In a huge blow to Microsoft and its mobile strategy, Hewlett-Packard has killed its highly anticipated Windows 7 tablet computer, a source tells
TechCrunch. In grand fashion, Microsoft head Steve Ballmer unveiled the device at CES 2010 in January, and
it was expected to hit shelves by mid-year. Yet, HP was reportedly not satisfied with Windows 7 as a tablet operating system. “HP may also be abandoning Intel-based hardware for its
slate lineup simply because it’s too power hungry,� TechCrunch speculates. So, what will HP use in lieu of Windows 7? “Look for Google-powered
devices, which have already been announced,� suggests TechCrunch. Also, “HP really does seem determined to make a go of the Palm WebOS.� HP,
if you hadn’t heard, just said it would buy Palm for $1.3 billion. Still, TechCrunch thinks it “very unlikely� that Palm’s
webOS will emerge as a successful operating system for tablet devices. “To get traction from third party developers with WebOS HP will need to sell a lot of
units.�
