The Verizon Googlepad: iPad Threat or Feckless Imitator?

“In the technology industry, imitation has always been the
sincerest form of flattery — if not a successful business model
for certain companies. It’s even more so in the nascent smartphone
segment, so no one seems to be particularly surprised that Verizon
Wireless and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) have plans to make an
Android-based tablet computer to take on Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL)
iPad.

“”The mobile phone business has always been a bit of a ‘me-too’
business. If anybody has a hit, their competitors always have to
come up with some kind of a response,” John Barrett, Parks
Associates director of research, told the E-Commerce Times. “At the
end of the day, you’re not going to get fired for having a response
to the iPad that doesn’t do so well. You’re going to get fired if
you don’t have your own iPad. You’ve got to do something. If it
becomes a runaway hit, and it was on your watch and you don’t have
an answer, you’re in trouble.”

“That attitude speaks volumes about the blending of hardware
categories in the second decade of the 21st century and the impact
that Apple is having on phones, mobile devices and consumer
electronics in general. The speculation about how Verizon Wireless
and Google will answer the iPad has so far been based on a
Wednesday story in The Wall Street Journal, in which Verizon’s CEO
Lowell McAdam said the two companies were working on a tablet
computer but didn’t go into specifics. Supposedly more details will
be forthcoming over the next few days.”

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