We’re about two months and change from when Eric Schmidt said Google would deliver “a tablet of the highest quality,” so let’s check in on Mountain View’s progress.
“Google: we’re ‘quite focused’ on lower-end Android tablets”
When asked about what Google would do to improve Android’s poor showing on tablets, he believed that most success would come at the lower end of the market. Google was “quite focused” on the category, he said, without saying what that meant.
“Remember what we said about ‘highest quality’? Fuggedaboutit.”
This comes after rumors indicating Google would use Asus to build a sub-$250 Nexus tablet. Of course, Apple followers know how accurate rumors turn out to be. At least Apple rumors are sexier than “using sub-quality components to make a piece of crap.”
OK, Ashton Kutcher starring in a Steve Jobs biopic notwithstanding.
But what gives, Google? What happened to “a tablet of the highest quality”?
The Macalope sees a few possibilities here.
- Trouble at ye olde searche company and Schmidt and Page don’t agree on strategy. Probably not that likely.
- Back in December, Schmidt was just talking out of orifices that were not meant for such purposes. This is certainly true, whether he realized it at the time or not.
- Google is just accepting reality.
It’s probably the last option, as Page even acknowledges the success of the Kindle Fire (which the Macalope would like to remind everyone is not “Android”). “But Mr. Macalope,” you say, “couldn’t Google make a tablet that’s both low end and of the highest quality… oh, God, I can’t believe how stupid those words sound coming out of my mouth. Forget I said anything.”
Think nothing of it.
The comments were partly an admission that Android tablets weren’t having success in larger sizes. There was “strong competition,” Page said in an allusion to the iPad.
And then he made a series of rude hand gestures, in another allusion to the iPad.
[Editors’ Note: In addition to being a mythical beast, the Macalope is not an employee of Macworld. As a result, the Macalope is always free to criticize any media organization. Even ours.]