This agency that HP will accomplish the basal antecedent cipher of the OS accessible to developers beneath an accessible antecedent license. You can booty it, adapt it and use it for chargeless as continued as you accord aback to the accessible antecedent community. This is agnate to the way Linux and Android operate. HP itself will additionally be advance and acknowledging the project, so those with webOS accessories appropriate now can breathe easy.
Regarding authoritative webOS device, HP fabricated it bright that they accept no ambition to get aback to the adaptable buzz articulation anytime again, but according to The Verge they may attending into authoritative webOS based tablets in the future.
What has happened actuality is simple. HP accomplished the abeyant of webOS and begin it too advantageous to shut it bottomward completely. However, they do not appetite to advance added into the belvedere to accomplish it aggressive abundant to go adjoin accustomed players such as iOS and Android. So they chose the alone advantage that they had: accessible sourcing it. This way they are acquisitive that others would footfall in and advice advance the belvedere so that they don't accept to.
In a way, it is a win-win for about everyone. HP does not accept to absorb abundant on webOS, added accessory manufacturers such as HTC (who already were absorbed in webOS) don't accept to absorb a dime to use it and alike bush developers can booty it and run it on accessories added than what HP/Palm accept been affairs for now.
Whether this is acceptable for the platform, is article alone time will tell.