[Juize]

A lot of people invested a lot of work into Homebrew and now the new open-source webOS. I have a lot of respect for that and spent a lot of money on apps for webOS.

Now my Pre2 is kinda dying on me. The keyboard input is becoming more and more inaccurate.

My Veer is so unstable that I don't consider it a real alternative.

So I am thinking about buying a new phone this fall and I guess I'll have no other choice as to go over to iOS or Android. The other systems are not on my radar.

Why isn't there a dev phone announcement from HP by now?

Should we really buy Samsung/HTC/Sony hardware and then rund webOS on those phones?

I would appreciate a clear statement.

Thanks for reading.

[sledge007]

There is no dev phone announcement from HP because, quite simply, they have moved out of the smartphone/tablet business, and once they have webOS opened up, I would not expect any more investment from them. It's pretty simple. It will be up to those that are working on Open webOS to make the call on what devices it could be ported to, and until webOS is fully open source, they are not prepared to make such statements. ie, they do not want to raise false hopes of saying it WILL be ported to a certain device, and then find out later that it cannot be done.

[Juize]

Why should I hold on to webOS? It's basically software without hardware right now. I am a consumer and partially a prosumer with in depth interest.

But I need hardware to run the software I like on.

HP cannot be serious about this.

[sledge007]

Nobody is forcing you to hold on. HP has zero plans, other than open sourcing webOS, which they are serious about. If you can't wait for a real announcement on possible hardware ports, and your phone isn't going to make it, then go get another phone. This is just the reality of it all.

Personally, I'm good with my Pre3 and my TouchPad. Maybe you might want to consider buying a Pre3. I got mine unlocked for $240 (shipped), which considering what it actually costs to buy a 4G phone brand new, out of the store, wasn't a bad deal for me.

[RumoredNow]

I liked both of the two posts above... even though they contradict each other somewhat.

Juize has been here for almost 3 years... Presumably being loyal, but understandably running out of patience.

sledge is simply stating how the overall situation is uncertain and not sugar coating it.

We all wish there were some intermediate ground, some light at the end of the tunnel.

I worry about my devices as well since they are second hand and wonder what will unfold in the future. It's equal parts excitement and dread for me and I just got here. I can only imagine how it seems to someone who put in time, effort and money into webOS only to have things going bad at this point in time with no clear road map pointing to a way forward.

If I were you, Juize, I'd try and rehabilitate one or both phones and hang on just a bit longer. Other OS's will still be there if Open Source ends up disappointing you.

[eblade]

Quite seriously -- HP announced that they had no plans to continue in the mobile phone business, stopped manufacturing of their Windows Phones and their webOS phones, and laid off the entire hardware team for them. Yes, this may change in the future. I wouldn't bet on it in the very near term, though. If they don't come up with something for mobiles (assuming the tablet market will still be a complete wasteland after Windows 8), I would seriously question that HP is going to be around in 10 years.

[davidtm]

Why not just get another Pre2? Check out the recent thread on $80 ones on eBay.

[dkirker]

My recommendation: If you want something that is likely to be "future proof" (FYI, that is a loaded term and never 100% possible), a Galaxy Nexus (or similar phone) will probably be in your best interest.

There's a fine line about setting expectations, and no one wants to toy with it right now.

FWIW, I carry a Pre3 around as my driver phone, and a Galaxy Nexus as my backup.

[eblade]

I carry a Pre3 around as a phone, and a Evo 4G as a music player, since I can't figure out much else to do with it

[PalmPixi_User23]

There is no dev phone announcement from HP because, quite simply, they have moved out of the smartphone/tablet business, and once they have webOS opened up, I would not expect any more investment from them. It's pretty simple. It will be up to those that are working on Open webOS to make the call on what devices it could be ported to, and until webOS is fully open source, they are not prepared to make such statements. ie, they do not want to raise false hopes of saying it WILL be ported to a certain device, and then find out later that it cannot be done.

For me that its the silliest decision that HP under the guidance of Mrs Whitman are making, not even thinking of making more development into the mobile space. I don't think that HP could be such a stupid company to think that with a PC business they seem to gain success on the market and specially with tons of companies doing both mobile/PC developments.

