Pivotal?
Computing giant HP has announced the launch of HP webOS pivot - a digital publication that will appear on its TouchPad tablet that is designed to showcase apps in the App Catalog.
"Pivot brings app discovery to a new level for customers and developers alike," said Richard Kerris, VP of webOS developer relations at HP. "We want our partners to experience webOS as the growing platform of opportunity, and we're investing in new ways to help market their applications on our platform."
HP has a bit of a challenge on its hands attracting developers to make third party apps for its webOS devices. Right now Apple's iOS is the first port of call for most developers, with Android fast becoming an essential platform too. There's probably room for a third mobile platform, but Microsoft's WP7 or RIM's BlackBerry potentially offer a bigger market for developers.
HP webOS Pivot is a monthly magazine made up of ‘original content by journalists and photographers affiliated with leading publications'. It will be interesting to see if any of those hacks also review HP products, and how they find them. It seems to be an attempt to drive interest in apps via glossy editorial.
Some credit is due, we suppose, for trying something different, but it's hard to see this initiative having much of an impact. Developers are going to make apps for the platforms that offer the greatest revenue potential. While webOS is generally regarded as a good platform, the current installed-base is tiny compared to pretty much all of its competitors, and all the swanky puff-pieces in the world isn't going to change that.
Still, it should provide a nice earner for those media involved. "Pivot has the right focus," said Joe Simon, CTO of publishing giant Conde Nast. "It provides an enriching experience for customers and is a great environment for developers considering the platform."
