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02
Feb
2010

Could a Google Tablet Dominate the iPad?

RT @InterAwesome: Could a Google Tablet Dominate the iPad?

Febuary 2nd, 2010 | By: Garin Kilpatrick

Last week I was stoked for the release of the Apple tablet, which we now know as the iPad. The iPad is quite the sexy machine, I’ll give it that. But the sexiness of the iPad comes at the cost of functionality. The iPad is not the powerful and fully functional device I had hoped for. Instead the iPad is essentially an oversized iPhone, that cannot make calls, without usb, Flash, or a camera. I love my iPhone, but I love my Macbook a whole lot more because it can experience the web as it was meant to be seen. Unfortunately, a true web experience is impossible with the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and now the iPad.

Apple makes millions from the cut they take from every app sold in the App store. Since there are thousands of Flash games and apps on the net already for free, these would certainly slow sales in the App store. Consequently Apple has decided to disable the functionality of Flash, thus making a true web experience on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch impossible. Apple has made a huge mistake by seriously inhibiting one of the most important and prolific technologies on the web, and they should correct their mistake.

Here is a hands on demo of the iPad. I’m pretty sure this demo is done by an Apple employee because she is overly enthusiastic about the slightly tweaked iPhone OS functionality.

In use the tablet looks more like a toy than a tool. Typing on a flat screen with my thumbs is difficult enough, and although I’ve gotten quite used to it and fast, a real keyboard still kills just a screen when it comes to sureness and speed. Flat screen tapping is awkward an unnatural. Swipe keyboard technology is very promising for the software keyboard world, but it is still not available for the iPhone/iPad, and still requires development and refinement before it goes mainstream.

We Want Flash

The HUGE problem with the iPod touch, iPhone, and now the iPad, is that they do not support Flash technology. Brands like Nike, Hulu, BBC, Major League Baseball, and more rely on Flash to deliver the most compelling experiences to over a billion people. Flash can produce an awesome web experience. Check out this post about 50 amazing examples of Flash to get an idea of what I mean. The amazement of Flash is not possible with an iPad, and until it is I won’t buy one, no matter how sexy it is. What I have done is signed the petition for Apple to adopt Flash at Iwantflash.com, and I encourage you to do the same. Iwantflash is a petition started by my cousin Luke Kilpatrick.

Google Tablet

Google has a tremendous opportunity here. By combining their open source Chrome OS with a Tablet PC that has Flash enabled, they could dominate this new tablet market with a device the delivers a true web experience.

Below is a concept video of what could be possible with a Google Chrome OS for a Google tablet device.

What do you think?

After contemplating Google’s venture into the mobile market, including the Android platform, and the Google Phone Nexus One, it seems almost an inevitability that they will seek to compete in the new tablet market too.  If Google does indeed produce a tablet what do you think it will be called?  gTab?  People will still buy the iPad because it is sexy, but do you think it will success?  What do you think of the iPad?



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  • It's time to step back and ask "what would the larger consumer market want and need" instead of what the highly technical market may want. That's where the real potential sales lie.

    Imagine this: an ordinary, non-techie could buy one of these and pay the $30 per month, have no home internet fees, and do everything they want or need. Sounds pretty attractive to me.
  • Microsoft is one company that has sought to answer the question "what would the larger consumer market want and need?" with Windows.

    Microsoft's willingness to allow other companies to profit by functioning with so many different machines and peripherals is what has allowed Microsoft to capture immense profits and such a huge percentage of the operating system market share. Apple is sending the message that they do not play well with others so I will no be surprised if many other companies simply avoid Apple and continue to make innovative products that play nicely with PCs.

    Can you really finance an iPad with service for $30? Even still for $30 a month I would rather finance a real computer, and pay a little extra for an Internet connection so that I had more than a few megabytes of bandwidth per month because I doubt if a $30 plan with an iPad comes with much.
  • You've got to be kidding. You use Microsoft as a company that has tried for the larger consumer market? And you show your bias for technical over consumer solutions by saying "I would rather finance a real computer . . ."

    That's exactly my point. "Real Computers", as they exist today, are far to complex, buggy, and frustrating for the general market. Something like the iPad and the UNLIMITED data plan for $30 per month is both affordable and more in tune with non-technical consumer needs.

    I'm sure that some, like you and I, will still want powerful, flexible, more complex computers. But digital devices, more like appliances, are much more in tune with the consumer market.

    http://randymurrayonline.com/2010/02/02/why-a-c...
  • $30 is a surprisingly good deal for an iPad with unlimited data, but I don't suppose there will be too much downloading going on with a 64GB HD. I'm not sure how much a real bluetooth keyboard would cost, but I would want one, because I could not stand tapping on a screen to type all the time.

