Comments on: The rise and fall of webOS is an epic tale; webOS != Web OS http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os blogging about life, the universe, and everything tech Sat, 08 Sep 2012 07:06:53 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kevin Whinnery http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48748 Kevin Whinnery Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:18:49 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48748 I think the missed opportunity of webOS was, as the title of the post indicates, that it was not a "Web OS". HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and all the emerging technologies and standards of the browser do not make web apps powerful - freedom, choice, and interconnectivity make the web platform powerful. If webOS had made web applications first-class citizens and retained the true power of the web, we'd probably be having a very different conversation. I think the missed opportunity of webOS was, as the title of the post indicates, that it was not a “Web OS”. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and all the emerging technologies and standards of the browser do not make web apps powerful – freedom, choice, and interconnectivity make the web platform powerful.

If webOS had made web applications first-class citizens and retained the true power of the web, we’d probably be having a very different conversation.

]]> By: Chris Dunphy http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48745 Chris Dunphy Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:48:02 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48745 This is a great, insightful post. I was at Palm(Source) during the pre-WebOS years, and I wrote an article for MaximumTech about the Rise & Fall of Palm: http://www.maximumtech.com/palm-rise-and-fall-legend?page=0,0 It is a heartbreaking story. Thanks for sharing more pieces of it. - Chris This is a great, insightful post.

I was at Palm(Source) during the pre-WebOS years, and I wrote an article for MaximumTech about the Rise & Fall of Palm:

http://www.maximumtech.com/palm-rise-and-fall-legend?page=0,0

It is a heartbreaking story. Thanks for sharing more pieces of it.

– Chris

]]> By: Francisco Kattan http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48744 Francisco Kattan Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:34:27 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48744 Thanks for sharing the inside scoop. As an outside observer I thought there were many business issues that hurt WebOS. From your post I see that there were many technical challenges as well. The key issues in my mind were: Lack of distribution (Sprint exclusive), weak differentiation from the iPhone, and obviously abysmal developer adoption (this last one is more an effect than a cause). Thanks for sharing the inside scoop. As an outside observer I thought there were many business issues that hurt WebOS. From your post I see that there were many technical challenges as well. The key issues in my mind were: Lack of distribution (Sprint exclusive), weak differentiation from the iPhone, and obviously abysmal developer adoption (this last one is more an effect than a cause).

]]> By: CGC http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48743 CGC Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:21:01 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48743 I agree with you final lament "but in my heart I long for someone to come along with a true Web runtime that lets developers write to a standards-based multi-vendor platform that no one company owns". Something like Silverlight (without XAML) has alway been possible and I've been wating for it since 1996! There must be some kind of conspiracy - the big players not wanting the web to truly succeed. I agree with you final lament “but in my heart I long for someone to come along with a true Web runtime that lets developers write to a standards-based multi-vendor platform that no one company owns”.

Something like Silverlight (without XAML) has alway been possible and I’ve been wating for it since 1996!

There must be some kind of conspiracy – the big players not wanting the web to truly succeed.

]]> By: Jonas Hermanson http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48742 Jonas Hermanson Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:38:57 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48742 Another perspective on the Palm Pre story http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-web-os-really-failed-and-what-it.html Another perspective on the Palm Pre story http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-web-os-really-failed-and-what-it.html

]]> By: Web Designer Developers http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48741 Web Designer Developers Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:52:47 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48741 Well written describing the whole seen of OS . Good one sharing, Thanks for the post. Well written describing the whole seen of OS .
Good one sharing, Thanks for the post.

]]> By: Derek Gathright http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48740 Derek Gathright Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:08:49 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48740 Great insight. Thanks Dion. I agree, the timing was just a bit off (easy to say in hindsight). Also, the real competitor should have been Android, but seems to me like Palm always treated iOS as the primary target. webOS needed more devices and carriers, possibly even OEM partners, but politics got in the way (as usual with US carriers). Competing with Apple on design & quality is a tough proposition. Early on, there were a number of areas where webOS was superior, but those have faded as iOS matures. Even today, webOS is still the leader (IMO) in UX multi-tasking. The "cards" metaphor is so intuitive. Hats off to everyone on the webOS team who has given their all. If webOS was less-open, less-innovative, & less-daring, I'm not even sure it, or Palm's legacy would be around today. Great insight. Thanks Dion. I agree, the timing was just a bit off (easy to say in hindsight). Also, the real competitor should have been Android, but seems to me like Palm always treated iOS as the primary target. webOS needed more devices and carriers, possibly even OEM partners, but politics got in the way (as usual with US carriers).

Competing with Apple on design & quality is a tough proposition. Early on, there were a number of areas where webOS was superior, but those have faded as iOS matures. Even today, webOS is still the leader (IMO) in UX multi-tasking. The “cards” metaphor is so intuitive.

Hats off to everyone on the webOS team who has given their all. If webOS was less-open, less-innovative, & less-daring, I’m not even sure it, or Palm’s legacy would be around today.

]]> By: Brad Mallow http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48739 Brad Mallow Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:47:52 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48739 Thanks for this! It's cathartic to hear an informed retelling of the WebOS story with both pros and cons (vs just the cons). For too long I was the sole torch-bearer of WebOS and it's unique potential amongst my skeptical tech friends. The bittersweet consolation was that when I finally moved on to iOS - after 2+ years with an original Pre - the most dominant and compelling UI advantages of WebOS had been adopted by Apple. I look forward to the spiritual successor to WebOS, though it's tough to see in this fiercely competitive mobile environment when or from where that might originate. Thanks for this!

It’s cathartic to hear an informed retelling of the WebOS story with both pros and cons (vs just the cons). For too long I was the sole torch-bearer of WebOS and it’s unique potential amongst my skeptical tech friends. The bittersweet consolation was that when I finally moved on to iOS – after 2+ years with an original Pre – the most dominant and compelling UI advantages of WebOS had been adopted by Apple.

I look forward to the spiritual successor to WebOS, though it’s tough to see in this fiercely competitive mobile environment when or from where that might originate.

]]> By: David Engström http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48735 David Engström Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:14:49 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48735 Thanks !! The palm fanboy in me cried when i read "Palm Pre and being told “hey, get a Blackberry instead!” That was an immediate “uh oh” moment for me. The sales channel was poisoned. Doom." Thanks !!

The palm fanboy in me cried when i read “Palm Pre and being told “hey, get a Blackberry instead!” That was an immediate “uh oh” moment for me. The sales channel was poisoned. Doom.”

]]> By: Steven http://almaer.com/blog/the-rise-and-fall-of-webos-is-an-epic-tale-webos-web-os/comment-page-1#comment-48734 Steven Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:11:41 +0000 http://almaer.com/blog/?p=3012#comment-48734 Thanks for the great insights into what really went down on the platform developement side of things. The way you said "in Meg's hands" does not sound as if you believe the future holds a resurrection of any sort even if the open sourcing is "done right". What ingredients would you consider necessary for a real resurrection? Thanks for the great insights into what really went down on the platform developement side of things. The way you said “in Meg’s hands” does not sound as if you believe the future holds a resurrection of any sort even if the open sourcing is “done right”. What ingredients would you consider necessary for a real resurrection?

]]>