"Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me,
Is there anyone home?"
-- "Comfortably Numb," by Pink Floyd, The Wall (disc 2)

I guess Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) won't be needing quite as many webOS employees after killing its hardware half.

According to AllThingsD, the company has confirmed that "the webOS [Global Business Unit] is undergoing a reduction in workforce" as a result of the decision. HP added: "we stand by our commitment to our webOS customers and will work to ensure that support and service for customers are not adversely affected. HP is exploring ways to leverage webOS software."

The company opted not to detail a headcount for the layoffs, but other sources pegged the figure at around 525 unlucky employees receiving pink slips.  This round of layoffs contrasts with HP ex-CEO Mark Hurd's cost-cutting; this time the casualties are the result of CEO Leo Apotheker's entirely new direction for the iconic tech giant.

HP continues its recent habit of making vague statements about the future of webOS, leaving the market to its own devices to speculate over the destiny of the platform. webOS has shown twice before that it can't compete against Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) iOS and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Android. What company is bold enough to think it can make it work with a third attempt by buying or licensing it? Is there anybody out there?

As tough as it would be, I think the company needs to ax webOS entirely and put an end to the saga, as opposed to perpetuating management's current comfortably numb stance on webOS. Apotheker might even get away with chalking that one up to his predecessor, since it was under Hurd's watch that HP scooped up Palm from its deathbed.

People make mistakes. Buying Palm was a mistake. Deal with it.