Apple iPads competitor?!

[aforty]

Google actually released an Android update today that enables multi-touch in a few apps, probably with more to come.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/02/nexus-one-gets-a-software-update-enables-multitouch/

 

[Sketh]

To all of the people saying google didn't implement multi touch because of Apple, that's not accurate. As Erick Tseng said in the last Engadget Show, Apple had nothing to do with it... supposedly, but I believe it.

Anyway, a Chrome tablet wouldn't take much share away from the iPad, as the iPad will thrive off of the apps, and a chrome tablet would run web apps for the most part. Plus, unless they completely overhaul the UI, Chrome isn't well suited for touch based input.

This is clearly just a shot at Apple from Google to get people have this very discussion, and with that point I dare say: Well played, Google... well played.

 

[drjsway]

To all of the people saying google didn't implement multi touch because of Apple, that's not accurate. As Erick Tseng said in the last Engadget Show, Apple had nothing to do with it... supposedly, but I believe it.

That interview was weird. Josh kept pressing the issue of why there isn't multi-touch and Erick kept saying there is.

 

[Aegelward]

There is a stack of iPad competition arriving.

Numerous Android based tablets, a few windows CE based ones, Nokia might even released a scaled up Maemo tablet.

I'm not sure i'm sold on the android tablets, if google release a dedicated tablet edition it might be better, but right now they are just throwing the phone version onto them - Its scalable sure, but it has a lot of elements orientated for smaller phone screens rather than 7-10" displays.

Windows CE being.. well, windows.

Maemo 5/6 could be interesting, my impressions of the N900 is the OS could scale well to a larger screen, just depends if it's used properly.

But anyway, Apple needs rivals, otherwise they'd sit on their butt thinking the iPad is the greatest thing in the world. It's not perfect, personally i'm undecided if i'll go for one or not, i might just wait and see.

 

[DakotaGuy]

To all of the people saying google didn't implement multi touch because of Apple, that's not accurate. As Erick Tseng said in the last Engadget Show, Apple had nothing to do with it... supposedly, but I believe it.

Considering that Android 2.1 is getting an update as we speak to enable multi-touch I doubt Apple had anything to do with it.

The biggest difference is that the Android tablets will give you a choice of carriers for your 3G coverage. Apple will still be limited to AT&T only.

 

[davidlw]

Hey folks look again, Nexus does have multitouch as of today.

 

[bobsentell]

HP has the HP Slate coming. Dell has a mini slate. A lot of other companies at CES introduced tablets. So, yes. Apple will have competition.

Whether it is Alabama-Texas competition or Florida-Cincy competition, who knows?

 

[iphonegeek786]

Hey folks look again, Nexus does have multitouch as of today.

Thats right, the Nexus One may even compete with the Iphone one day.

 

[Sketh]

Thats right, the Nexus One may even compete with the Iphone one day.

That's just the express way of installing the update.

It's an actual over the air update as well.

It's called fact checking, my friend.

 

[Runt888]

The biggest difference is that the Android tablets will give you a choice of carriers for your 3G coverage. Apple will still be limited to AT&T only.

The iPad is unlocked - I have no doubt that t-mobile will offer micro sims to iPad users.

 

[marksman]

I wouldn't worry about competitors. They won't get it. They will rush to put all kinds of things into a tablet that Apple doesn't have while ignoring why Apple is so successful.

It cracks me up. I was watching some tv show tonight and some phone was being promoted that was like $25 with contract, and it was shaped just like an iPhone. Companies are so lame. So now every phone regardless of what it does or how it works looks like an iPhone. It is ridiculous.

The same thing will happen with the tablet market. There are no tablets out there now that look like the iPad. Yet there will be a whole lot of them, many just shoving some windows derivative or if lucky some sub-par android implementation and trying to compete.

 

[marksman]

Considering that Android 2.1 is getting an update as we speak to enable multi-touch I doubt Apple had anything to do with it.

The biggest difference is that the Android tablets will give you a choice of carriers for your 3G coverage. Apple will still be limited to AT&T only.

The other difference is likely the inferior User Interface and access to applications.

 

[Mr Bigs]

The other difference is likely the inferior User Interface and access to applications.

I guess you can see into the future.

 

[greygray]

If Google can't even get multi-touch right on their Android phones, they are years away from perfecting a touch tablet.

They already have it on the latest software update. Pinch to zoom and multi-touch.

 

[GermanSuplex]

I am going to sound like a broken record, but Apple works so well because of the iPod/iTunes ecosystem, as well as the Apple TV and other software on the Macs.

Perhaps Chrome and the online services Google offers will create a similar ecosystem, but I reckon it will have a ways to go before matching Apples. Even if the device itself is great, I doubt I'll be interested unless the software both on it and its interacting devices rivals Apple's.