Picture it - this HP Slate hardware running webOS AND Flash http://gizmodo.com/5510143/hp-slate-specs-leaked-compared-to-ipad-in-hp-internal-presentation
I'll be first in line! On 4/29/10, ew2 <[email protected]> wrote: > April 29th, 2010 > > Did HP save Palm with acquisition? Or did it save itself? > > Posted by Sam Diaz @ 2:15 am > http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=33836&tag=nl.e539 > > At first glance, HP looks like a savior for coming in and saving Palm > from its inevitable demise. > > After all, it’s no secret that Palm has been struggling to gain traction > despite the standing ovation it received at the unveiling of WebOS and > the Palm Pre at CES 2009. But the world of mobile has gone through quite > a bit of change in that time - iPhone became an even hotter seller; > Android hit the scene hard with a lineup of devices and carrier > partners; Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 7, as well as Research in Motion’s > Blackberry 6, are just about ready for prime time. And, globally, > devices with a new Symbian smartphone OS are expected before year’s end. > > OK, so Palm needed HP. But what about HP? What did it need? > > Obviously, it needed a smartphone strategy. The company, which has > largely relied on Microsoft to power its devices in the past, was pretty > much a non-player in the smartphone game. How much longer was HP going > to be able to hold out as a smartphone player, given the growth > potential there? Sure, as an innovator, HP could have gone back into the > labs and started working on the hardware - and maybe even a mobile OS > that it could shape and mold - to get in the game. But how long would > that have taken? > > And then there’s the tablet/netbook game. A mobile OS - tweaked from one > that powers smartphones to one that powers tablet PCs - was something > else that HP needed if it was going to break away from the delays and > licensing restrictions imposed by Microsoft. > > In essence, that’s what it got - hardware, software, engineering talent > and carrier partners, among other things - with the $1.2 billion it’s > dropping to get Palm. > > Sure, there are naysayers who will argue that HP paid too much for a > company that was in over its head and desperately in need of a buyer. > Forrester Research Mobile analyst Charles Golvin, for example, said that > HP was right to jump into the mobile game - but was wrong to do so by > acquiring Palm. He said: > > Palm could be valued for its brand, its intellectual property, its > platform, or its people. HP doesn’t need the Palm brand; the IP helps an > existing player not a new entrant; we don’t think the WebOS platform is > viable long term in the face of its competition; and HP could sweep up > Palm’s people individually at a much lower price. HP needs a strong > presence in mobile, but Palm doesn’t deliver that. > > Maybe there’s something in Silicon Valley’s water that makes me see > things in another light, from the glass half-full perspective. There’s a > can-do spirit within Silicon Valley that isn’t always apparent to those > who aren’t actually here. Palm is a company that’s been sold, revived, > split in half and brought back together against all odds. HP has gone > through its share of internal turmoil, as well, but has maintained its > brand equity through it. > > Maybe it’s not just the spirit but also the competitive drive - and > possibly some personal vendetta - that makes these two Silicon Valley > brand names want to go after and beat one of the other iconic names in > these parts: Apple. > > In a blog post that examines the HP-Palm deal, analyst Rob Enderle notes > how hard feelings and memories of being scorned has created a common > “Beat Apple” mentality. He writes: > > Both companies have a deep desire to beat Apple, because Apple has > consistently made fools of both firms. This creates a common goal that > should keep the resulting combined company focused. And HP doesn’t > require the massive gross margins that Apple needs to survive given the > firm and potential pricing advantage as well. If HP can engage Apple in > a price war the same way it did with Dell, Apple would be at a severe > disadvantage. But first they need a truly competitive product. > > Beating Apple will not be easy - Apple has a huge headstart and great > momentum. Done right, though, HP could become a mobile contender almost > overnight. Enderle continues: > > HP has tablet and smartphone display technology in-house that I spoke of > previously, an eBook reader, and a set of media management tools that > are potentially unmatched in the market out of their lab. Along with the > Palm IP, these tools could give them an incredible advantage, if they > can execute. That “if” has proven to be a formidable barrier for anyone, > including HP and Palm, when it comes to competing with Apple. > > To hear HP executives talk about the acquisition, there’s definitely > optimism in the air. With some emphasis in his voice, HP VP Todd Bradley > said on a conference call yesterday that the company plans to “invest > heavily” in the development of the mobile business and will “go > aggressively” to market. The company expects to see “solid growth,” as > well, he said. ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/treo/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/treo/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
