Looks like Google is going to become (or at least try to become) everything that Apple is in an open source sort of way. After making the mobile OS that finally took on iPhone on even grounds, Google is apparently busy working on another platform that will take on another major Apple product. This time, Google is working on a tablet device.
The news/rumor was first published by an Australian news site called SmartHouse. According to the report, Google has been working on a tablet device for the past 18 months. Their manufacturing partner is again HTC, the same company that is believed to be behind the unannounced Nexus One phone made by Google. This tablet is thus something that has been developed by Google and is being fabricated by HTC according to their the big G’s specifications.
It should come as no surprise really but we can’t help being caught off guard with this one. We have been so focussed on the Apple tablet and the (impending) Nexus One that this took some time sink in. But then as you start thinking about it, all of it makes perfect sense.
Whilst Apple is probably working on something that will be like an overgrown iPhone with a lot of things added on for effect, Google will probably push the Chrome OS on their tablet. Sure everyone’s making tablets with Google’s own Android but it will make much more commercial sense for Google to make a Chrome OS tablet. The fast and lightweight features of the OS, combined with superb security and the flexibility offered by the web-app only rule, it is actually the prefect device that will be used mainly to connected to the Internet in the go. Sure it might suck when you are offline but soon those times will be short enough to be almost non-existent.
The report actually talks of the Google tablet as a direct rival of the Apple tablet but it may not be all that direct. With the presence of multiple tablets in the market, the competition has already be diluted. And if Google is using the Chrome OS on their tablet, they will have a very different approach as compared to Apple (in all likelihood). So the competition will actually depend on how well Google’s Chrome OS concept catches on with third-party developers. But once it does, it will actually become much like Apple’s App Store and then the competition will be really direct except for content.
Apple is (supposedly) planning to major print content through its iTunes store for the tablet owners and that will include major dailies like the NYT to graphic novels and magazines. Google will have to step up its book digitizing efforts in order to offer something that is competitively relevant. Their Google Books project has gone through some hurdles but it might be their ticket on to this train after all.
Over all, the two tablets are likely to compete for your buying money but they are also very likely to appeal to completely different sets of people. Between them, the other tablets will be lucky to get any attention at all. Talk about major changes taking place in the industry. But I think the playing grounds will be evened out by the middle of this decade. So if you become an early adopter now, you might have some tasty upgrade options in about 3-4 years time. But let the things come out officially before making buying decisions.
