The following is an excerpt from JOHN LETZING And AMIR EFRATI | June 28, 2012 | Smartmoney.com |
Google (GOOG: 580.07, 15.76, 2.79%) Inc. stepped up its campaign to become a major player in consumer electronics, topped by a $199 tablet computer that could pressure Amazon.com (AMZN: 228.35, 7.04, 3.18%) Inc. while adding yet another challenger to market leader Apple (AAPL: 584.00, 14.95, 2.63%) Inc.
The company unveiled the tablet at a developer conference Wednesday alongside other hardware it designed for the first time—a $299 home-entertainment player called Nexus Q and futuristic eyewear dubbed Google Glass that embeds a computer display in a glasses-like device.
For Google, the transition to hardwar¥e has become necessary as Apple continues to encroach on the Internet-search giant’s territory with major software applications.
Earlier this month, for instance, Apple touted a number of new software products, including a mapping service that would replace Google Maps as the default system for Apple devices. Meanwhile, software titan Microsoft (MSFT: 30.59, 0.68, 2.27%) Corp. last week added its own branded tablet to the fray, furthering the turf wars.
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