HP Quickly Releases Palm webOS 1.4.5 Update, Free Upgrade in France Now Rolling Out

HP means business when it said it intends to develop Palm’s innovative webOS mobile platform. The company who now owns 100% of Palm wasted no time in releasing the free Palm webOS 1.4.5 upgrade patch just two weeks after it got government regulators’ approval of its Palm takeover for $1.2 Billion. Aside from confirming that HP Slate Tablet PC running Windows 7 is dead and will be replaced by a new webOS tablet, HP also reiterated its commitment to continue supporting smart phones like the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi. This update is only available for SFR subscribers in France but Sprint customers may get it soon.

Palm webOS Update 1.4.5 Addresses Issues With Palm Pre and Palm Pixi Phones

The biggest computer-manufacturer in the world made strong hints that they are ready to enter the smart phone market. HP did not spend $1.2 billion just to buy webOS for computer products. Apple, Research in Motion, HTC, Motorola and Samsung are making big profits from smart phones and HP wants a cut of the pie. This quick update release is a big tip-off that HP is trying to retain the loyalty of Palm phone owners. They are trying to reassure Palm’s customers that HP as a new owner means better service!

The Palm webOS version 1.4.5 update brings system enhancements, bug fixes and security patches. Here are Palm’s release notes for this version upgrade:

System

• This release includes minor fixes and enhancements to support the public release of the webOS PDK.

Web

• If a user enters text in a field on certain websites, the screen focus now remains on the text being entered.
• This release fixes a rare problem so that podcasts now download correctly.

Security

This release addresses several security issues with the Palm webOS software.

We’d like to thank Nils of MWR InfoSecurity and Chris Clark for their help in identifying the issues addressed in this release. Individuals interested in contacting Palm to report suspected security issues can find more information at http://www.palm.com/us/company/security.

Notice that this update also covers the Palm Pixi. The webOS PDK support means the Pixi will finally be able to run 3D games like its more powerful brother, the Palm Pre! If you haven’t heard yet, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, are offering Palm Pre Plus and Palm Pixi Plus units for very low prices or even free under very cheap 2-year service contracts!