Google's design for the Nexus 10 is for the tablet to serve as a seminal device for Android developers, spurring them to author more apps that are specifically optimised for tablet owners.

"Part of the reason why we've invested significantly in building the Nexus 10 is exactly so that we have more and more motivation for the developer community," Android director of product management Hugo Barra was recently reported by The Verge as saying.

Essentially, Mr Barra was articulating Google's take on its tablet competition with Apple (and likely a bit later with Microsoft's Surface tablet), which boils downs into the app race for the magic slate and the iOS system at the moment is winning the competition.

But with Nexus 10, and in some respect the Nexus 7 and other affordable Android tablets, Google is optimistic that more tablets apps will be delivered by Android developers as consumers are expected to snap up the cheaper iPad alternative, which reviewers said has the sufficient tablet punch that spares some cash.

The Nexus 10, according to ComputerWorld, is a sexed down iPad and buyers will definitely enjoy its computing powers courtesy of Samsung's dual-core Exynos 5 plus the beauty flashed by its 10.1-inch HD screen.

So long as buyers "don't mind the unassuming design ... the Nexus 10 offers tremendous value at a relatively low cost ... it's a tough act to beat," ComputerWorld said.

Yet the main thing going against the full-sized Google tablet is Android's tablet ecosystem, which for ArsTechnica "is as weak as ever ... as apps that are in Google Play, many are targeted toward smaller phone-sized screens rather than tablet screens."

As Google works on further improving its tablet apps menu, consumers can at least relish decent mobile computing with the Nexus 10, which offers crisp and nice display rendering, good battery life for average usage and a bargain price that starts at $US399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi model, ArsTechnica said.

No cellular connectivity is offered at the moment for the tablet, which is also available at $US499 for the 32GB variant, the tech blog site added.

Considering the sticker price that comes with the Nexus tablet plus the computing muscle that Google has deployed with the product, it is comparable to the HTC OneX and even the Samsung Note 2 if consumers would not mind lugging along a bigger toy, SlashGear said on its review.

On familiar territories like gaming, media usage (video and music playing) and net surfing, the Nexus 10 can hold on its own, SlashGear said.

And TechRadar cannot help but to agree, noting that Google's decision to equip the 10-inch Nexus with 1.7GHz of dual-core processing power plus a 2GB RAM simply ensured that the brick will measure up with any of its competitors.

For buyers looking to enjoy the best tablet experience out there while saving some cash at the same time, the allure of Nexus 10, which comes with impressive technical specs and inexpensive price tag, is simply irresistible, TechRadar added.

Though for pure Android lovers, the best thing about the Nexus 10 is "stock version of Google's new Android 4.2 operating system," ComputerWorld said.

This means that the tablet's computing behaviour is governed by "a fast, fluid and visually consistent user interface that's a pleasure to use," plus the added premium of getting the OS updates ahead of other Android brands because Google directly manages the Nexus 10's software management, ComputerWorld added.

Bottom strength of the device, experts said, is its in-house Google tablet architecture that hopefully would be underpinned by greater developers' involvement, with consumer support to follow next.