HP Confirms Tablet Strategy For Windows, WebOS

The plans were unveiled during HP's fiscal third quarter 2010 earnings conference on Thursday.

"You'll see us with a Microsoft product in the near future, and a WebOS-based product early next year," said Todd Bradley, executive vice president of HP's Personal Systems Group, during the call.

Questions about HP's tablet PC strategy have swirled around the industry since HP acquired Palm, developer of the webOS mobile operating system, earlier this year.

Prior to that acquisition, HP leaked details about its plans to produce a Microsoft Windows-based tablet PC.

However, shortly after the acquisition was announced in April, Bradley said at a conference call about the acquisition that the Palm webOS will help HP drive its mobile users' online experience.

"We anticipate that, with the webOS, we'll be able to aggressively deploy an integrated platform that will allow HP to own the entire customer experience, to effectively grow and nurture the developer community, and to provide a rich, valued experience to our customers," he said.

HP in July trademarked the name "PalmPad" for use with computers, computer hardware, computer software, computer peripherals, portable computers, handheld and mobile computers, PDAs, electronic notepads, and mobile digital electronic devices.