hewlett-packard

Hewlett-Packard's decision to release WebOS as open-source software doesn't bode well for the future of the project.

There are two common outcomes when companies convert a complicated proprietary project into open-source software. One is that a vibrant community of contributors grows up around the project, expanding its abilities, broadening its popularity, and making it into a better component of a broader technology package.

The other is that the project, tossed over its sponsor's transom, sinks beneath the waves.

I think HP would like the first outcome based on Chief Executive Meg Whitman's high hopes: "By … Read more

It seems we may finally know the fate of Hewlett-Packard's WebOS unit.

HP has scheduled a companywide meeting for 10:30 a.m. PT tomorrow, during which CEO Meg Whitman is expected to reveal what the company intends to do with the troubled mobile operating system, according to a PreCentral.net report.

HP representatives declined to comment.

An announcement on the unit's fate was expected in early November, but Whitman delayed the decision, saying, "It's really important to me to make the right decision, not the fast decision."

The mobile platform's future has been … Read more

Patricia Dunn, the former chairman of Hewlett-Packard who resigned five years ago after acknowledging she approved a plan to spy on board members and journalists, has died, according to a published report.

William Jahnke, Dunn's husband, confirmed her death in an interview with The Wall Street Journal today and later said that Dunn died Sunday of ovarian cancer. She was 58.

HP provided a statement: "Pattie Dunn worked tirelessly for the good of HP. We are saddened by the news of her passing, and our thoughts go out to her family on their loss."

Dunn is likely … Read more

Hewlett-Packard is calling in reinforcements from Europe to help it in its latest battle against Oracle.

The PC maker has asked European Union antitrust officials to investigate whether Oracle acted improperly by ending support for Intel's Itanium microprocessor, according to Reuters.

In June, HP launched a lawsuit against Oracle, alleging that the database giant's decision to stop making software for Itanium was simply an attempt to drive business away from HP and toward Oracle. Oracle had announced in March that it would no longer develop software for the chip. But HP has been heavily invested in using Itanium … Read more

At least for now, Hewlett-Packard can lay claim as the second most-popular tablet manufacturer behind Apple.

Too bad, it'll be a short-lived reign.

Despite all of the attention focused on Apple's iPad, other tablet makers have seen some adoption this year. In total, the U.S. tablet market--excluding Apple--saw sales of more than 1.2 million units and retail revenue of $415 million from January through October, according to a new study from NPD. HP stood on top of that non-iPad hill, closely followed by Samsung Electronics.

Of course, the market is still tiny when compared with Apple, … Read more

Hewlett-Packard Executive Chairman Ray Lane uses a MacBook Air at home. At the very least an indication that when given a choice, he opts for a rival's product.

The photo seen here is a bit curious as Lane was originally a proponent of spinning off HP's PC business--despite its status as the largest PC/laptop maker in the world (and a profitable one at that).

So, this raises the question, if HP's chairman openly opts for Apple hardware, how favorably disposed would he have been to holding on to HP's PC division in the first place?… Read more

Hewlett-Packard delivered a fourth quarter that was better-than-expected and allayed concerns about the company and whether it could stabilize the business amid uncertainty.

The company reported fourth quarter earnings of $239 million, or 12 cents a share, on earnings of $32.1 billion. In the year ago quarter, HP reported earnings of $2.5 billion, or $1.10 a share, on revenue of $33.3 billion. Non-GAAP earnings for the fourth quarter were $1.17 a share. Wall Street was looking for earnings of $1.13 a share on revenue of $32.05 billion.

The non-GAAP figure for HP includes … Read more

Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch took to the stage of at Techonomy 2011 and gave a glimpse of some amazing stuff that phones and tablet cameras will soon be able to do.

Autonomy, which Hewlett Packard just acquired for almost $12 billion, bills itself as a leader in "meaning based computing," a tagline that's easy to dismiss. Then Lynch brought out an iPad to demonstrate Autonomy's technology, and he wowed the audience. And this was a jaded crowd, folks.

Lynch had an assistant hold up poster-size images--an ad for a Harry Potter move, a front page of … Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif.--More than four and a half years after a California judge effectively dismissed criminal charges against the major players in Hewlett-Packard's spying scandal, federal prosecutors are bringing the case back to life.

A father-and-son team of private investigators went before a judge today in the U.S. District Court in San Jose intending to plead guilty on charges relating to HP's controversial probe of boardroom leaks to journalists, which took place in late 2005 and early 2006.

Matthew DePante, 32, and his father Joseph DePante, 64, were arraigned last week on charges of conspiring to … Read more