Unless you’ve been away from the waking world over the last month, the iPad caused a bit of a press storm. Now, Google has officially confirmed that it is working on a tablet computer that will likely rival Apple’s recently launched iPad.
Speaking to friends at a party in Los Angeles, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the new device would run on Google’s Android platform, the New York Times reported.
Also, news linked that the official tablet could be the recently announced Neofonie WePad. It features an Intel Atom N450 processor, plus Intel GMA 3150 graphics, and comes in a range of different storage sizes which include 16GB and 32GB of storage. There will be two models available a WiFi model and a 3G model just like the Apple iPad compatible USENET newsreaders that work with ThunderNews would be available in the Android Market. Android is also the only other real player in apps with the Android Marketplace. It is way behind the iTunes App Store in numbers, but is at least in second place.
An array of large companies has either said they will offer tablet devices or are likely to do so in the near future. Nokia Corp. is working with suppliers and designers to come up with one by fall, according to an analyst. And HP is already talking up its Slate device, which is expected to ship by mid-year. Dell Inc. is reportedly developing the Streak, while Lenovo Group has the IdeaPad s10-3.
Microsoft, on the other hand, has built a prototype of a slate. The device, called the Courier, is about the size of an average paperback and unfolds to reveal two screens, a Usenet newsgroup subscriber posted. Users would be able to write on the screens using a stylus and would be able to drag content between the two screens.
Although it’s not certain if Google is specifically going with the WePad as the official device, it does run Android. Slated to be released in July in Germany, the Neofonie WePad US release date has yet to be made.
