When HP bought Palm and revealed plans for webOS-powered slate devices this spring, word on the web was that HP had quietly euthanized its Windows 7 slate. Evidence now points to the contrary. Kind of. Engadget has been told by HP itself that the Windows-powered slate is “still very much in the works.”

Confirmation came after a mysterious HP Slate 500 product made its way onto the HP website yesterday. Inquisitive folks also unearthed an EnergyStar page for the device; the page mentions a 1.6GHz Atom processor and Windows 7.

HP hasn’t confirmed any specs directly, though, and even its statement to Engadget is somewhat open to interpretation. The company reportedly said it’s carrying out “customer evaluations” and “will make a determination soon on the next steps.” To my eyes, that phrasing leaves room for the Slate 500’s potential demise. Then again, it’s just as likely that HP will allow Windows and webOS-powered tablets to co-exist.

Following the launch of a host of phones this summer, not least the iPhone 4 and motorolla droid x,Dell’s Streak device can’t be much further off now. A product page has apeared on Dell’s website, which quotes a “late July” purchase availability date. Users can “sign up for pre-sale,” too—I guess that counts as a pre-pre-order.

The Streak has less in common with the iPad and more with the giant smartphones we’re seeing lately. This device has a five-inch multi-touch display (with an 800×480 resolution), a couple of cameras, cellular connectivity, and Google’s Android operating system.

Dell pimps the Streak’s multimedia and social networking capabilities, and the form factor might make it easier to toss in a backpack than an iPad. Then again, some folks might prefer to lug around a big smartphone—they wouldn’t be sacrificing much display real estate, and carrying one device beats carrying two.

Google’s Android OS has finally been used in a tablet environment, and by a most unusual source, and in a rather unique application. Today Cisco announced the Cius tablet as an “ultra-portable, mobile collaboration business tablet that offers access to essential business applications and technologies.”

Obviously, the Cisco Cius is not the Android tablet many of us have been hoping for, since it’s directly targeted at the corporate world. However, it’s exciting to see a big player like Cisco get onto the Android platform and produce such an advanced business tool for the corporate world. Cisco will start rolling out customer trials of the Cuis in late 2010 with commercial availability expected in Q1 of 2011.

Applications capabilities:

• 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G/4G data and Bluetooth 3.0 help employees stay connected on and off-campus
• HD video (720p) with Cisco TelePresence solution interoperability for lifelike video communication with the simplicity of a phone call
• Virtual desktop client enables highly secure access to cloud-based business applications
• Android operating system, with access Android marketplace applications
• Collaboration applications including Cisco Quad, Cisco Show and Share, WebEx, Presence, and IM

Cius tablet highlights:

• 7” diagonal, high-resolution color screen with contact-based touch targets delivers an elegant, intuitive experience
• HD Soundstation supports Bluetooth and USB peripherals, 10/100/1000 wired connectivity and a handset option
• Detachable and serviceable 8-hour battery for a full day of work
• Highly secure remote connections with Cisco AnyConnect Security VPN Client
• HD audio with wideband support (tablet, HD Soundstation)