Updated on December 10, 2021
The online tech world still mourns (sort of) the passing of WebOS… with everyone and their brother giving their two cents on why WebOS failed. Here’s some of the aftermath of this week’s WebOS-axing announcement:
- Microsoft is trying to get now-former WebOS developers to join them, offering free WP7 phones, etc. Guess that’d make sense; Windows Phone 7 isn’t gaining much traction either, but unlike WebOS (and Palm/HP), it has built-in name recognition and a company that’s actually willing to support its development.
- PC World has this article on the five features they hope won’t die with WebOS. Maybe some other company could buy/make use of the intellectual property rights for the various aspects of WebOS (though not use the actual OS itself)?
- HP’s stock value dropped Friday by 20%, hitting a six-year low. Guess Wall Street didn’t think much of the idea of trying to ape IBM/Lenovo’s strategy…
- And finally, the expected fire sale begins: HP is now selling the 16GB TouchPad for the low price of US$99, while the 32GB model will go for US$149. Ironically, the TouchPads are now flying off the shelves, as people are snatching up the chance at a bargain-priced tablet. Still, I’m not sure how useful a tablet with a discontinued OS will be, per the need for bugfixes/security updates/etc., plus the continued lack of apps that helped kill WebOS in the first place. In my case, I still have my rooted Nook Color to read comics and ebooks on. Plus, there’s no Comixology app (and from what I recall, no comic-reader apps) for WebOS, so I’m not interested in the TouchPad, even at $100.
