HP hawked PC business to Samsung and LG in 2010

HP shopped its PC business around to Samsung, LG and others late last year, it's been alleged, pushing the idea that the PSG (Personal Systems Group) would compliment other consumer electronics offerings of rival firms. While HP only publicly revealed its plans to spin off the PSG last month, a CNET source claims that the company was canvassing potential Korean suitors months in advance. However, it seems HP's sales skills fell short.

"PCs would, in theory, complement other portions of the target companies' business" the source revealed, though given HP still has the PSG we can only assume it failed to convince Samsung, LG and others of that particular benefit. Instead, HP recently confirmed that it plans to spin off the PSG as a standalone business that would focus on hardware like all-in-one PCs and tablets; it's not clear whether it would license webOS from HP itself.

webOS, meanwhile, looks to be splitting up too, with the software side of the business being pushed over to the Office of Strategy and Technology at HP while the ex-Palm hardware branch stays where it is at the PSG. Although it was speculated that HP might sell the platform, it seems determined to keep hold of it; probably a good idea, since high-profile potential suitors such as Samsung have said they have no interest in buying it.