Final Thoughts

ASUS and Google don't really need to try hard to make you like, or love, the Nexus 7; it will do it for you. ASUS' Nexus 7 looks great, feels great, and performs even better. I know I may be talking it up here, but even if it were $399, I still think it's a great contender for your money.

There are worse tablets on the market that are priced much higher, which begs the question; is the Nexus 7 priced too cheap, or are those tablets simply too expensive? The Nexus 7 is going to make other tablet makers very cautious of how they price their tablets in the future, and so they should. If the Nexus 7 can offer us a beautiful IPS display, quad-core processor, the latest OS, and come in at under $200, then other manufacturers need to be able to make their tablets known to the world in other ways.

Google and ASUS worked together closely with this, and it was rumored that ASUS worked at close to cost price to deliver the Nexus 7 at this price. Other manufacturers don't have this type of relationship with Google, but maybe they should be making some more calls, and ordering some more drinks for those who have relationships with anyone who has the power to get a cheap, fast, but great quality tablet to the market.

The Nexus 7 has now replaced my third-generation iPad as my at-home tablet. I use it to do everything when I'm at home instead of using my smartphone. It's just big enough to feel like a perfectly-sized tablet, but not too big to feel like I'm holding a portable computer. If you're impressed with how the iPad feels with its weight, and size, but feel like it's too big, check out the Nexus 7. If you think your iPad is fine with weight and size, I offer the same advice; check out the Nexus 7. It will really change your mind of how great a tablet can be at not only $199, but running on Android.

Most people who have tablets, have an iPad. Google know this, and this is most likely why they've pushed the Nexus 7 onto the market with ASUS. I think we're going to see a new beginning for Android, instead of the fragmented life it doesn't enjoy today. The included front-facing camera is barely worth mentioning, firstly because of its low-quality, secondly, because taking photos with a tablet is beyond annoying most of the time in this smartphone-heavy world, and thirdly it's front-facing and nearly impossible to take videos, or pictures with - apart from self-portraits.

ASUS and Google sweeten the already great deal on the Nexus 7 by throwing in $25 worth of Play store credit that you can spend on anything you want. Some great apps or games can be had for nothing, which is a bonus. When turning the tablet on, I did not expect that whatsoever, not at the price I paid for it. Considering that $500+ tablets don't give you $25 (or more) credit on the Play store, or Apple's iTunes Store, it really is a nice bonus.

Not only that, but you get a copy of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, too. If you haven't bought yourself a tablet yet, and want to dive into the tablet world, the Nexus 7 is the perfect choice for you. If you already have a tablet, and want to check out Jelly Bean, or want to sport a second, smaller tablet, the Nexus 7 is still an amazing buy.

I now use the Nexus 7 over my third-gen iPad, as Jelly Bean and its associated technologies (Project Butter) are just so amazing, I am now virtually Nexus 7-exclusive, it's that good. Don't just walk out and get a Nexus 7, run, run like the wind.