Now it’s Google’s turn to enter the tablet market – and it might have a winner, according to The Notebook Company

The tablet marketplace is certainly hotting up, what with Microsoft’s launch of its Surface tablet, now followed by Google’s decision to launch its Nexus tablet during this week – a move that could see the software giant making a definite mark on sales in a market that continues to be dominated by Apple’s iPad.

Said Christopher Riley, MD of notebook and accessories retailer, The Notebook Company – the company which also manages the laptop.co.za and Notebook.co.za online retail sales: “This is certainly a smart move by Google and comes at a time when competition is really hotting up as two software giants – Google and Microsoft – enter the fray. By joining hands with Asus to co-brand their tablet it is likely to be a good value proposition. Asus produces good quality products and the price, at under $200, certainly looks attractive.”

While Riley said he does not see any product knocking the Apple iPad from its “large market lead”, the Google Nexus is arguably poised to “rival the success of Samsung’s Galaxy”.

“The entry of Google and Microsoft into the tablet marketplace emphasises just how important this market is – it is also going to be an important market for software add-ons as more and more users gravitate to tablets from laptops. The playing field is certainly getting interesting, but I don’t see the iPad losing much of its 60% market dominance in the short term. If there is erosion of its market share, I don’t see it dropping below the 50% mark in terms of its share of the tablet marketplace,” said Riley.

Riley said the sale of Apple iPads are currently outstripping the overall sale of the company’s range of laptops – which includes leading brands such as Dell, HP and Asus.

According to a recent report carried by the newswire, Bloomberg, Google is expected to unveil a co-branded tablet with Asus that is tipped to enter the market at under $200 – making it a good value proposition.