WebOS Plans Put HP On Collision Course With MicrosoftWebOS Plans Put HP On Collision Course With Microsoft

To be blunt, Microsoft screwed its longtime partner by making last-minute marketing changes to Vista that were meant to satisfy another partner -- Intel.

Microsoft dumbed down the original definition of a "Vista Capable PC" to include certain Intel components. The move eliminated, in one stroke, the exclusive advantage HP thought it would have in the Vista market by virtue of having invested millions of dollars developing high-end motherboards optimized to support Vista's graphics-heavy Aero interface.

Were HP execs pissed? An e-mail that HP consumer PC chief Richard Walker sent to former Microsoft co-presidents Jim Allchin and Kevin Johnson answers that question unequivocally.

"The decision you have made and communicated has taken away an investment we made consciously for competitive advantage knowing that some players would choose not to make the same level of investment as we did in supporting your program requirements," Walker wrote.

"I can't be more clear than to say you not only let us down by reneging on your commitment to stand behind the WDDM [Windows Display Driver Model] requirement, you have demonstrated a complete lack of commitment to HP as a strategic partner and cost us a lot of money in the process," he said.

I have to believe that Microsoft's relationship with HP was irreparably damaged from that moment on, and it was then that HP got serious about finding ways to escape Microsoft's tractor beam. Even Allchin, in an e-mail to his boss Steve Ballmer, said the situation had "destroyed" Microsoft's credibility with HP and possibly other PC makers.

It's true the companies last year announced a $250 million program to co-develop cloud-optimized servers, but even IBM and Oracle -- who flat out hate each other -- still work together on some levels. It's just the way the tech industry is.

All of this isn't to say HP is simply going to go forth and steal 30% of Windows' market share with WebOS and Synergy. Obviously, those technologies have never been ported to PCs -- the experiment might not even work, or not work very well.

Also, Microsoft is so entrenched in the corporate market that it would be a logistical nightmare for IT managers to rip out their Windows infrastructures for an unproven platform, even if they wanted to. By all accounts, Windows 7 is a solid offering that addresses most of Vista's shortcomings. And while HP might own the relationships with retailers and distributors, Microsoft has a lock on ISVs.

But what it does mean is that, for the first time in decades, there could be real competition in the desktop market, which will be good for both businesses and consumers. Note to Microsoft: That light at the end of the tunnel is HP.

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