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ITT: We talk tech.

So what does everyone think of HP's new strategy for webOS? Personally, I think they couldn't have made a better decision regarding the future of their $1.2 billion investment. Using the tried-and-true Android business model is their best bet for market success. And while the iOS model has worked quite well for Apple, HP doesn't have the sheer quantity of apps to successfully compete with iOS. Additionally, webOS isn't quite as polished as iOS, lacking the simplicity that makes iOS popular.

Meanwhile, Nokia and Microsoft's love affair has yet to produce a unique device, largely due to Microsoft's lack of support for newer hardware. How about a dual-core processor, Microsoft?

So what do you guys think?

There is only iOS and Android. The other OSes are small potatoes.

Symbian is fairly large and you forget about Windows Phone.

Microsoft hasn't really a need for dual core yet, although here in the next year anything not dual core will probably be not a smartphone.

Exactly. The idea is that HP's new strategy will help foster a more competitive product. More competition means more innovation, which means better software.

Symbian is abandoned for high-end smartphones, and never gained any traction in the western world. I've excluded Windows Mobile for the same reason. Blackberry OS is also on the decline, even in the enterprise, largely due to the fact that it offers no significant advantages over other platforms.

Windows has some uses, but blackberry's only advantage is the messaging service. Blackberry phones are popular overseas though because they can come overseas and still message without problems and extra charges.

Edit: But I still prefer android. Even after this stunt:

Symbian is only large because of Nokia's flooding of the market with it. Windows Phone could have a chance since Microsoft has been known to shove an oval peg into a circular hole for many years till it fits.

BB is on the decline.

I just found out that WebOS was based on the PalmOS. That brings back a lot of memories playing with my dad's old Palm 10 odd years ago.

Consumers will win. Reading the comments over at Engadget. Making WebOS open source was a great idea (Engadget: WebOS+Xda). More competition is better. Its gonna force everyone to step up their game in terms of software.
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I don't like taking sides, I already use all OS at home (Windows, Mac, Linux). Same thing would be awesome for the mobile world.
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iOS, Android, WebOS, Windows Phone.
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In the end, we (consumers) win anyway. As for apps, developers will jump on the WebOS train, its free and open source, so why not?

The only reason mediocre software gains marketshare is through market inevitability due to oversaturation. Microsoft is one of the worst offenders (Office, Windows, DirectX, etc). Nokia and Microsoft flooded the market with terrible software, which gained leverage for their platforms. As for Windows Phone 7, it's a far cry from its predecessor (which is a really good thing), but it lacks the capabilities and developer support of other platforms. Microsoft has nobody to blame but itself for this, of course. So the question is: will Microsoft manage to breathe life into its struggling platform and succeed in making it a market inevitability as they did in the past, or will the software giant be forced to relinquish control of the mobile space to its competitors?

At this point, having a closed source OS does not work for anyone but Apple. MS should do what HP did and go Open Source.

It's not a guaranteed way to succeed but it's better than their current path. But knowing Microsoft, they'll never do it.

Microsoft likes to collect licensing fees from manufacturers. But because Android is free and open source, and Windows Phone 7 has failed to gain traction, manufacturers have little incentive to choose Windows Phone 7 over the more profitable Android. Microsoft needs to figure something out, fast.

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Did someone say potatOS?

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