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Google Nexus tablet a 'done deal,' claims report

A Google Nexus tablet is all set to go, an Android enthusiast site claims. And it's even cheaper than the Kindle Fire, so the story goes.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Brooke Crothers
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Asus Eee Pad MeMO 370T 7-inch tablet, announced at CES. A template for the Google tablet?
Asus Eee Pad MeMO 370T 7-inch tablet, announced at CES. A template for the Google tablet? Nvidia

The latest scuttlebutt about the rumored Google tablet makes the case with a lot more certitude. In fact, an Android enthusiast site goes so far as to say it's a "done deal," citing sources.

Let's get right to what that site, Android and Me, is claiming. The Asus MeMo 370T (see photo above)--which appears to be the template for the Google tablet--has been "scrapped after Google contracted with Asus to produce their 'Nexus tablet,'" the report begins.

Android and Me continues. "Earlier reports said the device would retail for $199-$249, but we are now told the target price is $149-$199." That of course lands it right in Amazon's wheelhouse: the Kindle Fire has been a hit due, in no small part, to its $199 price.

The latest rumor comes on the heels of an earlier report that claimed Google and Asus are set to unveil a 7-inch co-branded tablet as early as May.

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And NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim told CNET last month that the tablet will have a 1,280x800 resolution and a 7-inch display, and that production is slated for April. The initial production run is between 1.5 million to 2 million units, Shim said at the time.

Previous reports said the tablet would sport Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, though there is also speculation that it could have Jelly Bean, the next iteration of Android.

But what kind of hardware that will run on is less clear now. Earlier, an Nvidia Tegra chip had been rumored, but Android and Me says that may not be the case anymore.