Bradley: webOS is Our Exclusive Smartphone OS

Posted By: Kris Keilhack Saturday, July 24, 2010 6:18:55 AM

In a rather surprising move today, HP's Todd Bradley told CNBC that HP was using webOS for all of its smartphones going forward. This leaves the current crop of Windows Mobile 6.x-powered iPaq smartphones and PDAs as HP's final Windows-based phone products. Additionally, Mr. Bradley shot down any speculation that Android would be employed for any smartphones. 


With the earlier confirmation of webOS devices in many form factors and HP's Windows 7-powered Slate only targeting an enterprise audience, WebOS looks to finally be poised to make a major push for market share thanks to the tremendous resources available to HP. This move is rather stunning, since HP and Compaq have been staunch supporters of Microsoft's mobile efforts over the past two decades ranging from Windows CE to Windows Mobile 6.5. However, with last week's news item that HP was mysteriously absent from Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 launch partner list, this shouldn't come as a complete surprise.

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where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?

Gekko @ 7/24/2010 6:48:58 AM # Q

planet Mars or the Twilight Zone?

no big loss for MSFT.


RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
rpa @ 7/24/2010 7:38:50 AM # Q
You can buy one on the HP web page....one WinMo phone and one WinMo PDA are available.
RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
Gekko @ 7/24/2010 7:53:25 AM # Q

my point was they don't sell much anyway.

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
mikecane @ 7/24/2010 8:35:10 AM # Q
And yet J&R is still pimping the last two HP iPaq PDAs. Saw them this morning. And HP must still be kicking this crap out because the boxes had a redesign mimicking that eejitastic "The Computer is Personal Again" campaign.
RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
hkklife @ 7/24/2010 8:37:53 AM # Q
They actually are fielding 3 WinMob-based handhelds at the moment;

The Classic 111 PDA, The 211 Enterprise PDA, and the Glisten smartphone for AT&T.

I'd even go out on a limb to wager that there would be people upset by the loss of those final two PDAs than that smartphone that is (surprisingly) a rather new release model.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
Gekko @ 7/24/2010 9:04:36 AM # Q

smartphone business scorecard -

HP = fail

webOS/Palm = fail

add them together and what do you magically get?


RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
jca666us @ 7/24/2010 9:39:20 AM # Q
Total failure on HP/Palm's part.

HP won't go android until (unless) webos 2 bellyflops in the marketplace.

They (along with several other companies) see how success apple has been with their "walled garden" strategy and are playing catch-up.

The problem is with Apple extending their leadership in the marketplace, Microsoft playing catch-up, and with android becoming more entrenched, Palm is screwed.

A day late and a dollar short - here comes PalmPad! lol

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
hkklife @ 7/24/2010 12:02:56 PM # Q
Well, IF RIM takes a catastrophic dump, there would be room for Palm behind Apple & Google. However, I see Apple & Google pulling far ahead eventually, RIM settling into a comfortable 3rd and HP-Palm & Microsoft scrapping over the remaining pieces (and I do mean the bottom of the barrel scrapings).

I went to a dinner party the other night consisting of mostly young professional types. I saw 2 iPhones, probably 4 BBs, and one Android device in addition to myself. The rest were multimedia/messaging dumbphones. The problem was, all of those BBs were old Curves or Pearls and were likely work-issued and/or at the end of their contract period. All of those BB owners indicated that they would definitely purchase something flashier if their own $ were being spent.

That said, there is currently quite a gaping hole in the market for a decent Pre-style device with a touchscreen and a solid keyboard. If the rumors are correct, Palm is prepping a 3.7" or 3.8" screen improved version of the Pre for release later this year.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
mikecane @ 7/24/2010 1:40:07 PM # Q
Yeah, that webOS is sure gonna fail. Because, you know, look at how many people would rush out to grab another Android phone:

77% Of iPhone Owners Say They'll Buy Another -- Versus Just 20% Of Android Owners
http://www.businessinsider.com/77-of-iphone-owners-say-theyll-buy-another-versus-just-20-of-android-owners-2010-7

And those two HP PDAs? They're buggy pieces of crap, especially that Enterprise one. Maybe they're still around because they serve niche markets where they're locked down to perform only certain and restrictive functions.

