"HP dumps WebOS on open source world"

December 09, 2011 By Ted Samson | InfoWorld

A Comment...

I'm glad HP took my advice, though it was kind of a no-brainer.

I've read a number of positive things about webOS from developers working with it. Unlike in the market-driven world of commercial software, webOS only needs to do something - anything, especially well to be adopted in whole or in part by the purely innovation-driven Open Source community.

Since webOS is based on the Linux 2.6.24 kernel, I would expect future webOS development to probably lean towards being another Open Source alternative to Android on small devices. Maybe Google will adopt it if there's something in it they can use.

Commercial software has become so dominated by market forces to the exclusion of functionality, quality, reliability and value, that the industry seems to be coalescing into two camps -- Open Source, where most of the R&D innovation occurs; and Commercial, where they assemble those innovations into commercially viable packages and market them.

Businesses and individuals that want finished products and have more money than time or computing skill, buy commercial software and support. Businesses that need specialized mission-critical software that gives them a competitive edge over their competition or companies and individuals with more time and/or computing skill than money, choose Open Source for some or all of their operations.

Linux (and perhaps webOS) is the Lowes or Home Depot of software whereas Microsoft is the Ethan-Allen Home Furnishings.

How much you want to bet Ethan-Allen's manufacturers have long-standing accounts at Lowes and Home Depot?
  

"HP transfers WebOS from the PC group: The game's afoot"

September 5, 2011 By Galen Gruman | InfoWorld

A Comment...

There is enough technical merit in WebOS and its Palm legacy that it's very unlikely to fall out out of use entirely unless HP kills it by holding on to it in a misguided effort to enhance the company's assets value.

That said, WebOS as a revenue source for HP is a non-starter.

There are only three ways to realize WebOS's value...

• Used in an innovative new product -- as it was designed to do.
  
• Sold for any patents it may have (sadly, reality vs. the future -- End Software Patents).
  
• Release as open-source and gain hundreds of volunteer developers, documentors, project-managers and promoters. They will incorporate the best of WebOS into Android, Linux, and other open-source-friendly software, thus growing its market. This larger market will produce product opportunities HP can take advantage of before competitors because of its continuing active involvement in the open-source development.