Android Boss has an iPad

By Bill | April 27, 2010 | 9 comments

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If you have a mobile phone or watch TV commercials, chances are you’ve heard of Android, Google’s mobile phone operating system. Google’s Android competes directly with Apple’s own iPhone OS and was one of the main reasons Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, decided to quit Apple’s board of directors.

With both companies in a heated battle for mobile supremacy, it was amusing to read a recent New York Times interview with Andy Rubin, the head of Google’s Android activities. According to the article, Mr. Rubin purchased his wife an iPad instead of a tablet running Google’s Android OS. He feels that tablets will be popular with people that consume content versus those that produce content. Rubin doesn’t think tablets will create a new third category of device, unlike Steve Jobs, but rather take market share from laptops and netbooks.

It will be interesting to see how the Apple / Google mobile battle will spill-over into the tablet space. This is especially true with Google’s rumored plans to release their own Google branded tablet. The tablet will possibly combine Andorid and Chrome onto a single device and compete directly with Apple’s iPad. Availability is rumored to be around Q2/Q3 .

So what’s your next tablet going to be? Google or Apple?

About Bill: Contact me via Twitter: @PadGadgetBill

lrd

Google best get copying. Because if Apple launches in 20 plus countries before Google even gets out the gate; then it’s all over.
lrd

Oh, and don’t make the same mistake with HTC and step on any of Apple’s patents. For example, multi-touch.

If you think Apple’s stock is high now, wait until they win the patent infringement lawsuit against HTC.

Well, let’s put it this way, Apple’s going to own HTC.
Jeff Cahill

What Android based tablets are on the market?…oh wait…none

Bill

Actually there are a few out there such as the Archos 5 Internet Tablet and the Camangi WebStation. Also, Google has easy access to several Android based tablet prototypes from a wide range of vendors that use Android.

http://www.sebastianhahn.de Sebastian

Google… no, thanks. Android… no, thanks.

http://doodl.es Jonathan

I second that. I played with a Droid not long ago- it felt like cheap and thrown together. Off the bat, they’re giving them away in buy-one-get-one deals. Keeping Apple and Google in mind- you get what you pay for.

http://doodl.es

Slyone

Well how else is he to do another clone of Apple without buying one? Sure it’s for the wife lol.
http://www.pedalthrottlerepeat.com 2wheel_Ted

There’s a short list of requirements that an Android (Google) tablet would need to have or meet for me to make the switch from my iPad:

1. It functions as well as my iPad and plays just as nice with my other Apple products
2. There are as many if not more compelling apps compared to the iPad
3. Costs hundreds LESS than an iPad

Since I’ve already got numbers 1 & 2 covered as an iPad owner, number 3 is the only thing that could possibly pull me away. Still, by the time an Android tablet does become available, I’ll probably be so used to using what I’ve already got and wouldn’t bother.

Unless there’s some amazing, wholly “new” and revolutionary functionality that an Android tablet beats Apple to that has me completely convinced I can’t live without it, there’s little chance myself or any iPad owners would switch. It’s a race — not to get the first tablet out there; Apple wasn’t the first — but a race for hardware and/or software companies for their tablet to become the standard of success for which all others are measured against.

I think it’s safe to say Apple is winning.

So far.
mtcoz

I think all of this hype and up coming releases is going to have minimal impact on the iPad… Apple has delivered and therefore has the majority of the market. Good luck to everyone else catching up and at present in Australia the only alternative is the Galaxy Tab….

Not so long ago I played with the Galaxy and when comparing it to the iPad, it doesn’t even come close. The plastic back cover felt cheap, the 7″ screen is way to small, the Apps are basic and to me Android seems to be gimmicky vs iOS IMO.

Interested to see what Apple do to the next gen. iPad (It surely wont be iPad 2)