WebOS to replace Windows 7 in HP slate to be released in the third quarter

Shortly after HP announced the Palm acquisition, HP said it would be “doubling down on webOS,” with near-term plans to “scale it across multiple connected devices.” We predicted that HP would deploy a webOS-based mobile device slate and now, according to an unsubstantiated report at the Examiner, an “insider at HP” has informed the site that “a webOS tablet under the code name HP Hurricane could be released the third quarter of this year.” This corroborates what HP said about taking webOS to places it has never been, there was strong suggestions that the HP Slate was being killed, and now, people close to the HP camp have given a name to a purported webOS tablet slated for Q3. Stay tuned for more info from Mobile Devices.

Android Shakes Up U.S. Smartphone Market

Normally second place is not a celebrated accomplishment, but when you’re up against the giant that is Apple, getting second place is a big deal. Google, who helped develop the mobile device operating system, Android, is probably more than satisfied with this place…for now. According to market research firm NPD, “Google’s Android operating system edged up into second place in the US smartphone market during the first quarter of the year, leaving it still well behind RIM’s BlackBerry OS, but marking the first time that it has moved ahead of Apple’s iPhone OS.” Specifically, NPD found that RIM maintained a strong 36% market share for the quarter, with Android coming in at 28%, and iPhone OS in third at 21%. The growth for Android was attributed largely to carriers like Verizon and Sprint which don’t have the iPhone OS and are forced to heavily market Android. Verizon also maintains a 30 percent smartphone market share, which is just slightly behind AT&T at 32%, and ahead of T-Mobile and Sprint at 17% and 15%, respectively.

Eco-leather iPad folio cover with microfiber interior is healthier for the environment

The Eco-Vue offers a stylish eco-leather folio that helps protect your iPad. A unique and innovative hand strap design allows you to fold back the cover and securely grip the device during usage – a feature not offered in other covers. The Eco-Vue opens like a book, and the elastic strap keeps the folio closed while the foldover tab inside helps keep the iPad from slipping out. A foldaway display stand rounds out a broad array of features provided in a single case solution.

What’s so great about eco-leather? The tanning process used to make this leather uses less toxins than traditional leather tanning. This minimizes toxic runoff into the ground and water tables. Throughout the entire process, the leather remains RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant. No chlorine, no sulfuric acid, and no petroleum/chemical based dyes. This is real leather, without the environmental impact of standard tanning and dying processes. Need more iPad accessories?

Estimate beats iPhone on its release date

Apple announced today that they have sold over 1 million iPads, the revolutionary slate device that runs the iPhone OS. Much of that is to retailers and pre-orders, but it is an accomplishment nonetheless.

Who is buying?

Though the economy is improving its hard to imagine that a mobile device that is not a phone or a laptop, but something in between could be so popular. So who is buying it? Besides early adopters and Mac fans, students and baby boomers are likely candidates. Students find the device useful in class and older generations find its ease of use and lack of maintenance exactly what they want in a computer.

eBook Reader Capability

While the iPad is a slate computer, it’s also features eBook reading software, which essentially also makes it an eReader.  For a comparison with Barne’s and Noble’s nook e-Reader, compare the Nook vs. iPad.  For eReader accessories for the iPad, Kindle, Nook, or Alex eReader, visit eAccessories.

HP may be “killing” the Slate to get out of licensing agreements it had with Microsoft for Windows 7

A day after announcing the purchase of Palm, HP was rumored to be killing the Slate which was to be released in June. Microsoft had announced the Slate project back in January just ahead of Apple’s announcement of the iPad. So why would HP be killing it now, just one month away? HP insiders are rumored to be saying that it was because Windows 7 ran too slow on it, but the timing is just too coincidental. One of the biggest reasons HP bought Palm was for their webOS, which would give them full control over the operating system and reduce their relationship (read: expenses) with Microsoft.

Legal Tactics

HP more than likely had legal licensing agreements lined up with Microsoft for the Slate since January, long before HP knew they would be acquiring their own operating system. Killing the project is equivalent to eliminating someone’s position instead of firing them outright. The result is the same, but the legalities of the maneuver are different. In the same way, if the agreement with Microsoft was for the Slate then all HP would have to do is kill the name and make an end run around the legal agreement. Expect a ‘phoenix’ version of the Slate reborn with webOS coming later this year.

5/12/2010 UPDATE: HP rumored to be launching the slate under the codename, Hurricane, in the third quarter of 2010. Read more.

On April 28th HP announced the acquisition of Palm for $1.2 billion. Nokia had passed on the opportunity and Lenovo was rumored to be considering it so it was a bit of a surprise when HP came out as the new owner.

So why would HP want to buy Palm? Aside from the brand name, Palm did not have a lot going for it lately. Market share has been declining for years and Palm’s hail Mary pass with the Pre and Pixie PDA phones failed to gain back much of that share. But HP already has its own line of PDAs, which run flavors of Microsoft operating systems. Palm had its own proprietary operating system, webOS, which HP now owns. Look for HP to leverage this OS on all of its mobile devices from PDAs to tablet PCs. HP’s new slate PC was to run Windows 7, but we may see a webOS version too.

Competition

WebOS already ranks fourth behind Microsoft, Apple, and Google (Android and ChromeOS) for operating systems so HP has a lot of work to do, but unlike Microsoft or even Apple, HP has a large base of mobile devices from music players to PDAs to phones to tablets to put webOS on, which could catapult the OS’ popularity and market share worldwide. One thing is for sure, HP will now be able to control their own software, which they have never been able to do before and which pits them in the company of players like Apple, which uses the iPhone OS for the Iphone, iTouch, and iPad.