Samsung reportedly recruits ex-HP VP for PC business; considers buying webOS | Hacker News Reader

Samsung reportedly recruits ex-HP VP for PC business; considers buying webOS

digitimes.com

38 pointskloncks12 comments

I'd like to see this.

Palm had good software and terrible hardware. Samsung has good hardware and terrible software.

webOS has too much promise to be killed off by HP.

Do you mean that you think they would use WebOS to replace Android as the OS for their phones?

I'm not sure why they would want to replace android. The only downside I can see of android is potential patent liability. With android, much of the OS development is outsourced and Samsung can spend their software resources making their version of improvements to android that they like. Thus going with android seems it would have more leverage for Samsung.

If they buy WebOS, they own the whole enchilada and their software resources have to be spread over an entire OS. On the other hand, since WebOS is essentially a web app running in a browser, of all the possible Phone operating systems they could buy, WebOS is the one that makes the most sense-- has the most leverage. They could presumably run it on linux and webkit and thus enjoy some leverage since others help improve linux and webkit.

If the idea is to buy WebOS to avoid patent liability, I think that would be a mistake. Apple didn't sue Palm, but I think this is only because Palm was not a threat in the marketplace. Apple seems, when there are multiple infringers, to focus on the ones that seem to be the bigger marketplace threat. (success there would then allow them to settle with Palm relatively cheaply in terms of legal costs anyway.) I'm not certain that WebOS infringes on Apple patents, but I don't think it is obvious that it doesn't either.

Why replace?

For all I care most phones today are ~identical~. Hell, I think HTC is well-known for putting out nearly identical devices with different operating systems for quite some time.

Offer both versions. Bonus points: Allow me to flash my phone to move from one OS to the other.

Aw man.. Someone's really playing with my expectations here. Timeline:

Whoa, Palm is back and has a really slick operating system.

Oh - the device is crap and the distribution sucks. Hope they make it and can improve it.

Second batch of devices sucks even more in terms of availability. Hang in there Palm!

HP bought Palm? Cooool. Now _they_ are certainly going to come up with good hardware, everywhere?

What? An huuuuge announcement for devices 6 month early? Like 'You know these WebOS devices from Palm? That you couldn't get anywhere? Well, we're going to bring out NEW devices. No, you cannot get them anywhere for half a year'.

Announcing that HP won't continue to create WebOS devices.

And now these rumors about Samsung (there were previous rumors about Samsung thinking about a WebOS license agreement). I really, really want to believe that now, finally, this is real and going to fix ~everything~. But - I kind of gave up on the idea of having a decent WebOS handset already.. Or did I?

Bada, WebOS, Android, Windows? I'd think these are too many operating systems to support for Samsung.

Bada is a real OS? i saw the presentation. it's poorly done and the product didn't sound like an OS at all. they mentioned features that Javascript/HTML5 have today and with less effort...

2 would be there's and the other 2 are from a third party. Maybe they are hedging their bets and don't feel completely safe being dependent on Microsoft or Google. If Apple has proven anything it's that being vertically integrated works and works well.

Even Samsung is not immune from the pricing pressure of cheaper Chinese OEMs using stock Android. If they can find any advantage in owning WebOS why not go for it.

You forgot Apples OSes, and various other OSes too. Samsung are massive and are in all sorts of markets.

My guess is that if this happens and webOS phones sales numbers look promising, they would drop Bada and WP7 (eventually).

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2938470

This was discussed yesterday as well, although the DigiTimes link is the original source of the rumor. Keep in mind DigiTimes also originated the refuted rumor that Samsung would buy HP's PC business.

And here's my comment on the issue: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2939477

I wonder if Samsung would try to support Meego? I imagine Elop will want to bury Megoo in a deep hole. He must know he will look like a prat if Meego takes off and WM7 flops.And Samsung probably want to own something, but it could be an option.

That would be the closest thing possible to a three-man race.

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