The Google Nexus 7 Tablet by ASUS from @StaplesCanada: Sleek, Powerful and Affordable. #tech

The Google Nexus 7 Tablet by ASUS.

It is pretty wicked.

As many of you know, I am a gadget fiend and I absolutely love to play around with new technology. The Google Nexus 7 Tablet from Staples is a piece of hardware that I truly can recommend to anyone.

First off, it is very budget-friendly. If you’re looking to make the leap into the tablet world, this entry-level Android-powered tablet is for you. Not to mention, ASUS is a quality brand and you can bet anything they make will be just that.

Staples Canada has the Nexus for the great price of $249. I’d considered purchasing an e-reader with tablet capabilities and in the end, I’d choose this tablet to gift to anyone. Kids, adults and even the tech-savvy baby boomer!

About the Nexus 7:

The ASUS Nexus 7 Android tablet gives you the tools you need to create invoices, enjoy media, and tackle many tasks involved with balancing life and work when you’re on the go. Powerful internal components let you run the latest office productivity software and management or financial applications from virtually anywhere in the world.

Stay productive even while you’re on the go with the ASUS Android Nexus 7 tablet. This small, lightweight tablet fits easily into your bag but gives you the power to stay connected, at home or in the office. With its luminous touch screen and intuitive button design, the Nexus 7 is easy to use in any location.

Customization.

One of the best things about Android, is that the OS allows you to customize your device as you see fit. With a large array of apps and widgets, you can truly make it your own.

The best part of having this kind of device is it’s accessibility to your Google account. I was able to sync my account and all of my apps and widgets that I have on my phone transferred over, which in turn, saved me the trouble of re-installing.

It’s a beaut that way.

As soon as I connected my main Gmail account, it also connected and synched my YouTube, Google Drive, G+, GTalk and Google Calendar. I love this option because it truly makes working from one device to another a breeze as it allows you to do so seamlessly.

For the first timer, set-up is incredibly easy. It will guide you step by step and in minutes–you’ll be up and running and it is very unlikely you will ever have to input that information again for a long time.  It will save and remember your WiFi and your Google account should always be logged on unless you manually log out or delete the account.

For those who are just starting out, the Google Store for Android has over 675,000 apps. In no time, you’ll be connected with your favorite social apps to stay connected to the world, utility apps to keep you organized and gaming apps to keep you having fun.

All of my apps transferred over from my Android mobile phone and all I had to do was reorganize the tablet the way I wanted it and put the apps in folders the way I saw fit. I’m very happy to report that since it’s Android I can access my Kobo and Kindle apps and read books right on the Nexus. I’m a very happy book-worm.

Aesthetic.

The Google Nexus is truly a sight to see, while it’s predecessor may have received criticism on its design, this second generation ties up those loose ends and gives consumers what they wanted.

Personally, I can’t get over how sleek this little piece of hardware is. It has soft rounded corners and is very lightweight. It fits nicely in your hands. The backing is strong and durable, soft but with a little bit of grit. My husband immediately fell in love simply based on the design.

Simple. sleek and sexy.

Specs:

• 7″ WUXGA (1920* 1200), 400 nits, LED backlight IPS panel with Scratch resistant Corning Fit Glass
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, 1.5GHz GPU: Adreno 320, 400MHz
• 2GB RAM; 16GB Internal Storage
• Wireless: Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Cingo surround sound, NFC (Android Beam), Bluetooth 4.0 Techology
• Up to 10 hours active use
• microUSB with Slimport HDMI out, 3.5mm audio, Dual speakers, Microphone, Power and Volume buttons
• Dimension: 7.87″ H. x 4.49″ W. x 0.34″ D.
• Product Weight: 0.64 lb .
• 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty (details with product)
  
  

No Ordinary Tablet.

Having  a 1.5 GHz quad-core Krait 300 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 15 GB of storage capacity, it’s a good contender in the tablet world. While some tablets have less than desirable sound and picture capabilities, the Google Nexus 7 does a good job.

For the price and for the average user, the 1.2 megapixel front camera and 5 megapixel rear camera will do the trick.

The sound is definitely something I was very impressed with. It has dual speakers that mirror or are more superior to other tablets on the market right now. It also has HDMI output so you can connect audio or video equipment easily for even more impressive demonstrations.

The screen resolution in itself is quite impressive. It is equipped with a 1920×1200 IPS LCD panel, which in turn means high-resolution and pixel density. Everyday use such as watching movies, surfing the net and playing games are truly visually stunning because of the resolution.

For the price, the resolution of the Nexus is holding strong with its counterparts. It really is a beautiful gadget, the 2GB of RAM makes it snappy and using this for leisure and business has been a breeze.

Ready To Go When You Are.

With its lightweight design, this tablet is travel ready. We recently took an 8-day long trip to Costa Rica and we took this tablet with us so that we can stay in touch with our girls and family. Not to mention, stay in touch with work responsibilities and social media, of course. I slipped it into my purse and it truly minimized the bulk of bringing a laptop computer.

Costa Rica has WiFi everywhere, just like in Canada and the US. Even in the remotest resorts where we were staying at (some of them were not even listed or shown on my Google map) we were able to attain connection and surf the web!

Also, our tour guide opened up a WiFi hotspot and we were able to check our email and messages as we drove up winding mountain paths and bumpy dirt roads. The battery life is superb, considering we’d be out all day and only have to charge it at night.

Stay Connected!

The best thing was the chance to show our girls Costa Rica through the Skype app. Every day and every night we were able to Skype the girls from the resort and we were even able to show them the landscape and resort grounds this way. I also made a few phone calls through Skype to speak with my parents while I was away.

What a versatile tool, don’t you think?

All in all, this ASUS tablet provides a huge bang for your buck. It runs on Android, which is a powerful OS, it’s fast, user-friendly, sleek and aesthetically pleasing. Best of all, it helps you stay organized, stay connected,  keep memories and provides hours of entertainment.

The only thing I would have loved was the capability to connect to a mobile network but, that is the only thing I can say that I’d like to add as everything else is above par. Of course, there is the 4G option for a bit more added to the price tag.

This makes a great Christmas gift for teens and tweens, baby boomers and those who are looking for quality for a great price!

Check out Staples to check out their selection of tablets and to find out more about the Google Nexus 7. You can connect with Staples Canada on Facebook & Twitter for tons of awesome info, promos and more!

Do you have a tablet, if so–what is your must-have option?

Let me know, til then–cheers m’deres!