Yesterday we reported on a quote by HP CEO Mark Hurd where he said that HP "didn't buy Palm to be in the smartphone business," which was disheartening to all webOS fans.  It looks like HP has decided to make things all better, saying that Hurd was trying to say that HP is excited to use webOS on all kinds of small, web-connected devices, including smartphones.  We can now breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that it will only be a matter of time before we see some new HP/Palm phones running webOS.  We're sure that with HP's help, Palm can create some hardware to compete with the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone 7 devices.  Also, the fact that webOS isn't disappearing is great for competition.  After all, choice is a good thing.  The full statement from HP can be read below:

"When we look at the market, we see an array of interconnected devices, including tablets, printers, and of course, smartphones. We believe webOS can become the backbone for many of HP's small form factor devices, and we expect to expand webOS's footprint beyond just the smartphone market, all while leveraging our financial strength, scale, and global reach to grow in smartphones."

Via Engadget