Tablets Thoughts on the Nexus 7 - My experience so far...

[nishishei]

Not too impressed with the Nexus 7 to be honest. PDF rendering is slow as molasses (esp during panning which is necessary on a 7 incher) and small fonts still look blurry forcing you to zoom (more lag). I was really excited about getting one that would fit in my white coat pocket but alas I find it only marginally more convenient than my phone.

If you use a tablet just for browsing and reading novels then the Nexus 7 is fine and probably ideal esp if you commute. But if you plan to use the Nexus to read two-column science journals and big thousand page PDFs like I do, I think iPad is still the way to go. You don't need to pan around, which if you think about it you might as well just use your phone for. Other than for casual consumers, Nexus 7 feels both too small and too big for what it does. It's in this netherworld that theoretically sounds enticing but is neither here nor there when you actually use your devices for productivity.

 

[freudling]

Our hero fraudling.. The warrior of anti-7" crusade.. Comes through yet again. Keep showing them, fraudling. They will learn their errant ways.. eventually.

MacNowhere, demonstrated lier who doesn't own the Nexus 7 but said he did.

To the rest: check out the photos I posted on Photobucket and see the Nexus vs. the iPhone 4S.

 

[mcman77]

- Screen size is not optimal for a tablet - I found certain tap targets to be too small. Apple really nailed it with the 9.7 in screen size on the ipad.

I don't have one but been looking into getting one. Doesn't it have a feature where you double tap in a small area and it brings up a box of it zoomed in?
I've even seen it in a youtube clip but forgot how he did it.

- Although it is easy to hold - I wish there was a bit more of a bezel to hold on to in the vertical orientation.

I think the bottom/top bezels are so think so you can hold it from there ... just a thought lol

Joke aside, hold it with you thumb on the bottom bezel and four fingers at the back. No need for side bezel holding. Like an eBook reader

 

[Mac.World]

I've been using the Nexus 7 heavily for the past two days instead of my ipad 3. It's been mainly a positive experience so far. Here are my impressions of the device and android experience:

Pros:

- Very light weight holding it in one hand.

- Screen is very nice - not retina quality but pretty good nonetheless.

- Overall build quality is great. Does not feel like a $200 device.

- Being able to install apps that Apple would never allow.

- Multiple App stores and being able to sideload apps.

- Many apps and games are free (ad supported) in the Google Play Store.

- Adobe Flash - Yeah I know that flash sucks on mobile but it is a nice option to have. Not officially supported in Jelly Bean but was able to sideload it.

- Great as an e-reader using the B&N Nook app. (this is my primary use for the nexus 7).

- Jelly Bean - Scrolling and pinch to zoom are very smooth. Have not experienced lag in the UI.

- Google Now - is not as personal and whimsical as Siri but is incredibly accurate in it's responses.

Cons:

- Screen size is not optimal for a tablet - I found certain tap targets to be too small. Apple really nailed it with the 9.7 in screen size on the ipad.

- Although it is easy to hold - I wish there was a bit more of a bezel to hold on to in the vertical orientation.

- The home screen does not rotate to horizontal mode without hacking it.
You can load alternate launchers to add this functionality.

- App quality - Although there is no shortage of apps in the Google Play and Amazon stores, the apps that do exist lack the general polish exhibited by their IOS counterparts. Most of the apps in the Play store are phone apps and are not tablet optimized. What's even worse it that there is no way of knowing with any certainty which apps in the play store are tablet optimized and which ones aren't. At least in the IOS app store there is a clear separation between iphone and ipad apps.
The tablet optimized apps that do exist in the Play Store are generally good. There just aren't enough of them. I am hopeful with the increasing popularity of the Nexus 7, developers will create more tablet optimized apps.

- Paid apps in the Play store are typically more expensive that their respective IOS versions.

Conclusion:

All in all the Nexus 7 is a great device. For a person who does not already own a tablet and wants to spend less $$$, I can wholeheartedly recommend it.That being said, the ipad 3 is still an all-around better device. The ipad 3 has a better screen, higher quality apps, and a more cohesive OS in my opinion. Whether the ipad 3 is $300 better I am not so sure. For me having both devices is very redundant and I am still on the fence on whether I am going to keep the Nexus 7 or return it. I have 12 more days to decide.

Thank you for this write-up review. I have not had a chance to see the Nexus 7 yet in action, so can't make any sort of comment on it from personal experience. But what you have written pretty much confirms my hypothesis that it is going to take one more generation of tablets before Android is up to par with the iPad.
Looks like these are getting closer and closer and $200 for what you do get is pretty good. I think I would still get an ipad at this point in time though. Next year looks like it will be a very different story though.

