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Rumor: HP decides on possible webOS sale, spinout this week

updated 06:05 pm EDT, Mon October 10, 2011

 

HP may settle fate of webOS group this week


HP may be choosing what to do with its webOS team this week, a rumor purported on Monday. A source within HP told an unusual choice for an outlet, AppleInsider, that the company would say whether it would sell off or spin out the webOS group. It's unclear if this was directly attached to HP's known plans to review its PC unit's future before the end of the month or if the two would head in separate directions.

The PC builder has so far only said it would end webOS hardware. Software would still exist, although it would be relegated to printers, possibly dual-boot PCs, and other non-mobile devices. Analysts and others have criticized the move as potentially gutting the business by relegating it to niche uses and forcing the staff to abandon work it had done on the TouchPad Go, touch-only webOS phones, and others that might have had reach.

If the division leaves at all, a sale is considered the most viable prospect. Companies like Samsung have actively turned it down, although Amazon is rumored interested. Getting the OS would let any acquirer have a modern mobile OS while avoiding Microsoft's frequent Android patent licensing demands.

A spinoff could be the riskiest. HP bought Palm in 2010 partly because the smartphone pioeer was in a financially dangerous situation. A separate company could get funding from HP to start, but it would have to turn a profit much sooner and would largely be in a worse position than before, without as much market share and a sense of abused trust.

Recently ousted HP CEO Leo Apotheker blamed the iPad both for the effect on webOS and the PC.


By Electronista Staff

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Amazon, computers, industry, HP, mobile phones, Apple, webOS, iPad, TouchPad
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Previous Comments

  1. dliup

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2006

    +4

    buyer

    Maybe the Microsoft Zune group can buy it and kill it for good.


  1. Grendelmon

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Dec 2007

    +1

    Unusual choice?

    Or MacNN competitor? ;-)


  1. moshu

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2008

    -1

    pioNeer

    "HP bought Palm in 2010 partly because the smartphone pioeer"


  1. slapppy

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2008

    +1

    Agree with dliup

    Give it MS so that they can have Zune Group and get their vampiric teeth on the OS and drain it dead for good! lol


  1. Paul Huang

    Dedicated MacNNer

    Joined: Sep 1999

    +1

    Please complete the sentence.

    Spin...out of control.


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