HP kills Slate for now

Tamara · 04-30-2010, 07:59 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/2010...s7slateproject

leebase · 04-30-2010, 09:20 AM

I bet HP drops it's Android plans as well. I'm actually encouraged -- I think the Palm WebOS is a nice alternative - glad it's in more capable hands.

It's still going to come down to gathering 3rd party developer support. A great OS without a great set of apps is not so great an OS after all.

Lee

Tamara · 04-30-2010, 10:26 AM

It will be interesting to see what HP does with Palm. Palm had definitely let the OS languish for the last 5 or 6 years.

TallMomof2 · 04-30-2010, 10:29 AM

HP has been buying up a lot of companies and I hope that Palm is a good fit. I'll always have a soft spot for the Palm OS because I read for years on it.

Dulin's Books · 04-30-2010, 10:47 AM

WebOS is really nothing like Palm OS and it hasnt languished, it was just introduced a year and a half ago at CES 2009.

dmaul1114 · 04-30-2010, 12:18 PM

Good news IMO, with the rumored 4-5 hour battery life I didn't have much interest in the slate with Windows 7.

Maybe with WebOS they can get it closer to the 10 hours the iPad gets.

LDBoblo · 04-30-2010, 12:40 PM

I think HP could build a tablet I'd really want to have, and WebOS would be a far better software base for that than Windows 7, especially assuming they can get it set up on a good SoC.

WebOS was a gem for Palm, and it's a real shame they didn't put really potent hardware behind it. HP could probably do that, but it's hard to say if they'll actually bother to make something unique, or if they'll just make a WebOS iPad copycat. Even that would be pretty cool though, assuming they could get the quality, speed, and battery life out of it. I'd be twice as enthused if they could pull in a good daylight viewable display.

carlobee · 04-30-2010, 12:43 PM

That would be pretty interesting. I'm excited to know what's ahead of all these. We'll find out soon.

dmaul1114 · 04-30-2010, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

.. or if they'll just make a WebOS iPad copycat. Even that would be pretty cool though, assuming they could get the quality, speed, and battery life out of it.

Yep, that's exactly what I'm waiting for. An iPad clone that matches the form factor, slick interface, battery life etc. But has an open file system, open app store, Flash support etc.

I love the iPads form factor, battery life, responsiveness of the touch screen etc. But I hate having to use iTunes, I hate not having a file system where I can manage files like on my PC and just drag and drop my documents in them and have them available in all apps etc.

So the first to match the form factor, battery life and price of the iPad and put in a much more open system will get my money.

Sonist · 04-30-2010, 03:41 PM

The acquisition should be good for both HP and WebOS.

I would expect WebOS tablets before the end of the year. My only trepidation is that HP has always been a tacky on the design side, so I'd be surprised to see something as sleek and simple as the iPad.

HTC is better in this respect (wish Google would buy them

)

dmaul1114 · 04-30-2010, 03:47 PM

Yep, that's my worry. The slate looked a tad bulky.

Hope they get away from the wide screen as well, as I prefer 4:3 if not just an 8.5"x11" screen.

whitearrow · 05-01-2010, 12:48 AM

WebOS is really perfect for a slate-type device. The Pre also has a pretty fierce fanbase who have been developing "homebrew" apps since almost day one.

m-reader · 05-01-2010, 03:38 AM

Palm or no Palm, I think it was the right thing to do by HP to cancel the whole thing.

SensualPoet · 05-01-2010, 09:06 AM

I really wonder about the fit for HP. Palm lost money the past 11 quarters -- that's a pretty dismal record. The Palm Pre was intended to revitalise the line and was nothing short of a disaster -- not as a device or piece of technology -- but in sales. It got lots of media and was marketed heavily ... but still it did not sell to expectations. And now the Smartphone market is very cramped. I also would be very cautious about predicting room for a fourth tablet platform -- Apple, Android, Windows ... WebOS, too? Really?

What HP gets out of this is the potential to take the company through a profitable soft-landing as it pulls out the talent and puts them on projects that have a clearer future. The good folks and their thinking behind WebOS might help HP gain an edge in the nascent Android tablet market. There is no leading Android specialist yet: perhaps that's where HP is headed.

dmaul1114 · 05-01-2010, 12:50 PM

Yeah, how much room there is in the market for various tablet platforms is key.

The iPad is selling pretty well, so that's not going anywhere.

Windows 7 is kind of it's own beast--a tweaked PC OS will never be as slick as an OS designed specifically for smaller touch screens. And battery life will be lower. So I kind of think those will mostly fail like Tablet PCs always have as there just doesn't seem to be a big market for people who need a touch screen PC. But there may be for people who want a media consumption Tablet like the iPad.

So it's down to whether there's room for both Android and WebOS based media tablets along side the iPad. And if not, which one wins out. Money is on Android as it has a much large app arena than WebOS. But that could change if they really nail WebOS on tablets while Android goes the iPad route and doesn't upgrade their phone OS to be better suited for Tablet use.

