In the tablet environment, meanwhile, Apple's still holds a stranglehold on the top spot as research firm iSuppli estimated earlier this year that iPads accounted for 57.6% of all tablets sold in the fourth quarter of 2011. The Amazon Kindle Fire, which accounts for more than half of all Android tablets sold, has been the only Android tablet to really register as a commercial hit. And even then, the device's estimated 4 million Q4 2011 sales were thoroughly dwarfed by the iPad, which sold an estimated 15 million units in Q4 2011.

Google has only been seriously making a push into the tablet market since late last year, when it released Android 4.0 ("Ice Cream Sandwich"), the first version of the operating system designed to deliver the same user experience on both smartphones and tablets. In addition, the operating system came with several new features including a lock screen that can unlock using facial recognition software; Android Beam, technology that lets users send contact information, directions, Web pages and more via near field communications by tapping their phones together; and integration with the Google+ social network that lets users host online video chats among their circles of friends.

in Network World's Anti-malware section.