It’s going to be difficult for hardware and software providers to make inroads into the market for tablet computers, though, given the iPad’s name recognition and the hundreds of thousands of apps available for it in Apple’s iTunes Store.
Android’s growing popularity among smart-phone users could give tablet computers that run Google’s system a leg up, particularly once Honeycomb is made available.
Google has said little about Honeycomb, other than the fact it will allow applications to present information differently depending on whether they’re running on a phone or a tablet.
For example, Gmail on the tablet shows a list of eMail messages in one column and the body of the one you’re reading in a second column. On an Android phone, you’d only see one column at a time.
Honeycomb is thought to be the operating system of choice on several devices expected to make an appearance at CES 2011.
One is Toshiba’s tablet, which the company said it plans to start selling by the end of June. A price has not yet been set, but the company believes it will be competitive with the iPad, which costs $499 to $829, depending on its memory capacity and wireless capabilities.
Handset maker Motorola also is expected to reveal a Honeycomb-based tablet, as it has hinted through the release of an animated video on YouTube last month called “Tablet Evolution presented by Motorola.” The video showed various tablets throughout history, ranging from an Egyptian hieroglyphic-laden slab to the iPad and Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Tab.
It then focused on a black podium emblazoned with Motorola’s “M” logo that supported a mysterious covered object—presumably its own entry into the field.
A buzzing bee at the end of the video suggests that this might be the same Honeycomb-based tablet that Google’s top mobile executive, Andy Rubin, showed off at a December conference.
With so many companies making Android-based tablet computers, electronics makers will need innovative hardware or a super-low price to stand out from the noise, said Gillis.
“At CES [2011], the noise is going to get extremely loud,” he said.
Companies not known for mobile devices also are getting into the tablet business. TV maker Vizio said its offering, the VIA Tablet, will have a screen that measures 8 inches diagonally and can play high-definition videos, an HDMI port, MicroSD memory card slot to add more memory, and a front-facing camera.
It also will include a universal remote control app for controlling devices such as television sets. VIA will run Android, but Vizio did not say which version. It also did not say when it will be available or how much it will cost.
- New research challenges fears about AI in the classroom - February 5, 2026
- How the FY25 funding freeze impacts students across America - July 24, 2025
- ‘Buyer’s remorse’ dogging Common Core rollout - October 30, 2014