谷歌有望一统迷你平板电脑江湖的五大理由

    苹果（Apple）——凭借市场领先的设备和惊人的市值——可能看起来统治着科技行业。但在迷你平板电脑这一类别，苹果并不是领跑者。外界盛传苹果将推出一款比iPad小的平板电脑，但至今仍然只是传闻。苹果公司的iPad大败所有竞争产品，苹果何必涉足这一类别？因为迷你平板电脑大有市场。比如，亚马逊（Amazon）造型简朴、售价200美元的Kindle Fire就在上一个圣诞购物季热卖。

    不过，真正显示出该子市场潜力的是谷歌（Google）的Nexus 7。分析人士和评论者称这款产品有望成为Kindle终结者。直到最近为止，谷歌一直都只是在为三星（Samsung）、华硕（Asus）、宏达电（HTC）以及亚马逊等公司的手机和平板电脑开发移动操作系统。现在，通过直通消费者模式，谷歌希望凭借自家媒体商店Google Play，在内容消费市场分得一杯羹。问题在于，Nexus 7能否打败Kindle Fire，并与苹果可能在未来数月推出的产品一争高下？

    Apple -- with its maket-leading gadgets and astounding market cap -- may appear to rule tech. But there is one category in which it is not setting the pace: mini-tablets. Rumors of a tablet smaller than the iPad abound, but so far nada. Why would Apple even delve into the category when the iPad trounces every other tablet out there? There's a market for a smaller form factor. Amazon's spartan, $200 Kindle Fire sold well last holiday shopping season for instance.

    Google's Nexus 7 really shows the potential of the segment, however. Analysts and reviewers have characterized it as the product to put out the Kindle's flame. Until recently, Google has been developing its mobile operating system for phones and tablets used by Samsung, Asus, HTC, Amazon and many others. With a direct-to-consumers model, Google wants a piece of the content consumption market via its own media store, Google Play. Question is, can the Nexus 7 eclipse the Kindle Fire and compete with whatever Apple may unveil in the coming months?