HP CTO Puts the Kibosh on webOS Slate Rumors 32
In a welcome end to one of the biggest non-stories to come out of the HP-Palm merger so far, HP's Chief Technology Officer Phil McKinney put an end to the rumors that the company's upcoming (or not) Slate tablet would run webOS upon its release later this year in an interview with ZDNet. When pressed on details of the upcoming product and if it would be running Palm's next-generation operating system, McKinney responded simply by giving a piece of advice that perhaps the tech press at large should heed more often: "Don't believe everything you see online".
If you recall, the furor began when the LA Gadgets Examiner posted a story that was as improbable as it was questionably sourced: that HP was going to ready a webOS powered tablet computer named "Hurricane" and have it ready during the third quarter of this year. The story subsequently spread like wildfire - a webOS based tablet is a wet dream for most any gadget enthusiast - but folks generally failed to consider two important things: First, that the merger transaction between the two companies still hasn't closed, and isn't expected to until July which means that Palm is still an independent, resource strapped company. Second, that while webOS was designed from the ground up to be scaled across any number of hardware configurations, it still needs some work to get it tablet ready.
There's little doubt that a webOS powered tablet is in our future, but expecting one as soon as Q3 is probably unrealistic.
[via webOS Roundup]
32 Comments
psh rumors rumors rumors.
Now HP can focus WebOS on print.... I mean smartphones.
I hope they are still making progress, I love this Pre more and more every day... I'll buy a webOS tablet for sure.
whoa, double post on mah pre.
But are we getting that damn toaster?
Can't say that I'm surprised. A Q3 released seemed extremely ambitious and probably a bad idea.
But I'm also secretly a little disappointed because webOS would be so incredible on the tablet.
The Precentral article about readying webOS for the tablet really opened my eyes. There really is a lot of work that's going to be required to make webOS "tablet-ready"
+1 ... Not shocked at all but def a lil disappointed. :-/ my b-day is in october and I was thinking if I held out long enough it would be a great B-Day gift from me wife. :-( what-evs though.. I had been thinking it prolly wouldn't be a great device if they had pushed it out so quickly. Still looking forward to it coming out when ever it does. :-D
I hope they are still making progress, I love this Pre more and more every day... I'll buy a webOS tablet for sure.
its also unrealistic for hp to expect me buying a non-webOS slate.
I'll buy a slate that has handwriting recognition and works with OneNote (or an equivalent, which Evernote isn't).
I would be happy with new phone hardware first. And, obviously, more apps - which are defo needed if a tablet is to succeed.
I do love webos but a "wet dream"??? Thanks for the chuckle.
On a side note, would this also mean no new WebOS cell phone?
On a side note, would this also mean no new WebOS cell phone?
Excuse me HP:
It's not that WE shouldn't believe everything on the internet.
It's more that YOU should and interpret that as a gigantic market opportunity. Fill that gap.
edited: not meant to reply here.
that's it, i'm done waiting around for all these rumors. i'm replacing my toaster with a GE toaster! it does bagels ya know!
How some commenters flip flop is amusing.
There are two main RUMORS related to hp tablets:
1.- The windows 7 slate (the one that had to be launched this year) was supposed to be cancelled.
2.- Someone on an unreliable site made up a rumor stating a tablet device with webOS called HP Hurricane will be launched like...right now. As soon as October. Even when palm has not yet been bought.
This man is telling: Do not believe everything you read on the internet.
And at the same time is CONFIRMING in that interview (he and lots other people from HP), FACTS we already know:
1.- When they finally buy Palm they are investing heavily in webOS development.
2.- We should expect webOS integrated into smartphones, slates, printers, and wharever Von Neumann machine it makes business sense.
So how "debunking" those rumors negate those facts?
I think we really need to seperate out the HP Slate from a webOS tablet in general. The Slate is a very specific device that sports an Atom processor and supporting chipset and runs Windows 7. Note that the story the guy was responding to was specifically that HP is dropping Win 7 on the Slate and putting webOS on instead. I can see why he'd respond to this story this way.
