Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay and current head of HP, has learned a thing or two from her failed stint to run for governor of California. This isn't a knock against her but we have to see what she said about Android for what it is. A very good jab at Android while pushing HP's Web OS as the open alternative.
Essentially, what she said is that with the approval of Motorola buyout by Google and it begins to digest its new mobile hardware division, Android will become less accessible to other hardware manufacturers and designers. There is that fear. I have to admit that I fear that day could come.
On that we agree but it isn't as if Whitman was speaking as neutral third party - she wants to push out Web OS and get a little something back from the failed Pre and Touchpad experiment. After all, HP did sink $1.2 billion into Palm and more much after it began working on the new hardware.
Furthermore, even as HP work on Web OS as an open source, keep in mind that HP has not ruled out that it could one day, in a year or so, release its own Web OS hardware again.
Wouldn't that essentially put HP and Google on the same footing - both owning a mobile OS that it claims to be open with its own hardware division?
So, Meg, girl, don't worry about us Android folks. We heard you loud and clear. You show us that you can keep Web OS open in, oh say a couple of years, and then we'll chat.
Source: Electronista.
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