Google’s attempt to take over the world is proceeding as planned. First they controlled the search engine market, then they began to dominate the cell phone market, and now there’s talk about Google getting into the car market. According to the New York Times, Google and Sony have teamed up to take over your living room, releasing the first television with Google integration.
The Google TV announcements have been coming fast and furious recently, with Logitech last week announcing their Revue set-top box. The advantage to the new Sony offering lies entirely with the fact that it’s integrated directly into the television – no extra boxes and wires required. While many techies will not mind the clutter of additional components in their room, the new Sony announcement has a high WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor).
When people first saw leaked pictures of the remote control, many were concerned at the size and complexity. The report states that during their tests, the device was intuitive and easy to use which will hopefully accelerate adoption.
The new sets come in four sizes, range in price from $600 (24-inch) to $1,400 (46-inch), and will be available online at Sony Style and both on-line and in-store at Best Buy starting on Sunday. According to Best Buy’s website, all models have 1 composite input (why?), 1 component input, 4 HDMI inputs, 4 USB ports, wired Ethernet and Wi-Fi capabilities.
In addition to the television sets, Sony also announced a Blu-ray player with Google TV for those who want to keep their current TV set. At $400, it’s more expensive than a standard Blu-ray player, but competitively priced with the Logitech Revue.
Sony admits that the televisions aren’t for everyone. Do you think people want to surf the web on their television? Or is a netbook/iPad on your end table a better solution?
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