Hewlett-Packard Co. is testing Google Inc.'s Android operating system -- which is currently only available on mobile phones -- for its offering of netbooks, small laptops that are primarily used to run Web browsers and applications, according to media reports.

The Palo Alto company is contemplating using a Linux-based operating system based on Google's Android platform in some netbooks, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources who had been briefed on the matter.

HP is testing the OS for netbooks, but is undecided on whether to offer it, according to the report.

Most of the netbooks today come with Microsoft's Windows XP OS, with possible support for the upcoming Windows 7, which has been shown to work on netbooks. If HP, the world’s largest PC maker, chooses Android, it would mean that it will bypass Microsoft’s Windows operating systems.

Asustek, the Taiwan computer maker that made the first netbook in 2007, has also been looking at using Android for netbooks.

Windows-based notebooks comprise more than 90 percent of netbook sales.

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