 

[freudling]

Thank you for this write-up review. I have not had a chance to see the Nexus 7 yet in action, so can't make any sort of comment on it from personal experience. But what you have written pretty much confirms my hypothesis that it is going to take one more generation of tablets before Android is up to par with the iPad.
Looks like these are getting closer and closer and $200 for what you do get is pretty good. I think I would still get an ipad at this point in time though. Next year looks like it will be a very different story though.

Next year... and then next year... Android is yards behind iOS.

Anyway, check out my comparison of the Sexus vs. the iPhone 4S. Sorry, but this tablet form factor... the tweener, has zero reason to live:

http://s675.photobucket.com/albums/vv116/freudling/

 

[Mac.World]

Next year... and then next year... Android is yards behind iOS.

Anyway, check out my comparison of the Sexus vs. the iPhone 4S. Sorry, but this tablet form factor... the tweener, has zero reason to live:

I wouldn't say Android is yards behind iOS. I have seen a slow steady progression from that crappy OS called Honeycomb, to ICS which is pretty good actually, and finally to Jelly Bean (which the reviewers say is even better than ICS.) To me, it seems the OS has caught up and now we need a manufacturer to build something as good as the iPad AND of course, devs need to continue making better, quality apps for retina style displayed phones and tablets.

I don't know if Google's Play app store will ever be able to compete against Apple's app store, so that may always be a mitigating factor in people's purchase decisions.

 

[freudling]

I wouldn't say Android is yards behind iOS. I have seen a slow steady progression from that crappy OS called Honeycomb, to ICS which is pretty good actually, and finally to Jelly Bean (which the reviewers say is even better than ICS.) To me, it seems the OS has caught up and now we need a manufacturer to build something as good as the iPad AND of course, devs need to continue making better, quality apps for retina style displayed phones and tablets.

I don't know if Google's Play app store will ever be able to compete against Apple's app store, so that may always be a mitigating factor in people's purchase decisions.

The one thing I'll give Android here is it's much smoother than before. But that's it. I haven't been attacking Android... notice that? Just the form factor. But Android on a tablet is terrible. That's another gripe I have with the Sexus and another conversation.

 

[ixodes]

I really like mine. It's a lot of tablet for $250. Yes, I love my iPad, but Live Wallpapers and widgets just pop on the Nexus 7 with Jelly Bean. I've even noticed a significant improvement in touch responsiveness and accuracy.

And I have access to a real file system. Yay!

BTW, iCab browser has really solved a couple of issues I have with the iPads closed file system. Took some steps, but I could upload files to a website though the browser. The gap is closing...

My experience has been just terrific. Yet it's no surprise since I've been using Android phones concurrently with iOS for years.

Thanks to Apple being late (if ever) to the party with their 7"+/- sized iPad, I simply couldn't wait any longer.

I have had every iPad, and they've been great. But a friend at the office bought a Nexus 7, once it arrived it only took me three minutes (literally) to fall in love with the SIZE.

Then as you mentioned, having a file system is quite nice, since it makes things so easy when it comes to syncing it with my Macs & Windows Laptops.

Personally I think the increased competition is the best thing to happen to Apple. Just the kick in the pants they need to stay awake

 

[mcman77]

Next year... and then next year... Android is yards behind iOS.

Anyway, check out my comparison of the Sexus vs. the iPhone 4S. Sorry, but this tablet form factor... the tweener, has zero reason to live:

http://s675.photobucket.com/albums/vv116/freudling/

Ive seen you post this same thing in several threads and found it really interesting. I was going to ask for some other sites but then I found a clip where they compared it to a ipad 2 and the same sites appeared.

That Tweener didn't seem to have the same faults you're showing in the pics. Don't know how you did it but I can guess why...so i'll just stop taking your word on things especially since you for some unknown reason wanna one handly man handle this 7inch device lol.

 

[ixodes]

What is a "tweener"?

It's what people with a very limited vocabulary use, to describe an item they have little knowledge of.

When one has very little command of the English language, slang like this is often used.

They don't call any of the different sized MacBook Airs, or MacBook Pro's "tweeners".

I think they're confused with "wieners".

 

[MacNowhere]

My experience has been just terrific. [..]
I have had every iPad, and they've been great. But a friend at the office bought a Nexus 7, once it arrived it only took me three minutes (literally) to fall in love with the SIZE.

Your experience is clearly wrong. Didn't you know - fraudling has already determined the right size of tablet for you (hint - it's not 7"). And he did all this scientific testing with his custom software. And didn't you see screenshots he posted? Fraudling is the one to listen to.. the ultimate tablet hero.

i'll just stop taking your word on things especially since you for some unknown reason wanna one handly man handle this 7inch device lol.

