

HP's Leo Apotheker totally open to licensing webOS to other handset makers - lotusleaf1987
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/hps-leo-apotheker-totally-open-to-licensing-webos-to-other-hand/

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WiseWeasel
As the World's largest computer manufacturer, it is strange to me that HP
would spend $1.2B to buy WebOS and Palm's patents and mobile hardware design
talent, only to give out its sole marketable distinguishing characteristic to
competitors. If any company is capable of exploiting WebOS's strengths with an
array of skillfully designed and profitable hardware, it would seem that HP
would be the one to do it.

If I was a potential OEM partner with HP, I would have to question their long-
term commitment to the partnership; I would expect them to drop licensing and
capture the hardware profits for themselves should the platform be successful
and build a healthy software ecosystem.

~~~
hnsmurf
I think that's the problem, no one company is capable of doing it on their
own. I don't think what Apple has done can be replicated now, in fact I don't
think even they could replicate it if they were starting over.

A monoculture just can't compete at this point. I love WebOS, but I won't buy
the phone. The apps aren't there like they are on Android, and as long as HP
alone is selling it the platform won't be big enough to encourage that.

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Apocryphon
They've got to be versatile if they can have a hope to at least challenge
Windows Phone, much less dethrone Android/iOS. I also suggest they sell any
device that they themselves make under the Palm brand. Go back to your roots!

~~~
dpio
I like the idea of keeping the Palm brand. Although I doubt that will happen,
I still like the idea a lot.

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Apocryphon
It would go hand in hand with my other dream idea of HP deciding not to focus
on the saturated smartphone market and instead try to strike back at the iPod
Touch, reviving the concept of a separate PDA device. And what would be more
natural than a new generation of PalmPilots running WebOS?

For one thing, the PDA market right now is basically the iPod touch. Certainly
smartphones and tablets are hotter properties, but the former market is
saturated (and I wonder if the recent report from WHO will lead to a consumer
hysteria backlash against cell phones), and the tablet market is still
nascent. PDAs are more compact, anyways.

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ansy
If HP wants to go this route it should completely open source webOS. Even then
HP will need to give away buckets of hardware to developers and pay top
developers to write ports. Android took this same approach to grab the lead
from Apple and it has a huge head start on HP.

Honestly, if webOS went open source and came on hardware from multiple vendors
I'd buy it over Android. But Google makes most of its money from Android with
ad revenue. How would HP make as much money by giving away webOS? It probably
can't.

~~~
colortone
FWIW: Leo's actual comments are a bit more interesting than this Engadget
story, full transcript and video below.

Ethan HP Corporate Communications

[http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Data-Central/HP-
CEO-L%C3%A9o-Ap...](http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/Data-Central/HP-
CEO-L%C3%A9o-Apotheker-comments-on-webOS-at-D-conference-video-and/ba-p/93265)

"I happen to believe that webOS is a uniquely outstanding operating system. So
there's no reason to believe that the only hardware that can run it is HP's,"
Leo said. "By the way, they don't have to be 'hardware makers' in the
classical IT sense. There are many people who make all kinds of control
devices, why wouldn't they want to use webOS for that? Appliance makers can
use webOS to create connectivity between their appliances and the Web."

"There are all kinds of other people who want to make whatever device or piece
of hardware they make connected to the Internet," he continued. "And
therefore, we'd like to make webOS available to these people, as we are going
to make webOS available to enterprises, or indeed to SMB's who want to create
whatever kind of environment within their own firewall."

"So from that perspective, yes, webOS will be more than just running inside or
on top of a particular piece of hardware that HP will make."

~~~
ansy
That is interesting for sure. And it's really in line with HP's plans all
along to use webOS on printers.

Even more reason for HP to go open source though. Why use webOS when you can
use Android for free instead? Why try to get ahold of an HP sales rep to
discuss licensing terms when the Android repository is seconds away from any
desktop. Android is already being used in phones and TVs. Soon it will be in
cars and pretty much any other embedded device with a screen for a user
interface.

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BvS
With IOS tied to Apple and Windows Phone to Nokia it might not be such a bad
idea for HTC (and Samsung etc.) to make sure to have a second choice besides
Android.

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hnsmurf
HTC and Samsung are both building Windows Phone. It's not exclusive to Nokia.

~~~
potatolicious
How long will it last?

For one thing, it's pretty clear that the initial batch of WP7 phones were
more or less half-assed efforts - no distinguishing characteristics or
designs, nor features either.

And, as the Nokia+MS partnership grows closer, and you start seeing some very
tight software-hardware integration (a la Apple), HTC and Samsung aren't
likely to stick around and play second-fiddle.

Why would they throw their weight behind the WP7 platform if the "officially
blessed" version is always more tightly integrated with a better experience?

~~~
rbanffy
> How long will it last?

As long as qualifying as a WP7 integrator reduces the extor^H^H^H^H^Hlicensing
fees for their Android phones.

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hollerith
Adding another manufacturer to the ecosystem will probably make WebOS more
attractive to "power users".

~~~
evangineer
Neither Palm or HP have delivered the hardware that really does justice to
WebOS. On the tablet side of things, the TouchPad looks like a real prospect,
but the handsets could definitely use new blood.

Wonder if HTC would be interested in this platform. They've done well enough
out of Windows Mobile and Android, this could be their next big success story.

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mmagin
The usage of the word "totally" made me think this was an Onion headline.

