Author Archives: Dariusz Jemielniak

Google’s Pixel C mistakes are not what Computerworld thinks

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Google’s Pixel C Android convertible seems a bit strange on the surface, but there may be more to this device than meets the eye.

Source: The crucial factor everyone’s forgetting about Google’s Pixel C | Computerworld

Indeed, the new tablet announced by Google is an interesting and unexpected move. According to Computerworld their move into the productivity turf may be premature, as Android is not ready for multitasking it requires. I, quite honestly, do not understand this concern: Android is just as capable of multitasking as iOS is, for all practical purposes, and other comparisons with Windows devices is a really (and silly) far stretch. Also, the device itself looks great on paper, and has a nice keyboagerd accessory (wireless charging of a Bluetooth keyboard, anyone?).

There are two other factors that make me wonder though:

  • Why have they not entered into a competition with iPad mini? The size factor makes a difference. Intuitively, while laptop replacements may be the distant future, it would make more sense to attack the laptop market itself in the first place (just as they rightly did with the recent Pixel Chromebook release), and offer some unique value for those, who use laptops for recreation. I, for one thing, would love a plain vanilla Android powerful tablet to fit my cargo pants, and for now, when Nexus 7 is out of the market, Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 appears to be the only real contender.
  • Speaking of the Nexus line: I totally understand that it is meant for devices not produced by Google, but commissioned outside. I love Nexus 5 and 6 (which I’m currently using), and differentiating for the new release between 5X (smaller, and a bit more budget-oriented, but still powerful) and 6P (basically, a phablet powerhouse) makes sense. But I believe that separating Pixel (in-house developed) and Nexus (commissioned from LG, Motorola, Huawei and the likes) lines is a grave mistake. Google is delusional that the nuance differences we, geeks, recognize are visible in the mass market. The basic fact is that an average consumer perceives Nexus phones and tablets as “Google-made” anyway. Adding a separate brand of tablets to Pixel family (so far, reasonably reserved for Chromebooks) really adds more to the confusion, and makes both brands weaker. It is absurd that some consumers are disappointed there have been no Nexus tablet premiere this year, and they may be even oblivious to Pixel C existence. It may be a part of a grand plan to compartmentalize and differentiate the whole company, embodied by their recent Alphabet transformation, and it may work well in the future. Meanwhile, it is simply spreading their presence on the tablet market too thin.
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