HP getting back into phone business?

HP had a series of Windows CE based PDAs and a few had GSM radios.  That line, iPAQ died when the Palm Computing handhelds took off.  HP later took over the Palm Computing line and the WebOS.  That later evolved into the TouchPad which was launched and killed in nearly the same month.

Now, several CEOs since the iPAQ, Meg Whitman is thinking of going back into the smartphone business.  The options are not great:

1. Windows Mobile – need to pay licensing fees to Microsoft, potentially going head to head with Nokia.
2. WebOS – same as the TouchPad, need community support, currently very small.
3. Android – This is a very congested market.

The winner is this ?

photo from iStockphoto