HP CEO confirms webOS-powered Slates (and… printers?)

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Hurd: after @Palm close expect to leverage webOS “beyond smart phones into form factors such as slates and web-connected printers” $HPQTue May 18 21:09:41 via web

The very instant it was announced that HP had purchased Palm, one idea set the hearts and minds of geeks everywhere aflame: webOS-powered tablets. webOS is a wonderfully glorious OS, hindered only by half-baked hardware – strap that thing onto a big ol’ slab of glass, and you’ve got my money.

Aaaaand sure enough, that’s one of the things that HP’s got lined up. At the tail-end of their quarterly earnings call today, HP CEO Mark Hurd proudly proclaimed that they’re planning on making use of webOS “beyond smart phones into form factors such as slates and…” — wait for it — “web-connected printers”

Well, that’s one product idea we hadn’t thought of. It’s a bizarre idea at first, but with a bit of brainstorming, it makes sense: plenty of printers already have basic applications for stuff like printing Flickr photos and movie tickets from online services. The apps just tend to suck, and the operating systems are almost always completely locked down. webOS, at least in theory, fixes that. Hurray!

Now, someone go make a webOS app that generates ink.

[Thanks J.!]