“HP’s chief Meg Whitman in a presentation at her company’s Global Partner Conference on Wednesday was concerned that Google’s likely completed Motorola acquisition would create a chilling effect in mobile,” Electronista reports.
“While she knew Apple’s iOS by definition was closed, she was concerned Google might flip on the concept of openness now that it had its own hardware manufacturer, according to Channel Buzz,” Electronista reports. “To her, this signaled the importance of Open webOS, since it might be the only option for some.”
Electronista reports, “She went on to characterize Apple as ‘on fire,’ but was more reserved about Android, calling it a fragmented platform. HP’s own perceived remedy to Android’s effect would take two to five years to “fully play out,” Whitman said.
Read more in the full article here.
I’ve always liked Meg but she would have been better of as a Senator in a failing government than the CEO of a failing HP.
HP? Oh, the printer makers! I remember them!
HP? Oh, the makers of absolutely the best pocket calculators ever? That use RPN, simplicity itself? Yeah, I remember them (and still have my original HP-67).
HP is already 10 years behind in the smartphone race.
And HP plays a role in all this how?
Oh yea, they think their newly open source, yet DOA WebOS is gonna be an option for somebody on some planet somewhere.
HP will never be a true player in the smartphone game. They may make a Windows Phone or Android phone, if it’s still open, but will never be a contender and Whitman knows this. The companies that will succeed will be like Aople and so far the only company succeeding in this IS Apple. While they’ve spent years setting up for this day others like Ballmer have largely been picking their noses and throwing chairs after a nice long nap. Being caught with their pants down and years behind must be a most unpleasant sensation and realization.
They could have been a contender, but the real HP DNA was spun off with Agilient Technologies in 1999. Since then the HP logo (all that remains of the real HP) has been pasted on Wintel computers and printers.
Glad to see someone else who understands history.
Yes her proposed option is?
Now we know that Apotheker was much smarter, because this worry of hers is stupid. Android’s whole sense is being “open”/”fragmented”.
Yeah, but sometimes things change. Remember that microsoft engineer a few days ago talking about Windows on Arm, with an “integrated software/hardware experience” He understood.
There’s no reason Google hasn’t already figured out how much of a fail android is with such a fragmented hardware base. They may be trying to fix that.
Now if only HP had their own Mobile OS ready to go…oh, wait. Never mind.
So wait… Couldn’t they just use the Microsoft mobile flavor instead? For me and this is just an ‘at gunpoint’ choice – a Windows phone would be my go to after ios.
Hmmm…do I detect a waiting game being played by MS here? I’d be willing to offer odds.
The question is which company is going to provide and integrated system for a community to coalesce around (other than Apple).
As much as I like Apple (since the first Mac), I don’t want to see them get lazy, hence, I’ld like to see a competent “player” doing second fiddle.
At one time or another I have bought from HP:
– notebook computer
– desktop computer
– PDA – personal digital assistant
– smart phone running Windows Mobile 6.5
– inkjet printer
– laser printer
– calculator
– flatbed scanner
I have replaced them with:
– notebook computer (MacBook Pro)
– desktop computer (Mac mini)
– PDA – personal digital assistant (iPod touch)
– smart phone running Windows Mobile 6.5 (iPhone)
– inkjet printer (Epson)
– laser printer (HP)
– calculator (Casio)
– flatbed scanner (Canon)
The only thing I’ve retained is the laser printer.
Quality problems have dogged HP of late. HP is like a boxer who has been knocked down to the canvas a few times and is groping around for a quick fix.
You’re right. HP has seemed punch-drunk up until now. The “Leadership” prefers political infighting, scapegoating, and profiteering to what once made them great—design and manufacturing.
Speaking of boxing metaphors, it’s amusing that a Boxer beat down former HP CEO Carly Fiorina in the same election in which current CEO Meg Whitman was whipped.
Forbes did this hatchet job on HP’s BOD last September:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2011/09/21/hps-board-of-directors-is-pathetic/
If Meg read MDN, she would have known about the fate of Android quite a long time ago, and the impact of Google’s MoMo acquisition many months ago.
Google cannot close Android without fragmenting it even farther.
It is based on Open Source Software.
The only thing they could legally block anyone from using would be their own Google apps which would be shooting themselves in the foot.
Any company can take Android, take it apart, change it up and release it as their own. That is the beauty of open source. You are not locked into a vendor controlling your fate as a user or a developer.
I guess Google will do a “Playforsure” on its partners.