[Nexus 7 General] e.mote:
In related news of new shiny Android toys, here's preview of upcoming Firefox for Android:

[YOUTUBE]6JyTlQTxnBI[/YOUTUBE]

>Nexus devices in general aren't exactly million sellers

Nexus devices never had a $199 price tag.

>I do not believe this will entice APP devs to actually create apps for Android tablets.

Devs go where the market is. If Nexus 7 can be a top seller at $200, and there's no reason why it shouldn't be, then apps will be there. There'll be a lag. I give it 6 months.

How (well) devs can monetize the platform is another major issue. But having a sufficiently large userbase is a prerequisite.

Likewise, vendors go where the demand is. If Google can show there's a market at the $200 level, which is a no-brainer, then there will come more lower-priced offerings. Value 7" will be accompanied by value 10" devices. Ideally, it'll be a snowball effect: low price begat demand begat more software and hardware.

>I think 9.7 or 10in Nexus tablet would have been much more significant....

I fully believe this will happen. It may not be a Nexus--in fact, it shouldn't be a Nexus. Google's aim should be, in the words of Ballmer, to "prime the pump," not to dominate sales in every bracket. Nexus 7 will likely dominate sales, but because it has to. No one else (other than Amazon) has managed decent sales with Android tabs.

>Android's biggest issues is ecosystem & complete lack of content outside of Android.

Per above, content is predicated on sales. Google Play still sucks, although improvements are reportedly forthcoming from I/O.

>But Nexus device in general... 1. Aren't very good to Casuals

This is a valid use-case question: How do we use a tablet? Should it be more kiosk-like with ready-to-eat content aka Kindle Fire, or be more of an app-launcher like iPad, or be a device where you can get more involved with "computer stuff" like file management/transfer/etc?

Categories:

Use-case 1 - Kiosk: Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet.

Use-case 2 - App launcher: iPad, Android.

Use-case 3 - PC-like: Win8 & WinRT.

(These are somewhat oversimplified. KFire can also launch app, web browse, etc, but its main function is to sell Amazon wares. Likewise, Android can do more "PC stuff," but most common use is to launch apps.)

iPad has established app launching as a credible use on tablets. Use of tabs as kiosk for online services is more tentative (sales of KFire has reportedly declined in Q1). I don't believe it has legs, since it's inherently more limiting than an "open" device. As expansive as Amazon wares are, you're still essentially limited to a single vendor's offerings.

As for the last use-case, that tabs can and will serve as the next PC, we'll find out once Win8 launches this fall. This is my vision, and I'm fully onboard with it. It may be with Windows, or Android, or Linux of some sort, but it will happen. Why? Because I see the tablet as simply more mobile laptops.

>So, will Google configure this thing so it uses the screen like the Galaxy Tab 2 7" and Excite 7.7, or like the Galaxy Tab 7.7?

However the Nexus screen density is configured, devs will adapt to it so that their apps will look optimal. It's a reference device.