HP pulling the plug on webOS in January 2015
Hewlett-Packard is shutting down webOS, the operating system it acquired from Palm few years ago on January 15, 2015. In a FAQ, the company mentions that webOS-powered devices will continue to function after the shutdown, though users will no longer be able to use several of its services including taking backup of their data, or restore devices from the cloud.
Launched in 2009 by Palm, the webOS is a Linux-based operating system designed for TVs and mobile devices. However, the user-base of the operating system has continued to shrink over the years and has reached a point where it is no longer financially viable for the company to continue supporting it. “The user count has dwindled to the point where it is no longer viable to keep the services running. This does not disable the devices currently running in the field,” it said.
As part of the shut down, the HP App Catalog will also become unavailable and users will no longer be able to download new apps or receive updates for their installed apps. The company says that users will be able to download any app they have purchased before November 1 till the service’s shutdown. The company advises users to keep their device’s passwords safe with them or disable the locking function, as after it pulls the plug on the service users wouldn’t be able to recover their password.
It remains to be seen how this service’s shutdown affects HP’s licensing deal with LG. The two companies had inked a partnership last year which saw LG use the operating system on its smart TVs lineup. According to a report from earlier this month, LG is working on webOS-powered smartwatches.
IMPORT:-BGR
