LifeHacker posted a great article on this, and I'd like to summarize their points and add a few of my own. For those who don't know, Google is going to release a tablet with a new Android OS (3.0 Honeycomb) that is specialized for tablets.
1. Along the bottom of the screen, the new OS has a great notifications bar, which is non-intrusive, unlike the iPad's pop-ups.
2. The new tablet will have front and rear facing cameras, for google talk and taking pictures and video. Also, the camera app has become almost a digital camera OS of its own. Seriously feature-packed
3. WIDGETS!!! The iPad has such a huge screen, but you can only use square, static icons to represent apps! There's not even a weather widget, on apple's tablet. Check out the gmail widget, or the book reading widget in this video! Imagine the facebook, or even an embedded youtube widget!
4. Youtube. I've seen the youtube on iPad, and while it's nice to see the screen, it's not that great. The new Android will have a redesigned youtube, as shown.
5. You can multitask. Not a huge thing for me, especially since I still see no sign of side by side or (gasp) grid apps, but it's still nice to play music while you're browsing, if you're of the type. While we're on that, you'll be able to control your music pretty easily without switching, similar to windows 7's live previews.
6. The browser is awesome, and if it's not awesome enough for you, mozilla is developing for android (They already have a firefox for android 2.x) Tabs, better highlighting, easy copy and paste with soft keys, better websites (like gmail and youtube).
7. Options. This is more personal preference, and can be a bad thing if manufacturers release crappy hardware, but I really like having choices and competition when I'm buying a device. Android runs on nearly everything these days, and being able to buy a cheap tablet (sans camera perhaps?) or Google's latest batch of awesomeness will be nice.
8. Updates. On iOS, you usually wait until the next device releases before you get an update. Google's update schedule is every six months. Also on the update side, why is it that a device that is wireless for EVERYTHING else has to connect via sync cable to a computer to even download apps? Grow up, Apple, it's the 21st century.
Now, I must be fair, and point out a few places where Apple still wins, however much I dislike their company.
First, Apple was first. They released the iPad a long time before anyone else started thinking tablets. Innovation has always been a strong suit of theirs.
Also, the iPad inevitably will have better battery life than the Android. Apple's hardware is the best, simply because they make all of it in house.
Finally, AirPlay's wireless media streaming is the best in the business, and Google can't really compete without going hardware.
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