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
Gekko @ 7/24/2010 2:39:50 PM # Q

hkk - dinner party? how loosely is that defined in the South? i have visions of a bunch of barefoot hillbillies in overalls watching a pig turn on a spit while drinking moonshine out of a shared jug.

Con - you're not naive and gullible enough to believe that nonsense are you? what did Twain say? i guess you missed the growth numbers.


RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
hkklife @ 7/24/2010 4:09:41 PM # Q
Gekko;

Come on, stop being so silly. Everyone knows this time of the year it's too hot for overalls. Us hillbillies wear cut-off jeans ("jorts") and nothin' else until at least the end of September! Just ask Rev. Pat!


Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
LiveFaith @ 7/24/2010 4:35:51 PM # Q
Peanut Butter = Too Salty and sticky - FAIL

Jelly = Too squishy and sweet = FAIL

PBJ = Hillbilly Feast!

BTW, Moonshine kills germs so sharing is no problem round here.
Pat Horne

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
mikecane @ 7/24/2010 4:45:58 PM # Q
*snort* Gekko criticizes others and food while he keeps eyeing his pet pig and wondering how to turn it into a sausage McMuffin.

And, Gekko, those numbers probably reflect the millions screwed with 1.0-1.5 phones that can never be upgraded.

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
rpa @ 7/24/2010 6:56:15 PM # Q
I don't think Apple or Android have any lock on the market and see the next 12 months as an exciting time in the mobile device arena. Besides HP/Palm and WP7 there is Nokia/Intel/MeeGo coming to market. As much as Americans criticize Nokia, they are the industry leader (some 111 million devices a QUARTER) and they have the delivery infrastructure to sell a ton of smart phones across a variety of price points. The US market is a small piece of the mobile device pie (and carrier controlled) with the markets that matter in terms of sales being international especially China and India.

Apple will always have a certain market sector of relatively rich consumers, WP7 may capture part of the corporate market at the expense of RIM and Android is still too fragmented to give a uniformly satisfying user experience. HP and Nokia/Intel are giants in terms of resources so don't underestimate their potential.

On the HP PDAs, there were a few very positive reviews written by former Palm users I noticed.


RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
Gekko @ 7/24/2010 11:39:44 PM # Q

no - they are pretenders, wannabes, and also-rans.

i don't want to be out on some lonely island all by myself where i can't find apps, accessories, compatibility, or support.


RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
mikecane @ 7/25/2010 8:16:32 AM # Q
>>>As much as Americans criticize Nokia, they are the industry leader

Remove head from your butt.

This is what Nokia specializes in:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_1100

Low end feature-phone junk. They have no big splash in smartphones and many pro-Nokia people have already stabbed the hell out of their upcoming "flagship" smartphone.

Go read how screwed-up Nokia really is internally here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/22/nokia_manifesto_risku/

Nokia's profits continue to spiral down the drain. It makes me very happy.

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
Gekko @ 7/26/2010 4:54:51 PM # Q

Con you dumb f**k.

http://www.businessinsider.com/that-story-saying-that-only-20-of-android-owners-say-theyll-buy-another-one-its-not-true-2010-7

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
mikecane @ 7/27/2010 5:03:29 AM # Q
OMG!! What a horrible mistake for them to make! And here I am being a math retard who by law should never be allowed near numbers -- yet they get PAID to do THAT!
RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
jms001 @ 7/27/2010 6:48:34 AM # Q
I'll be the first one to admit that Apple built a good next gen phone first leaving everyone else to play catch-up. However Apple is way to proprietary for me and I doubt I'll ever buy their products for that reason. Android might have been a good option, but I've veered away from all of the reports on how buggy it is (and I'm not sure I'd be satisfied either with just slapping great icing on a buggy cake). Maybe after Android matures a bit, it might be worth looking at. Or if Web-OS does completely fail, I might be forced to look at it. But HP has thrown it a lifeline and I want to see if they are able to save it. I'm certainly not going to be swayed by Gekko's fail+fail=fail joke. There's no logic there and simple repetition doesn't make it true. If HP can produce some good hardware, and if they market it right, I think WebOS on smartphones still has a chance. There's more ifs there than I'd like, but I'm comfortable in my Palm Pre contract for the next two years, so I have time to see how things come out.
RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
LiveFaith @ 7/27/2010 10:57:59 AM # Q
JMS,

If I were close, I would hang on to see what Palm has been working on for the past year. WebOS is already awesome IMO. And, it's been consistently updated in a manner that has been very good. If the new device is big screen (ATT), I'll have a nice Pre for sale on eBay in order to upgrade.