Blasphemy! You can't stop taking fraudling's word. He is our tablet warrior and crusader, the scientist, and the ultimate decider of the right tablet size for the masses.

Set these misguided souls straight, mighty fraudling. We depend on you!

 

[knucklehead]

It's what people with a very limited vocabulary use, to describe an item they have little knowledge of.

When one has very little command of the English language, slang like this is often used.

They don't call any of the different sized MacBook Airs, or MacBook Pro's "tweeners".

I think they're confused with "wieners".

I take it as a term used by wind-up cult zombies trapped living inside a Steve quote ...

Gotta love the wonderful world of PR (propaganda), and those absorbed by it ...

Edit - And for anyone who might not be familiar with Freud, his nephew Edward Bernays, and the origins of Public Relations, and consumer culture (pretty much required to understand "The World of Apple")... it's well worth checking out the excellent intro to the subject "The Century of the Self":

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9167657690296627941

as amusing as it is disturbing.

Edit again - Not sure why the link doesn't seem to work. Search "The Century of the Self" Part 1 on Google.

Time well spent.

Then go for 2 - 4.

Edit yet again: After watching this again for the first time in a few years, it's a shame this subject gets tangled up so much in politics. If anyone knows of a better simple intro to this subject to this subject -- sans political bias -- please let me know ... this is a subject too important to be easily dismissed.

P.S. - freudling -- bite me

 

[NovaRev]

I am somewhat baffled by the people dismissing the Nexus 7 as useless because it's a "tweener." After all, the iPad itself is the perfect example of a "tweener" device between a smartphone and a light laptop; it's not nearly as portable as a phone, and it's also not nearly as functional as a laptop. Does this mean that the iPad is useless too?

The iPad is a functionally in-between device. It handles consumption pretty well--certainly far better than a smartphone--but quickly becomes impractical if portability or productivity are high priorities. It's large enough and heavy enough that it's not highly portable and usable on the move the way a smartphone is, and at the same time it's fairly worthless for anything except very light work; the apps available simply are not powerful enough for getting serious work done.

In productivity scenarios it doesn't even have a real weight advantage over something like the MBA. By the time you add a case/stand and a keyboard to try to maximize your productivity with the iPad the weight difference becomes completely negligible. Even worse, an iPad on a stand with a separate keyboard is far more awkward than a laptop.

The result is that, for some people, it's impossible to travel with just an iPad and a smartphone and expect to be able to get work done. If you're going to end up needing your laptop, why even carry an iPad at all?

I'm sure that many people will agree that this is a silly argument to make. There are obviously uses for the iPad, even though it's a "tweener," and different people use it in different ways that suit them. The exact same thing can be said of a 7" tablet.

I own both the retina iPad and the Nexus 7. They are completely different devices that satisfy different needs. I find the Nexus 7 far easier to carry and use on the go; thumb typing on it while standing or walking around is a vastly superior experience over either a phone (tiny keyboard) or an iPad (incredibly awkward to thumb type on). The hardware is powerful enough and the screen is large enough that it feels like a much better browsing/general media consumption experience than my phone, yet it's still incredibly light weight and portable. Games are less awkward on the smaller form factor because of how light it is.

The bottom line is that tablets of any size are "tweener" devices, iPads included. They all have their uses, benefits and disadvantages. It's silly to dismiss the Nexus 7 as a "waste."

 

[hitekalex]

I own both the retina iPad and the Nexus 7. They are completely different devices that satisfy different needs. I find the Nexus 7 far easier to carry and use on the go; thumb typing on it while standing or walking around is a vastly superior experience over either a phone (tiny keyboard) or an iPad (incredibly awkward to thumb type on). The hardware is powerful enough and the screen is large enough that it feels like a much better browsing/general media consumption experience than my phone, yet it's still incredibly light weight and portable.

I agree. Although I haven't yet used Nexus 7, we have both iPad 3 and Nook Color in our household. 7" devices are a lot more ergonomic e-readers, while 9-10" devices are better all-around computing devices.

The whole debate of 7" versus 10" tablet is pointless and a waste of time. There is no single "right size" tablet, just like there is no single "right size" laptop. There is room for 11", 13" and 15" laptops, just as there is room for 7-8" and 10" tablets.

 

[entatlrg]

...

All those words and I agree with much of what you wrote comparing to smart phones/laptops, that's all common sense but isn't the point I or others here have made.

It's simple ... 7" tablet or 10" tablet ... for what it's designed to be able to do, how it renders fonts and the user experience it offers sucks compared to a 10" screen. For me at least.

