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HP Reinventing webOS?

By: , 10/29/2011 1:07 am | 36 comments


Guardian rumors be damned…webOS may have some life yet! Tonight we got a hat trick of awesome that largely flies in the face of the doom and gloom that was on the intertubes earlier today.

Mr. Bradley tells it like it is…

First, Todd Bradley took to the airwaves today on Bloomberg and said very clearly that HP is still investing in webOS and the rumors that say otherwise are unfounded.

Jump to around the 5 minute mark to get to the juicy stuff.

Essentially Mr. Bradley throws a bunch of water on all the hullabaloo that came up today. In his words the rumors are “unfounded” and should be treated as such. HP has invested and will continue to invest in webOS. What that means exactly will be made clear in the coming months [shudder - Ed].

Two: Get your salt shakers

Secondly, a source “inside HP” sent us a tip:

There are rumors inside HP that they may be ”reinventing” webos. apparently [CEO] Meg is actually all for webOS, but they won’t say anything for a couple of weeks/months, so keep your eyes peeled. I don’t think you’ve seen the last of webOS.

Now this wasn’t one of our one of our normal sources who have proven reliable in the recent past so keep your salt shovels handy. To be honest, we weren’t going to report on this rumor at all because, well it could have come from anywhere and we had no way of verifying their statement even though the news is obviously music to our ears. However, we got another tip tonight that gave may have given us a clue.

Three: Now this is interesting…

Mr. Adam McNutt was looking to buy an HP laptop, a DM1Z series to be exact. As he was hunting around the specs he found this little snippet and sent it on over to us as a screenshot.

Currently this can be found by clicking on the specs tab on this link (or you can peruse this PDF).

This is the first time, to our knowledge, that webOS is mentioned as a feature on a laptop. Sure this feature has been talked about as a possibility for a long time, but it has only been talk until now.

Question is..is this just a typo, or is it evidence for the reinvention/investment in webOS? We don’t really know, but we searched around other products on the store and could not find this little snippet anywhere else.

Keep in mind that aside from the Todd Bradley video, this is all just wild speculation (which is always fun), but it does lend some credence to the opinion that HP isn’t done with webOS yet. As we mentioned earlier, we are kinda partial to the OS, so we are pulling for it…hard.

Source: Bloomberg, Anonymous, and Adam McNutt

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About David Baxter

David is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of webOSroundup. When not toiling away at WOR he is usually with his family, at church, building a website of some kind or another, or playing a video game. @davidbbaxter
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  • http://www.BargainWar.com BHumphrey

    Wow, how awesome! What a breath of fresh air…Would be great to finally have that eco-system they talked about…

    • Jeff

      webOS is dead. Sorry but it’s the truth. The fact is that ios is far too superior. I’m surprised it made it this long. I’m just counting the days till I get my 4S.

      • Randomcontent0

        maybe your time could be more productively spent learning about ios for your new phone?

      • PadDeveloper

        These are the words of an idiot.  IOS is not even close in features to WebOS.  IOS has more apps, but the OS itself sucks in comparison.  It cannot even multitask.  It lacks the sound and video features, no flash.  Just a plain idiot.  Again, there are more apps, but that is all IOS has going for it.

        • http://www.webosroundup.com/ David

          To be fair…iOS does multitask…it just isn’t as clean as webOS

      • Gilletskillet

        Troll.

    • Jeff

      webOS is dead. Sorry but it’s the truth. The fact is that ios is far too superior. I’m surprised it made it this long. I’m just counting the days till I get my 4S.

      • Ishcobibble

        friggin’ troll…

  • http://twitter.com/dna550 mep

    I bought a dm1z in September for my son, while waiting for my TouchPad to arrive. I can assure you there is no webOS on this Windows.

    Windows 8 developers would be smart to use as much of webOS as they can, if HP is going to work with MSFT to make a great tablet experience in 2012.

    • http://www.facebook.com/JeremiahBWhite Jeremiah White

      What this series of laptop does have is a shortcut to the webos webpage on the desktop.

      • http://sorli.com sorli

        Yes I also noticed the Icon and link on a recent HP Desktop computer. Who knows, maybe advertising for now and then link to webOS Desktop later.

        I think this all lends to using webOS on top of Windows 8 mobile and desktop. Never know! Sorli…

        • Tonymac32

          Like I mentioned initially on the mention of windows 8 on the touchpad: why bother unless to compare performance of Enyo with current WebOS kernel technology. I love Linux, don’t get me wrong, but Microsoft has more resources with cutting edge drivers/hardware support.

    • Adam McNutt

      This is a new version of the dm1z that just came out a week or so ago.

    • eid

      Maybe webOS will be a downloadable desktop interface.  For example lenovo just made available a simpletap interface that looks  a lot like iOS but just runs windows software on top of windows.  Question is whether it’s just an webOS-like interface skin on HP laptops or really run webos apps. 

    • PadDeveloper

      I have an HP Mini, and it has HP Quickweb on it.  It is a WebOS based boot option that let’s you check mail, manage photos, browse the web and do Smart Office without booting into Windows.  It comes up in a split second to allow you to do these normal tasks without waiting on Windows to boot.  You can toggle it on and off.  Its is actually pretty sweet when you are in a hurry.

  • Anonymous

    Hmm, maybe it’s the Touchpad/PC bundle?

