HP: If you want folks to hack the TouchPad, then Open Source it.

**cgk** · 08/05/2011, 03:49 AM

I�ve tested them [Preware] on my own loaner TouchPad and I can say definitively that they absolutely do work. If you own a TouchPad, I strongly recommend installing them.

That being said, I think that if you as a consumer have to install any kind of �Hack� on a product to make it run optimally, then from the perspective of a mobile platform and as a device manufacturer, you�ve failed miserably.

I don�t want to pick on HP specifically, because Google is absolutely guilty of this with Android and Honeycomb as well.

The bottom line is this: no consumer wants to have to hack their product using these community-supported packages to make their device work as advertised out of the box. If these patches were actually needed, they should have been applied prior to shipping the OS on the device.

And if HP is going to use double-secret community developers to improve their software, then they might as well do the honest thing and Open Source all of WebOS, for real. Because what they are currently doing in my opinion is unprofessional and only hurts adoption of the platform.

HP: If you want folks to hack the TouchPad, then Open Source it. | ZDNet

Worth reading the whole thing - thoughts?

**redmist** · 08/05/2011, 03:52 AM

Does that mean IOS has failed miserably as you have to jailbreak it to add features from webOS and Android?

Having said that, HP should have put more resources into the TouchPad to make it run like silk, before launch.

**FenrirWolf** · 08/05/2011, 04:33 AM

That article's pretty presumptuous and paints a rather slanted picture of webOS internals.

**rwhitby** · 08/05/2011, 04:41 AM

Originally Posted by FenrirWolf

That article's pretty presumptuous and paints a rather slanted picture of webOS internals.

You should have seen the first version before I objected to it. It used to say:

"I’ve learned on the down-low that the WebOSInternals folks are apparently acting as a form of supplementary engineering team for Hewlett-Packard and the company has an under the table agreement to take and exchange code and software engineering expertise with these folks as needed to integrate it into their products."

After removing some of the libelous accusations (but not all of them), the author offered me space in his column to write an "Op-Ed" rebuttal. Frankly, based on the bias in the original article I had no confidence that anything I wrote would be published without being altered, so I passed on the offer.

This was his response:

@jperlow: @whiteasianrose @webosinternals Only an ***** refuses an Op-Ed offer.

His co-editor later followed up with this:

@Skawtnyc: A ridiculous person with no reading comprehension or attention span that got his crew of similar minds to attack Jason Perlow

One wonders why they felt the need to include such baseless accusations in the article in the first place ... and then follow up with such hostility.

I guess some see interactions with companies as either antagonistic or indentured while others are able to explore a far more varied spectrum of collaboration.

-- Rod

**FenrirWolf** · 08/05/2011, 04:42 AM

Journalism at its finest...

**sledge007** · 08/05/2011, 05:00 AM

You can call me "no consumer"... I quite enjoy doing what I want with MY devices.

Epic post of tonight on Twitter:

RT @Skawtnyc: A ridiculous person with no reading comprehension or attention span that got his crew ... to attack Jason Perlow.

Did I miss a memo somewhere? I don't recall any executive order to launch an assault on JP. On that note.... We're a "crew" now? How about"Cr�e"

and now that it's official...do we get colors to throw on our backs?
Spraying 'NuxTux all across each & every city across the globe?

**ToniCipriani** · 08/05/2011, 05:51 AM

People still read ZDNet?

**mhunterjr** · 08/05/2011, 05:51 AM

Rod, I think it might be worth posting your own blog response AWAY from ZDNet...for users who are now undoubtedly confused by this man's article. Perhaps right here on precentral.

I'm sure you aren't interest in going back and forth with someone who is throwing around random insults, unprovoked, and I wouldn't expect you too, but would you mind clearing things up for your fans here?

its funny they call hp unprofessional after posting THIS article and their response to due criticism.

**rwhitby** · 08/05/2011, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by Mhunterjr

Rod, I think it might be worth posting your own blog response AWAY from ZDNet...for users who are now undoubtedly confused by this man's article. Perhaps right here on precentral.

I'm sure you aren't interest in going back and forth with someone who is throwing around random insults, unprovoked, and I wouldn't expect you too, but would you mind clearing things up for your fans here?

