HP is applying for a trademark on the term PALMPAD which shows they not only intend to compete with Apple in the tablet space, but perhaps to compete with iPad in almost the same branding terms.
No surprise there. Back when iSlate was thought to be the name for Apple's tablet, Steve Ballmer bounded up onto the CES stage flourishing an HP Slate.
Letting Apple do the hard work of establishing consumer awareness for new product categories and then glomming onto their naming conventions -- that's smart.
webOS on a large screen device -- that could be brilliant.
Of course, Apple got more than their fair share of "pad" related jokes to go with that name. Can't imagine what HP will get with PalmPad...
Update: Now there are also rumors to suggest that PalmPad will differentiate itself from iPad with... a stylus. webOS phones have keyboards, webOS tablets have pen
[USPTO via myHPmini via PreCentral.net]