A lot of people read the original reviews from the 2009 release and then scanned the + reviews early this year. Most do not realize the value of all the OS updates, homebrew apps, and Preware patches and community. My Pre is awesome since I got tons of apps from the store, homebrews, and 30-40 system patches, and a horsepower increase to 800mhz. The thing flies, does everything stable, is a 3G/WiFi hotspot, uses a touchstone, and does it all in elegance that even the iPhone does not match IMO.

I personally have issues that I would love to remedy:
#1 3.7-4" display for starters
#2 PIM apps still need some more functionality (I'm learning to workaround)
#3 Hardware needs to be more upscale in quality
#4 BT stack (profiles) is weeeeak
#5 A true universal search of all data (aka Palm OS)
#6 Real document viewing + editing from someone beside DV.

Palm was facing a near impossible challenge after the utter incompetence sown from 2004 until 2008. Considering where they were and how far they came in a short time, I am excited about the next big release. I expect that WebOS2 + New HW + HP Marketing make for a serious competitor in the smartphone space in 2010.

What worries me is that Palm's roadmap will probably end with this release and HP mgmt will heavily influence the future direction. If they keep the "Palm culture" alive then I have hope. But if they absorb them into the HP grinder, then we my not have a lot to be fans of anymore.
Pat Horne

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
jms001 @ 7/27/2010 12:54:36 PM # Q
LiveFaith:

I can't argue with any of that. It all makes sense. I do agree that the small screen is a bit cramping to live within. But to me that's a tradeoff with being able to drop it in a pocket and forget its there till I need it. Anything bigger and I'd need a holster of some kind. I agree the PIM needs some work, but it seems to me still better than many (any?) alternatives out there except for older Palms. So for those items, I don't see a better choice (although I might have missed it). And a lot of what the Palm can't do is made up for in the patches.

You lost me on the phrase: "BT stack (profiles) is weak and I would love to hear more about that. But not being able to edit documents is definitely my biggest pet peeve on this device. I keep hoping someone will add that ability in the future (but I'm not holding my breath as I expect it will take a while). Still you never know with the homebrew crew. They've created some amazing apps.

I'm not sure about what you would get for your Pre on eBay since they can already be picked up so cheap. But maybe a package deal with the peripherals (touchstones, etc...) would make it worth buying. Somehow I'm not expecting the touchstone to work with future models. It seems to be sized for a small handheld and I'd expect future WebOS phones to support larger screens to compete better.

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
Gekko @ 7/27/2010 6:10:29 PM # Q

http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-evo-4g/21290-goodbye-pre-hello-evo.html


RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
LiveFaith @ 7/27/2010 6:18:34 PM # Q
About all the BT stack can handle on the Pre is a BT headset profile. BT has 7 or 8 profiles that allow different services, such file transfers etc. WebOS only has about 2 of those. About as robust as a 2002 feature phone. Many decent phones are weak in this area (and carriers love it). But when my Treosauraus can do it, I expect my shiny new Pre + to as well.

Doc editing is needed, but I have bought a neat $5 app called Scratch Word Processor which allows the major document editing and formatting option and syncs those docs with Google Docs.

Also, a neat little free app called Google Calendar Search lets you search your calendars on Google synced Cals. I have made the fateful decision to cloud sync my calendars recently. I'm nervous because I travel in the sticks a lot. But, Google Calendar is quite robust and allows each Palm OS "Category" to become a seperate or concurrent calendar, and WebOS syncs it all smooth as butter with a nice color scheme for each "category" / "cal". Functionality is basically the same as Palm OS now as far as my calendars. And that says a lot b/c that was one of Palm OSs strengths.

