The HP webOS Slate is one-step closer to the market now that HP officially owns Palm . It has a real chance to be the iPad-alternative of choice when it launches later this year. Hopefully HP engineers and designers have been taking notes about the iPad from the beginning because even though the i Pad is selling like Girl Scout cookies, it's far from perfect. The Apple branding alone is part of the successful launch, but HP is, well, HP and a major player in the consumer market with deeper distribution channels than even Apple. If any one company can stand up to Apple in the tablet space, it's HP -- but only if they take advantage of learning from Apple's mistakes and success.