( CNN ) -- Here 's a brief history lesson for you . Three years ago , Google was where you turned to look up a recipe . To check your e-mail . To chat with your friends when you were supposed to be working . But in the tech equivalent of a blink of the eye , things today are much different . Throughout the last year , Google has released a string of incredible hardware products , not just a bunch of virtual services you use through another company 's device . Google really kicked it into gear in July 2012 with the Nexus 7 , its first-ever tablet , that was priced at just $ 199 . Reviewers went nuts . It was n't just a great tablet because it was so cheap , it was simply a great tablet . Even the iPad mini , which came out a few months later and sold for $ 130 more , was n't as good . Then came another string of winners : The Nexus 4 smartphone , which you can buy unlocked and without a contract for just $ 299 . The Chromebook Pixel , a beautiful laptop with a stunning high-resolution touchscreen . And more recently , the Chromecast , a dongle that plugs directly into your TV and lets you beam video from your Android device , iPhone or iPad . There 's also the Moto X , a new smartphone from Google-owned Motorola that 's one of the most accessible and easy to use Android phones I 've ever tested . And do n't forget Google Glass , the promising , Internet-connected eyewear that should hit the market next year . As Apple keeps its head down and works on iterative ( but great ) updates to its iPhone and iPad line , and as Microsoft struggles to find a way to make Windows 8 devices like its Surface tablet resonate with the public , Google is releasing some of the most interesting and innovative hardware we 've seen recently . As a high-level executive at a very large tech company recently told me , no company can hope to be successful these days unless it can offer an ecosystem of software , services , and great devices to run them all on . Yes , that 's the Apple model , but it 's a model that 's been proven to be a hit with consumers in the new mobile computing era . And Google , a company that most people still associate with Gmail and Web searches , has been crushing it in both respects . It 's always done well with the data , apps , and services part of things , but stringing all that together with affordable , high-quality hardware is a new and exciting trend for the company . In some ways , Google has done a better job at this than Apple . For example , unlike the Apple TV , which requires you to have an iPhone , iPad , or Mac to beam video , the new Chromecast will work with any major laptop , smartphone , or tablet no matter who makes it . And it does it all for a very reasonable $ 35 , or $ 64 less than Apple 's product . There 's massive potential here for Google to build TV-watching ecosystem built around the device . Apple may make great hardware , but it 's biggest challenge is still making reliable software and services . ( Remember the Apple Maps debacle from last year ? ) Meanwhile , Google is already a pro at such services , and it 's packaging them along with great devices that are affordable and appeal to average users , not just the tech elite . To endure in the cutthroat tech world , a company ca n't just rely on doing one thing well . It has to push forward , experiment , and get messy . In the last year , Google has proved it can do all that -- and make some quality gadgets at the same time . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Steve Kovach . Copyright © 2011 Business Insider .
Google , known historically for its Web browser , is now making popular gadgets . Over the last year , Google has made a string of incredible hardware innovations . The Chromebook Pixel ##Pad and Chromecast TV - streaming device are big hits . To endure in the tech world , a company ca n't just rely on any one thing well .