Although HP has not released a single new webOS-based product since it acquired Palm earlier this year, the company also dropped plans to release anything based on Google Android operating system. Moreover, it is unlikely to ever do that, said the former head of Palm, who now heads an HP's business unit.

“HP voted with its pocketbook. It’s all about focus," said Jon Rubinstein, the head of HP's Palm division that is primarily responsible for webOS software development and webOS based hardware products, said in an interview with the Financial Times.

HP is on track to release a slate-type system running webOS (code-named Hurricane) early next year, as well as a Microsoft Windows-based tablet that will ship sooner. After the acquisition of Palm HP  abandoned a project to launch a smartphone and a tablet based on Google Android, according to Mr. Rubinstein.

When originally announcing the completion of the Palm take over HP said that it planned to release smartphones, slate PCs and netbooks featuring webOS. Later on the company downplayed the importance of smartphones and indicated interest in putting webOS onto a variety of connected devices, including printers.

At present HP's Palm division is working on the webOS 2.0, which will probably sport new functionality, improved interface as well as will better suit nice types of devices that HP may be planning.

Tags: HP, webOS, Hurricane, Android, Google