Google Tablet Operating In ‘Stealth Mode’
Apple’s iPad wasn’t the first step in tablet computing, and it certainly won’t be the last. And now Apple has a big target on their back.
Apple’s major competitors said they already have tablets near completion, and with the iPad’s launch serving as a test bed for the entire market, they will certainly be taking note and tweaking their own versions.
The most interesting — to me — is Google’s efforts. I make no qualms about liking Google for the most part, but beyond that, Google’s Android system is the only competitor with even a similar marketplace. They already have developers making apps and with Google Books and Fastflip in Google Labs, they are poised to actually take on Apple head-to-head. (And it will probably have Flash support — oh zing!)
The New York Times looked into the Google slate; which the CEO told friends about at a party — I assume drunkenly.
Eric E. Schmidt, chief executive of Google, told friends at a recent party in Los Angeles about the new device, which would exclusively run the Android operating system.
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.
Apart from Google, Microsoft’s Courier project looks pretty interesting with two screens and book-like folding. Paired with the new Microsoft Kin it could be a social butterfly’s dream tablet. Microsoft engineers have some kinks to work out though, notably keeping two touch screens running without killing battery life.
[Via New York Times]
