TouchPads Ship with Android, HP Doesn't Know Why

The TouchPad is dead in HP's books, but it seems that it still continues to live, and that Google's Android operating system has already provided it with a helping hand.

To be more precise, some of the devices that have recently started to arrive in users’ hands, following the huge price cut that HP operated to it, came with Android on board, and not with the usual webOS platform.

As one can easily imagine, customers were surprised to find their devices being powered by a different mobile platform than the one they should have been running under, yet it seems that HP has no idea on why or how this happened.

As soon as they received the TouchPad with Android on board, some developers emailed HP and asked the company to provide the kernel source for the OS flavor that shipped with the device.

However, HP’s Phil Rob, director of the company’s open-source program, responded stating that the company did not authorize the loading of Android on these devices, and that they will not send the source code.

"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,” he reportedly stated.

“Therefore, HP is not under any license obligation to provide any corresponding Android source code to you.

“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.”

To add fuel to the fire, the same developers spotted the Qualcomm logo at device start up, and asked some explanations on the matter, but the chip maker says that they have no connection with the TouchPad.

One thing that is certain is that strange things are happening with HP lately, with all the changes in strategy and a new CEO, yet more light on this should be shed soon, so keep an eye on this space for more.