Google has published pictures of what a tablet running its Chrome operating system would look like, fuelling speculation that the search engine intends to compete directly against Apple's iPad.
The images on the Chromium Projects website display a full touchscreen tablet PC being used to search Google and access the engine's apps.
Among the features of the concept table is a keyboard-based user interface (UI), the placement of tabs down the side of the screen and the ability to launch multiple browsers.
In another post on the same site exploring how the Chrome operating system - which is still in development - would work on different devices, Google suggests that the platform would be suited to tablet devices with a screen size of between five and ten inches.
Discussing the pros and cons of enlarging icons and other graphics for a touchscreen interface, Google notes that the UI would be "ideal for portrait devices" and would be able to be hidden to display full-screen content.
When Google first announced that it was developing the Chrome operating system last summer, it said that the platform would likely be first made available for netbooks in the second half of 2010.
Commenting on the rumours over its possible tablet launch, Google said in a statement: "Google Chrome OS is still in development and we are constantly experimenting with various user interfaces to determine what designs would produce the best user experience."
