I've always liked buying HP electronic devices since my first HP45 calculator. And of course, I've had nearly every Palm device since the Pilot 1000.
SO, I should be happy! I'm not quite. Palm's hardware quality has been mediocre at best in recent years. Other than printers, so has HP's. I never buy their desktop or laptop computers for my clients unless I absolutely have to, preferring the hardware quality of Lenovo (for laptops) and Dell (for desktops). HP is third. Still in all, a good thing, I suppose. Perhaps HP just sees itself competing in the computer arena with the crappy hardware product quality of Toshiba and the other retail systems, and for the world of mobile they'll see themselves competing (as they will be) with Apple and HTC, both of whom have better hardware product quality (not Apple computers, which are just as mediocre as Toshiba, but in the area of mobile devices, Apple is first rate). Maybe? But not this year, I fear. Unless they've been talking longer than we know, which is possible. Maybe HP has a smartphone and a tablet all revved up and ready for WebOS? But, the Evo is calling . . . Cheers, Don From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Alli Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 2:24 PM To: Treo Yahoo Groups Subject: [Treo] HP buys Palm PALO ALTO, Calif. & SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HP (NYSE: HPQ - News) and Palm, Inc. (NASDAQ: PALM - News) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which HP will purchase Palm, a provider of smartphones powered by the Palm webOS mobile operating system, at a price of $5.70 per share of Palm common stock in cash or an enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion. The transaction has been approved by the HP and Palm boards of directors. The combination of HP's global scale and financial strength with Palm's unparalleled webOS platform will enhance HP's ability to participate more aggressively in the fast-growing, highly profitable smartphone and connected mobile device markets. Palm's unique webOS will allow HP to take advantage of features such as true multitasking and always up-to-date information sharing across applications. "Palm's innovative operating system provides an ideal platform to expand HP's mobility strategy and create a unique HP experience spanning multiple mobile connected devices," said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. "And, Palm possesses significant IP assets and has a highly skilled team. The smartphone market is large, profitable and rapidly growing, and companies that can provide an integrated device and experience command a higher share. Advances in mobility are offering significant opportunities, and HP intends to be a leader in this market." "We're thrilled by HP's vote of confidence in Palm's technological leadership, which delivered Palm webOS and iconic products such as the Palm Pre. HP's longstanding culture of innovation, scale and global operating resources make it the perfect partner to rapidly accelerate the growth of webOS," said Jon Rubinstein, chairman and chief executive officer, Palm. "We look forward to working with HP to continue to deliver industry-leading mobile experiences to our customers and business partners." Under the terms of the merger agreement, Palm stockholders will receive $5.70 in cash for each share of Palm common stock that they hold at the closing of the merger. The merger consideration takes into account the updated guidance and other financial information being released by Palm this afternoon. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of domestic and foreign regulatory approvals and the approval of Palm's stockholders. The transaction is expected to close during HP's third fiscal quarter ending July 31, 2010. Palm's current chairman and CEO, Jon Rubinstein, is expected to remain with the company. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
