Andre Yoskowitz
27 May 2010 23:16
In late April, HP announced it was purchasing the struggling smartphone maker Palm for $1.2 billion. The deal gave HP all of Palm's patents and the WebOS mobile operating system, which some argue is the best mobile OS available today.
Palm had put itself up for sale in the last two months after it became clear that the company's phones were not selling and it only had enough cash to last the next 12 months.
The ink has not even dried on the deal yet, but HP has seen its first setback, with key WebOS developer Matias Duarte jumping ship to Google, to work on the rival Android operating system.
Duarte's move seems to imply the developer has little confidence in the future of WebOS with HP at the helm.
The developer was well known within the industry for his work on user interfaces, working on projects for the T-Mobile Sidekick and the Helio, among others. Duarte will work for Google as a User Experience Director, says InfoWorld.
HP has confirmed the move but not responded otherwise.