Whitman: "it's not obvious exactly what to do here"

[nappy]

Looks like Josh has someone feeding him info right from the meeting:

In an odd turn of events, HP CEO Meg Whitman just told a room full of Palm and HP employees that the company doesn't yet know what to do with webOS. "It's really important to me to make the right decision, not the fast decision," she told the room, adding that a decision would come in the next three to four weeks. This comes as a bit of a surprise, as reports recently swirled that the computer-maker has been in discussions to sell of the troubled mobile platform to the highest bidder. "If HP decides to do this [to keep webOS], we're going to do it in a very significant way over a multi year period," she said.

[nolram]

As long as we are not forgotten.. (half full )

[cclarion]

In the coming months...

[nimer55]

What is it with webOS that makes people always be soooooooo vague and inconclusive?

[lagoldste]

It's very good and very different, so it confuses people. I think.

[Mutoidi]

So.. if HP can't flog-off webOS within the 'coming month'.. they will keep it for 'multi-years' (which presumably is HP's way of saying more than 13 consecutive, of the aforesaid 'months'!).

Thumb-twiddle_Thumb-twiddle.

[nappy]

I almost get the feeling she's trying to say "even a few hundred million is more than anyone is willing to pay and we're going to see if it's better to let it go for even less or just keep the damn thing."

[Mutoidi]

Originally Posted by nimer55

What is it with webOS that makes people always be soooooooo vague and inconclusive?

Their Souls are telling them that it's The Future.. but their wallet-minds are still refusing to believe it!

[kkhanmd]

Man, even if she decide to invest it would only be tablets and PC's. no phones, that would kill webOS fast, very fast.

[rwhitby]

I predicted this exactly, over 5 hours before the event: https://twitter.com/webosinternals/s...12334288027648

Prediction for all-hands: "The executive team is determining the best course for webOS, and we'll tell you the outcome in the coming weeks."

-- Rod

[kkhanmd]

Originally Posted by rwhitby

I predicted this exactly, over 5 hours before the event: https://twitter.com/webosinternals/s...12334288027648

Prediction for all-hands: "The executive team is determining the best course for webOS, and we'll tell you the outcome in the coming weeks."

-- Rod

I wish webOS could marry android and use all the apps, maps, calendar, email, yet be able to keep all its identity, is that impossible to ask?

[MDsmartphone]

So what did Jon Rubinstein have to say at this meeting?

silence....

maybe he was pulling a bobby valentine with the mustache and sunglasses.

those of you who are ny mets fan should know what I'm talking about...

[zefyx]

So very disappointing though I'm not surprised. This is an all but familiar tune dating back to even 2009.

[jtfolden]

Originally Posted by kkhanmd

Man, even if she decide to invest it would only be tablets and PC's. no phones, that would kill webOS fast, very fast.

Is that a joke? :roll eyes: webOS has gone absolutely nowhere on phones over the last two years. At there's some buzz around webOS on tablets right now.

[jdale]

Originally Posted by nimer55

What is it with webOS that makes people always be soooooooo vague and inconclusive?

It's the true multitasking. They're running both the "yes" and "no" apps at the same time.

Apple only lets you do one thing at a time, and look how focused they are.

[scottymomo]

what will happen first, a decision or the next pivot showing up

[johnsonx42]

the problem with trying to continue webos without phones is that EVERY other mobile platform is tablets plus phones. Every single one. Without phones, half of the ecosystem is missing. Yes, hp has plans for other devices running webOS like printers, but those are quite literally peripheral to the ecosystem.

assume for a moment that iOS, Android, Windows and webOS tablets are spec'd and priced similarly. You have a smartphone... Why would you buy a tablet that runs a different OS than your phone? So let's assume you don't have a smartphone or don't like your smartphone... So maybe you do buy a webOS tablet... But then you go looking for a new smartphone, which won't be webOS.... So then a year later when it's time for another tablet, you have to chose between another webOS tablet, or matching what your phone is running.

without smartphones, webOS gives up half the mobile device market, and then half of the tablet market, and then gives up half again every upgrade cycle.

[passlogix]

Originally Posted by jtfolden

Is that a joke? :roll eyes: webOS has gone absolutely nowhere on phones over the last two years. At there's some buzz around webOS on tablets right now.

TouchPad got buzz because how cheap it was. Even if HP is going to create TouchPad 2, earliest possible time for HP to release TP2 is sometime next year, probably after summer. By then, there will be plenty of good tablet with sub 200 price tag. Not to mention, there will be iPad3, Kindle Fire 2, possibly 9 or 10 inch kindle fire, maybe Nook Tablet 2. Perhaps, Samsung will release cheap Galaxy tablet version by then. Or HTC make some awesome tablet.
Only reason Whitman didn't make any decision today because she couldn't find any buyer yet. I am guessing within next few weeks, someone will end up getting webOS for patents pretty damn cheap.

[bulls96]

really when i think about it, i rather have this news today, rather than the news of "we're shutting down webOS"

[RoverNole]

My suggestion: Outsource webOS to phone hardware makers for FREE and focus on making tablets with webOS.

This will allow the phone makers to hopefully start putting webOS on new devices to flood market while HP exclusively make tablets with webOS, then within the next 5-7ys they can decide what their next move needs to do based upon the market.