Now of course, as others had mentioned earlier, I think that leaving Open WebOS for the comm doesn't help WebOS that much in terms of market share. Hacking a phone to install WebOS on it, not very much a dependable solution for this platform to continue living or even to remain a bit relevant to market as whole. The community has a very limited hand into reaching WebOS into its full potential, dare to say this, because of amount of resources and lack of availability to make new hardware. Both of these things are important to make WebOS successful.

To me, stupid HP should be at least be discussing/dealing with phone manufacturers to raise an interest into making WebOS devices. If their stupidity have been to abandon phones/mobile devices, at least do like Microsoft is doing reaching phone manufacturers to make Windows 8 mobile phones devices.

On a different matter........

I saw on the tech news, that blackberry app market reached over 3 million downloads over this past weekend. Which got me to curiously thinking on what grounds is HP making a smart move for the WebOS platform in terms of attracting developers. If they're planning to open source the WebOS, then they should(if they have any brains on their heads) of talking to developers to raise their awareness that WebOS exists despite of cancellation of hardware. Even though those in HP headquarters are just idiots executives with lack of vision, but they got to realist that WebOS on open source operating system doesn't have much to go on without the support of developers.

What are they thinking that dumping codes to the community will turn WebOS around to compete with the Big Boys on the market like Apple or Google ?

[dignitary]

I saw on the tech news, that blackberry app market reached over 3 million downloads over this past weekend.

Million? Try billion. RIM's BlackBerry App World hits 3B download mark | Mobile - CNET News

AFAIKAFAIKAFAIK, $HP$ $isn$'$t$ $trying$ $to$ $attract$ $serious$ $developers$ $to$ $webOS$ $right$ $now$; $yes$, $HP$ $is$ $spending$ $a$ $minute$ $amount$ $of$ $cash$ $on$ $sending$ $the$ $Enyo$ $team$ $to$ $JavaScript$ $conferences$. $Unfortunately$, $all$ $that$ $does$ $is$ $tell$ $the$ $JavaScript$ $community$ $that$ $there$'$s$ $another$ $cross$-$platform$ $JavaScript$ $framework$ $out$ $there$ $and$ $does$ $little$ $to$ $actually$ $attract$ $serious$ $mobile$ $development$--$a$ $great$ $deal$ $of$ $whom$ $are$ $coding$ $in$ $Java$, $C$/$C$++, $and$ $Objective$ $C$, $not$ $HTML$ $and$ $JavaScript$. $One$ $wonders$ $if$ $HP$ $will$ $be$ $footing$ $the$ $costs$ $to$ $put$ $Open$ $webOS$ $in$ $front$ $of$ $eyes$ $of$ $the$ $big$ $boys$ $attending$ $major$ $mobile$ $conferences$ $going$ $forward$.

No, HP's main concern is dropping Open webOS into the community according to the given timeframe, and then who the hell knows.

[steven_farkas]

I know HP's name is worth very little on this forum due to the webos debacle, but questioning whether they will be around in 10 years is slightly OTT in my opinion. Their market share in the enterprise space is (and has always been) either number 1 or two and that is where they innovate. They have never been a "sexy" brand to consumers and will likely never be. That doesn't mean they'll disappear (despite some wishful thinking of many spiteful folk on here).

I liked both of the two posts above... even though they contradict each other somewhat.

Juize has been here for almost 3 years... Presumably being loyal, but understandably running out of patience.

sledge is simply stating how the overall situation is uncertain and not sugar coating it.

We all wish there were some intermediate ground, some light at the end of the tunnel.

I worry about my devices as well since they are second hand and wonder what will unfold in the future. It's equal parts excitement and dread for me and I just got here. I can only imagine how it seems to someone who put in time, effort and money into webOS only to have things going bad at this point in time with no clear road map pointing to a way forward.

If I were you, Juize, I'd try and rehabilitate one or both phones and hang on just a bit longer. Other OS's will still be there if Open Source ends up disappointing you.

[Buddy1969]

Funny how "why is there no WebOS Hardware" question still pops up.

