computer science

WebOS

WebOS is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand WebOS rather than just read about it. In short: webOS, also known as LG webOS, is a Linux kernel-based multitasking operating system for smart devices, such as smart TVs, that has also been used as a mobile operating system. It was initially developed by Palm, Inc. for its Smartphones.

Key takeaways

WebOS belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect WebOS to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of WebOS from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

webOS, also known as LG webOS, is a Linux kernel-based multitasking operating system for smart devices, such as smart TVs, that has also been used as a mobile operating system. It was initially developed by Palm, Inc. for its Smartphones. After Palm was acquired by Hewlett-Packard, HP made the platform open source, at which point it became Open webOS. LG Electronics later acquired the operating system from HP, and subsequent releases targeted LG televisions, succeeding NetCast as LG's primary smart TV platform. In January 2014, Qualcomm announced that it had acquired technology patents from HP, which included all the webOS and Palm patents; LG licenses them to use in their devices. Various versions of webOS have been featured on several devices since launching in 2009, including Pre, Pixi, and Veer smartphones, TouchPad tablet, LG's smart TVs since 2014, LG's smart refrigerators and smart projectors since 2017.

History

2009–2010: Launch by Palm Palm launched webOS, then called Palm webOS, in January 2009 as the successor to Palm OS. At its January 2009 announcement, webOS was presented as a new platform for the Palm Pre, with features including Palm Synergy, application “cards” and global search. The first webOS device was the original Palm Pre, released by Sprint in June 2009. Early reviews of the Palm Pre in June 2009 highlighted webOS features such as multitasking, instant notifications, universal search and Synergy as defining parts of the device experience. The Palm Pixi followed.

2010–2013: Acquisition by HP; the launch of Open webOS In April 2010, HP acquired Palm. The acquisition of Palm was initiated while Mark Hurd was CEO, however he resigned shortly after the acquisition was completed. Later, webOS was described by new HP CEO Leo Apotheker as a key asset and motivation for the purchase. The $1.2 billion acquisition was finalized in June. HP indicated its intention to develop the webOS platform for use in multiple new products, including smartphones, tablets, and printers.

In February 2011, HP announced that it would use webOS as the universal platform for all its devices. However, HP also made the decision that the Palm Pre, Palm Pixi, and the "Plus" revisions would not receive over-the-air updates to webOS 2.0, despite a previous commitment to an upgrade "in coming months." HP announced several webOS devices, including the HP Veer and HP Pre 3 smartphones, running webOS 2.2, and the HP TouchPad, a tablet computer released in July 2011 that runs webOS 3.0. In March 2011, HP announced plans for a version of webOS by the end of 2011 to run within Windows, and to be installed on all HP desktop and notebook computers in 2012. Neither ever materialized, although work had begun on an x86 port around this time involving a team in Fort Collins, Colorado; work was scrapped later in the year. In August 2011, HP announced that it was interested in selling its Personal Systems Group, responsible for all of its consumer PC products, including webOS, and that webOS device development and production lines would be halted. It remained unclear whether HP would consider licensing webOS software to other manufacturers. When HP reduced the price of the Touchpad to $99, the existing inventory quickly sold out. The HP Pre 3 was launched in select areas of Europe, and US-based units were available only through unofficial channels (both AT&T and Verizon canceled their orders just prior to delivery after Apotheker's (HP's CEO at the time) announcement. Notably, these US Pre 3 units, having been released through unofficial channels, lacked both warranties and carried no support obligation from HP; as a result parts are nearly impossible to come by. HP announced that it would continue to issue updates for the HP Veer and HP TouchPad, but these updates have failed to materialize for the former, and the latter saw a final, unofficial release called "webOS CE" that contained only open-sourced components of webOS meant for what remained of the developer community rather than a conventional, user-centric update to the operating system. The last HP webOS version, 3.0.5, was released on January 12, 2012. In December 2011, after abandoning the TouchPad and the proposed sale of the HP Personal Systems Group, HP announced it would release webOS source code in the near future under an open-source license. In August 2012, code specific to the existing devices was released as webOS Community Edition (CE), with support for the existing HP hardware. Open webOS includes open source libraries designed to target a wider range of hardware. HP renamed its webOS unit as "Gram". In February 2012, HP released Isis, a new web browser for Open webOS.

Growth and decline of HP App Catalog The HP App Catalog was an app store for apps for the mobile devices running webOS. On June 6, 2009, webOS launched on the Palm Pre with 18 available apps. The number of apps grew to 30 by June 17, 2009, with 1 million cumulative downloads by June 27, 2009; 30 official and 31 unofficial apps by July 13, 2009; 1,000 official apps by January 1, 2010; 4,000 official apps September 29, 2010; and 10,002 official apps on December 9, 2011. Subsequently, the number of available apps decreased because many apps were withdrawn from the App Catalog by their owners. Examples include the apps for The New York Times and Pandora Radio. After a Catalog splash screen on November 11, 2014, announcing its deprecation, the HP App Catalog servers were permanently shut down on March 15, 2015. The number of functional apps remaining at that time is unknown but was probably much lower due to the imminent abandonment of the project.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

WebOS: Screenshot of Palm webOS Launcher (2010) — Screenshot of Palm webOS Launcher (2010)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with WebOS

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what WebOS claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to WebOS before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about WebOS ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of WebOS

In research: WebOS appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses WebOS in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: WebOS is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2009 software, ARM operating systems, HP software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for WebOS outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study WebOS in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what WebOS means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain WebOS out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is WebOS in simple terms?

Why does WebOS matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study WebOS?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on WebOS.