Will HP really kill off webOS?

Times have been tough for the little adopted operating system we all like to call webOS. After being purchased back in Spring of 2010, we have been filled with hopes with having a company with deep pockets like HP to support webOS. Fast track it to November 2011, the company went from being a possible major player to a OS that is on life support. News recently broke that HP will most likely be keeping their PC division intact, practically retracting what Leo Apotheker stated back in August. However, lips have been sealed on the fate of the huge underdog webOS. Will they keep it around?

Now there have been much speculation across the web about the survival of webOS. The consensus is that we, and everybody else seems to want webOS to survive. Options such as selling webOS to a company who wants or already has a small foot in the mobile operating system market. Other options seem to be open sourcing the operating system to create a self-sustaining ecosystem. And last option could be to license the software to other hardware manufacturers, because lets be frank, the downfall of webOS has always been its software.

Would HP kill off the webOS? Chances are not likely, webOS currently has a small foot hole in a large market, however the brand and software experiences leave many wanting more. webOS would be too valuable to just kill off, rather then selling or licensing it for more money. Many other editors and technology pundits do believe webOS to have great potential, if even HP can't see this..it would just be a shame.