While the big news this week was undoubtedly the HP purchase of Palm, two other news items may impact the mobile technology scene down the road. They may be related to the HP/ Palm merger, too. Microsoft has been teasing us with concept videos of the innovative Courier product, a dual-screen touch “journal” that is connected to the web and based on a new OS optimized for the device. Word came this week that Microsoft has canceled the Courier project, which is strange as it was never acknowledged by Redmond as really exisiting. Then today HP has reportedly canceled the Slate product, a Windows 7 tablet that was shown by Steve Ballmer at the CES this year.
The cancelation of the Courier “concept” project, confirmed by Microsoft, is a shame. This device showed the potential of being the most innovative thing to come out of Redmond in years. While the usage scenario depicted in leaked videos was narrow, I do believe with a little attention the Courier could have evolved into a game-changing mobile device. It’s too bad that will never happen, although I’m sure Microsoft will make use of the technology the project exposed in other products. One can hope, anyway.
The news that HP is canceling the HP Slate is surprising, and it may not be accurate. The Slate is a real product, demonstrated by both Microsoft and HP on several occasions, and HP has stated the product would be released. It’s not a concept or a pilot program, the Slate is a real product that was scheduled for release. There is some speculation that HP’s purchase of Palm has led to this product cancelation, as HP has implied they will be putting the webOS on a range of products including tablets. This may very well be, but I hope HP does it right if so.
I’ve made it clear that to produce a good tablet, companies must pay attention to details other than the form factor. It is essential that a touch tablet be based on an OS that is built for such usage from the ground up, and webOS certainly meets that requirement. I do believe HP can make a killer tablet based on webOS, but not with a simple conversion of the HP Slate from Windows 7 to webOS. The Slate is a clunky, thick and heavy tablet, which will not work with consumers. I hope HP produces a thin, light tablet that is optimized for webOS through and through. That would be a killer product.
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I would love to see HP put out a lightweight slate or tablet with webOS. That would be a truly elegant and incredible device.
Here’s to hoping HP does right with Palm and webOS!
While I have no doubt that HP will create a very cool WebOS tablet I fear that the tablets that are coming out (similar to the iPad) are going to remain toys. Sorry, but the apps for the iPad aren’t real programs just yet. The closest is iWorks and reviews show how limited it is compared to the “real” version.
I want a great tablet that I can also dock and be used as a real computer when necessary. WebOS might be able to do that but HP needs to think about tying in Linux apps (similar to the WePad) and possibly even wine to allow some Windows apps–just look at how well portableapps.com apps run on wine in linux and think about how instantly you will get tons of apps that you can use, and I think the CPU power will be plenty for most of these. Hey, someone hacked a Pre to run OOo. This is the one reason I’m attracted to, I think it Asus’s, the dual boot netbook/tablet hybrid that runs win7 and Android. I guess I’m of the thought that more devices floating around isn’t better. . . I might be the minority though lol.
Okay, so I loved the Courier concept. The only reason I could see that they’d cancel it is if they just couldn’t get it to match up to the leaked concept videos. I mean, it’s hard enough to compete with the iPad, let along your own idea of where the device was supposed to be.
Luckily, I can already do pretty much everything that the Courier was supposed to on my Tablet PC. Sure, Courier was to put that all into a much nicer package / interface, with the promise of all-day battery life, but at the same time didn’t really do anything all that new compared to what I already can do.
This is a no-brainer, WebOS is much easier to optimize than Windows mobile 7. WebOS is by far the best mobile OS on the market. I believe Palm was jockeying for a buyer ever since WebOS was announced.
iPad iPad iPad !!!
For years to come you will be hearing about the so-called next “iPad Killer” just around the corner. Yep just like the imminent iPhone Killer has been rumored and rumored and rumored but nowhere to be found for YEARS. :-)
I think the huge success of the iPad made these guys realize they cannot release a shiny tablet that has no depth (i.e. no tailored OS, no optimized content, no developers, etc).
The Courier and Slate would have been completely destroyed by the iPad no doubt about it. It is indeed magical.
On iPad 3G day it has already eliminated MS fanboys dream machines. Magical indeed and at an unbelievable low price !
Steve was right, as always.
Apple SUCKS. iPad SUCKS TWICE. Huge, Bulky. The ugliest product of Apple.
The size of the iPad is fine if you have a big enough jacket pocket. The thinness is great, and the battery life is great until it gets to be 2 years old and it is down to half the time (if iPods are any guide).
The part of the iPad that will scare people away is that it is as locked down as an iPod touch. If Apple had released the same form factor with an open model I would have gotten one.
No iPad for you then. Millions upon millions of others will enjoy this closed system with all its glory. The rest of you will have nothing since the Apple tablet is the only game in town ! Keep waiting and waiting and wai…until something comes along that is better…just don’t hold your breath for your own safety please. :-P
What I want is a small device I can ink on with One Note and run Logos Bible Software on and then sync that with my real computer where I also run the same programs. No Mobile OS toy, ilike iP*, Windows Phone 7 Series (aka iPhone-Lite), Android, etc. is going to let me do that. Period. I also know I’m not going to get it. Ever.
Windows 7 on a slate would have filled a lot of uses that the iPad fails at, even if the device is slightly bulkier and thicker. I hope that news about it’s cancellation is wrong, because I think HP should release the slate as scheduled.
The Palm sale was not even apparent back in January – let HP worry about working on a WebOS model for 2011, it won’t happen overnight anyway.
This is actually good new for HP since they will be getting a boatload of ex-Apple engineers that know mobile computing better that HP. Also they will be better aligned with Apple’s current path instead of Microsoft future path.
I wanted to see the Slate come to market, too. There are things a full OS can do that webOS and minimalistic environments just can’t, yet.
If they solved the touch experience, the Slate would have been a great addition to the tech market.
Yikkers!
The Courier I can understand, Microsoft wants its OS on other people’s hardware and has never really been comfortable with building its own..
But the HP Tablet? A cancellation or worse for Microsoft, the tablet showing up running WebOS, would be a nightmare for the boys in Redmond.
If there’s a problem, Microsoft needs to cut a deal with HP and get the Tablet done. If the problems are technological, Balmer must respond as he did with Windows 7 following the Vista fiasco, quickly and decisively.
Right now Microsoft is sitting on a pile of cash garnered from aging product lines. WP7 and the HP Tablet are its future.
My thought is that the current HP slate was going to disappoint. In going after the cheap reader Ipad market the Slate had to go with netbook guts and a basic capacitive screen.
Best case scenario:
Go after the Ipad market with a 500.00 WebOS slate. A Windows 7 worth 500.00 will look pathetic next to an Ipad. WebOS will blow it away.
Dont compete with the IPad price on a Windows 7 slate. Make a traditional W7 slate tablet with a current Wacom touch capable tablet, with something better than an Atom (i3 or even i5), that can ink and touch. Roughly the exact size of a typical convertable tablet “screen” alone. and sell it for a grand. The problem with traditional slates are that they werent much thinner than todays convertables.
Give me a 12-inch slate that weights the same as a notebook screen (1.5 pounds) and the promise of real pen computing will take off