Tablet News Week in Review: Google Confirms eBook Product, Apple Convertible Laptop Rumored

While analyst firm ChangeWave dubbed holiday e-reader sales a two-way race between Kindle and Apple's iPad, B&N called the new NOOKColor -- just released in mid-November -- the biggest selling product in company history.

As for the PlayBook, analysts disputed whether demand for RIM's forthcoming tablet is growing -- or alternatively, market projections of stellar success are "overly optimistic."

Meanwhile, in a move widely seen as a blow to RIM, JP Morgan decided to give iPads to its investment bankers rather than wait for the BlackBerry PlayBook.

In other news, several vendors (household names included) rolled out (or revealed) new tablets, others updated gadgets with new features, and the industry kept abuzz with rumors about the possible tablet activities of HP and Apple.

• Sanjay Jha, chief of Motorola Mobility, revealed that the new spin-off is planning 7- and 10-inch tablets, adding that "we view both formats as quite meaningful.”
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• Google confirmed rumors that it will roll out an eBook center by the end of 2010, calling it Google Editions.
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• Coby launched the Kyros MID7015, a 7-inch Android-based tablet featuring HDMI and 1080p HDTV resolution.
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• Archos supplied a Froyo (Android 2.2) update to its Gen8 tablets (although no Adobe Plug-in is yet available for those particular devices).
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• Viewsonic expanded distribution of its dual-booting (Android and Windows) ViewPad G Tablet to international spots like the UK, while also releasing a Froyo update for the ViewPad 10.
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• HP attracted concerted attention around user reports that the long awaited Slate has finally started shipping.
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• With its Adam e-reader now awaiting the FCC's okay, Notion Ink outed new improvements to calendaring, photo editing, and other bells and whistles.
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• Others observed that Apple's recent patent filings suggest plans for a new convertible  tablet:  not just any convertible, mind you, but one with a sliding, instead or rotating, screen.
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