04-30-2010, 07:59 AM	#1
Tamara Evangelist Posts: 446 Karma: 1812 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: iPhone	HP kills Slate for now http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/2010...s7slateproject

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04-30-2010, 09:20 AM	#2
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,934 Karma: 26616647 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	I bet HP drops it's Android plans as well. I'm actually encouraged -- I think the Palm WebOS is a nice alternative - glad it's in more capable hands. It's still going to come down to gathering 3rd party developer support. A great OS without a great set of apps is not so great an OS after all. Lee

04-30-2010, 10:26 AM	#3
Tamara Evangelist Posts: 446 Karma: 1812 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: iPhone	It will be interesting to see what HP does with Palm. Palm had definitely let the OS languish for the last 5 or 6 years.

04-30-2010, 10:29 AM	#4
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	HP has been buying up a lot of companies and I hope that Palm is a good fit. I'll always have a soft spot for the Palm OS because I read for years on it.

04-30-2010, 10:47 AM	#5
Dulin's Books Wizard Posts: 2,806 Karma: 13500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Portland, OR Device: Boox PB360 etc etc etc	WebOS is really nothing like Palm OS and it hasnt languished, it was just introduced a year and a half ago at CES 2009.

04-30-2010, 12:18 PM	#6
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Good news IMO, with the rumored 4-5 hour battery life I didn't have much interest in the slate with Windows 7. Maybe with WebOS they can get it closer to the 10 hours the iPad gets.

04-30-2010, 12:40 PM	#7
LDBoblo Wizard Posts: 1,385 Karma: 16056 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Asia Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Sony PRS-505	I think HP could build a tablet I'd really want to have, and WebOS would be a far better software base for that than Windows 7, especially assuming they can get it set up on a good SoC. WebOS was a gem for Palm, and it's a real shame they didn't put really potent hardware behind it. HP could probably do that, but it's hard to say if they'll actually bother to make something unique, or if they'll just make a WebOS iPad copycat. Even that would be pretty cool though, assuming they could get the quality, speed, and battery life out of it. I'd be twice as enthused if they could pull in a good daylight viewable display.

04-30-2010, 12:43 PM	#8
carlobee Fanatic Posts: 535 Karma: 972 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: The new iPad	That would be pretty interesting. I'm excited to know what's ahead of all these. We'll find out soon.

04-30-2010, 03:41 PM	#10
Sonist Apeist Posts: 2,126 Karma: 381090 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The sunny part of California Device: Generic virtual reality story-experiential device	The acquisition should be good for both HP and WebOS. I would expect WebOS tablets before the end of the year. My only trepidation is that HP has always been a tacky on the design side, so I'd be surprised to see something as sleek and simple as the iPad. HTC is better in this respect (wish Google would buy them )

04-30-2010, 03:47 PM	#11
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Yep, that's my worry. The slate looked a tad bulky. Hope they get away from the wide screen as well, as I prefer 4:3 if not just an 8.5"x11" screen.

05-01-2010, 12:48 AM	#12
whitearrow Guru Posts: 808 Karma: 2260766 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Kindle Oasis 2	WebOS is really perfect for a slate-type device. The Pre also has a pretty fierce fanbase who have been developing "homebrew" apps since almost day one.

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05-01-2010, 03:38 AM	#13
m-reader Guru Posts: 785 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-300. PRS-650, PRS-900, iPad2, Iconia A500, Irex Iliad (sold)	Palm or no Palm, I think it was the right thing to do by HP to cancel the whole thing.

05-01-2010, 09:06 AM	#14
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	I really wonder about the fit for HP. Palm lost money the past 11 quarters -- that's a pretty dismal record. The Palm Pre was intended to revitalise the line and was nothing short of a disaster -- not as a device or piece of technology -- but in sales. It got lots of media and was marketed heavily ... but still it did not sell to expectations. And now the Smartphone market is very cramped. I also would be very cautious about predicting room for a fourth tablet platform -- Apple, Android, Windows ... WebOS, too? Really? What HP gets out of this is the potential to take the company through a profitable soft-landing as it pulls out the talent and puts them on projects that have a clearer future. The good folks and their thinking behind WebOS might help HP gain an edge in the nascent Android tablet market. There is no leading Android specialist yet: perhaps that's where HP is headed.

05-01-2010, 12:50 PM	#15
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Yeah, how much room there is in the market for various tablet platforms is key. The iPad is selling pretty well, so that's not going anywhere. Windows 7 is kind of it's own beast--a tweaked PC OS will never be as slick as an OS designed specifically for smaller touch screens. And battery life will be lower. So I kind of think those will mostly fail like Tablet PCs always have as there just doesn't seem to be a big market for people who need a touch screen PC. But there may be for people who want a media consumption Tablet like the iPad. So it's down to whether there's room for both Android and WebOS based media tablets along side the iPad. And if not, which one wins out. Money is on Android as it has a much large app arena than WebOS. But that could change if they really nail WebOS on tablets while Android goes the iPad route and doesn't upgrade their phone OS to be better suited for Tablet use.