The rumours were true! Google did indeed release their own tablet today - the Nexus 7. The first thing people will want to compare it to is the iPad, but what is should be compared to (and what Google is aiming for) is the Kindle Fire - something which is not available in Canada. But, the Nexus 7 is available in Canada (at the Google Play online store only) for an incredibly reasonable price of $199 ($209 for Canadians, plus $30 shipping and applicable taxes) so I pre-ordered one right away. Plus those who do order early get a $25 credit in the Google Play store to buy/rent movies, magazines, books, apps, etc. I should be seeing it "mid-July" according to Google.

The specs on it show that it is incredibly powerful, and those who got to touch one today also report that it's fast. The size is 7", which is more like the BlackBerry Playbook and Kindle Fire. A size which I rather like for a tablet - the best thing the Playbook had going for it was the size. It's Wi-Fi only so you'll need to be at home or near a hot-spot to get on the Internet. It also comes with the newest Android operating system - Jelly Bean. If you're all about the specs, then go here to see the numbers on Google's site.

The question many people might be asking is, "Big deal, there are 100's of Android tablets. What's so special about this one." First of all, the price is amazing. Secondly, it's made by Google. The biggest problem with Android devices (phones and tablets) is that the software is free and customize-able by the manufacturer. There are no standards in place for a Google device. This should lead to some great devices being made, but it hasn't happened. The Android tablets are a hodgepodge of devices, none of which have really stood out as winners. The phone manufacturers have done a better job as is shown by their 43% market share of smart phone sales. The biggest problem with all the devices is the operating system. Because it is customize-able and there are no standards for the hardware sometimes they don't always work well and are rarely updated. There is only one line of phones out there that do get updated on a regular basis - the Nexus line. These are made by Google and therefore use the Android operating system the way it was meant to be, and there are always updates. Recently the Nexus S phone was upgraded to use the new Ice Cream Sandwich OS. Amazingly it made the phone even more functional and faster (unlike the horrible experience I, and hundreds/thousands of others, had when Apple updated the 3G to iOS 4 - the phone became useless). This is the reason the Nexus 7 tablet is a big deal - it is taking full advantage of the OS and it will be updated regularly. This is Google's way of saying to all the manufacturers "This is how you do it!" This is also similar to Microsoft announcing it's Surface Tablet/PC last week - they too are telling manufacturers how it should be done.

Is it an iPad killer (a phrase I don't like)? I don't think so, but at half the price of an iPad there is no reason not to get a Nexus 7 if you are thinking of a tablet. I still view Tablet's as toys. From how I've seen everyone use their iPad's it's usually is just to play on. Work can be done on them, but that doesn't seem to be as common as using it to occupy your kids in the car. There's nothing wrong with that, but $200 is a much more reasonable price for an electronic toy.

The Microsoft Surface has the best shot at being the "iPad killer" since it's a fully functional PC in a tablet form. What I think we'll see is a lot more Nexus 7 tablets popping up and Apple's tablet domination in this segment start to erode. It's great to finally see other viable alternatives come to market - this is what drives innovation! I'd love to see a three way race in the tablet market, not to mention the smart phone market.

I'll be giving a full review of the Nexus 7 once it arrives, but if you are thinking of getting a tablet, I wouldn't hesitate to pre-order one now.

Update: July 3rd - for those who were lucky enough to get review copies of the Nexus 7 (Gizmodo, PCMag, engadget, etc.) they are universally saying it's more than worth the money. As I expected, for $200 this is a no-brainer - if you want a tablet this won't disappoint!

Update: July 7th - if you don't want to purchase a Nexus 7 online from Google you can purchase it online at Staples.ca or in-store at Staples Canada Canada on July 23rd.