The display, even in the funky lighting of a trade show floor, still looked good. The high-resolution 1280 by 800 pixel display makes a huge difference compared with the current standard for 7-inch tablets--1024 by 600 pixels. I look forward to putting the Nexus 7 through its full paces with PCWorld's display test images to see how it responds with my own high-resolution images. But the Nexus 7's higher resolution is clearly a plus.

I also liked the grippy, rubberized back that, coupled with the tablet's light, 0.75-pound weight, makes it really easy to hold in one hand. That makes it conducive to reading or sharing content with friends.

In my limited usage, the Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS made the unit feel zippy in general navigation, but I still encountered moments of stutter as I switched among media.