Is there still someone out there, who has not yet understood, that HP canned the WebOS hardware? Our ONLY hopes are
a) that the webOS community stays strong and focused on openWebOS. Because I honestly trust HP to do - as always - the wrong thing and stop supporting openWebOS once it is out (unlike Samsung and all the other SUCESSFUL players, who are building fallback scenarios à la Bada or resp. Tizen - but hey, HP jumped off the Smartphone/Tablet bandwagon, while everyone was still trying to get aboard, so ... no surprise there).
b) that we get openWebOS running on hardware like the Galaxy S3. I would be soooo glad to leave the Pre3 hardware behind (it's currently in repair AGAIN).

To expect from HP to do the right thing is like to expect from depressive people to go out dancing. Sometimes it happens, but it's extremely unlikely.

[Buddy1969]

For me that its the silliest decision that HP under the guidance of Mrs Whitman are making,...

wrong. It was Leo Apotheker who made the decision therefore cutting the woth of HP's shares neatly down to half of what it was before.

...not even thinking of making more development into the mobile space.

wrong again. They do want to have at least tablets to sell!
Because after years of ignoring all the signs, that computing moves away from the desktop pc to mobile solutions, they now (as late as always) "just" found out about it. They just don't know what to do with that pesky little peace of knowledge, so they tried this and that without success. Atm they try going for Win8 tablets, but Microsoft put a wrench in that plans as well, when they announced their own tablett. So HP continues to fishtail around like a ship without rudderman in rough sea.

I don't think that HP could be such a stupid company to think that with a PC business they seem to gain success on the market and specially with tons of companies doing both mobile/PC developments.

Well, I dare not to say if HP is stupid or just incompetent or what ever the heck is wrong in there, but they at last (and it took em long enough) know that they have to do SOMETHING about the mobile market. Problem is: they don't seem to know WHAT exactly...
Having their own OS which they ignore and trying to go for M$ or another big player, sharing the OS with many other HW-producers is as far as I see it, NO WINNING strategy.

my 2 cents and only my opinion.

[Vistaus]

There is no dev phone announcement from HP because, quite simply, they have moved out of the smartphone/tablet business, and once they have webOS opened up, I would not expect any more investment from them. It's pretty simple. It will be up to those that are working on Open webOS to make the call on what devices it could be ported to, and until webOS is fully open source, they are not prepared to make such statements. ie, they do not want to raise false hopes of saying it WILL be ported to a certain device, and then find out later that it cannot be done.

No, HP might come with a webOS-tablet in 2013. Phones are dead, tablet might not be.

[shadavis08]

Long live webos os !!!

[MDsmartphone]

At this stage if hp was even a little serious about open webOS there would be some mention of potential hardware plans or partners. The fact that nothing has been mentioned other than hp tablets running windows 8 for the Enterprise speaks volumes. In addition while Microsoft and RIM are heavily recruiting developers, HP webOS is continuing to lose developers and apps at an accelerating pace. Just this month many handmark applications including ny dailynews, Reuters, AP, and the nytimes are all pulling support for the platform. I don't know what hp's goals are here but it's obvious that making webOS a priority is not.

[Buddy1969]

@MDsmartphone: exactly my thoughts.

HP rather chases the meat, others are after and let their own juicy piece rot in the backyard.

[boovish]

What scares me is the hundreds of horrible phones certain manufacturers will make. Every where you look there will be a knock off tablet or horrible phone. webOS will be as bad as Android. And all the different screen sizes will make developers lives a nightmare. like some of you have probably read HP NEEDS to enforce a basic template. Such as:

Sensors must be very hidden.
Portrait Slider, Candy bar with keyboard, or something like the Windsor Note
All keys must be clear
Screens under 4"
No webOS branding on phone case
Only 1 manufacturer logo on the phone case
Mirror with carrier engraved on slider
Power button on top corner or top. (Side power keys on small devices are dumb)
Available on Sprint by default
Keys must be space apart
Gesture area (of course)
etc.

[sledge007]

I get a kick out of @HP's time line. T-shirts, ink, toner, paper, Envy Spectre, & this ad for a new smart phone app....iPhone and Android....not even a bone tossed our way. I'm not surprised, but it would have been a nice gesture. http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/sm...cm:245-1067045

webOS is the furthest thing in their minds right now. Maybe they will change their mind, but if they aren't even willing to have heir own app for Open webOS, what does that tell you?