the new version of Android (2.2, or Froyo). But Google says that this version of Android wasn’t optimized for tablets. This means three things for folks interested in buying an Android tablet this fall.

First: If your tablet is built to certain hardware specifications — specifically, those of an oversized smartphone — you’re good. Samsung’s much-anticipated Galaxy Tab fits the bill, as it really is just a Galaxy smartphone with a much larger screen. If you’re wondering (like I was) why the Galaxy Tab had phone-call capability and was laid out in portrait rather than landscape, there’s your answer.

Second: Functionally, the biggest hurdle is that most tablets won’t be able to use the Android Market, Google’s official store for Android apps. This actually makes sense, as not all of the apps on the market will work each tablet’s different hardware. But luckily, Android, unlike Apple’s iOS, is wide open. There are plenty of other ways to get Android apps onto your machine, including other app stores.

Third: Hugo Barra, Google’s director of mobile products, stopped just short of saying that the 3.0 and 3.5 versions of Android, also known as Gingerbread and Honeycomb (Android OS names make me hungry for breakfast cereal), would be optimized for tablets, and presumably there will either be a tablet version or tablet section of the Android Market at that time.

But he also didn’t quite say that. We can play Kremlinology all we want, and suppose that Google is sending subtly coded messages to consumers to wait for the next OS to buy an Android tablet, but it’s quite possible that Google just isn’t sure when or even if it can support a marketplace for everybody’s hardware.

This is the great and frustrating thing about having a wide-open gadget ecology for a platform. On the one hand, you’ve got a much wider variety of hardware options and price points; on the other, it’s much more difficult to provide an easy, unified consumer experience. That’s where we are with Android tablets, and where we’re likely to be next year, too.

See Also:

• Samsung Galaxy Tab Will Cost Over $1000
• Samsung Introduces 7-Inch Tablet to Rival iPad
• Gadget Lab Podcast: iPods, Apple TV and Samsung's Galaxy Tab …
• Archos 101 Android Tablet: iPad Rival or Giant Phone?
• First Look: ELocity's Android Tablet Makes Great Media Player …
• LG Promises Two New Android Phones, Tablet
• Apple iOS 4 vs. Google Android 2.2: How Do They Stack Up?
• From the Game|Life Mailbox: Honeycomb Cereal

Authors: Tim Carmody

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