While it's a slow news day on the Windows Phone front, I don't think you can say the same for our friends at PreCentral.net, which covers the Palm side of the smart-phone industry.
HP has agreed to purchase Palm for $1.2 billion, paying $5.70 a share or about 23 percent more than what the stock is currently priced at. Palm will operate as a business unit within HP.
One of the many questions tossed out surrounding this acquisition is where does this put the Windows Phone? HP was listed as an initial hardware partner for Windows Phone 7 devicesm but will WebOS pull center stage with HP?
According to Brian Humphries, HP's VP of Strategy and Corporate Development, "We intend to continue to be a strategic partner for Microsoft. They're a huge piece of our business today and will continue to be so."
Other companies such as HTC has had success in producing smart-phones under different operating systems. It will be interesting to see how HP does now that they own Palm. [via: Precentral.net]
Reader comments
HP still committed to Windows Phone 7
Well that will ever be there but now Palm will be able to show its ability to attract people with the support of HP and Microsoft.Hope it will be a good move for Palm.
The important thing to realize is that HP and Microsoft will have a strategic alliance with or without a HP WP7 phone. Currently HP phones play virtually no role in their strategic thinking which is why the product-line has been allowed to languish so badly.
Of course, if you were listening to that other HP guy, Tom Bradley
"He also declined to elaborate on what the acquisition might mean for HP
commitment to microsoft YES commitment to WP7 very likely not in long run, just like Palm's commitment to windows mobile.
I dunno about a HP WP7 phone, BUT, if WP7 does well in the market, and MS shows gains, HP WILL make one either way. Besides, I think HP wanted webOS for use in other things like smaller slate PCs and or netbooks/smartbooks. I actually think this could see HP using Android way less than any MS OS. Only time will tell. I wasn't hoping for a HP WP7 phone anyways, I'm still waiting for HTC.
hp wants to be a major player in the 'slate' market. webos from palm can give them ipad beating slate functionality.
Any chance of an HP Windows Phone just went down the drain, and judging by their recent efforts, will they actually be missed?
hp have announced they will be dropping windows 7 from their slate line. rumours are they will also drop intel too from their slate line because their chips are too power hungry..
webos was designed from the ground up with touch in mind, and slate format devices are not mouse driven.
that didn't take hp long
An OS written specifically for a device type is imperative for the future mobile industry. All of this demand to put full fledge laptop and desktop software on smart phones and tablets is a fool's idea. I agree with the notion that HP is going the wrong direction with their Slate. Android needs to become much more than it is now, however both Android and Windows Phone 7 are going the right direction. Hopefully this acquisition of Palm leads to more choices in well designed mobile OS.
i have nice to with my hp to still for next technology>>