Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) seems to have a strong ally in Google (NASDAQ:GOOG). So, despite the former dropping the latter’s smart phone Nexus One last month; both companies have again come together to work on an Android based tablet computer. No prizes for guessing who these companies are targeting – Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL).

Tablet computers, often discarded by PC makers in the past on account of no takers have suddenly become hot cakes with the developers. Despite its big size and questionable utility, Apple iPad has lightened up the tablet PC market.

In the innards of this decision, one can locate the motive for Verizon (as well as Google). Despite all the shortcomings of Nexus One, including the biggest one of being a non starter handset ; both companies have realized the potential of Android as a platform. This hasn’t caught the imagination of industry analysts ; but gradually, Droid has outperformed iPhone smart phones in sales volumes. Logically, it is the next best thing to do for both companies: extend the benefits of the platform in a new category. Apple iPad has already created a market for tablet PCs and it will be easy for any new entrant to highlight its superior performance attributes over iPad.

Now that being said, Apple is known to be ahead of the curve and majority of its competitors (including Google) bite dust when it comes to overall customer experience. Is it still too early to predict the level of success Google’s offering will enjoy, and let’s take it with a pinch of salt, if at all it gets any success. Apple, in the mean time, might just present an update.