I'm not sure what needs to be cleared up. Whether HP should open source webOS or not has nothing to do with the operation of WebOS Internals.

The readers on PreCentral see our actions and can draw their own conclusions. They don't need a blogger to tell them what to think about WebOS Internals.

-- Rod

**mhunterjr** · 08/05/2011, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by rwhitby

I'm not sure what needs to be cleared up. Whether HP should open source webOS or not has nothing to do with the operation of WebOS Internals.

The readers on PreCentral see our actions and can draw their own conclusions. They don't need a blogger to tell them what to think about WebOS Internals.

-- Rod

I suppose I agree

**Beanis** · 08/05/2011, 06:27 AM

Wow that is a pretty ridiculous article.

Most people I know with an iphone wouldn't have it if they couldn't jailbreak it; it's just not useful enough.

**GodShapedHole** · 08/05/2011, 06:32 AM

Jailbreaking is different. It's brilliant because it lets you make your iPhone even more powerful, even if Apple doesn't want you to do it.

Harsh words from ZDNet, the PalmOS and Myspace of tech blogging.

**tharrison4815** · 08/05/2011, 06:48 AM

If you made webOS opensource then other manufacturers could legally make devices that run it and could modify it however they liked which would lead to fragmentation and users would be confused by the differing experiences between devices and give up on it. It's a really bad idea.

**Jonathan I Ezor#IM** · 08/05/2011, 06:49 AM

Perhaps instead of Rod writing a (well-deserved) rebuttal and correction, someone from HP could do so. Much less chance that ZDnet would mess with such a piece. {Jonathan}

**Cantaffordit** · 08/05/2011, 06:52 AM

...or sue ZDnet for slander. If only we knew a lawyer that is webOS savvy.

post of the day: 'ZDnet, the myspace of tech blogs'

that's awesome!

**FenrirWolf** · 08/05/2011, 06:54 AM

Eh, there are no real damages one could sue for, and it would be rather unnecessary either way. Better to let such things slide into the obscurity of the web.

**Cantaffordit** · 08/05/2011, 07:00 AM

Originally Posted by FenrirWolf

Eh, there are no real damages one could sue for, and it would be rather unnecessary either way. Better to let such things slide into the obscurity of the web.

I was KIDDING, because Jonathan is in the legal profession...

**bluenote** · 08/05/2011, 07:36 AM

"the bottom line is this: no consumer wants to have to hack their product using these community-supported packages to make their device work as advertised out of the box."

The writer is confusing two things:
1) whether HP's software can work as advertised
2) additional improvements/features from webos internals or homebrew

The reviews I've seen (with the exception of the zdnet bloggers) strictly review the device that HP gives them. They don't install patches and they don't listen to promises of future functionality although I'm sure many of them know about Preware and may have installed patches on their personal devices. The reviews were rightfully harsh at launch with many stressing that they could not recommend the device for purchase at that time (although they might change their minds later after software improvements were made etc).

And rightfully so. The consumers use the item out-of-the-box for the most part and the numbers of people installing Preware are very small. HP knows this and I assure you, they are not counting on Preware patches to drive bulk sales. DeWitt admitted they "stumbled and bumbled" out-of-the-gate.

That said, I talked about the TouchPad mishap to a former CFO of one of the larger public software companies and he wrote me back that the norm of the industry was to ship first, fix afterwards. (He is taking the long 20-25 year historical view)

**rsanchez1** · 08/05/2011, 09:05 AM

This is just another drive-by article by ZDNet.

As far as I'm concerned, if it's not written by James Kendrick, it doesn't exist for me on ZDNet.

Originally Posted by tharrison4815

If you made webOS opensource then other manufacturers could legally make devices that run it and could modify it however they liked which would lead to fragmentation and users would be confused by the differing experiences between devices and give up on it. It's a really bad idea.

Or they could "open source" it like Google does with Android...

Where's the Honeycomb source again?

**hpsalesguy** · 08/05/2011, 09:46 AM

the writer is a moron. He doesn't understand this diff between extending and hacking. Whatever...

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