HP: no webOS netbooks, Slate still on tap for October 44
HP's VP of personal computing, Monty Wong, told Digitimes today that there were no plans for a webOS netbook. However they also report that the HP Slate, which runs Windows 7, is still on deck and should be released in October. That contradicts previous rumors that the Slate had been cancelled.
Digitimes has been hit or miss with regard to rumors, to say the least, so it's possible that we could still see that HP Hurricane as previously rumored, but either way it's good to see that HP is talking about other webOS devices.
Was anybody out there hoping for a webOS-based smartbook / netbook? It's certain not on our holiday list.
Update: Lots of sites and tipsters read the Digitimes report and confirming a webOS Slate, not the Windows 7 Slate. Two thoughts: 1) it's Digitimes, which as we said has a poor record with regard to future devices and 2) there's enough ambiguity in the language on their report that we can't say for sure they're confirming a webOS Slate.
via Slashgear
44 Comments
I was going to ask what's the difference between netbook and a slate.Than my brain kicked in and told me that a netbook is like a laptop. But what's the difference between netbooks and a slate besides the keyboard an non touch screen?
that's about it. remove the keyboard, add a touch screen and a netbook becomes the slate.
... said the folks who are going to go out of business trying to sell this kind of device.
Rats! I don't like hearing this...but they (HP) are talking other webOS devices...just not the slate I guess. Well, I'm hopeful for something better...of course, ANY device is better with webOS on board (yes, I know that is a gross generalization ... please indulge me)!
Slate 7 made too much sense to cancel. Running win apps vs. Only what's in our catalog would have been a train wreck. The Slate7 should be a much more capable device than the ipad which is limited to iphone apps and the iphone o/s.
WEBOS Slate will be nice when HP gets the apps developed that currently hinder the phones. This is where HP$ will improve webos over what Palm was trying to do solo.
well i guess we will have to wait and see. was definitely looking forward to some kind of webOS tablet.
As much as a tablet sounds AMAZING, I really want Palm/HP to at least drop a tiny hint about a future "Phone" thats also in the works...All this talk about integrated devices and multiple platforms, but what about phones??
I don't really see WebOS as being for a Netbook. I do hope that it gets onto a Slate Device though.
Actually, the article doesn't mention the operating system for the Slate, so it does not necessarily mean that the forthcoming HP Slate will not be a WebOS tablet, especially since there is also mention of a wide range of software and application support. Based on reading the article, Mr. Wong may have said something along the lines of "Don't worry, we are still releasing a Slate device this year..."
I don't know... a Fujitsu style tablet/laptop (with the swivel screen) running webOS might be interesting. As long as they can engineer it to be skinny and sexy. Basically a webOS tablet with a physical keyboard built-in. Hmm... sounds like the Palm philosophy to me.
I really hope HP isn't so shortsighted as to focus the use of webos as the foundation for a glorified printer interface.
When that news came out i chuckled to myself at the idea of a 3g enabled mobile printer.
Keep the style don't go all out of bounce with webOS...it's slick so the device has to be made that way too. Just sayin'
I really don't see the excitement over a slate device with webOS. I'm barely seeing reasons to buy an ipad.
But at least with the ipad, there's Kindle, ibooks, itunes, netflix, abc, and other upcoming apps. Not to mention iworks..not great but at least its something.
You would need a new palm profile most likely which means rebuying all apps.
Don't you think HP/Palm needs to make at least one successful webOS smartphone first? Or that webOS needs to make it to 2.x?
I kind of agree. WebOS just doesn't feel finished. There's a long way to go before they could make a tablet robust with WebOS. Certain things need to happen with webOS first, before the tablet hits.
"But at least with the ipad, there's Kindle, ibooks, itunes, netflix, abc, and other upcoming apps. Not to mention iworks..not great but at least its something."
Those apps exist because the device exists. The only way to get those apps for WebOS is to build a device that makes it compelling for developers. I expect to see a sharp increase in development for WebOS once the buyout is complete and HP makes some official product announcements. For productivity, I can guarantee that HP will incentivize someone to have an office suite ready for a tablet release.
