Guest post by HP recently posted new videos of their developer sessions at Mobile World Congress. As it turns out they aren’t just interesting for developers – in particular, Part 3 offers a glimpse of the TouchPad UI that’s a bit more in-depth than what we’ve seen so far. For developers, there’s also an overview of the development environment(s) (part 4) and an introduction to the new SDK “Enyo” (part 5).
I cannot wait for this. Gonna be awesome
I really like how they took a lot of standard bits of Linux and webtechnologies and build a whole platform around it.
Like Linux, SDL, OpenGL ES, WebKit, V8, nodejs.
Open source software and open standards.
Every part mentioned paid for by Corporations. The Open Source vs. BSD/MIT licensing is six in one hand, half a dozen in another. We’ve had open source for decades. It’s called BSD. WebKit exists thanks to Apple. V8 exists thanks to Google. OpenGL ES thanks to SGI, Nvidia, AMD, Apple, IBM, etc. Linux thanks to IBM, Oracle, Red Hat, etc.
Euh… well atleast half of my list started out as non-corporate:
– Linux, even bears the name of it’s creator
– webkit came from khtml from the KDE-project which wasn’t corporately funded at the time
– nodejs came from Ryan Dahl which recently became corporately funded
SDL, V8 and OpenGL seem to be have been created paid by corporations.
Does it matter ? While I prefer the model Linus is using (being paid by a consortium of companies) people who create these projects usually are more attached to their work in the open source world than working for a company. So when they don’t like where something is going, they leave.
WebKit has no code with KDE. Try again. The original fork came from KDE which was subsequently abandoned and WebKit proper was born.
Linux bears it’s creator because he trademarked it.
Edited 2011-03-07 22:02 UTC
KHTML definitely still exists and is still used in parts of in the latest versions of KDE.
It never was able to merge with WebKit again because Apple worked on it in secret first and the gap became really large.
I think Konqueror still uses KHTML as it’s engine by default.
Supposedly you can change that though:
http://digitizor.com/2010/08/11/how-to-switch-to-webkit-in-konquero…
Finally someone else mentions it.
Corporate fatcats profiting off of the work of basement dwelling free software hippies, are the lifeblood of the Open source movement.
Its like people dont realize when theyre being had, lol.
So what?
I wish that HP had created WebOS with HPUX as a base and stop selling Windows, only Unices (HPUX Solaris), BSDs and Linux for desktop and enterprises. WebOS is based on Linux and I think this is a positive step.
They couldn’t, since it’s Palm who started it.
This is the craziest thing I’ve heard in a while. Who would want HPUX? On a phone? “Ugh” about sums it up.
I think a better summary is:
lolwut?
I’m sure that many of HP’s competitors are wishing for the same….
The day webos becomes a standard desktop os (as in, they start using that instead of windows and im forced into it.) is they day I stop using computers entirely.
Edited 2011-03-08 13:38 UTC
Wait, wouldn’t you want to see PCs becoming touchscreen-based and the great iOS vs Android vs webOS fight after that ? Inferior OSs fighting for dominance on inferior hardware sure looks drool-worthy to me.
Once WebOS with decent hardware reaches Finland I’m selling my N8 without hesitation. Having only used it in an emulator I still think it’s the best UI on the market.
seems like perfect timing for HP. They’ve put themselves in the position to possibly take over for nokia on the smartphone side…at least in spirit.
We live in a strange time. This is when HP performs better than HP ever imagined and Nokia is going down the drain. I’m hoping HP would do a fantastic job managing WebOS.
Edited 2011-03-07 16:11 UTC
Some of the “amazing” features of WebOS… (from Part 3 – webOS demonstration with Sachin Kansal)
– Ability to connect to different email servers and a fairly OK email UI (some touted features included text flowing, inline images, HTML emails)
– Ability to view facebook photos and comment on them
– Full screen flash
– Ability to pause a 3D game
– Close apps by throwing them off screen
When did our expectations become so low?
I’m uninspired. Most of the demonstrated stuff is minor development time. The video calling and the general integration of it all is pretty neat, but the rest is pretty run-of-the-mill.
Sorely missed in WebOS 1.X were basic 2004 smartphone functions
1. Voicedial
2. Proxy support in the browser
Even PalmOS supported these on the Treo.
With RIM creating TabletOS based on the WebOS UI, but having more features behind it, I’m carefully waiting to see what happens to their nextgen phones as well. WebOS 2.X is nothing more than a UI update to me.
In the TabletOS move, RIM might turn WebOS users over to a tablet that will be available before Touchpad especially if the phones will use the same OS.
Edited 2011-03-07 23:12 UTC
WebOS 2.x is getting voice dialing.
As for being just a UI update; It’s that plus severe optimization which WebOS was needing hardcore.
As for uninspiring? It’s a mobile OS built on actual open standards thats extremely easy to develop for and has a very cohesive, well thought out and polished user interface. It struggled with just poor mostly bankrupt Palm trying to develop it but now with HPs full weight behind it I expect great things over the next year or two.
It is currently the only phone/tablet OS/Device combo that tries to integrate the two together for a good user experience. I’m sure the competitors will eventually add similar stuff, but it will probably feel bolted on. Might not, but who knows.
I, personally, adore the linking shown between the Pre and the Touchpad.
I’ll be getting a Pre3 and a Touchpad as soon as I can. I’ll just have to suck it up and continue suffering with my current phone I was wanting to upgrade sooner :/
-RIM +HP, I think
Edited 2011-03-08 09:04 UTC
If you were responding to my post about what RIM is doing, I did mean RIM as they are the ones who stole the WebOS UI and I think can steal customers away from HP who are fans of WebOS.
HPalm has WebOS but seems to be lacking on innovation and sometimes necessities they put in it. For example, finally getting Voicedial and the list of things FreeGamer mentions in WebOS 2.x.
How about proxy support in the browser, anyone?