Rumour: HP to debate webOS sell off or spin off in a matter of hours

The demise of webOS hasn't been without its casualties for HP: since TouchPad started circling the drain, it's been suggested more than 500 staff members may be set to lose their jobs at the tech giant.

The saga itself, however, looks to be drawing to a close, with speculation suggesting HP is set to make its final decision on the future of lack of of the ailing OS in a matter of hours.

To sell or not to sell

The report, detailed by Apple Insider, suggests HP will consider whether to sell or spin off its webOS business during a company wide meeting though HP itself has so far declined to comment.

HP acquired Palm in 2010 for $1.2 billion, but the business was cast aside when early sales of the platform's first tablet TouchPad failed to meet the company's expectations.

The decision to drop support for webOS hardware, including Palm's phones, was made by former CEO Leo Apotheker, who became a casualty of the foul up himself in September.

Rumours have abounded surrounding a potential sale, with Samsung, HTC and more recently Amazon cited as interested parties, though research firm Canalys suggested HP should reverse its decision when sales reportedly topped 1 million following the firm's decision to slash prices post drop.

[source: Apple Insider]