Previously, webOS use to power HP’s Palm device and early tablets, but when LG took control of webOS in 2013, it’s mostly been used for smart TVs and refrigerators. Now, LG hopes to take the platform beyond just TVs and refrigerators with a new released called webOS Open Source Edition. Taking a look at the illustration above, the company hopes that developers will adopt webOS for devices like set-top boxes, tablets and more.
Ever since LG took over webOS, LG has refined the platform significantly, and hopes other companies will take advantage of the new release. “When LG adopted webOS for our popular smart TV lineup in 2013, it did so with the knowledge that webOS had tremendous potential,” said LG’s CTO Dr. I.P. Park. “webOS has come a long way since then and is now a mature and stable platform ready to move beyond TVs.”
Much like Samsung’s Tizen, an in-house, open-source OS, webOS is LG’s answer. Tizen is used in more devices now, including robotic vacuums, Blu-ray players and smart watches. While Android still dominates the market, in-house open-source softwares are answers from companies like LG and Samsung.
LG has clarified for developers that they shouldn’t fear webOS because it’s familiar “Linux-kernel-based multitasking OS with support for HTML5 and CSS3.” Interested developers can head on over to https://webosose.org to get the source code, as well as tools and guides. In addition, LG will work with South Korea’s National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), solicit business proposals and “provide logistical and technical support with commercialization as the ultimate goal.” LG hopes to attract more attention to webOS with these pushes.
