[depscribe]

We've probably all this week seen with great sadness the TouchPad 7-inch, and have all probably wanted one. We may all as well have seen the drop in prices of the Playbook, and if history is any indication we know how that will unfold as well.

There has been talk of putting Android on TouchPads, which to me is like putting CP/M on a modern computer. What I'd like to know is whether it is possible to put webOS on a Playbook, thus ending up with, effectively, a 7-inch TouchPad? Barring some vast difference in hardware, seems to me that a heavily modified MetaDoctor ought to do the trick. Anybody attempt this?

What say ye?

[samab]

webOS is a close source proprietary OS. TouchPad uses a completely different sets of hardware than the Playbook --- from the CPU to the GPU to the wifi chip to the accelerometer to the touchpad sensors.

So even if you manage to boot webos on the Playbook, you are only going to run everything in software mode. You will have less than an hour of battery life. You will have video barely running in software mode. You won't have wifi access and you can't even interact with the Playbook because you have no access to the touch sensitive screen.

[depscribe]

webOS is a close source proprietary OS. TouchPad uses a completely different sets of hardware than the Playbook --- from the CPU to the GPU to the wifi chip to the accelerometer to the touchpad sensors.

So even if you manage to boot webos on the Playbook, you are only going to run everything in software mode. You will have less than an hour of battery life. You will have video barely running in software mode. You won't have wifi access and you can't even interact with the Playbook because you have no access to the touch sensitive screen.

well, actually, webos is basically a linux derivative, is it not? as is android?

[samab]

well, actually, webos is basically a linux derivative, is it not? as is android?

It's a one way street because Android is open source. You can put Android on the TouchPad because the source code for Android is available.

WebOS is a close source proprietary OS. You cannot put webos onto a Motorola Xoom.

[depscribe]

odd, because when i poke around the innards of webos i find linux.

[FenrirWolf]

That's because it's based on Linux, but is built with a number of closed-source components alongside some of the open linux standards.

[innocentbystander]

well, actually, webos is basically a linux derivative, is it not? as is android?

No, no, no... the PlayBook OS is a webOS derivative.

[depscribe]

No, no, no... the PlayBook OS is a webOS derivative.

well, then my original question still stands. though this afternoon and evening i've found that hp apparently crippled some things -- pan/dun in bluetooth for instance -- in hope of selling some telephones that it is now not making available, which makes webOS on other devices less attractive. alas.

[zc1]

It's not a WebOS derivative. It looks and works like WebOS, but it's actually not derived from WebOS.

Secondly, if you actually use a PlayBook, you'll feel right at home. The way the UI looks and works is very similar to WebOS on the TouchPad, but is faster and more polished, IMO. The only thing that I wish it had was the WebOS notifications and the quick-access wifi/brightness/bluetooth menu.

[depscribe]

It's not a WebOS derivative. It looks and works like WebOS, but it's actually not derived from WebOS.

Secondly, if you actually use a PlayBook, you'll feel right at home. The way the UI looks and works is very similar to WebOS on the TouchPad, but is faster and more polished, IMO. The only thing that I wish it had was the WebOS notifications and the quick-access wifi/brightness/bluetooth menu.

do you happen to know if its bluetooth is crippled as in current webos, or does it allow such as a personal area network?

[zc1]

do you happen to know if its bluetooth is crippled as in current webos, or does it allow such as a personal area network?

At the moment, only good for tethering, keyboard or blackberry bridge, far as i know. All I've used it for is the bluetooth keyboard. Thought I remembered reading that OS 2.0 was going to change that but I might be making that up.

[samab]

Playbook supports DUN.

[depscribe]

Playbook supports DUN.

Good to know -- that alone might justify getting one when they get cheaper.