Google succeeds at making a fast, slick $199 tablet

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NEW YORK — In the 1982 sci-fi movie “Blade Runner,” there are hints that the hero, played by Harrison Ford, is an artificial human — an “android” or “replicant.” His job is to go out and kill other, rogue androids.

If he’s an android, he’s of the latest model, Nexus 7. That’s also the name Google Inc. has picked for its first tablet. Clearly, its mission is to go out and kill rogue tablets running Google’s Android software.

Specifically, the Nexus 7 seems to have been designed to give anyone who bought a Kindle Fire from Amazon.com Inc. or a Nook Tablet from Barnes Noble Inc. a case of buyer’s remorse.

The Nexus 7 costs $199, the same that Amazon and Barnes Noble charge for their tablets. But it’s better than theirs in significant ways. Google announced the tablet last week and is taking preorders for delivery in mid-July.

Why is Google targeting the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet? Because they’ve been relatively successful competitors to Apple Inc.’s iPad tablet, yet Google is getting no benefit from their success.

Google makes its Android operating software available for any device manufacturer to use. Amazon and Barnes Noble took Android and modified it heavily. Namely, they took out the applications that point to Google’s services and the advertising it sells.

Other tablets, such as Samsung’s Galaxy, use the “proper,” Google version of Android, but they’ve been more expensive than the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. Apparently, Google thought it was time to make a really good, proper Android tablet for $199.

It’s succeeded. The the Nexus 7 is a really good value. It’s made by AsusTek Computer, a Taiwanese company that was originally planning to sell a similar tablet for $249.

Videoconferencing available

The Nexus 7 is a plain black slab with a screen that’s 7 inches on the diagonal — the same size as the Nook Tablet and the Fire. The most noticeable feature it has over the competition is a low-resolution camera, facing the user. That means the Nexus 7 can be used for videoconferencing, but it’s nearly impossible to use for snapshots. It also has a microphone, which the Fire lacks, making Amazon’s device useless even for audio conferencing.

Article source: http://www.baxterbulletin.com/viewart/20120709/LIFESTYLE/307090010/Google-succeeds-making-fast-slick-199-tablet?odyssey=nav%7Chead

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