The US app catalog is over the 3,000 app total now (not including Homebrew & Preware), with very few holes. Like iOS / Android tons of them are redundant or trash. But nonetheless the WebOS community is very vibrant and fewer and fewer holes remain for the platform. Just the other day a dev blogged the cross-platform copy of an iOS game over to WebOS by takiing only 2 days, using the new PDK.

Pretty amazing, and if the deliver the hardware and SW this time with a real marketing push, things are really going to come alive.
Pat Horne

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
Scotland @ 7/30/2010 11:10:28 AM # Q
I agree with your assessment, Pat. I think webOS right now has a reasonably bright future under HP's ownership in the near term. Though there are a few gaps (office doc editing, gaps in APIs available to developers, enhancing the PIMs), they have the main pieces in place. They mainly need more financial resources and muscle to go up against the big boys. Apple, Google, HP, and Microsoft can all spend tons of money on marketing, sweetening the pot for developers, building back-end services, etc and aren't beholden to the carriers for subsidies and cross-marketing (though that helps, obviously). Even RIMM may end up getting squeezed. Nokia has to get themselves back on-track and Intel is lurking as a major new competitor.

In the longer-term, we'll have to see what HP is going to do. Before the year is out, I imagine we'll see the next Palm handset launch simultaneously across multiple carriers and with a substantial marketing campaign from HP. The phone should have features similar to the iPhone 4/EVO/Samsung Galaxy phones launching recently - this should put an end to all the hardware gripes currently circulating. A PalmPad tablet is also a near-certainty though the timing is unclear (late 2010/early 2011). Would love to see a tablet webOS device with all the reader software available for it and that had one of the new low power screens like this:
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Qualcomm-Mirasol-XGA/

FYI - looks like Access might be giving up on ALP given their new moves toward Android.
http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/News/Access-release-Graffiti-for-Android-and-ZebOS-revd/

RE: where can i buy an HP WinMob smartphone today anyway?
jms001 @ 7/31/2010 7:02:12 AM # Q
Ah, I miss graffiti. I'd love to see that back on the palm again. I can use keyboards fast enough, but I still prefer graffiti.
Reply to this comment

Lestrade Uses A Palm Pre

mikecane @ 7/25/2010 5:19:32 PM # Q
http://twitpic.com/28pa4w

In the new BBC adaptation of Holmes, which debuted today.

Only seen ten minutes so far, so I don't know what Holmes uses.

I'd be surprised if it wasn't an iPhone. With Jailbreak!

RE: Lestrade Uses A Palm Pre
mikecane @ 7/27/2010 5:05:16 AM # Q
BBC: Sherlock
http://mikecane.tumblr.com/post/863513204/bbc-sherlock

Holmes uses something with a keyboard on its face. The classic Berry form factor but I couldn't tell if it was a Berry.

The villain was using the victim's iPhone.

RE: Lestrade Uses A Palm Pre
rcartwright @ 7/28/2010 7:11:58 AM # Q
Just goes to show only victims use iPhones
"Many men stumble across the truth, but most manage to pick themselves up
and continue as if nothing had happened."
- Winston Churchill
Reply to this comment

Food for thought.....

jimn367 @ 7/26/2010 7:09:35 AM # Q
It would not surprise me to see HP try and gobble up RIM. It would make perfect sense in having a vertical capability to offer to the enterprise market and the consumer market.

RIM is developing OS6 on webkit, wait isn't some other OS webkit?

It's never gonna happen, but I think it would make sense

RE: Food for thought.....
mikecane @ 7/26/2010 7:40:42 AM # Q
Is the entire OS based on WebKit, or just the new web browser?

Damn, this video looks like Berry OS 6 is a cross between iPhone and webOS:

http://www.examiner.com/x-32567-Toronto-Financial-Markets-Examiner~y2010m7d13-Exclusive-RIM-OS-6-Webkit-preview-official

RE: Food for thought.....
LiveFaith @ 7/26/2010 1:26:12 PM # Q
Looks nice.
Pat Horne
RE: Food for thought.....
Gekko @ 7/26/2010 3:21:19 PM # Q

looks antiquated.

RIM is toast.


