HP Chooses Windows 8 Over Its Own WebOS For Future Tablets
HP’s latest statement suggests that HP is switching over to Windows 8 for its future tablet offerings and ignoring WebOS.
Windows 8 Gains Preference In HP For The Company’s Next Tablet
After the TouchPad’s failure in the consumer and commercial markets, HP is planning to continue with the Windows platform. According to a statement made by an HP spokesperson — “…[HP] already make(s) a Windows 7-based tablet, the HP Slate 500, so you could probably guess we’ll continue to work with them…”
This shows clear signs that like Dell, HP too is developing tablets that will run Windows 8. These tablets will be aimed at the consumer market, which is the industry term for the average users who will buy it as a lifestyle product. The HP tablet that has seen some sales is a commercial product that is used by professionals in fields like hospitality, finance and healthcare. What HP wants is to have their tablets popping up at coffee shops and subway trains.
The spokesperson further added that even though HP has discontinued their WebOS hardware line, the company would “definitely” be continuing participating in the tablet market. This is what gives strength to the conclusion that HP is developing Windows 8 tablets.
HP Was Working On Windows 8 Before TouchPad Was Released
There are some rumors in the industry that say HP was working closely with Microsoft for developing a Windows 8 tablet much before the TouchPad was sent to the market. Then the TouchPad was released and HP suffered a loss at the consumer tablet market. Since that time, it became unclear whether HP wants to continue making consumer tablets or not.
However, now there’s word on the street that HP CEO Meg Whitman is seriously inclined towards working on consumer tablets. The WebOS tablet mainly failed mainly because of the lack of a rich WebOS app environment. Since Windows 8 will have a lot more third party developers working to create apps, HP might have better luck with a Windows 8 tablet.
WebOS was a mobile platform developed by Palm. HP then bought off palm and that is how WebOS came to the latter company.
