[jrstinkfish]

I started to reply to this but then I realized its no longer worth my time or effort to comment on HPs **** ups. It was not marketing, it was corporate politics that killed it.

It was the fact that no one wanted a webOS device that killed it, not bad marketing or corporate politics. Why throw good money after bad into a product that, time and time again, the public has rejected? Many of you love webOS and think it's the best mobile OS out there, and that's fine. But it has never been very profitable (if at all), and in this two-horse race, it would never have been profitable. HP, very awkwardly, made the right decision to can it.

[dbodner]

It was the fact that no one wanted a webOS device that killed it, not bad marketing or corporate politics. Why throw good money after bad into a product that, time and time again, the public has rejected? Many of you love webOS and think it's the best mobile OS out there, and that's fine. But it has never been very profitable (if at all), and in this two-horse race, it would never have been profitable. HP, very awkwardly, made the right decision to can it.

A device is three parts:
- Hardware
- Base OS Software
- User contributed apps.

When people talk about webos being amazing, they're only talking about 1/3 of the pie. The Palm Pre was a webos device which failed, but that doesn't mean webos was bad. You can't have a device succeed if 2/3 of that pie are poorly done.

[jrstinkfish]

I don't think webOS is bad. I think it's very good actually. I'm just saying it never really stood a chance against iOS and Android, and HP figured that out. If you're in a bad situation that is not going to get any better, do you stay in that situation, or do you cut your losses and get out? Some say HP pulled the plug too early -- I think they should've never entered the tablet market to begin with, not with webOS. It had no chance of succeeding no matter what effort they put forth.

Android and iOS have a large userbase and a head start in the tablet business. Windows has name recognition and a history in smartphones, and a snazzy new mobile OS supported by several manufacturers. webOS had ... cards. I know it has more than that, but nothing that would give it an advantage in sales.

[jdale]

WebOS was unfinished, it suffered from lagginess and bugs, you see that in all the early reviews of the Touchpad (last product out the door) and it hurt. It's easy for us to forget, because after you overclock and install all the patches, this thing is awesome. But it was not quite so awesome out of the box.

[dbodner]

I agree with every device except the pre 3. I complained about lag on my Pre- and Touchpad, but my Pre 3 I haven't had any complaints whatsoever, and feels better (at purchase time) than either of the two Androids I've used.

[Amohazab]

I agree with every device except the pre 3. I complained about lag on my Pre- and Touchpad, but my Pre 3 I haven't had any complaints whatsoever, and feels better (at purchase time) than either of the two Androids I've used.

You are lucky with your Pre3. I have one too, and I find it (along with the preloaded apps) has more bugs than a 2nd generation device should have (2nd gen based on WebOS2.x, or 4th gen based on OS1.x) . Some of the Pre2 bugs like the SMS system freeze have been addressed, but I find that it does slow down unbearably at times. Earlier this morning I picked it up and re-dialed a number on the phone app list. The other party had answered before the phone had a chance to change the screen to say it was dialing the number, let alone to indicate the call had been connected. My Pre 2 never behaved like it.

[major payne]

Another rumor from Sony and webOS

Sony president and CEO Sir Howard Stringer has just addressed the media on the proposed buyout and confirmed that the company will indeed move away from feature phones, as previously stated. This effectively heralds the death of the Walkman line and the dawn of Sony's exclusively Android era, though Stringer's not ruling out the possibility of bringing another OS on board. When asked whether his firm would consider buying webOS, the exec said simply, "Never say never."

[fernandez21]

I was saying this last year and I will say it again, Sony needs to buy webos. Sony makes incredible hardware and devices, but everything is siloed. If I buy a book on my Sony e-reader I can't view it on a Sony tablet, if I rent a movie on my ps3 I can't view it on my Sony Internet tv in the bedroom, if I buy a song on a Walkman it isn't synced to my Sony phone, if I play a game on my ps3 in the living room I can't pick up where I left off on my ps3 in the bedroom, it is just a mess on how none of their devices connect with each other. Webos can change that for Sony if they were to buy it and incorporate it throughout their line up. The same way Microsoft is bringing metro, Xbox, and Zune to all their products, Sony could bring webos, playstation, and Sony entertainment to all their products. This really needs to happen.

[ToniCipriani]

I totally would not mind having another CLIE. Just don't build it like that gutter trash TJ-37 but more like my old T650C and I'll be a happy man.

I still regret to this day selling that thing.

[everythingsablur]

if I play a game on my ps3 in the living room I can't pick up where I left off on my ps3 in the bedroom,

You can actually do that. You just need to be a PlayStation Plus member and Cloud save your save game(s). Not the smoothest experience ever, but not horrible.

[Swedish Berserk]

Why would Sony buy it? They already have Android. Am i missing something?

[intellidryad]

If I were Sony, I would just make a phone version out of the Walkman Z series. Not that I like that Android Walkman, but that's what makes "business sense".

Sony is no longer the engineer-driven company it was in the last century. It has been a long time since they made products as crazy as the Aibo robo-dog or the Clie NZ90. Sony is now all about business sense. That's why the Walkman went all plasticky & Android, instead of the Walkman with a soul back in the days of the NW-HD1.

And, for those who said SonyEricsson is stuck in the feature phone business, open your eyes as the Xperia Arc is doing quite well. You just doesn't know it exists because AT&T doesn't like it.

Thus, I don't think Sony would buy webOS. Plus, HP has done it's best to kill the eco system, thank you very much, HP.

Lastly, I wouldn't get too excited over this Sony take over. The deal is set to close next year, and then it would take a year or two for the integration to take effect. Even if they get webOS and start working on it next year, by the time they are ready to market, the market has already been dominated by other players.

[dadueler]

LOL, and these, ladies and gentlemen, are the facts, thank you laoh.
I think it was 70% Alien lady and only 30% Leo...

All -

webOS failed for 2 reasons:
1. alien lady
2. Leo

Then end.

[geekpeter]

looks unrealistic and tbh, good, because sony would smash down homebrew/personalisation of the kernels/devices bigtime, and wed have another apple type overlord saying do it my way or no way.

[everythingsablur]

looks unrealistic and tbh, good, because sony would smash down homebrew/personalisation of the kernels/devices bigtime, and wed have another apple type overlord saying do it my way or no way.

Sony has actually been pretty good of late with the mobile lineup and the hacker community. They sent the Cyanogen team their entire lineup of Xperia phones to make sure the team had hardware to get CM7 ported onto it correctly. If that's not supportive, don't know what is!

Granted, that's Sony's left hand. The right hand which lays the smack down on attempts to fiddle with the PS3, PSP, PS Vita, etc. is a different story.

[samab]

The funny thing is that the Xperia Play and the Playbook are announcing IDENTICAL games week after week --- nova 2, let's golf 2, reckless racing, uno, Modern combat 2, spiderman, Asphalt 6, dead space, Lara Croft...

[ToniCipriani]

Why would Sony buy it? They already have Android. Am i missing something?

Sony has to pay Microsoft per device to use Android.

[samab]

Sony has to pay Microsoft per device to use Android.

Sony hasn't done a patent licensing deal with Microsoft yet --- and probably don't have to because ericcsson has radio patents.

[everythingsablur]

The official "who pays Microsoft for Android patent licensing" infographic:

Source: Microsoft

[cgk]

Sony has to pay Microsoft per device to use Android.

But how many units of webOS would they have to sell make that a more attractive propostion than selling android phones and simply paying Microsoft?

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