On Sunday, my friend 'BBed' me to ask if it is true HP is opting out of the business of making 'personal computers'. This drew my interest, I told her I wasn't sure but will find out. I follow a number of tech blogs and I subscribe to their RSS feeds, so if something this 'huge' has happened I was sure to know. Then alas, I received this feed http://daringfireball.net/2011/08/hp_apotheker. Well, apparently, HP is not opting out of the business of making Personal Computers or the business of consumer products development, not yet. But they are in fact, stopping production of Web OS devices, top of which are the HP Pre smartphones and TouchPads.
I find this shocking, the HP Tablets were only released in July 2011, and now they are being sold for $99 dollars because Leo Apotheker's HP management does not believe in it (please hold this thought). Even more shocking is the fact that the demand for this 'dead' devices are high. Forgive me for using 'dead'. but even as I type this piece I can not think up a more illustrative way of describing a device that will never have updates for them released by the manufacturer.
The fact that price is the most sane reason for this huge demand becomes another point of note. Come to think of it, why buy a device that you will not get new apps for. Why I have one reason, to use as a play tool- a toy. But the truth remains it is now established that the Tablets war is between iOS and android devices, and in the center of this war is the question of who first develops and sustains the biggest and more useful apps ecosystem. This is a huge tussle, something that great history stories is made out of. Especially when u look at the fact that Google just bought Motorola Mobility
I will be watching, would be happy to have you guys as my companions as this fight plays out. Yea, least you forget, Get a pack of popcorn too. This is a movie!!
