By This little “me too” game that Google seems to be playing is starting to get interesting. The Nexus One was set to take on the iPhone, Chrome browser battled with Firefox, and Google wants to buy AdMob to counter Apple’s introduction of iAd. Now, they’ve taken it another step forward with Eric Schmidt – our knight in shining Google CEO armor – letting slip the intention of bringing out their very own tablet device.
New York Times reports that Schmidt casually spoke to a few friends about it at a party in LA, recently.
People with direct knowledge of the project — who did not want to be named because they said they were unauthorized to speak publicly about the device — said the company had been experimenting in “stealth mode” with a few publishers to explore delivery of books, magazines and other content on a tablet.
This wouldn’t be the first tablet device we’ve seen running Android, but it is a first from Google who is quickly becoming Apple of the new-age: supplementing great software with the hardware that they think should set the standard for their platform. The article states that Google is working with different publishers to bring eReader-centric content to the platform, but what about hardware vendors? Will we see HTC take a stab at a 10-inch Nexus One?
Whether or not Schmidt intended for this news to eek out of his mouth as soon as it did, I can’t say, but I’m kinda of wishing his friends bought him a few more drinks at that party to help the information continue pouring out. If we do get anything beyond this point, we’ll saddle up our excitement and bring it right to you.
There’s no way it will be running Android…
I think I’d buy one just to spite Apple lol. @Ryan, if its not running Android it would be running Chrome and I imagine they will make sure Chrome can run Android apps.
Google is not trying to buy Admob to counter iAd, it has been trying to buy it for months now.
it sounds to me like its going to be another ipad,which is pointless.glorified e-reader.
im still going for the adam.
Woot Woot I love competition between super powers I.e. Google vs.Apple …hehe the consumer always wins ^_^ but i must admit I hate apple and Im pulling for google to win the war :p and hopefully before the dust settles we’ll all be living in a world of super powered hand-held devices! :D I say bring on the ROBOT OVERLORDS >:D
thats an ipad >.>
Just lookup the ICD Gemini. That there is gonna be one helluva tablet if it is ever released. Android will do VERY well on it too.
Unlike the ipad, this device will have flash player support and a camera. Im sure it will be running android which gives users the freedom to use the device I any way they choose. If htc makes it and it runs android, i will own one partly to spite apple and partly because it will save me from purchasing an ugly laptop which I am in need of.
WTB!
Tablets are stupid I think.
I love having Apple release the “hot new thing” only to have Google one-up them a week later.
The best part is that Google doesn’t make crippleware. They actually include all of the functionality in their products that Apple has intentionally kept out of theirs in order to churn multiple purchases from the same user base.
What they need is universal remote control on the gPad, so i can play with it and control my tv at the same time. And also, when logMeIn comes out for android, i can use that to control my laptop as well. I can be a real couch potato by then.
I would buy. .. if its real it will be mines
What I love about this is that about 25% of the people who were close to getting the iPad just put it off even longer because they’ll want to see what everybody else is coming out with. I also believe if you get this out the door for $250 you will rule the market.
THE COURIER WILL BE BETTER THAN ALL OF THEM!!!
John… Google bought AdMob long before Apple bought Quattro Wireless… Apple was actually trying to acquire AdMob at the same time Google was courting them… Quattro ended up being Plan B after they failed.
I don’t care who does it, but someone needs to release an alternative to the iPad.. WeePad, NotionInk Adam, Google PAd, Jojo whoever, get out there, take it by the soft and curlies and get on with producing an alternative, rather than just talking about it.
Put simply, OS4.0 on an iPad Flash or not, might be enough to make apple a Winner for at least 3 years, and anyone who says Apple isn’t ahead of the curve, history on the iPhone is such that potential iPad killers need to get out there sooner rather than later.
Anyway, living in the UK, i’ve not even seen one (iPad) yet.. Price??
so come on Google, get on with it, i’ve had more than enough press releases.. its not like Apple didn’t give fair warning at the start of the year..
I think it’s great that GOOGLE has the time and resources to put into developing another new product. It just goes further in proving that they could care less about us Nexus One owners and our defective phones.
I think it would be interesting to see how well it sells.
I still don’t get the whole camera on a tablet thing.
The whole “camera on a tablet thing” is designed so folks can upload social media or do video chat through skype, etc.
The camera’s would be user facing to facilitate this.
The one thing I hope to have on the gpad that will obliterate the ipad is the touch screen. A real tablet screen with a real stylus option vs the capacitive crap apple uses would be a smart move. I’ll trade my ipad in for googles if that is the case. I want to be able to use Sketchbook pro with a stylus not a big foam headed piece of chalk. I want to bring up a “notepad” and actually write something I can read. I don’t walk chalkpad. It’s my only gripe with the ipad. (and flash). I love the darn thing to death otherwise.