HP webOS 2.0: At a Glance

HP  has unveiled HP webOS 2.0, the most significant update to the platform since its launch in 2009 and a substantial step in HP’s vision to transform how people think, feel and connect.

Reportedly, the very first device to run webOS 2.0, HP’s new Palm Pre 2 smart phone, will be available on Friday in France from SFR and is scheduled to be available in the coming months in the United States from Verizon Wireless and in Canada.

Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP said,

With webOS 2.0, we’re advancing the innovations we introduced 16 months ago, expanding the features that make webOS great for consumers, enterprises and developers, We’ve made tremendous strides since the platform launched, and now we’re taking our biggest leap forward with powerful new features that make it easier to get more things done with your webOS device.

Well, let me tell you, the webOS 2.0 from the house of HP offers consumers compelling application experiences not available on any other platform, while providing developers an unparalleled level of openness to integrate their applications and services. In fact, the next generation of webOS makes it easier to get more done:

True Multitasking – You can pause a game, tap an email notification, check your calendar, read a restaurant review, send an email reply, then switch back to the game without closing anything. The webOS facilitates you to easily manage multiple open applications and notifications using natural touch gestures. New in webOS 2.0, Stacks logically groups together your open apps so they work the way you do. It provides you with choices such as you’re reading email or planning a night on the town, Stacks keeps related items together so managing multiple tasks is even easier.

Just Type – Well, get started with an email, create a message, update your status, search your favorite websites – all before you’ve even opened an app. With this, as and when you want to do something on your phone – whether it’s emailing, texting, searching or almost anything – just type. Interestingly, Just Type is open to developers, so they can integrate with the search function and add their own user-customizable shortcuts, called Quick Actions.

HP Synergy – webOS was the first mobile OS to connect you seamlessly to multiple web services. Along with the Synergy feature, you just have to sign in to your Facebook, Google, Microsoft Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo! accounts and your information automatically populates your phone. They will extend the support for Synergy so developers can easily plug new Messaging, Contacts and Calendar application sources directly into the core webOS experiences.

Exhibition – This is altogether a brand new way to use your webOS phone, Exhibition lets you run apps designed specifically for the Palm Touchstone Charging Dock, turning charge time into useful time. You do have the liberty to set your phone on the dock and Exhibition launches automatically, showing you anything from today’s agenda to a slide show of your Facebook photos. What’s more, Exhibition will enable developers to display aspects of their existing app experience or create specialized apps for use when users have their webOS device in charge mode on the charging dock.

Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Beta – Now, to round off, with version 2.0, webOS now supports a beta of Adobe Flash Player 10.1 in the browser, which provides access to rich, Flash based web content.