Is this Google's answer to the iPad?
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Posted on 2 Feb 2010 at 13:35
Designs for a tablet PC running on Google Chrome have been revealed, less than a week after the launch of Apple's iPad.
The concept designs come from the developers behind Chromium OS - the open-source project that underpins Google Chrome and not Google itself - but they give a decent indication of how a Google Tablet might measure up against the iPad. (Click Gallery button, left, to see the full selection of images.)
The designs show a variety of onscreen keyboard configurations, including the half-screen keyboard found on the iPad, a smaller keyboard docked to the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, and a split keyboard with keys assigned to left and right hands, as on ergonomic models.
The concept designs also show different methods of opening applications, including scrolling thumbnails of available apps or selecting from a list of tabs that appears on the left-hand side of the screen. The mock-ups suggest that, unlike the iPad, Chrome will allow users to run multiple applications simultaneously - albeit web apps.
The brief notes that accompany the illustrations reveal that contextual menus will appear when the user's finger dwells on the screen, allowing them to open a tab in a new window, for example.
(Images courtesy of the The Chromium Project)
Author: Barry Collins
More than 1 App!
The most obvious improvement on the iPad is multiple apps. However I'd have thought Google could have had some shots of content (news site, maps) and media capabilities.
By milliganp on 2 Feb 2010 
Showing content would be pointless. The point of the site is to show a rough concept of the hardware and the interface, not the content. (Though it was amusing when Job's demo of the iPad included a page of the New York Times with a clearly non-working Flash link.)
I just wish Google's 'concept design' would include things like front and rear facing cameras, SD memory slots, and standard USB ports, just to put Apple on the back foot and make 'em explain why it was so 'visionary' of them to leave those things out.
By Noghar on 2 Feb 2010
Hmm, a concept design.
Any chance of seeing a real design soon? In answer to the articles headline question I would say "probably not".
By ForumCat on 2 Feb 2010
Pointless!
I fail to see the appeal of this or the iPad. I own an iPhone which is great for getting access to email and occasional browsing if I am out and about or simply can't be bothered to power up the laptop. Why would I want something of similar size to my laptop to fill the 'void' between my phone and the computer?
It's too big to carry about with you and too impractical for extended use.
Waste of time and money. Tablets were a flop and these will be too.
By anthona on 2 Feb 2010
Vaporware?
How many fan made conceptual designs are there? A million? A billion? If it's not out it's only worth as a piece of art, not as a contender to an existing product.
By Olivier on 3 Feb 2010
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