3 Prototypes From HP, In Outline

tekgoblin writes "Since the recent HP buyout of PALM we have been waiting for what HP may have in store for us. Well HP's CTO Phil McKinney has tweeted some pictures of 3 new devices that could be released in the near future." Note: the pictures' most relevant bits are blacked out with the subtlety of an expurgated FBI document, but they have me curious, especially about the wrist-worn device.

Comments

Those are awesome..

[black3d]

..designer frames. The black boxes.. eh..

Re:Those are awesome..

[BonquiquiShiquavius]

Quick...someone zoom in on the reflections in the monitor and enhance!

MS Paint Prototypes?

[0100010001010011]

Here's some photos of my hand with black bocks over everything. But they're prototypes. I swear. Please don't buy something from Apple.

Worthless article

[Anonymous Coward]

What the fuck is this? One short paragraph and three photos showing black rectangles?

Here's to hoping

[Pojut]

WebOS is a decent piece of software...here's to hoping HP leverages it intelligently.

Re:Here's to hoping

[mickwd]

Let's hope they use it intelligently.

Why use a pretentious three-syllable management-wank-speak word in place of a perfectly acceptable single-syllable word which means the same thing?

Re:Here's to hoping

[bhartman34]

Probably because "using" something and "leveraging" it are not the same thing.

They could "use" WebOS in any number of different pieces of hardware, but if the hardware they put it in doesn't really benefit from what WebOS can do (e.g., with the multitasking and Synergy, especially), then they haven't leveraged it well at all. Leveraging a product means you use it in such a way to make other products attractive, as well.

For example: Let's say HP decided to put WebOS exclusively on tablets. You could certainly argue that tablets are a good use scenario for WebOS, but they certainly couldn't be said to be leveraging WebOS well, if that were the case.

Why does no one mimic Apple where it counts?

[skoda]

Ooh! Look! They've invented paper and the $0.99 solar-powered calculator!

HP's already announced and seemingly canceled amazing new Win7 tablet. They've bought WebOS and then suggested that they're going to stuff it in printers, so forget about tablets for now. So what are they doing here? More stuff that doesn't exist or won't leave the lab? Or won't be sold until I've already bought my iPad 2?

Why don't these companies mimic Apple where it matters? Don't rumor, tease, prototype, spin, et cyk? Shut up until you've got something work talking about...and then release it!

Re:Why does no one mimic Apple where it counts?

[Eevee]

Shut up until you've got something work talking about...and then release it!

They'll release it as soon as they figure out how to require it to use up an ink cartridge once a week.

Re:Why does no one mimic Apple where it counts?

[Martin Blank]

They've bought WebOS and then suggested that they're going to stuff it in printers, so forget about tablets for now.

They've already confirmed the WebOS tablet for Q1 2011 (once in an all-hands meeting and once in the quarterly results conference call), and have said a couple of times that the Win7 tablet is not dead.

A new low

[ColdWetDog]

For content here at Slashdot. If you don't have the imagination to make up something, then redact some random shapes in a picture and call it 'news'.

Come on now guys. This is embarrassing.

Re:A new low

[Anonymous Coward]

It's Sunday. This is just the Slashdot way of saying that this is an open thread and you can talk about whatever you want since the entire story is offtopic.

So I was thinking, tritium-deuterium fusion is soo overrated. Proton-boron fusion is where it's at.

No enhance??

[Pe_Ell]

I'm sure CSI could show us what was there... they can even show us encrypted IPs! ENHANCE!!

Oh look, a [REDACTED]

[MrEricSir]

Wow, that's incredible! I have a [REDACTED] but it doesn't run [REDACTED] operating system, nor does it have [REDACTED] feature!

I can't wait to see what [REDACTED] HP comes out with next!

It's a new type of GUI interface!

[Anonymous Coward]

All black controls labeled in black on a black background.

(With apologies to Douglas Adams)

I have been expecting this for a while now

[erroneus]

Computers and personal storage can get as small as imaginable. It takes decreasing amounts of power to process and store data. The more power is being used for wireless I/O and display devices.

What I am guessing we are seeing here is that the data processor and storage device is on his wrist. Using a low power, high speed data link, the hand-held devices are little more than a display with input functionality. So, he picks one up, and the wrist device connects to it and that becomes his hand-held device. He picks up another, and THAT becomes the hand-held device. For an even more enhanced experience, a wireless I/O device and client software can be connected to your desktop PC, and you can sync and exchange data with your wrist device and also use the PC for its console.

And since the wrist device needs little to no controls, it is pretty trivial to make it rugged and durable. And since it's attached to your wrist, it isn't getting lost or misplaced quite so easily.

Re:I have been expecting this for a while now

[erroneus]

I hadn't considered that possibility. However, with the right attachments, it could also be used as a screwdriver and to open cans and bottles.

Re:I have been expecting this for a while now

[dakohli]

So, this is HP's plan:

Put out a few pictures of nothing, and let the geeks speculate on what it is. Then mine the responses for the best ideas. Voila, a plan for the future!

Take that, CERN!

[Sean_Inconsequential]

In other news, HP has beaten CERN in the race to create miniature black holes.