Just as I was getting ready to plunge into the world of e-books, by buying an Apple iPad (don't tell my wife!), wouldn't you know that somebody comes along to make my decision more complicated. Verizon and Google are teaming up to create a tablet computer that will compete with the iPad, according to a Wall Street Journal report. "We're working on tablets together, for example. We're looking at all the things Google has in its archives that we could put on a tablet to make it a great experience," Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam (shown here in 2009) told the Journal.

So add another potential e-reader to the long list that includes the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, Apple iPad, Barnes & Noble nook and Borders Kobo, which is due out June 17. I know the iPad has shortcomings, but I don't think I have the patience to wait for the tablet from Goorizon, Vergle or whatever the partnership is called. McAdam did not provide any release date, and the companies aren't going beyond his statement. But the longer it takes, the more time Apple has to capture the market.

Meanwhile, PC World welcomed the news with a wish list of features for a Google/Verizon tablet, including a camera, Flash capability and a low price.