When webOS and the Palm Pre made their debut in early 2009 many people thought that it would start a revolution in the mobile devices space.  Due to delays, product quality issues, and failed distribution webOS didn’t get the opportunity to shine it deserved.  Palm languished and saw their stock price go from an astounding $18/share all the way down to $3.

HP, the top computer company in the world, decided to make Palm an offer it couldn’t refused.  The two companies entered into a definitive agreement for $1.2 billion and would become owner of their employees, offices, and webOS.  The next logical question is what will HP do with their fancy new toy?  One alternative which makes a lot of sense is the influx and introduction of webOS netbooks, smartbooks and tablets.

Similar to what Apple is doing with the iPad.  HP will be able to take a phone OS and put it on a computer.

HP may be considering producing an Android netbook but it would make more sense for it to have webOS on it instead.  By doing so they wouldn’t have to worry about support or development for Android.  They also wouldn’t have to worry about all of the issues currently taking place in the courts with Microsoft alleging that Android infringes on several of it’s patents.  The most important reason may be that by using the OS of a company they own they will get the full financial benefit of making a webOS netbook.

Palm won’t officially be part of HP until Summer 2010.  Assume it will take 6 months for HP to figure out how to port webOS to computer hardware and how to market it and I’d bet that by Summer 2011 we’ll be talking about a webOS netbook and whether anyone will actually buy one.

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