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A Google e-book tablet? Why not—now that Google’s about to do a branded phone?
December 14, 2009 | 9:25 am
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By David Rothman
You already know about a Google smartphone on the way. So how about a Google tablet for e-reading?
The Google smartphone probably won’t just handle the ePub format well, via a choice of apps. Very likely it or a successor will also tie in smoothly with all those books in the Cloud, including the networked variety in the future.
Might Google, however, do an Amazon in reverse and start with a phone orientation but move on to a tablet, too? David Wilk, posting on the Reading 2.0 list, raised the possibility of a Google tablet, saying correctly that the phone would put Google “in the e-reader business by default.”
In terms of e-reading for many people, the phone would be the main show. But if Google is smart, it will realize that different readers like to enjoy their books in different ways, and in fact, many might like to read on both a tablet and a phone.
Ideally a Google tablet would use Pixel Qi or another technology rather than E Ink. That would help set it apart from zillions of tablet readers out there with E Ink and would also mean a faster screen response time, which make it easier to scoot around quickly from book to book.
Routine disclosure/reminder: I own a tiny speck of Google stock for long-term retirement investment purposes—which has never kept me from bashing the company when I felt it deserved it.
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Comments:
Google is moving down in the stack to challenge B2C opponents with an open architecture and new sets of standards. In creating a post-revenue business model, Google can only manage success if consumers accept a co-branding and outsourced manufactured device … NQ Logic recommends reading about the rest of the new Google’s mobile strategy at http://www.nqlogic.com
I initially thought Google might have made some back-door deal with Fusion Garage, in order to convert the Crunchpad to an Android or Chrome-powered tablet. Disappointed to find the actual situation less sensible & apparently more tawdry. Pixel Qi’s press release is understandably vague on identity & actual number of vendors they will reveal at CES, so it’s anyone’s guess what will be shown come January. It’s not over until all the shoes have dropped.