RE: Food for thought.....
jimn367 @ 7/27/2010 8:10:22 AM # Q
RIM is toast with their fledgling adventure into the consumer/prosumer market. RIM owns, and will continue in the near to mid future to own, the enterprise market. The Enterprise market is not chump change.


RE: Food for thought.....
rcartwright @ 7/28/2010 7:29:13 AM # Q
You know, Palm owned the enterprise market at one time. Then they failed to innovate and update the OS and then....well you know. I think RIM is ready for a fall. Its not going to be Android and its not going to be Apple. It might be Microsoft (not likely but possible depending on what ships) and it could be Palm with HP behind them IF they can get a killer hardware implementation and tighten up the OS. I think a lot of companies have held off phone upgrades due to the economy and this is a chance for Palm to get into that market. I will say in addition to the above, Palm needs to 1. Pay Dataviz to roll out Docs to Go for web os. 2. Come to a similar arrangement with Amazon for an Audible app and a Kindle for Pre. 3. Get threaded messaging in email. Do all that, and HP could well recoop its investment PDQ.
"Many men stumble across the truth, but most manage to pick themselves up
and continue as if nothing had happened."
- Winston Churchill
RE: Food for thought.....
Gekko @ 7/29/2010 8:07:06 AM # Q

http://www.cnbc.com/id/38457283/

RE: Food for thought.....
jimn367 @ 7/29/2010 11:45:02 AM # Q
I think RIM, like Microsoft will own the enterprise market for a long time to come, so they just are not going to grow with the market. IT departments and the associated security concerns are a very conservative bunch. That is why most fortune 500 comanies still liscence expensive MS products when Ubuntu, FIrefox and Open office would do for most employees. Control, Support Tools, and standardization rule the day.

I for one would love to see a corporate version of the iphone with the requisite security features built in, but my IT dept could give a d@mn whether I can play tunes, watch movies, manage my expenses, track my workout, and stream content on my work device. To the IT dept my BB is an electronic leash. If I need more capability then use the laptop they provide me. Most corporate policies already ban the installation of 3rd party software, but they'll let some things like google maps, bing, Garmin, and Slacker not get you in trouble.

RIM is going nowhere in the consumer market, but the enterprise market is most likely not going anywhere right now, or in the next 2-3 years [just my opinion]

RE: Food for thought.....
Gekko @ 7/29/2010 1:08:45 PM # Q

iPhone is all over the enterprise now. many companies who were once very stringent as BlackBerry only have opened up their networks to directly support the iPhone (and also any EAS-capable phone ie Android).

3 years ago i would have said this would never happen. but all of my friends (and including myself) who work for large corporations - all of the IT departments will support the iPhone (and EAS).

the model may be moving to bring your own device and we will support it/subsidize it.

SO the moral to the story is that BlackBerry is toast.

----------

Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Apple says iPhone and iPad are at use in most Fortune 100 companies

By Sam Oliver
Published: 06:55 PM EST

More than 80 percent of Fortune 100 companies are using the iPhone, and about 50 percent of the Fortune 100 are deploying or testing the iPad, Apple revealed Tuesday.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/07/20/apple_says_iphone_and_ipad_are_at_use_in_most_fortune_100_companies.html

RE: Food for thought.....
mikecane @ 7/29/2010 2:40:28 PM # Q
>>>SO the moral to the story is that BlackBerry is toast.

What, against the iPhone?!

And how about IT adopting Android?

Yeah, especially after this!

Android wallpaper app that steals your data was downloaded by millions
http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/07/28/android-wallpaper-app-that-steals-your-data-was-downloaded-by-millions/

Reply to this comment

Kmart: Android tablet for $150

mikecane @ 7/27/2010 11:44:12 AM # Q
It's in the flyer.

http://augenus.com/indexhome.html/GENTOUCH.html

RE: Kmart: Android tablet for $150
mikecane @ 7/28/2010 8:14:12 AM # Q
And it also looks very Not Bad too for $150:

Augen Gentouch tablet gets hands on videos
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2010/07/28/augen-gentouch-tablet-gets-hands-on-videos/

Skip to 2nd video. 3rd video shows this has the requisite hard buttons required for Android.

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