The webOS Revolution. Part I.

Introduction.

Do you ever wonder what life would be like without webOS?  Some probably wouldn't care, while others have intertwined it into the very fabric of their existences. And then theres the people that treat the phone as a hobby or even a job like; the hackers, the developers, the bloggers, the forum browsers, et cetera. webOS is something new and exciting for them. I'm going to assume that all the readers here either have or are considering a Pre or Pixi and while current owners know that at times things get frustrating, this one little OS was a spark that lit a pretty large fire. I'd like to take a few hundreds words of your time and look at some of the amazing achievements sparked by the webOS Revolution. Th is post will split into multiple sections so I don't bore you all to tears... or worse.

Part I.

T he Death Of Palm.

webOS has sparked a revolution. Don't believe me? Look at Palm. It was founded in 1992 by Jeff Hawkins. It's had it's fare share of good and bad moments alike as does any company. Unfortunately for Palm there came a time when they got lost. In a sea of Apple's, Microsoft's, Google's, and many others they failed to provide anything truly revolutionary. Meanwhile these other companies, Apple chiefly, were out changing the game. Palm needed something to show they were relevant. They needed to show they were bold like the competitor but different enough to set themselves apart.

webOS and the Pre, while still in their infancy, are helping guide Palm in the direction necessary for their survival. They have a phone that delivers on it's promise to  "feel like no phone you ever used before". The hardware is undeniably gorgeous. Smooth curves and soft features galore when closed. When it's open, it reveals it's sleek and sexy shape. Beautiful curves again on every edge of the phone and a unique width to it's body with the perfect weight. The Pre is simply stunning to behold. Wait a minute.. We're talking about webOS here right? .. You'll have to excuse me, I was taken by the hardware. Hardware, eh?

webOS is wonderful for many reasons which I'll cover in other parts. This being "Part I" I need to start with the very beginning. You need hardware to run software! Right? Technically you could make it a cold, cut, square slab of metal, plastic, and glass but why not go for something more organic? The Pre does just that. When I first saw it in action, I wasn't sure what intrigued me more. Was it the hardware or the software? The hardware is your first line of defense. When people see a Pre user with their phone, they only see the hardware. It's certainly enough to get them interested. It does what Palm needs it to do. It's bold. It's different. It's beautiful.

Once someone is drawn to the hardware, it's up to the software to finish the job. webOS is visually stunning and unique enough to do just that. Everyone from it's multitasking via card view, or it's buttonless navigation UI (thanks to the gesture area) the Pre screams innovation and "cool". It's certainly one of a kind and for many people, that spells m-u-s-t h-a-v-e.

To conclude: You need good hardware. They've got it. Next, a great OS. Check! It provides a stable enough foundation to grow a strong user base and innovate in terms of features and that will certainly lead to success. Will Palm dead next year? I wouldn't count on it thanks to webOS.

Revolution #1: Provide a stable platform for Palm to thrive and capture peoples attention with amazing hardware and unique features like it's gesture area, multitasking, and Synergy.