An Overview of the Google Nexus 7 Tablet. Including Style, Features and Value for Money.

There is no shortage of choice when it comes to the tablet market, with Samsung, Toshiba, Kurio, Apple, Archos and many others all competing for a share in the spoils this quarter alone, however one major contender stepping out into the breach and definitely worth investigating is the Google Nexus 7 model.

Google is a powerful company and undoubtedly one of the most influential businesses today. Since the birth of the internet they have ruled as the search engine and advertising supremo. And it appears that it's not going to end there, as further development, ideas and investment gets injected into this global corporation, we will continue to see ever more gadgets and the like churned out.

What Google does already, it does well, it's not ideal (recent tax issues and panda and penguin updates aside), however it is undeniably still a very prominent leader in it's field. But can it really compete in such a competitive and already established market of the tablet? Lets have a look at what it has to offer and then you can decide for yourself.

It's fair to say that Google designers have not done anything particularly radical or original with the appearance of the Nexus 7 model, it follows the conventional look that we have already come to expect from a gadget of this type. The screen is capacitive multitouch and boasts 7 inches in size. (1280 x 800mm).

It's slim at only 10.9mm wide and at a tiny 336g it's incredibly light too. The easy to handle grip at the back of the tablet does not detract from it's attractiveness (even though it's brown), and the smooth curves and glossy look makes it easy on the eye. If you already like the look of current models already on the market, this won't disappoint.

• It is not flash supported yet.
• Memory can not be extended, via an external card.
• No 3G version.
• Home screen is portrait only.
• Android operating system uses 2 GB of storage.

For more information visit playgoogle.com

Google has got pretty good at guessing and this device uses the knowledge and technology well under the predictive information that it provides, offering you data before you even have to request it. Although the model predominantly runs on portrait mode, it is landscape view enabled as well, making it easy to use with either hand.

In plane switching screen is useful and it's hard not to appreciate the angle views that can be achieved. Visibility is also good as it provides more then adequate brightness. Access to tasks are super easy with the Google Nexus 7, as you don't have to actually launch the app (application), as tasks can be completed independent of it. Dictation can also now be worked on offline too!

You can purchase the 8GB model for as little as £159 and the 16GB model for as little as £199 new, which is a fair and competitive price. This does not however mean that they have compromised on build though, as it is still very much a high end and premium piece of machinery, and is made well despite the price tag.

However we do have to remember that the Nexus 7 is Google's initial release of a tablet so it's worth being aware that prices will only rise for such gadgets in the future as they become more sophisticated. The further areas of the touchscreen are like many others prone to rippling when pushed with enough force, however if you take care of this device it has the potential to last and serve you well.

One thing that this device is incredibly good at, is doing things fast, the default browser is Google's latest offering Chrome and the Nexus 7 currently runs on android 4.1. Because it uses Jelly bean OS (operating system) the noticeable differences between android and IOS and beginning to narrow, thanks to new developments coming through via tablet systems like these. Speedy loading, easy scrolling and good zoom, all contribute to a pleasant user experience.

There is greater information available when it comes to alerts and surfing the super information highway is equally effortless due to the fact that it has 802.11b/g/n wireless capability. The Google Nexus 7 is equally easy to play games on but it really excels when it comes to watching movies. Unusually it does not have a rear facing camera, yet this doesn't hinder picture quality or ease of use and this model does have a quad core CPU.

• Bluetooth 4.

• GPS.

• NFC

• Long battery life up to 10 hours.

• Four pin side doc.

• Headphone jack, 3.5mm.

• Micro USB connection.

• WI-Fi.

• Side Volume and Power controls.

• 1.2mp ports.

• 1GB RAM.

• Front facing Webcam.

• Stereo speakers concealed.

• nVidia Tegra 3 graphics chip.

• 720P video recording.

• 1 year warranty.