As if today’s announcement from HP that it was releasing the code for webOS to the open source community wasn’t enough good news for die-hard fans of the platform (and maybe even some of those who never had a chance to check it out, but were always curious), the revelations continue thanks to an interview with HP CEO Meg Whitman and board member Marc Andreessen. This time the news is a double-edged sword, but the important takeaway is that HP is by no means done releasing webOS devices.
Whitman confirmed plans for new hardware exist, but there’s no set schedule at the moment. That means we might see some gear show up later next year, or it might not arrive until 2013 or later; the point, though, is that it’s coming. Better still, we’re not talking about its use in embedded appliances like had been rumored, but new mobile hardware.
If you caught on to our avoidance of the word “smartphone”, you’ve spotted the rub. HP thinks that more webOS tablets are in its future, but Whitman is skeptical that the company would ever try its hand at another webOS smartphone. Still, maybe we’ll someday see a webOS tablet in the 5-inch range that’s as good as a smartphone for all intents and purposes.
