HP's WebOS, based on the Palm OS it acquired by purchasing the PDA pioneer, has been generally well received, but its presence on only a handful of smartphones and a lack of app support may explain why it remains a minor player, holding less than 2 percent of the U.S. smartphone market.
HP's first WebOS-based tablet, the TouchPad, will be available in the U.S. from July 1, bringing a fourth platform contender to the tablet wars that could shake up the market.
That could change if the TouchPad manages to capture consumers' attention. If it succeeds, it will be the unique appeal of WebOS, not the tablet itself, that clinches the deal. The hardware is well-speced but not extraordinary, with a 1.2-gigahertz dual-core processor and a 9.7-inch screen. It will launch with a Wi-Fi version, with a cellular variant coming to AT&T later in the summer.
The tablet's NFC technology, usually associated with mobile payments, is a standout. It lets the device exchange data with another WebOS device by simply touching them together.
Although WebOS has its devotees, the device will face stiff competition from not only Apple's iPad, but a host of Android-based tablets and RIM's PlayBook.
However, the platform could gain some momentum if HP finds other equipment makers to license it. The company is also including support for the platform in all of its PCs, which will greatly increase the number of compatible products and could help lure developers -- though many mobile-specific apps wouldn't really make sense on a computer.
A lack of apps is the TouchPad's greatest obstacle. There are only about 6,000 WebOS apps, and the huge majority of those are presumably optimized for HP's smartphones. However, HP has pledged to work more closely with developers, which could help get a flow of apps going.
It remains to be seen if HP's decision to go it alone with a proprietary platform pays off. In addition to the two entrenched players and newly arrived QNX tablet from RIM, the company is likely to face tablets based on Microsoft's next-gen OS sometime next year.
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