Most folks in the know will agree that webOS was is one great operating system and it never got the right kind of push that it needed. I think we can blame it on the hardware. Apparently, some internal testing at HP led to the loading of webOS onto an Apple iPad and, well, it blew the TouchPad out of the water.

The precise details are quite scarce, but we’re hearing that webOS ran “twice as fast” on the Apple iPad hardware than it did on the HP TouchPad. This leads us to believe that it’s the hardware, and not the software, that led to the ultimate demise of webOS at HP. After all, the actual hardware for the TouchPad was already in place before HP acquired Palm. It’s two year old tech with a spanking new OS.

The wording is a little unclear, but it seems that webOS was run both natively on Apple’s hardware as well as being run through the mobile Safari browser as a web app. Even in the latter, where two operating systems were almost being run in tandem, webOS was “running many times faster in the browser than it did on the TouchPad.”

So, what does this mean moving forward? If HP does indeed go ahead with licensing webOS out to other manufacturers, the platform could get the push that it needs and deserves. The Google-Motorola deal might lead guys like Samsung and HTC away from Android and into the webOS fold. Maybe.

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Opera Mini for iPhone

If the new app can survive Apple’s cryptic and gauntlet like review process, it will be a big win for the millions of iPhone owners who have been left less than satisfied with their current browsing experience found in Safari.

The Norwegian company claims its mobile browser is “fast like a rocket” and host to a long list of features that are sure entice you: browser tabs, page caching, text search, and history are at the top but the real secret to its reign over Safari is its compression engine.

“Opera’s streamlined rendering engine and server-side compression allows Opera to load Web pages much more quickly than other mobile phone browsers.”

This magical compression they speak of accomplishes this by simply reducing the amount of bandwidth your hungry mobile device consumes while browsing the web. The wonderful side effects are that less page loading wait times while saving you money on roaming data fees.

Opera wants this so badly that they’ve launched the Opera Mini counter that tracks how long Apple takes for them to get an iPhone App Store approval.  I’m not sure if this is helping their case any, so it may just be for jailbroken iPhones until then.

“Opera Mini uses only a tenth of the bandwidth of other browsers, compressing Web pages by up to 90%”

Eat that Safari.  Dear Apple, don’t be a tool, let Opera Mini come play with the rest of the apps. Check the video preview below.

Opera Mini on iPhone loads pages 90% faster than Safari

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Concept: Video chat will not be possible on the cameraless Apple iPad

With about two weeks before the Apple iPad is in our hands, one feels like a Nasa scientist waiting for the Apollo rocket to take off. It’s a nail biting and nervous moment for everyone at Apple, waiting for the iPad to either soar into the stratosphere or crash and burn.

If you’ve been following our series of features on the iPad (If you haven’t then you should catch up) you would know that the iPad has been under a host of controversy and bad press from rivals and application developers alike.

Whereas the iPad is cleverly being marketed as a unique device superior in software and hardware when compared to rival products. Media has not blocked it from being compared to e-readers, tablet pc’s and notebooks. That is quite a derogatory comparison to say the least.

Before we get down to the iPad’s disappointing aspects let’s focus on what makes the iPad a unique blend of Apple innovation and modern computing technology, and not just an oversized iPhone.   It does have a smartphone similar instant ‘on’ feature, a blazing fast processor, a multi-touch screen and most impressively, a gigantic, gluttonous library of over 150,000 applications. This may make it the tablet of choice for business and non-business people slicing into the notebook market as well, but some crucial things are lacking which would be otherwise commony features many business users are used to having.

What the iPad is missing: it does not have expandable memory. You cannot expand a 16 GB iPad to the larger 64 GB or even the middle tier 32 GB.  The lack of a USB port has to be it’s biggest design boo-boo. It is inexcusable to not have a USB port in this day and age on any device.  A device like the Addonics could allow for easy access to thumbdrives and network printers, but that would only be an at home solution, not something we could access anywhere and everywhere.

The lack of a camera is quite tragic! A device that sits on your lap and faces you head on, with a wireless network connection too.  How could this not have a camera?

The operating system that powers the iPad is not up to task in the multi-tasking department. Some applications can utilize the operating systems’ multi-tasking features, some cannot. Talk about blatant discrimination! It’s no wonder developers feel hot and bothered about developing applications for the iPad.

You’re also lumped with Apple’s Safari browser. It’s an amazing browser don’t get me wrong, but Firefox, Chrome, and Opera are quite respectable contenders, and Safari is not always at the top of everyones list.  And what are the majority of web based tools built with? Well you get the swf.

Apple iPad with multiple views

The post What’s missing in the pricey iPad might make you “iSad” appeared first on Mobile Magazine.