Google's long-awaited tablet might finally be on the way to becoming a reality. For at least two years, there have been reports that the search giant was working on something that could compete with Apple's iPad. A Google employee briefed on the project now says it will be out later this year. The employee declined to be named because the product has not been announced.
Google's target audience, however, seems to be as much those who use Amazon's Kindle Fire as people who favor the more expensive iPad. The device, which would naturally run Google's Android operating system, would compete not only with Apple and Amazon but also with other tablet makers using Android.
Rumors about the tablet first landed this month in a report by DigiTimes, which said a device with a 7-inch screen would be manufactured by Taiwan-based Asustek Computer. The Wall Street Journal, in a subsequent report, said Google would be marketing tablets directly to consumers through an online store. A Google spokesman declined to comment.
"They're joining the post-PC content-consumption-device crowd," said Sean McDevitt, a consultant at CSMG. As more searches happen on mobile devices, he added, a tablet should let Google extend its dominance.
The New York Times reported in April 2010 that Google had been experimenting in stealth mode with a device that could deliver books, magazines and other content.
Google must be hoping that its tablet will fare better than its phone, the Nexus One, which it sold directly online. It introduced the phone at the beginning of 2010 to good reviews, but it never caught on. The Nexus One was, Google said, supposed to be "a beacon of innovation," but "as with every innovation, some parts worked better than others."
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