HP Confirms WebOS Coming to Tablets, Printers
Hewlett-Packard has ended weeks of speculation about the future of the webOS by confirming the smartphone operating system from Palm will be used in tablet computers. However, the revelation that webOS would also by used in printers was much more unexpected.
During an earnings call yesterday, HP CEO Mark Hurd said, "We expect to leverage WebOS into a variety of form factors, including slates and Web-connected printers."
It was widely acknowledged that one of the biggest reasons for HP to buy smartphone maker Palm recently was to acquire rights to the Palm webOS platform. HP was expected to use it in smartphones and tablets in order to increase its competition in those markets, which are currently weak points for the company .
What no one expected was for webOS to make it into HP printers.
As unlikely as it sounds, Hurd actually makes a good case for putting a smartphone operating system into a printer: "With a whole series of Web-connected printers, as they connect to the Web, they need an OS," he said.
Having a touchscreen menu is nothing new for printers, especially HP printers. However, with increasingly complex menu systems and additional functionality needed for Web connectivity, having a platform specifically designed for a touchscreen-navigated, Internet-connected device makes sense on a printer.
HP also has an app store in place for printers that allows people to do even more, such as print tickets from a Fandango app. WebOS was specifically designed to use apps to increase functionality, similar to iPhone and Android smartphones , which is just another reason to implement it in printers of the future.
It makes sense for HP to use webOS wherever it can. Smartphones and tablets are new ground for the company, but it already has an enormous printer business in place. And if any device could use a new twist like webOS to make it interesting again, it's the boring old printer.
