After we got an invite to HP's upcoming webOS event in February, we had a pretty strong feeling that the fabled PalmPad would finally make its grand debut at the gathering.  Now we feel even more strongly about that prediction, as an HP executive has hinted that a webOS tablet will be shown next month.  In a recent interview, HP CTO Phil McKinney shot down the rumors, explaining that there will be no HP tablet introduced at CES.  However, McKinney said that his company has promised a tablet for 2011 and pointed interested parties toward a Palm-written poem about new devices coming in the next few weeks.

Not only has HP/Palm been basically absent from CES, they've been fairly quiet for the past few months.  Their upcoming event is going to be big for the company and could play a big part in determining what their future is going to look like.  Because they've been so low-key lately, and because the Pre 2 wasn't exactly an earth-shattering product, HP needs to step it up and introduce quality phones and a tablet next month.  I've speculated that a new version of the Pixi may be shown, but I don't think that that'll be enough to make everyone happy.  Something along the lines of the rumored Mansion, though?  That could be great.

Via PreCentral (Image via LogicHP)