Today’s discovery by TechCrunch that HP filed for a trademark on Palmpad confirms what many have guessed would happen. The acquisition of Palm will likely make its way into larger devices.

Palm’s webOS is the best mobile operating system and should translate better to a tablet than Apple iOS. However, I hope that HP does not make the same mistake that Palm did when it was independent — namely, chase Apple — because it still cannot compete with their head start, rabid fan base, or number of applications. At best, a simple webOS tablet could perhaps gain a #3 or #4 position behind the iPad but ahead of some eBook readers.

HP must redefine expectations to be in a position of strength. It can capitalize on the many false starts of its Microsoft Windows brethren and Google Android cousins.

As primarily a PC user for the past 10 years, I was ready to switch to Apple for the first time since the Macintosh Plus if they delivered a true tablet computer. They didn’t. Now the iPad hype is finally wearing off and even diehard fans are realizing that Steve Jobs gave us an iPod Touch XL instead of the most important device he had ever worked on.

Disappointed, my second best option was presented by Lenovo back in January at CES. The convertible IdeaPad U1 showed off a tablet inside a laptop shell, kind of like a big docking port. You could take all of your data with you without the keyboard and non-essential hardware to save on battery life, space, and weight. It’s no surprise then that CNET awarded Lenovo as the Best of CES.

With that kind of fanfare, surely that would have been ready for a summer release. Yet Lenovo did what any other PC maker would do. They canceled it.

Unfortunately I was out of options and unable to wait since my last laptop was out of steam. So I stuck with the experienced but clunky PC tablet leader, Fujitsu, and recently bought a TH700. Not exactly a memorable name. And of course Fujitsu continues to make slates, but not for the North American market. Why would the hardware pioneer want to offer a real alternative to the iPad when everyone is talking tablets for the first time since Microsoft first introduced their software support in the OS?

More and more, PC manufacturers ressemble the Big Three in Detroit. Occasionally they have good ideas but never execute on them (at least in America), like concept cars at auto shows that are not intended to see the light of day. There is no better way to let down fans than to show them what will never be.

Thankfully, HP has shown in the past that they can break that mold.

Two computers ago, my HP DV1000 had a number of innovative features. LightScribe garnered a lot of press at the time for a disc labeling laser built right into the DVD-R drive. Yet it was Quick Play mode that ultimately proved more useful. HP added a small Linux partition to play CDs and DVDs without having to load Windows.

Instead of making competing Slate product lines with webOS and Windows, like everyone expects, HP could revolutionize the field and combine both operating systems onto the same machine. On the go, I would appreciate webOS for its multitasking gesture-friendly interface. Create a new first party eReader or build upon the existing app by MHWSoft and ensure the video player works at higher resolutions, so you can read eBooks or watch movies without Windows. Fire up webOS to play a quick game of FIFA 2010, Five or More, or Earthworm Jim. Then when I dock at my desk, I want a full-fledged computer running Windows. The files should be shared between partitions, so I can have a single media library on one device.

I do not want a separate laptop and an eBook reader. There is no reason why they can’t be one and the same. Will HP and Palm deliver?