CNET Editor on 3G iPad, Competition in Tablet Market, Robotic Diet Assistant

We spoke with CNET Executive Editor Molly Wood on “NewsHour Plus” back when the iPad was unveiled following months of speculation. We brought her back to chat about the rollout of the 3G iPad and whether that would slow down the data network in tech-heavy areas such as the Bay Area.

On the subject of tablets, CNET reported that several of Apple’s competitors appear to be headed back to the drawing board with their models. After it was announced that Hewlett-Packard was buying Palm, it appeared that HP’s slate tablet project was headed to the back burner. Around the same time, Microsoft confirmed that its Courier tablet project wasn’t headed into production.

Regarding the nascent tablet market, which is being dominated by Apple’s iPad so far, Wood said she’d “hate to get just a winner by forfeit.”

Wood also told us about Autom — a robotic diet coach that appears to be inspired by “The Jetsons.” Watch the full discussion: