Nexus 7 tablet shows up in a rare ad on Google's homepage

Google's home page hasn't changed much over the years. It's known for its simplicity and bare minimum content and Google has resisted the temptation to capitalise on this prime piece of online real estate. The page has stayed practically ad-free, even when Google could command any price from prospective advertisers given the amount of traffic it sees.

But that's changed, at least temporarily. Google's Nexus 7 tablet has created history by finding its way on to the Google home page. Users in the US visiting Google's homepage will see an image of the tablet displayed towards the bottom. The image links to the 8GB version of the Google Nexus 7 tablet in the Google Play Store. Above the image is the text "The playground is open. The new $199 tablet from Google."

While user's visiting the Google homepage from a browser other than Google's Chrome browser are used to seeing an advertisement encouraging them to download Chrome, ads for other products have been pretty rare. Earlier the Nexus One and Motorola Droid had featured in Google.com front page ads.

The move indicates Google's keenness in getting the word out there about its tablet, in an attempt to capture an increased share of the growing tablet market. Google's Nexus 7 has received by and large positive reviews, but faces increasing competition from likes of the rumoured iPad mini and updated Kindle Fire.


Google Nexus 7 in pictures

(Image courtesy: CNET)