"You would need a new palm profile most likely which means rebuying all apps."
Yes, but you could re-buy most WebOS apps ten times or more for the price of an equivalent PC app. Look at the 3D game prices compared to PSP and DS. Look at mobile app prices in general. They're nearly all between $1 and $5. I can handle the idea of a single profile license with prices so cheap. If you really wanted to transfer your apps, you could always use your phone profile on the tablet and create a new profile for your phone. If I had a WebOS tablet, I would probably carry most of my apps there.
Why would you need a different palm profile? Do you need already a different one when you go from pre to pixi?.
That is somethnig completly different than the need of buying different version of the apps.
If right now you must buy an iphone version and ipad version of the same app, then, yes, developers probably will adopt the same business approach. If you dont, they dont.
I want a dual boot device. Laptop / swivel screen (Netbook size model and full laptop size model) I want dual boot windows 7 / WebOS with the WebOS optimized for as FAST of a boot as possible for as close to instant on as possible.
I didn't read that as no WebOS on tablets, I read it as not on a netbook.. Time will tell, but I see room for a windows tablet, and a WebOS tablet.
I was never expecting a Netbook running webOS. A slate type device or a touchscreen tablet with keyboard would make sense. Leave Netbooks to run Linux, XP, or W7. WebOS is made for touchscreen gestures.
Glad to hear it. I want the Slate on a Windows platform anyway. WebOS has a LONG way to go before it can be an everyday use kind of OS for a tablet (not nearly as long as the iPad) but the productivity factor is non-existant for it.
I hope (if this is true) since it is being pushed to October instead of the original June release, that they have worked out the speed issues since I hear they were bad. If they do, sign me up for one.
Foolishness. I want webOS on a netbook. Why? Because it is Chrome OS without the vaporware. I'm surprised to hear that HP is so short-sighted. Once Google's minions start kicking out the Chrome OS netbooks, HP will have a change of heart.
Can't wait for that HP webOS printer!
Can you imagine, a multitasking OS to run apps on my printer!
/sarcasm.
I'm glad Palm isn't slowly bleeding to death, but I'm really not that optimistic about HP doing much better-especially if Rubinstein stays on.
nonsense
I sometimes believe people, not devices are the ones without the ability to multitask.
Thinking that the only thing HP wants to do with webOS is a printer just because printers are the devices you are hearing the most these days is beyond retarded.
I would have liked one of those hybrid netbook/tablet things with the screen that flips around and goes flat in tablet mode or just flips up for a laptop-like setup. Would be great for productivity.
Tis not to be at least for now.
WebOS is a touch operating system. I can't imagine it being very useful on a netbook.
What we DO need, however, is a way to connect a (non-proprietary) keyboard to the WebOS tablet for productivity. Bluetooth would be fine by me. I can't imagine replacing a laptop/netbook with a tablet unless I can get a keyboard for it. Put a kickstand on the back of the tablet that lets it stand up in landscape or portrait, and it would be a complete laptop replacement for me. In fact, authoring documents in portrait mode would make it better than a laptop. Widescreen laptop monitors are the worst thing that has happened to document creation.
Or an app that connect the pre or pixi's keyboard to the tablet, so you can type on your phone and it'll come through the tablet
No way. For a laptop replacement, I need a real keyboard. Something like the foldable Targus and Belkin keyboards I had for my PocketPCs would be good. I have a novel in progress, and I can't imagine sitting down to type 2000+ words on a thumb keyboard like I do on my laptop. Give me a slate with a real keyboard, though, and I'd be satisfied.
I like that idea.
It would be ideal to have the option for both.
I think it's good that the Slate will not be using webOS in October because unless it was already being done under the covers for months, a webOS tablet will be rushed to be finished by then. Take their time and release a quality product next year (early next year). The best part of the tablet form factor will be the increased battery capacity. Any tablet released now needs to match, if not exceed, the bar set by the iPad for 10 hours use.
