or see.
http://www.arthurthornton.net/ Arthur Thornton

It has a front facing camera, just not a rear camera (front-facing is the one on the front of the device).

Anonymous

I don’t think HP is worried about their hardware. It’s the ecosystem and the apps their concerned about.
Twinzlover

Windows was a flawed OS compared to UNIX/Linux back when I was in college. We all know how that turned out. It’s all about the scale of the market, perception, and in this case the seamless experience that Apple provides.

In my software development experience, one must anticipate, innovate, and above all, execute to have a good chance at to take on the competitors. HP/Palm must keep this mind and I am sure they know this already. As a Palm fan, I am rooting for them and believe this is a step in the right direction

http://twitter.com/oak_labs nicholas peterson

Software is king in this space, and Palm lost a lot of talent from what was already a fairly small company. I think it’s unlikely that HP will be able to unseat Microsoft, Apple, or Google from the positions they take in the next few years. I do find it far more likely that companies that have traditionally used blackberries might give webOS as go if the hardware is available and decent. However, those sorts of ‘corporate’ decisions are starting to erode in the era of ‘everyone has a smartphone’. I think iPhones and Android phones are going to bulldoze because people have them, not because companies choose them.
http://twitter.com/oak_labs nicholas peterson

Software is king in this space, and Palm lost a lot of talent from what was already a fairly small company. I think it’s unlikely that HP will be able to unseat Microsoft, Apple, or Google from the positions they take in the next few years. I do find it far more likely that companies that have traditionally used blackberries might give webOS as go if the hardware is available and decent. However, those sorts of ‘corporate’ decisions are starting to erode in the era of ‘everyone has a smartphone’. I think iPhones and Android phones are going to bulldoze because people have them, not because companies choose them.

JMWPainter

It is a smartphone/PDA device being made bigger with only size and function. NOT a laptop being smushed into one screen like the previous HP tablet running windows 7. It is running a PDA OS not a PC OS. Why would they do that. It’s like the mini-van development team trying to build the next “Smart Car”
Scott

TouchPad need a Android ROM & Windows Phone ROM to help increase sales. How about a little multiboot action? Let’s get this party started already!
Do I love WebOS? Heck ya! Do I want HP to make some money? Heck ya!
http://www.mississippigulfcoasthockey.com Jason L.

HP with the Palm guys heading it up. Gives them more resources, more ideas, a better product.
Matt C.

It’s definitely a bad sign when big boys like Samsung and HP are having to go back to the boards to figure out how they can make their products better (not necessarily better than the Apple variants) and how they can still squeeze whatever profit they can in a short amount of time before releasing their products [late]. The industry is frazzled because of what Jobs is accomplishing through perfectly timed releases, impeccable marketing, and product/software design that is still on the very top of the mobile realm. I am fearful for the rest of 2011, as I am guessing it will be a rocky one for most companies.

But to answer your question, I would rather have HP do something with it. After seeing the ‘wash-repeat’ designs of the Pre3 and Veer, maybe they will last-minute design the TouchPad to at least be as thin as the original iPad. But I am presuming that if this is in fact true, and HP is taking over the reins until the end of product release, it will be for software tweaks and fit/finishing, not major overhauls to the already unveiled design.

Time is of the essence my friends!

Raun

Apple is 2 product cycles ahead of everyone, and 2+ if you count HP or Microsoft. This is both their goal and current reality. Instead of trying to close within a single product cycle gap in phones, hp is stuck in the pits with it’s excelsior class

Raun

A new pit crew won’t help Capt. Kirk any more than Ricky Bobbie, and I know who Leo resembles most

Bicentennial

Leave it to palm they designed it good. HP laptop team is failure and HP lost quality on laptops. Why give the best to worst team.
macnlkc

How about just deliver the product they already announced?
Anonymous

If this is true and it sounds like it is expect more changes. I posted a comment here weeks ago stating I think Leo is going to clean house in Palm & the PC group. In other words sooner or later both Jon R and Todd B will be relocated possibly out the door.

Much of the brains behind WebOS left last year along with many talented HW design people. Jon was kept around b/c HP hoped he could be their poor man’s Steve Jobs but they are realizing he isn’t Jobs (by a long shot) not much good without the people who left in 2010.

JR likely had a golden parachute (part of the buyout) that HP didn’t want to pay in year one but once we get past April 2011 (anniversary date of the deal) all bets are off in terms of Rubenstein staying on.

So expect him to be moved to some ceremonial R&D spot in the bowels of HP and then gone by year’s end.

Bradley for backing Jon in his role and b/c he wouldn’t know cool or innovative if it ran over him will be moved to some gig inside of their stuffy Enterprise biz and or out the door.

HP’s PC biz is running out of steam and their mgt of Palm thus far has been a joke. That is why Raul left and why he continues to take passive aggressive jabs at the company while at MSFT.

WebOS is great. Palm hardware & its exposed HW map sucks.

Unfortunately Jon is so in love with his 2008/2009 design language he cannot get past it which was proven with the pathetic release of the Palm 3 and Veer.

Any HW firm worth its salt (even without the cash to implement) has a 3-5 year hardware map with new designs etc. What we saw in Feb 2011 was that JR and what is left of the old Palm had almost nothing in the tank to follow the Pre.

The TouchPad is just an HP Slate with a different plastic wrapper, gimmicky NFC tossed in and WebOS crammed into it. This is hardly the kind of device that will make HP or WebOS very relevant in the tablet space – caveat: beyond a handful of WebOS fans who patronize the site, Precentral and at times Engadget.

I love WebOS but the reality is folks there are not enough of us (again readers of sites like this fine one) to sustain a business.

Unless Leo hits the big red button soon and flushes the remnants of the old Palm leadership team out the door WebOS is as good as dead.

Matt C.

well said…again.

Anonymous

Thanks. I just hope they can make the needed leadership changes in time to save this bugger.

CharlieSheenWinning

was the touchpad EVER a palm-designed device? I don’t think so.
Scott

Make a software deal with BlackBerry already!

Scott

I should be more specific with my BlackBerry software deal. I am specifically referring to getting BlackBerry email and IM working on WebOS. I’m sure Apple, Microsoft, and Android would like to do the same if they could. For BlackBerry it would be basically throwing in the towel but makes a ton of money on the back end services. Would you pay for a BlackBerry client on your device?

http://twitter.com/tsaunders tsaunders

I just wish companies would stop trying to be Apple and do their own thing. Do something innovative. Just because they are coming out with a new iPad doesn’t mean you have to go back to the drawing board on your Tablet.
Jeff

Let palm design and enhance webos and let the people of the envy line create the hardware. That’s a match made in heaven :-)
http://www.facebook.com/r1chi3 Richard Plana

I would wait until I heard from both teams what they could contribute to the hardware design (software should still fall squarely on Palm, though). The notebook team has been doing this for years. I’m sure they already had some input (Beats, etc.) if not designed the hardware completely top to bottom. If they can lay out their plans, project schedules, etc. then I could make a better decision.
http://www.facebook.com/r1chi3 Richard Plana

I would wait until I heard from both teams what they could contribute to the hardware design (software should still fall squarely on Palm, though). The notebook team has been doing this for years. I’m sure they already had some input (Beats, etc.) if not designed the hardware completely top to bottom. If they can lay out their plans, project schedules, etc. then I could make a better decision.
Naz

I actually like what the HP design team have done with the envy line of laptops… personally i think the palm team in terms of design haven’t moved on from the original pre design which i think is very dated now. So i rather see the palm team focus more on Webos. I would like to see Hp use other materials other then just plastic.
Naz

I actually like what the HP design team have done with the envy line of laptops… personally i think the palm team in terms of design haven’t moved on from the original pre design which i think is very dated now. So i rather see the palm team focus more on Webos. I would like to see Hp use other materials other then just plastic.
Anaya2

Well let’s be clear here, jon rubenstein failed with the palm devices, so this is a smart move from HP, taking the hardware side away from the Palm Team, that way they can concentrate on the software side, hence WebOs and should be able to provide faster updates and fixes to the customers, while HP notebook team will look at the Software and design a device that fits the software.
Jimmy

The TouchEnvy yeah
Jimmy

The TouchEnvy yeah
Jimmy

The TouchEnvy yeah
Kussface

I don’t like glossy back n still look like a big black flat rock! Other than that, I want HP to make to blow WebOS like IOS! Can’t wait! N plus I don’t like the form facter of the Pre 3 either! Or atleast make one phone like the Iphone! A simple design yet palm fail to make one! n thats y they r in the bottom of all! wen it comes to WebOS, its just as good as the best one (ios) or even better with the awesome M-taske! So HP can make do more than palm ever did!

http://twitter.com/McFly81 Christian Lange

Sorry, but I think the Pre Form Factor is absolutely right. If they would design a phone like the iPhone, people will go “they just imitate iPhone?! I won’t buy it!”. And there are really more than enough phones of this form factor: iPhone (big surprise, EVERY version of iPhone so far), Samsung Galaxy, SE XPeria, and more. I could count in the 10 billion HTC “every two weeks a new phone to drown our customers” models, but I don’t want to. ;)
An iPhone-like, keyboardless slab in addition to the Pre-Line: I’m OK with that.

Caleb

I think let HP do the design.. Palm is Just focused on one design.. And we can see this with all FOUR phones they have came up with.. Pre minus?…pre plus?… Pre 2?..Pre 3?… Pre VEER?.. C’mon is that the only trick you know DOG? (being sarcastic) but seriously if you want to make an impression out there..Put out different phone designs.. Not everybody likes sliders.. Not everybody likes candybar style phones.. Get what am saying? HP probably seen that they where making the same palm touchpad design and just adding an extra usb port? And calling it the ALL NEW Palm touchpad 2!!!… MAKE New Stuff damn it!

Jeff

Yeah man. Why can’t HP listen to what us consumers are sayin? I bet if they did that they would be untouchable.

RUMOR: HP Moving TouchPad Design Away From Palm?

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