Among the most noteworthy announcements which Internet search giant Google made at its annual I/O developer conference in San Francisco was that of its $199-priced Nexus 7 tablet, which will take on the $199 tablet alternatives currently available on the market, including Amazon's Kindle Fire; Lenovo's IdeaPad A1; Research In Motion (RIM)'s BlackBerry PlayBook; and Barnes & Noble (B&N)'s Nook.

The 7-inch Google Nexus 7 tablet will be equipped with a dual-core Cortex-A9 processor, and will run the newest Android OS - version 4.1 `Jelly Bean.' As per Google's claims, the tablet - also boasting a front-facing camera and connectivity features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC (near-field communication) - will give the users unparalleled access to apps and entertainment available in the Google Play store.

In comparison to the Nexus 7, the $199 Amazon Kindle Fire an 8-inch screen; a dual-core processor; 8GB built-in storage; a customized version of Android; but it lacks a camera.

Meanwhile, the Lenovo IdeaPad A1 boasts a Cortex-A8 processor; LPDDR2 memory; 3-megapixel rear camera; and 0.3-megapixel front camera. However, the tablet's biggest disadvantage is that it runs the old Android 2.3 OS.

Of the other two $199 tablets, the RIM PlayBook features a 7-inch screen, and a dual-core processor; and boasts the ability to sync calendars, contacts and messages; while the B&N Nook features 8GB of storage; a micro-SD slot for extra storage of up to 32GB; a customized version of Linux; but it also lacks a camera.