Inexpensive tablets with screen sizes up to 10 inches and Google's new Android 4.0 OS will soon become available at prices ranging from US$100 to $250. The prices are a breakthrough for users looking to get Android 4.0, code-named Ice Cream Sandwich, on tablets.

Product names are tricky, there's no doubt about it. If you're not going to use a meaningless string of characters such as "X77-P73" then you've got your work cut out for you because it's hard to find a good name that isn't already taken by some other company. Even internal project names have to be researched, checked that they are OK to use and vetted by lawyers for liability.

A first-of-its-kind tablet with Google's Android 4.0 priced under $US100 is now available in China, and will reach other countries soon, according to companies that helped build the device.

Intel and MIPS Technologies expect the next version of Google's mobile operating system, Android 4.0, to soon run on tablets and smartphones based on their processors.

MIPS Technologies on Tuesday said it was porting Google's Android 3.0 operating system, code-named Honeycomb, to work with its microprocessors.