Not that any further confirmation was really necessary, but Reuters has today posted a report citing an Asustek executive promising a co-branded tablet from Google and Asus. The anonymous company rep has said that Google's sights are set firmly on Amazon's Kindle Fire, the $199 media consumption tablet that's based on Android, but relies on its own application and content stores. Late last night Bloomberg identified Google's upcoming device as a 7-inch Nexus tablet that will match the Fire's $199 price point, and though Reuters' source refuses to be drawn on the specific price and release date, the implication is that both of those specs are indeed accurate.

Google's clearly eager to grab a share of the entry-level market that Amazon has successfully cornered with the Kindle Fire — particularly in the promotion of the Play Store as a source for things other than apps, such as books, movies, and music. We all stand to benefit from this competition, as it's looking increasingly certain that there'll soon be two $199 Android tablets vying for a slice of our entertainment budgets. Question is, will Google do anything special on top of its partnership with Asus to make this Nexus device worthy of the name?