Can HP become the next Apple

As you may know HP acquired WebOS when it bought phone maker Palm for $1.2 billion last year, and this week Leo Apotheker, the new CEO of HP, said in a Bloomberg interview, that starting next year, every PC shipped by HP will come with WebOS in addition to Microsoft Windows.

I think it is a move in the right direction for HP. Clearly, if done right, a model where both hardware and software are developed in-house works (as shown by Apple). If HP is able to play the software part well, then we might see some users switching to WebOS at least for home use.

If HP is successful with WebOS, other big PC vendors might follow the same model. So, where all this leaves Microsoft? One way for Microsoft to continue forward is to start making and selling its own brand of computer, tablet and possibly phone device (just like it did with Zune and Xbox).