    I've never found real computers too be too complex, but the iPad does seem to keep things simple, and I'm sure it will be the perfect product for some people. But you are right I would prefer something far more powerful, something that can actually run Flash.
  • which websites that use flash would you like to see or where do you think you would use flash?
  • Ines
    The only way I am abandoning my perfectly fine working Vaio is if Google Tablet improves upon the iPad. Here is what bugs me with the iPad:
    The total lack of USB is a killer! In this day and age please consider the micro-USB and/or mini-USB.
    Not allowing multi-tasking is so 20th century! Same goes for no flash. Paying extra for the dock and especially the keyboard (all other tablets have a keyboard included if you need it) AND still depending on AT&T is altogether racketeering. So if Windows 7 was your idea...lets keep it up and improve on the iPad...of course battery life would have to match the 10 hours. Lets make that more worker friendly.
  • No USB in the iPad really is a killer! Apple is trying to become the only source for hardware and apps, but in the long run this is doomed to fail.

    Will this strategy of "Apple or nothing" make them more money in the short term? Yes, probably. Will this also piss off some of their existing customers? Yes, certainly.

    I prefer the win-win approach to business, but Apple is clearly taking a win-lose approach by thwarting third party innovation and seeking a Monopoly in a highly competitive market.

    And a removable battery would be nice. :)
  • Google certainly has the advantage of hearing the shortcomings of the iPad, now that we are getting the post-hype reality check. The Google tablet will be a great option, and will fit a bit more neatly into a niche between a smart phone and a lap top.
  • I agree, and Google won't be the only competition. @DadeWilliams on Twitter just pointed out this cool Lenovo Hybrid concept that will make anyone who wants an iPad think twice. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5DYuVN6nuY
  • Will I buy an iPad? Probably but mostly as an eBook reader. However it does so much more than read books....so I'll need to ponder if I want to wait for the 3G models. Capacity wise I need to go with the 64GB version. I held out replacing my original iPhone (8Gb....the largest capacity at the time) for the 32GB 3Gs.

    I am a bit disappointed in the iTab only because the buzz was "You'll be amazed at how you interact with it". I've been an iPhone user since 2007....I was amazed back then but not now. I liked how the iWork apps have been customized to work with the multi-touch interface. That shows promise. I like the fact that you can get a dock with a built-in Keyboard OR use a Bluetooth keyboard with it. The fact that it weighs just 1.5 pounds is nice.

    The Kindle DX (with a 9.7 inch B&W screen, 5GB of storage?) goes for around $439. The entry level iPad (with 9.7 inch color screen and 16GB of storage) will be $499. Granted the Kindle includes "Whispernet" (Sprint 3G) for free but unlike my iPhone or my wife's Kindle 2.....I don't see me lugging around an iPad everywhere I go and the lack of 3G support at that price point doesn't seem like an issue to me.

    So I guess I'm a semi-reluctant potential iPad consumer. :-)

    Now this whole Flash thing. For me the lack of Flash support is annoying not because I can't enjoy the enhanced experience of the web site but because for some I can't enjoy the web site at all (on my iPhone). To that end I wish Apple did support flash but I understand why they want to make sure the iPhone/iTab environment is as stable as it can be.

    I don't like the way Flash applications hog memory and then do not release everything back when the application terminates. After a while....it just sucks your machine dry.
  • The option of a Bluetooth keyboard is a great idea, since a full sized software keyboard leaves alot to be desired.

    Compared to the Kindle the iPad is a steal, especially since Amazon just sealed a deal that jacks up the price of ebooks. The only thing that ever really appealed to me about the Kindle is the screen that is easy on the eyes.

    The lack of Flash is my main issue with the iPad, because I love the way it looks. Apple is being evil by not supporting Flash, they are acting like the controlling Big Brother they decried in the epic Apple commercial "1984."

    If Apple will just support Flash I'll become a potential iPad consumer as well.
  • jb
    I already block flash in Chrome and Firefox. I've found that really don't miss the indulgent website intros, auto-starting audio, jumping banner ads, popout quiz windows, obnoxious navigation, unlinkable pages... The only people who will miss any of this are flash developers. Sadly most people won't be able to see their websites in a few years.

    Good bye flash. And good riddance. I hope Adobe turns their attention back to making useful tools.
  • I like indulgent flash websites. I hear you about some of the other Flash annoyances, though. Personally I'd prefer having the option to block Flash, rather than having no Flash at all. That's why I will not own an Ipad, but if Google releases a Tablet I will seriously consider picking one up.
  • Michael Kuchta
    They don't support flash because HTML5 supports video play back and their is no reason for flash with up coming CSS3
  • dbranco
    I love the argument that the IPAD doesn't need Flash because of HTML5. There is a tonne of flash on the internet. It will take HTML5 years to replace the flash user base if ever. Apple lemmings need to come up with a a better excuse than HTML5.
  • Indeed. HTML5 will not replace Flash anytime soon, and in the meantime anyone with an iPhone or an iPad loses out.
  • What about non video flash sites? Does HTML5 support those? Would it support this? http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/
  • Michael Kuchta
    That can all be made in CSS3 DHTML5 (Dynamic HTML 5) and JS (Java Script) here are some examples http://www.dhteumeuleu.com/ and a few JS Librarys like Jquery ( http://jquery.com/ ) and dojo tool kit ( http://www.dojotoolkit.org/ ) support interactivity
  • Well that is good news. I would take an open standard over a corporate owned alternative any day. But I wonder what the learning curve is like going from a Flash developer to a CSS3 DHTML5 (Dynamic HTML 5) and JS (Java Script) developer.
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