HP investigates Android TouchPads
Developers say that HP is obligated under open-source licensing terms to
share the code
* Nancy Gohring (IDG News Service)
* 06 October, 2011 05:14
* Comments
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HP is investigating how several TouchPads reportedly shipped to end users
running Android, instead of webOS.
Shortly after HP announced it would stop selling TouchPads and began
offering the remaining tablets for US$99, reports surfaced from a few users
who say they received TouchPads that run Android instead of HP's webOS
software. At the same time, developers have been working on porting Android
to the TouchPad, since it's uncertain how much support and development HP
will dedicate to webOS in the future.
In an email to developers, HP said it never authorized the distribution of
any version of Android on the TouchPad and that after a review of its
manufacturing process, it believes no TouchPads were shipped by HP with
Android, even by mistake. The developers reached out to HP because they
believe that HP is obligated under open-source licensing terms to share the
Android distribution that shipped on the TouchPads.
The email, signed by Phil Robb, director of HP's open-source program office,
was posted on a developer discussion group online. HP confirmed that the
email is accurate.
"We presently believe that some person or persons unknown may have
facilitated the delivery of these Android-based units strictly against the
policy and authorization of HP," Robb wrote.
He asked the developers for any information they could offer that would help
HP track down who provided the Android TouchPads.
The developers also say they've emailed Qualcomm with a request to release
the code since some versions of the Android tablets flash a QuIC logo. QuIC,
or Qualcomm Innovation Center, is a Qualcomm engineering subsidiary that
works on optimizing open-source software on Qualcomm products. But in an
email the developers posted online, Qualcomm said the device was not
manufactured or distributed by QuIC.
Qualcomm did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
HP's Robb declined to share the source code for running Android on the
TouchPad but didn't appear to deny that it exists. "Regarding your specific
request for source code below, I must decline at the present time. HP has
never authorized the distribution of any binaries for Android in association
with the HP Touchpad. Therefore, HP is not under any license obligation to
provide any corresponding Android source code to you," he wrote.
The developers are continuing to try to track down where each of the Android
TouchPads came from to try to determine where and by whom Android was
loaded onto the tablets.
HP declined to comment further than Robb's email.