However, that doesn't say anything about a webOS tablet in general. Remember that HP specifically stated as one of their reasons for purchasing Palm that they'd seen evidence that webOS is "scalable." Now, what was this evidence? I'm betting it was a webOS tablet prototype that Palm's been sitting on for awhile, probably because they didn't have the funds to actually put it into production.
Basically, what I said awhile ago: http://www.aboutpalmpre.com/2010/05/08/an-hp-palm-webos-tablet-in-q3/
I'll speculate that the "Hurricane" is actually a Palm-designed tablet that theoretically could be released in Q3, say in October. This is feasible if the design was far enough along (again, in the prototype stage), and if HP could be wrangling up manufacturing support in advance of the acquisition's close. Remember that even if the purchase fell through (which is doubtful at this stage), HP and Palm could have a contingency plan, e.g., that would allow HP an exclusive license to webOS and a tablet design. Such a thing could allow them to move forward on Palm's existing roadmap even while the acquisition isn't final.
Sooooooo. With the Slate not the immediate priority that means that the Pre 2.0 is coming next.
The problem is that they need the Pre 2 NOW - I repeat, Y-E-S-T-E-R-D-A-Y - and there isn't even the faintest whiff of a hint of a rumor about any new handsets coming anytime this year, or ever for that matter.
This is why, as much as I loved the elegance of the webOS cards and potential, on June 6th - the anniversary of buying my Pre - I will be switching to an EVO 4G and getting a phone that can run TWO applications at once without barfing up a TMC error or forcing a three-minute reboot. (The EVO boots in 40 seconds!)
I was trying to look at my email earlier and had to wait for it to react to touches. I used to taunt iPhone users with the Pre and they were jealous, but now I have to hide it lest they see what an absolute dog it is. (Don't say "doctor it" or "Uber-Kernel it" either; you shouldn't have to reformat your effing telephone or hack it to make it usable.) After I finally got the note open, I went to click the link and it TMCed! One app open and then it's down in flames.
It's a crying shame, but Palm FUBARed themselves. I believed. I bought. But now I'm gone. A poll over at Android Central asked what people were switching from and 43% of the respondents said "Palm/webOS". It's over. So sad.
You are eligible to upgrade on the first of the month. THats what im doing.
"A poll over at Android Central asked what people were switching from and 43% of the respondents said "Palm/webOS". "
Didn't you learn anything from the article? Don't believe everything you read on the Internet. ;)
The CTO's comment is hardly as definitive as "put an end to the rumors". In the end, I am sure it will spur more rumors. Lol.
What? We can't believe all the rumors on the internet? Awwww nuts!!!!
I knew it. The Examiner is a "news source" that anyone with access to a computer can contribute to, and get paid for every viewing of the article.
Remember that ANYONE can "write" for the Examiner, and the more outlandish it is, and the more rumors it spawns, the more money they make.
It is a web portal for writers, not a news source.
With all the Slate rumors put to rest I feel HP should focus on other products.
Toaster, Coffee Maker, Vacumm, and yes, I'll say it... A WebOs Shaver.
imagine the possibilities....
Well if it's not true then why do I still have my hopes up? Huh? HUH?! I ain't skeered o no squelch attempt.
all he said was 'do not believe everything you read online'..
That doesn't necessarily translate to 'there will never be a WebOS tablet'. It just means that those Q3 rumors of a tablet dubbed 'Hurricane' were bs..
im so sick of waiting a want a new palm pre to be released with the same hardware as the htc evo 4g , now imagine that
What would you say if you were in his shoes? Pulling off the hardware part is easy - HP signs up as a licensee for the Palm OS under terms that go away as soon as the deal is done. Software improvements - that's harder. They don't have HP's money yet and need to stick somewhat closely to their current business plan until they are part of HP. That gives them a few months to get the software straight which I doubt is enough time for an October launch unless they bring a compromised device to market which is unlikely.
"wet dream for most any gadget enthusiast"
A little tasteless/unnecessary, don't you think?
Does that mean I shouldn't believe this article?