Maybe not printers, but one application of webOS that would be really interesting would be a digital camera. A cloud-linked camera would be great for sharing photos and video and maybe even web conferencing. Being able to upload to flickr as I take the picture would be awesome.
The article "presumed" that the HP Slate will be a Windows 7 device. The "more details after the Palm acquisition is finalized" presumes to me that it will be a WebOS Slate. Time will tell.
Sorry guys i cant sit here and wait til next year and still be with the same Pre. LIke i said before 2011 will palms year 2010 belongs to Google.
I can stick with the Pre because (a) I can see the big picture and I can honestly say webOS is the best mobile OS to come out in a long time, and (b) I don't follow trends and I never have.
The new android phones coming out are overpowered and I can guarantee after trying to "swipe" the "gesture area" on the android phone and fumbling around with the choppy interface you'll wish you had webOS back.
Farewell. I wish you well on your android journey.
dont get me wrong i like webos but the hardware is not there yet. Kind of like the 80 mustangs BLAH....but it was a mustang. Its not that i cant cant see the big picture is that why would i be still using an phone that delivered a good experience for 6 months. Im not defecting from palm but last time i waited it took 2 yrs. Thats the experience palm gave me.
I want them to succeed but i dont see them being a big player til 2011 and staying with pre hardware doesnt make sense to me when they are other things out there that are more up to date on hardware. webOS is awesome cant deny tha..im still keeping my pre is it gets that bad.
Still you cant deny that the pre hardware cant be tolerated much longer when theres faster hardware out there.
There should be more than enough room in the market for Win 7 & AND webOS Slates.
A Win 7 Slate is aimed more at the Netbook crowd that keeps harping on how a device like the iPad is inferior to a netbook because it doesn't have access to the full range of PC apps.
The webOS Hurricane on the other hand goes directly after the iPad and provides a large format multimedia device for e-mail, video, web browsing, games, music, and light content creation activity.
As the 1 million iPad buyers have demonstrated, many people don't need to carry a full fledged PC/Mac with them.
1 million?
Wrong. According to your #s...
999,999.
http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/04/09/a-very-special-ipad-fail/
is there a difference btween tablet & slate?
look. Everybody followed suit w/ apple products in the category part of it.
hp would be foolish not to tap the ipad/tablet like market w/ a mobile os.
I'm just hoping for a new Pre on Sprint!
If I can't type on it with one hand, I do not care.
I would love a Webos Kindle.
I would love to see a netbook running WebOS. I think it would be an incredible UI. Imagine having a gesture area for your thumbs about where they'd rest with your hands on the home row.
it would be a new, very simple way to interact with your machine without having to fumble around with a mouse or a touchpad.
combine that with a touchscreen and we'd have a really great netbook on our hands.
Get me a WebOS tablet and an evolved WebOS smartphone. I want to be hooked.
the PalmPod...webOS on a pocket-sized multimedia device with WiFi, GPS, and bluetooth capabilities.
the PalmPad...webOS on a slate with the same capabilities as the PalmPod plus Mobile Hotspot, USB ports and a massive harddrive.
Apple starts the revolution, Palm perfects it.
:)
the PalmPod...webOS on a pocket-sized multimedia device with WiFi, GPS, and bluetooth capabilities.
the PalmPad...webOS on a slate with the same capabilities as the PalmPod plus Mobile Hotspot, USB ports and a massive harddrive.
Apple starts the revolution, Palm perfects it.
:)
I hate to hear that.
The most successfull form factor of a computing device is the notebook, and that got a reason.
I think, ergonomics of a tablet is just crap. I shall always hold this thing to a convenient reading angle? And have just one hand to control it? Inconvenient.
Give me a netbook with keyboard and a large capacitive touch area below: the best of both worlds combined. My screen will just sit there at convenient reading angle and I can relaxed use both hands to type or use the touch pad for gesture control. Plus, I can use the good old pointer.
Kill that slate, its just a useless mee too product. And its gonna fail miserably, since only Apple fan-boys buy anything without thinking.
I'm really wonder what is the fastest netbook under 200 bucks.. is anyone here have the idea; something that will allow the user to do multi-tasking without having problems?