Google’s Tablet, the gPad: Google’s Answer to the Apple iPad

While this functionality sounds very similar to what you could do on an Apple iPad, Google’s Chrome device will be open source, allowing developers to create apps and other software possibilities that Apple’s proprietary hardware won’t allow. By releasing an open source tablet, Google are hitting Apple where its most vulnerable.

How's the Viking?

Hi Juuust fine.. Blizzard going on here, but I'm not out.

 When's the hardware (the actual G. Tablet) scheduled for release?

I dunno, but I read something about pre-Easter, ie before the iPad.

But HTC will not be the ones to make it.

The segment is hotting up.

Major bad idea, methinks, for HP to marry Windows...

I used to love my HP 15C back in maths class.

What do you think all of this will do to the Kindle?

But Chrome OS and gPad seem to fullfill all my dreams - and delete the closed, claustrophobic iPad nightmares...

Kindle has just bought TouchCo, to go after iPad with touchscreens.

Somehow I think the best solutions will emerge (like in the Venus Project):

• open source OS

• freedom to move your book to other devices

• e-ink for low-battery usage (and eye-friendlyness)

• light, for when you don't have light available

I also want things like Wave and Gmail to be on my board, if ever I buy one..

Yes, the closed nature of the iPad is a serious constraint. RE. Wave and Gmail? Aren't all .. pads running browsers?

Surely they won't be running Kindle type e-ink?

I guess, but a Google pad will probably be a lot faster for those apps.

Hi Tommy!

There's no rumour of gPad using e-ink, no.

thejoojoo.com - these guys use Avatar images on their page, and I just came from Avatar 3D on the cinema tonight...

It will be an uphill battle for Kindle; people want several media on one tablet: Books, videos, games, music..

And of course they want multitasking, at least I want it!

Got to love Avatar. Aren't the Na'vi amazing!

I think TechCrunch and their editor Mike Arrington were involved in JooJoo but no more.

Quite right. I will have a major blog post on Avatar in a day or so - probably in English.

Mainly on the philosophical and political aspects - EcoPolitics etc.

Interesting you're going to write about Avatar and EcoPolitics. There was a fascinating article in the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper saying that Avatar will do more for getting kids the age of mine (14) into becoming ecologically aware that hundreds of Al Gore's, Inconvenient Truth's and Copenhagen's.

Cool! My thought exactly. And I'm very thankful to my friend who guided me through all the hype and told me it was actually a great film. Here it is: http://tlive.me/2202