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HP’s WebOS Now Open Source

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Hewlett Packard’s exit from the tablet market was quite a jolt even though a lot of people already predicted that it was inevitable. One of the fallouts of HP’s move was that the operating system that they bought from Palm for $1.2 billion, WebOS, was suddenly placed in limbo. HP finally addressed the issue when it announced that it has decided to release WebOS as an open source software.

HP’s decision to turn WebOS to the public was a bit of a shock. Most people were speculating that the company will just sell it to recoup some of its investment. Others thought that HP will just totally mothball the OS. HP’s decision leaves many to conclude that it still believes in WebOS and that it will benefit from open source development. [Read more…]

In The Age Of iPhone 4, Palm Grows Desperate

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Despite being saved by HP (who bought Palm for $1.2 billion), it looks as if Apple’s other nemesis is removing every barrier in order to attract developers upon their (dying) platform.

Palm is also trying to increase interest in their applications by offering a 50% discount on the majority of their catalog, starting immediately. The good news for developers is that they will still be paid the full amount, despite the discount given to customers by Palm. (CrunchGear)

According to CrunchGear, Palm is also waving the $50 application fee which was already half of what Apple is currently charging developers to create apps for iOS 4. [Read more…]

HP Buys Palm for $1.2 Billion, Can it Bring Back the Glory Days of WebOS?

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That was fast and swift. All of a sudden, Palm which was previously rumored to be selling out has just been bought.  Guess who was the “lucky,” big time technology company who bought Palm? – yes the company named HP. The price? – $1.5 billion. Are we happy now?

Todd Bradley, a top HP executive said that Palm will provide HP with the innovative OS that will be ideal to HP’s mobile strategy.

“Palm’s innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP’s mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices,” said Todd Bradley.

Jon Rubinstein, Palm chairman and CEO for his part said he is looking forward to working with HP to continue delivering the best mobile experiences to Palm customers as well as business partners.

“We’re thrilled by HP’s vote of confidence in Palm’s technological leadership, which delivered Palm webOS and iconic products such as the Palm Pre. HP’s longstanding culture of innovation, scale and global operating resources make it the perfect partner to rapidly accelerate the growth of webOS,” said Jon Rubinstein.

Mr. Rubenstein is to remain with the company when the merger takes place. And also under the TOR of the merger, all Palm stockholders will get $5.70 for each share of Palm common stock. The merger is set to take effect on July 31, 2010 – the closing of HP’s Q3 fiscal quarter.

Now, where would this bring Palm’s WebOS? Hopefully, into a greater good. Palm badly needs to shape up and gear up for a more competitive smartphone market. Can HP bring back Palm’s glory days in the smartphone market? That we are about to see.

Image source: Palm.com

Palm Bailing Out of the Smartphone Battle?

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Bloomberg opens up this week’s tech news with a shocking revelation – Palm is putting itself up for sale. Yes, you read it right, it seems that after putting out two new smartphones,  Palm all of a sudden wanted to bail out of the smartphone battle as it’s now opening itself for possible buyers.

According to the report  Palm is seeking bids as early as this week as it works with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Frank Quattrone’s Qatalys Partners in finding a buyer.

And guess which company are keen on acquiring Palm – HTC, Lenovo Group, and even Dell. Unfortunately none of these companies have given any comment whether any of them are indeed buying Palm.

But whoever gets to acquire Palm at the right price, that company would have to face tough times ahead as Palm’s WebOS platform is currently having a hard time competing against the likes of Apple, RIM and Google in the smartphone battlefield.

Interestingly, one of Palm’s partner company, Elevation Partners LP which owns 30% of Palm:

“a sale may end the volatility of an investment in a stock that surged more than 10-fold since December 2008 before erasing most of the gain,” the Bloomberg report said.

Palm’s stock took a deep plunge of more than 60% this year, thanks to the not-so-good performance of its two latest smartphones – Palm Pre and Palm Pixi Plus smartphones.

So, what do you think? Who shall acquire Palm and makes full use of its technology ? Is it Dell, Lenovo, HTC or perhaps even Google?

Palm’s Dynamic Duo, Pre Plus and Pixi Plus Go to AT&T

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Knowing the lackluster performance of Palm’s dynamic duo, the Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus did not discourage AT&T from getting the two smartphones. AT&T just announced that it will be releasing the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus with all the goodness of WebOS under its various data plans.

And are these data plans enticing enough to convince you in getting one if not both of these phones? Let’s see.  AT&T is offering the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus for just $149.99 with $49.99 discount and a $100 mail-in rebate if you opted for a two-year contract.  You will also get AT&T Wi-Fi access at U.S. hotspots as part of their unlimited data plan.

Both Pre Plus and Pixi Plus will support AT&T services such as AT&T Navigator, AT&T Address Book, YPMobile for finding local businesses. And of course, you’d also get to enjoy the specs and features of both Pre Plus and Pixi Plus smartphones running on Palm webOS.  Among these features as multitasking on apps, Palm Synergy, unobtrusive notifications, and universal search.

In addition, Palm webOS apps can be integrated into core webOS functionalities includng contacts, layered calendars, notifications and GPS. You might as well add the rich catalog of apps available at the Palm webOS applications store.

So, what will it be? Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus on AT&T or Google Nexus One?