HP: No, No, We ARE in the Smartphone Market

News
By Jane McEntegart
published

Yesterday, HP CEO Mark Hurd ruffled a few feathers by saying the company didn't buy Palm to get into the smartphone business. Rather, HP purchased Palm for the company's IP and WebOS and wants to put WebOS on tablets, netbooks and more.

However, it seems all the talk has Mark Hurd rethinking his statement. Despite admitting at the time that "it doesn't seem to resonate well" when he tells people HP didn't buy Palm to be in the smartphone business, the HP CEO was last night retracted his remarks about not wanting to be in the smartphone business.

Hurd said in a statement (via Engadget) that they yes, will be putting WebOS on pretty much every web-conntected device they can get their hands on, but that includes smartphones.

When we look at the market, we see an array of interconnected devices, including tablets, printers, and of course, smartphones. We believe webOS can become the backbone for many of HP's small form factor devices, and we expect to expand webOS's footprint beyond just the smartphone market, all while leveraging our financial strength, scale, and global reach to grow in smartphones.

Jane McEntegart
20 Comments Comment from the forums
  • fulle
    Good... It should get interesting. With Apple, Google, HP, and Microsoft all competing with each other, the mobile market's going to see a lot of fast improvement.
    Reply
  • qwerty45
    ...and dell
    Reply
  • phate
    ...and dell

    Dell doesn't make their own OS. But fulle did miss RIM.
    Reply
  • masterasia
    My carrier is AT&T. I was with Verizon before that. The only reason why I switch was to get an iPhone, but once I saw the outrageous prices on the phones and data packages and the batter life of the iPhone, I decided it wasn't for me. Now I have a Nokia E63 that I paid $160 for and it's unlocked. I can get the family data feature for only $10 a month. I tried doing it for a branded Moto Backflip, but got hit with the $30 plan right away. Hopefully, HP will release something nice and inexpensive that is unlocked for GSM networks so I can continue to pay $10 a month for data.
    Reply
  • ta152h
    The way they're going, HP should call their products DumbPhones, in honor of their CEO.

    That a CEO is that stupid, and has so little support in terms of advisors is hard to understand. How could this clown not know the reaction he would get, and then be surprised enough about it that he had to completely reverse himself? Why didn't his advisors, who surely he consults with, tell him what to expect?

    Stuff like this is hard to understand. It shows not only a lack of intelligence, but a lack of preparation. There's nothing surprising about the reaction of people. Why was he caught flat-footed?
    Reply
  • toastninja17
    Wanna make up your mind, HP? This is just hilarious
    Reply
  • they just realized that they only need shrink a slate running webOS down call it a slateXS and viola smartphone
    Reply
  • thrust2night
    Could have fooled me.
    Reply
  • Good lord !
    Symbian, webOS, iPhoneOS, RIM, Windows Mobile and many others...
    I just want ONE Mobile OS that works...
    And not many of them that complete each others functions (I'm talking about apps area)....
    Reply
  • Titanius
    What really happened after Mark Hurd said they didn't buy Palm to get into the SmartPhone business:

    Some big investors (who have lots of shares in HP) were unhappy about the statement and got Mr. Hurd to reverse his decision and make this last statement saying that HP is getting into the SmartPhone business afterall.

    Got to love big business, hehehe.
    Reply