????惠普（Hewlett-Packard）的Web OS操作系統還沒有完全斷氣，起碼現在還是“死而不僵”。惠普公司今天宣布將把Web OS推向開源社區，也就是說開發者們和其它硬件廠商可以免費獲取Web OS的源代碼進行開發。

????惠普新任首席執行官梅格?惠特曼在新聞發布會上稱：“Web OS是唯一一個完全為移動、云連接和可擴展需求設計的平臺。我們將這一創新平臺貢獻給開源社區，由此可以釋放開源社區的創造力，以促進新一代應用和設備的開發。”

????惠普在Web OS的存亡問題上多次出現過搖擺。李艾科去年就任CEO后，他曾表示Web OS不光會安裝在平板電腦上，還會安裝在惠普的PC以及其它設備上。但今年八月，李艾科又宣布，惠普將關閉TouchPad平板電腦和Web OS智能手機生產線（而且可能會剝離公司的個人電腦業務）。不過不久之后李艾科就被炒了魷魚。

????自從今年九月接任CEO以來，梅格?惠特曼一直在收拾李艾科留下的爛攤子。首先，她決定保留PC業務。現在她似乎也終于給Web OS的存亡問題找到了一個解決方案。

????不過將Web OS推向開源，并不意味著Web OS一定就會有前途。雖然這個最初由Palm公司研發的移動系統在評測中表現良好，而且還因為它的用戶界面和以網絡為中心的路子而廣受贊揚，但Web OS設備的發展卻裹足不前。要想吸引開發者，公司不僅要有一個有吸引力的平臺，市場上還必須有足夠有吸引力的設備。盡管惠普表示公司將積極參與和投資新的開源項目，但它卻并未承諾將開發更多的Web OS設備。

????另外，事實證明谷歌（Google）的Android和蘋果（Apple）的iOS操作系統已經成功地獲得了開發者的芳心。微軟（Microsoft）也希望新推出的Windows 8應用商店能吸引更多的開發者。在這三大平臺的夾縫之中，Web OS能否強勢回歸？我們還是別抱太大指望。

????至于惠普能否東山再起的問題：現在就判斷梅格?惠特曼能否扭轉乾坤還為時過早。不過從她就任CEO后的頭兩個重大決策來看（保留PC業務、將WebOS推向開源），在眼下一團亂麻的情況下，她的這兩個決策或許是最好的結果了。雖說把Web OS推向開源也許并不能讓這個平臺大獲成功，但起碼惠普現在終于可以給這個問題畫上句號了。

????譯者：樸成奎

????WebOS isn't completely dead, at least not yet. Hewlett-Packard today announced that it is taking its struggling mobile operating system open source -- a.k.a. making its code freely available to developers and other hardware manufacturers.

????"WebOS is the only platform designed from the ground up to be mobile, cloud-connected and scalable," Meg Whitman, HP's (HPQ) new chief executive officer, said in a release. "By contributing this innovation, HP unleashes the creativity of the open source community to advance a new generation of applications and devices."

????HP has flip-flopped on its WebOS strategy several times. After taking the helm last year, former CEO Leo Apotheker had said WebOS would power not only tablets but also HP's PCs and other devices. But in August he announced the company would kill off its TouchPad tablet and the WebOS smartphone line (and possibly spin off its personal computer business). He was fired shortly after.

????Since taking over in September, current CEO Whitman has tried to clean up Apotheker's mess. First, she decided to keep the PC business. And now she has finally brought the WebOS question to some resolution.

????But going open source doesn't necessarily mean WebOS has a future. Although the operating system, originally developed by Palm, was well reviewed and praised for its user interface and web-centric approach, WebOS devices never took off. (Check out 7 innovative features that couldn't save WebOS.) And to woo developers, companies not only need an attractive platform, they also need attractive devices out in the market. While HP says it will be an active participant and investor in its new open source project, it isn't recommitting itself to developing more WebOS devices.

????What's more, Google's (GOOG) Android and Apple's (AAPL) iOS operating systems have already proven success with developers. Microsoft (MSFT) is also hoping its new Windows 8 app store will attract developers. So does WebOS stand a chance at making a comeback? Don't count on it.

????As for HP's comeback, it's still too early to tell whether or not Whitman can turn things around. But her first two big decisions as CEO—to keep the PC business and to open source WebOS, were probably the best possible outcomes in a very messy situation. While the new, open source version of WebOS might not make it big, at least it provides HP with some closure.