webOS Goes Open Source
by Anand Lal Shimpi on December 9, 2011 2:06 PM EST- Posted in
- Tablets
- HP
- Smartphones
- webOS
- Mobile
HP has finally decided what it's going to do with webOS: the software will be made available under an open source license. This likely signals the ultimate end of webOS as a significant commercial venture for HP, although we pretty much got the hint earlier in the year. HP is soliciting developer input to help define the charter of the project here.
I had personally given up on webOS a while ago. The platform really had a lot of potential but HP was both the right and wrong company to take it to the next level. The best we can hope for is that some of the innovations in webOS will get incorporated into other competing OSes and in turn, make them better. I'd like to see webOS stand on its own as another platform, but I do believe the time for that has passed.
Source: HP
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
19 Comments
View All Comments
tipoo - Saturday, December 10, 2011 - link
Why is this sad then? Going open source is better than HP just dismantling it.ncrubyguy - Friday, December 9, 2011 - link
Linux needs a Metro equivalent, and apparently Android isn't that good at being open sourcesequoia464 - Friday, December 9, 2011 - link
I have an android machine as well as a touchpad - I'm probably in the minority here, but I liked some of the webOS features.Bownce - Friday, December 9, 2011 - link
I could load the CM7 port of Android onto my TouchPad but, so far, I prefer the WebOS.augiem - Friday, December 9, 2011 - link
I like WebOS as well. It's not perfect, but multitasking interface is nice and blows Honeycomb out of the water. (Haven't tried Android 4.0 yet.) HP's quality control on the hardware really sucks, but that's another story. The only sticking point for me is knowing nothing will ever be updated as standards change (browser, kindle come to mind).Assimilator87 - Friday, December 9, 2011 - link
I've been with webOS for over two years and although the platform has a lot of bugs, I'm finding it very hard to adapt to Android. Luckily I have a Pre 2 that should last me at least another year and if anything should happen to it, I have a Pre and Pixi as backups.dorkboy1000 - Monday, December 26, 2011 - link
what do you mean quality control really sucks?I kinda like the web os interface too its simple and easy to use :)
nofumble62 - Saturday, December 10, 2011 - link
This world is really too small to have more than 3 OS.iOS, Android, Win8.
Jack Welch once said, if you are not number 1 or number 2, get out of it.
dorkboy1000 - Monday, December 26, 2011 - link
I own a touch pad and while I have seen it get raped in the reviews and also have its parent company ditch it....I am quite happy with it at a completley superficial level because I really do not use it for anything other than checking emails and being a portable entertainment center. I have read your comments regarding the operating system going open source and as far as I know it means that hp has donated the operating system to a bunch of tech savvy dudes who will figure out a way to streamline it and make it more user friendly and also develop more nifty things you can do with it....(correct me if I am wrong)At this stage what does all this mean for me? Should I just sit tight and wait for new developments? Should I change it over to android? I am a bit dubious about that because the warranty gets void and also I have heard there are bugs in the android os. I also have a samsung galaxy and after 6 months of hating that piece of dog mess I finally got it working a lot better with a firm ware upgrade. While I do enjoy reading the comments you guys post usually it goes way over my head so bear with me if I sound like a dork...hence dorkboy :)