This is a very strange story. According to PCWorld, some of the last few HP TouchPad tablets that were built apparently arrived to the buyers with Android installed rather than webOS. The TouchPad tablets are supposed to run webOS and apparently only Android was on the tablet according to some users that received the gadgets.

HP has stated that it never authorized the distribution of any form of Android on the TouchPad. HP also claims that it has reviewed the manufacturing process and believes that no TouchPads were shipped with Android on them by mistake. Apparently the developers that reached out to HP about the Android confusion think since the TouchPad shipped with the Android OS, HP is obligated to tell people what version is being used.

The devs that approached HP have apparently also contacted Qualcomm since some versions of the OS on the TouchPads flash the QulC logo. An investigation is under way to figure out just how Android ended up on the TouchPads when the users received them. It sounds to me like some sort of hoax, we will have to wait and see how this all pans out. I would bet the bulk of the TouchPads that were sold end up running Android so getting it out of the box with Android installed is a good idea for many buyers.

HP’s Phil Robb said:

We presently believe that some person or persons unknown may have facilitated the delivery of these Android-based units strictly against the policy and authorization of HP. Regarding your specific request for source code below, I must decline at the present time. HP has never authorized the distribution of any binaries for Android in association with the HP Touchpad. Therefore, HP is not under any license obligation to provide any corresponding Android source code to you.

[via PCWorld]