The HP TouchPad Nearly Ended the Relationship Between Apple and Facebook

The HP TouchPad nearly ended the relationship between Apple and Facebook, reports Mashable.

According to the site it all started with iOS 4. Apple had built Facebook into the operating system and wanted to code its own Facebook app because it lacked confidence in Facebook's ability to build a great app. Facebook said no and negotiations broke down.

Then came Ping. Apple debuted Ping with Facebook integration but did not get permission from the social network. Their access was denied and Apple was forced to remove the integration.


Finally, Zuckerberg had promised Steve Jobs that its first ever tablet application would be for the iPad; however, about three months ago Jobs visited Facebook and learned that HP was about to release a native webOS Facebook application for the TouchPad.

When Jobs learned of the webOS Facebook app during his summer visit to Facebook, he was livid. Zuckerberg vowed to get the app pulled. But Jon Rubinstein, the former CEO of Palm and then the GM of HP's webOS division, refused to halt the release of the app. Facebook responded by restricting HP's access to its APIs - just as it had done with Apple's Ping, a year earlier.

Was Facebook playing both sides? Absolutely, says a source close to HP. Facebook was made aware of the application and device integrations. The company knew what was coming, changed its tune right before release - and only did so to appease Apple. For its part, HP was furious. It had hoped the Facebook application would help differentiate the TouchPad from other tablets on the market. Another source says that HP may have considered legal action. In any case, the TouchPad was discontinued shortly after.

Although their relationship is described as tenuous, Apple and Facebook have reportedly made amends thanks to a common enemy, Google. The two are said to have been working together on a HTML5 platform for running mobile apps and could launch the Facebook iPad app within days.


Read More