LuneOS may be the future for webOS as a mobile operating system, but as we wait for it to reach beta status, we can still indulge in some wistful sighs as we wonder, “what might have been..?”

Here’s an old HP promotional video. HP Slate? With webOS?

The HP Slate was first released in 2010. This was actually after the acquisition of Palm that same year, though obviously the Slate had been in development for a while. Originally intended as a consumer device, HP’s first tablet was released to the business market running windows 7. The consumer tablet running webOS would become the TouchPad.

Recognising and adjusting to different Touchstones? That never happened (though it’s a functionality that could be built when your phone can connect to a charger via Bluetooth)! HP still has a tablet range under the label, ‘Slate’, so it’s possible this video was predicting a ‘webOS everywhere’ future. But it’s a safer bet this video dates from the early days of the Palm purchase when decisions about hardware and markets had yet to be finalised.

Enjoy and comment here.