The Register’s Iain Thomson says that Google’s Nexus 7 tablet, built by Asus, priced at $199 for the 8GB unit and $249 for the 16GB, isn’t so much a shot across the bows as a full torpedo attack on Amazon’s Kindle Fire
The Nexus is powered by a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, has a 12-core GPU and carries a 1GB of RAM. The 1280 x 800 display has 216 ppi – not Retina-spec. but still pretty good. More good stuff includes Bluetooth, accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS and digital compass, with near field communications hardware that allows touch data transfer over Android Beam – all packed into a 198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm shell that weighs 340g and is easy to use one-handed on the commute and works for thumb typing in portrait or landscape mode.
Thompson says the Nexus feels solid and well put-together, with a button-free front panel, but only has a single 1.2MP camera that’s forward-facing for videoconferencing, and there’s no SD port or HDMI output. However there is a micro USB port and the USB link works with both PC and Mac, making the Nexus 7 usable as a mass storage device to transfer media between platforms. He reports that Google claims the 4325mAh battery is good for 9hrs of HD video and 300hrs of standby, and that in an unofficial drop test performed by his cat jumping on the table, the Nexus survived 32cm fall onto a wooden floor with little damage beyond the case popping open slightly on one corner, which clicked back together easily.
The Nexus 7 doesn’t compete with the iPad, but it’s not meant to (although that could change with the rumored iPad mini), but will fit most inside pockets or purses, can be held one-handed comfortably for longish periods, and is perfect for gaming, and a steal at the price says Thomson.
AllThingsD’s Walt Mossberg, a longtime Apple products aficionado, also praises the Nexus 7, which he’s been testing for a couple of weeks as “a winner” – the best Android tablet he’s used and a serious alternative to both Apple’s larger $499 iPad and Amazon’s $199, Android-based, 7-inch Kindle Fire. Mossberg says Google’s tablet is a better choice than the iPad for people on a budget; for those who prefer a lighter, more compact tablet thats easier to carry and operate with one hand; and for those who prefer Google’s ecosystem of apps, services and content to Apple’s – also the first tablet he’s tested that beats the iPad in in his standard battery test, lasting over 10 hours, about 45 minutes more than the latest iPad. He summarizes that Google and Asus have produced a very good tablet in the Nexus 7, one he can recommend.
For the full review visit here:
http://dthin.gs/POS1U6
