Google Can't Make an iPad Killer

Remember back in December when Google said that it would release an iPad-killer in six months? May is fast approaching, and the company has not made any additional announcements.

"It's kind of the same thing; until they actually deliver a great consumer product -- whether it's a phone or a tablet -- I won't believe it," fund manager Eric Jackson told Benzinga. "All indications are that the Motorola (NYSE: MMI) acquisition is something Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) intends to keep with the hardware group [intact]. But I just think it's a completely different kind of business and they're just not staffed and prepared with leadership on how to do that. Therefore they'll continue to stumble and have the kinds of reactions they've had with things like Google TV."

For better or worse, Jackson -- the founder and managing member of Ironfire Capital -- said that if Google is going to continue to be reliant on its desktop search business.

"They have sort of a fractured community, different versions of Android running on different devices, and people buying them because they're cheap," said Jackson. "But not using Wi-Fi capabilities in the phone, and not using data, and so forth, and not really engaging the full capabilities of the mobile experience on the phone."

Jackson said that he understands why Google made the purchase. "And I understand they look at Apple and the success they've had and they think they can emulate that themselves," he said. "But I agree with the critics who say that this is a very different business. This is a very screwed up business in Motorola; terrible morale, terrible margins.

"It's always difficult to helicopter in to some dysfunctional organization and sort of change it from afar. And when you decide that a management phone call from Mountain View isn't working and you need to take more of a hands-on role in the business, that has its own challenges, too."

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