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HP Seeks Buyer For WebOS Patents

Posted by timothy on from the webos-youbos-let's-allbos dept.

judgecorp writes "Hewlett-Packard wants to cash in a lot of mobile patents, as part of Meg Whitman's restructuring, according to reports. HP acquired the WebOS operating system, as seen on phones and tablets, when it bought Palm, but failed to build a business on it. It's since sold its WebOS business to LG for use in TVs and cars but hung onto the patents which are licensed to LG. Now, Bloomberg reports the patents themselves may be for sale — possibly to whoever fails to buy BlackBerry's tempting bundle of mobile technology."

8 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. Come on, google! by SCHecklerX · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If Android could inherit much of what makes WebOS great, I would be ecstatic!

    1. Re:Come on, google! by Aryden · · Score: 2

      Same here. The major issue I had with WebOS was quite simply the lack of software/apps and the general unavailability of any free apps. Beyond that, it really works wonderfully on my touchpad, though it spends 99% of it's time booted into Android...

    2. Re:Come on, google! by ArhcAngel · · Score: 3, Informative

      If Android could inherit much of what makes WebOS great, I would be ecstatic!

      So...BB 10 is what you are asking for. BlackBerry took the best design elements from WebOS and put them on the rock solid QNX kernel and then made it possible to run ~90% of all Android apps.

      --
      "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
    3. Re:Come on, google! by Merk42 · · Score: 2

      Like that card UI? They should totally get the designer that did that...

  2. Re:All I can say is... by RenderSeven · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know, Palm. The remnants of which will be sold to Facebook. So they can call it FacePalm.

  3. A LOT more than WebOS by afidel · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Remember, these are the patent assets of the former Palm Inc. so there could be a LOT of basic smartphone patents in there..

    --
    There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    1. Re:A LOT more than WebOS by wbr1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This. And there is a good possibility that some rich law firm or other entity will purchase them off to troll with them. I would like to see Google pick them up, or perhaps even MS, as long as they don't go to a troll that will stifle further growth and innovation in the mobile market.

      --
      Silence is a state of mime.
  4. The two best phones combined by frog_strat · · Score: 2

    IMHO the WebOS Palm Pre, and the new Blackberry Z10 are the two best phones as far as gestures and interface go. Blackberry OS 10 is already getting closer to WebOS with release 10.2, It would interesting to see the best features of the two combined.