Tablets are all the rage this year and now with the launch of the iPad, Apple rival Google can’t resist getting into the game.

A user interface designer at Google, Glen Murphy, has posted mock-ups of a tablet running Google’s Chrome operating system along with a video demo of how users could potentially interact with the machine.

Google introduced Chrome OS two months ago as a lightweight, browser-based operating system that would boot up in seven seconds or less. The first Chrome OS netbooks are expected to be available in late 2010 through hardware from manufacturers Google has partnered with. Already, Acer has said, this year, it plans to offer a million netbooks running Chrome OS.

The latest mock-ups hint at Google’s ambitions for Chrome OS. Though the operating system was initially positioned for netbooks, a fast growing tablet market could make for a better fit. ABI Research estimates four million tablets will be shipped this year and, by 2015, annual shipments could touch 15 million tablets. ABI Research defines media tablets as having a touch-screen interface, 5-11 inches in size, with Wi-Fi Internet connectivity and video and gaming capabilities.

In terms of hardware design, Google’s mock-up feels similar to the iPad. But a different user interface hopes to set it apart. The tablet has a virtual keyboard at the bottom of the screen, which can also float as a separate window. There are icons for quick access to Facebook, Gmail, Pandora, calendar and other apps. It also seems to support multi-touch and the familiar pinch to zoom and scrolling gesture.

Murphy has more photos of the concept Google Chrome OS tablet and even a video that shows this concept tablet in action.

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Photos: Glen Murphy