  • PalmOn

    Oh, yes, I just know it is true.

  • http://www.facebook.com/julio.c.oliveira Julio C Oliveira

    Some layer over Windows to give a WebOS experience to computer users?

  • http://profiles.google.com/anayagamingllc Jason Buffalo

    Well this is good news,but i think before anyone will make full commitment to WebOS, HP need to show there own commitment to WebOS, it’s nice to hear Bradly talk on Bloomberg about how WebOS is still be reinvented, but let’s be honest we have heard allot from HP about WebOS, but now i have to say we need to do a wait and see what really is going to happen.

  • http://twitter.com/DeadTechnology DeadTechnology

    I think what makes this so compelling is that they all happened at the same time.  Individually, they’re a non-specific interview, a “tip” from an “anonymous source” and a typo, but all together they’re a non-specific interview, a “tip” from an “anonymous source” and a typo.

    Wait…

    Seriously tho, I get the sense that “Rumors of [webOS's] death have been greatly exaggerated.”

  • MPM

    OK this is all great but I want a new phone on Sprint!!!

    • John

      Me to. Still rocking the original pre, it is going strong but need/want a new webos phone to go with my To.

      • MPM

        Fortunately there are plenty of new replacement webos phones on the web if we need new ones. Dirt cheap too!! A new pixi for $50.00

  • Anonymous

    Nowhere I have I seen any mention or a photo of Meg with a Touchpad in her hands.  Meg IS a smart cookie (no offense given), and SHE is now in charge.  One obvious point of show is she dumped the dump – and kept HP – a computer company (and all that that word means) a computer company.

    Concerning webOS…all someone has to do is put a Touchpad in her hands.  In less than two minutes – less if this is not the first time she has touch one – she will realize she is holding the most elegant OS for the mobile market.  

    Its not too far of a stretch to think she has used an Apple phone.  Good if she had – better if she had one for her own – because she will remember that learning curve.  The elegance (and level of development) that webOS 3 can now deliver [unfinished as it is with its full potential not yet realized] will definitely sell itself.

    Holding that Touchpad Meg would know she is holding the future of the HP mobile (and touchscreen) experience.

  • rawdeadfish

    unfortunately nothing matters until there is a whole new line of devices announced that appeal to all of us, otherwise DeadTech is right…

  • GlenB.

    After having a pre- on sprint for 2 and a half years, I went to verizon for a pre2 (alongside my TPAD). I’m glad I have an upgraded pre (wish I had the pre 3), but I really didn’t want to switch. It’s REALLY hard to even think of switching platforms. At best, I could find myself liking Android..I could like WP8…I could like iOS…..But I would never love any of them as much as webOS. The hardware I have now could cover me for the next 2 and a half years…I’m already use to it (DAMN YOU SPRINT). I am at a point now that I’ll have hope until its last dying breath. The DNA of PALM cannot die, no matter who owns it. I see it everywhere in other OSs (Yeah, Duarte). Right now, my Pre- sits right next to its bretheren (Treo 700p, 600). I have faith webOS will come back “reinvented”. I would call the next iteration the palm/kindle phoenix…or the HP redux…or whatever keeps ya going.

  • Fede

    This is a gteat news, however Ild like to be able to update my webOs version no matter the carrier. I’d like a global process for this task and not to depend on the mexican carrir.

  • Anonymous

    HP should now proceed to relaunch the WebOS phones.

  • http://twitter.com/ciberchari k chari

    rumours, or not…dumping WebOS at this stage would be like BG thinking of dumping Windows before REALISING its full(?, maybe not yet, and more to come?) potential that it has today………..ciberchari

  • Apelles

    The HP computer webOS file may be a sign of things to come. So far there is no tablet that functions in tandem with a computer, even the iPad2 has splashtop ,iTunes is just a program. HP maybe on to something here. Perhaps this accounts for experiments of Windows 8 running inside the Touchpad and Best Buy selling remaining Touchpads with HP pc’s only

    • Wmmc2000us

      That is not exactly true…… Head over to best buy and

      d check out the TouchSmart line of HP AIO desktops. Touchscreen capable with a SW layer over Win7, and OMG a link app to talk to your HP Laptop…. Easily replaced with webOS layer and touch to NFC link to share with TP…. Just saying go check it out… I did today… Oh and check out the new line of Printers with touch-screen and Apps… Just saying……

  • Joey C

    I am totally frustrated with this whole HP / webos saga. This company is in such disaray it’s really too bad that such a superior os has to fall victim to their shortcomings. I own 3 palm pre’s as well as an evo 3d and a evo 4g. I gotta tell ya though android has come a long way since the pre was introduced. It still falls short of webos though in a lot of respects, such as multitasking and the magnetic inductive charging, but I can adapt, I still have my hopes alive but it looks like i’ll be going to ios for my next upgrade. Anyone hear what Jon Rubenstien is up to these days? Haven’t heard a peep out of him since the gauntlet dropped.

  • Kelliebb

    quick web has been part of the HP offering on commercial notebooks for a while.

  • Aspra

    I really hope that all these three sources are true and webOS gets revived… Webos truly belongs to the tablet and it will rule tablets if given a chance.
    – sent from webOSroundup XL

  • Pierre Rumenigay Chery

    good news…our community needs to keep growing so HP can realize the true strength of webOS

  • Tony

    Galaxy s2 here I come. I can’t iphones