Google’s announcement that it’s putting its brand on a tablet comes a week after Microsoft said the same thing. Both moves risk alienating Google’s and Microsoft’s hardware partners. Those companies, in turn, could be less inclined to work closely with Google and Microsoft.  The Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire have screens that measure seven inches (17.78 centimetres) diagonally, smaller than the nearly 10 inches (25.4 centimetres) on Apple’s popular iPad. The Nexus 7 will also be light — at about 0.75 pound (0.34kg), compared with the Kindle Fire’s 0.9 pound (0.41kg). The iPad weighs 1.44 pounds (0.65kg).

The Nexus 7 will ship in mid-July starting at $199 — the same price as the Kindle Fire. By contrast, iPads start at $499. Customers can start ordering it through Google on Wednesday, initially in the US, Canada and Australia.

Google’s price is aggressively low, considering that the Nexus 7 has more features than the Kindle, including a front-facing camera. The Kindle is believed to be roughly break even at $199. Samsung Electronics sells a tablet similar to Google’s for $250. —