The 7" in its current design and layout is a miss-fit, too small to be a functional, enjoyable to use tablet, too big to be pocketable, not great for one handed or two handed typing, or navigating. Just go read some forms, pdf's, word doc's, surf the net it's just not that great, in my experience.

I wonder if you set a 7" tablet beside a 10" tablet and asked people to pick one and use it for an hour or two ... I'd bet 80% or more choose the 10". And if I'm just going to use something few a moment or look something up I'll grab my smart phone.

I tried it, I don't like it, no problem, I'm super happy with my iPad. You and others like it, that's great, enjoy it no problems whatsoever.

 

[freudling]

Ive seen you post this same thing in several threads and found it really interesting. I was going to ask for some other sites but then I found a clip where they compared it to a ipad 2 and the same sites appeared.

That Tweener didn't seem to have the same faults you're showing in the pics. Don't know how you did it but I can guess why...so i'll just stop taking your word on things especially since you for some unknown reason wanna one handly man handle this 7inch device lol.

The photos were taken this morning. Didn't do anything but load up sites on each one. That's it. Don't let people who troll... who don't even own the device, slander people. Ignore them. I own it, along with an iPad, iPhone, iMac, rMBP, MBP, and MBA. I WANT tablets to flood the market because it'll improve my business. But I'm objective enough to realize something that hype and insanity and find it hilarious that anyone believes tweeners will be successful or useful to people.

----------

It's what people with a very limited vocabulary use, to describe an item they have little knowledge of.

When one has very little command of the English language, slang like this is often used.

They don't call any of the different sized MacBook Airs, or MacBook Pro's "tweeners".

I think they're confused with "wieners".

It was Jobs that coined the term Tweener for this form factor. Looks like on your definition he has little command of English. Meanwhile, you sit in your basement and post on Internet forums.

----------

Your experience is clearly wrong. Didn't you know - fraudling has already determined the right size of tablet for you (hint - it's not 7"). And he did all this scientific testing with his custom software. And didn't you see screenshots he posted? Fraudling is the one to listen to.. the ultimate tablet hero.



Blasphemy! You can't stop taking fraudling's word. He is our tablet warrior and crusader, the scientist, and the ultimate decider of the right tablet size for the masses.

Set these misguided souls straight, mighty fraudling. We depend on you!

You lied about having a Nexus 7 and you've lost all credibility.

 

[ixodes]

Your experience is clearly wrong. Didn't you know - fraudling has already determined the right size of tablet for you (hint - it's not 7"). And he did all this scientific testing with his custom software. And didn't you see screenshots he posted? Fraudling is the one to listen to.. the ultimate tablet hero.



Blasphemy! You can't stop taking fraudling's word. He is our tablet warrior and crusader, the scientist, and the ultimate decider of the right tablet size for the masses.

Set these misguided souls straight, mighty fraudling. We depend on you!

What a bizarre post. But then again I'm not a hero worshiper.

 

[freudling]

Tweeners will fail in the market, I will bet anyone $100. Anyone. Guaranteed and iCal it.

----------

I am somewhat baffled by the people dismissing the Nexus 7 as useless because it's a "tweener." After all, the iPad itself is the perfect example of a "tweener" device between a smartphone and a light laptop; it's not nearly as portable as a phone, and it's also not nearly as functional as a laptop. Does this mean that the iPad is useless too?

The iPad is a functionally in-between device. It handles consumption pretty well--certainly far better than a smartphone--but quickly becomes impractical if portability or productivity are high priorities. It's large enough and heavy enough that it's not highly portable and usable on the move the way a smartphone is, and at the same time it's fairly worthless for anything except very light work; the apps available simply are not powerful enough for getting serious work done.

In productivity scenarios it doesn't even have a real weight advantage over something like the MBA. By the time you add a case/stand and a keyboard to try to maximize your productivity with the iPad the weight difference becomes completely negligible. Even worse, an iPad on a stand with a separate keyboard is far more awkward than a laptop.

The result is that, for some people, it's impossible to travel with just an iPad and a smartphone and expect to be able to get work done. If you're going to end up needing your laptop, why even carry an iPad at all?

I'm sure that many people will agree that this is a silly argument to make. There are obviously uses for the iPad, even though it's a "tweener," and different people use it in different ways that suit them. The exact same thing can be said of a 7" tablet.

I own both the retina iPad and the Nexus 7. They are completely different devices that satisfy different needs. I find the Nexus 7 far easier to carry and use on the go; thumb typing on it while standing or walking around is a vastly superior experience over either a phone (tiny keyboard) or an iPad (incredibly awkward to thumb type on). The hardware is powerful enough and the screen is large enough that it feels like a much better browsing/general media consumption experience than my phone, yet it's still incredibly light weight and portable. Games are less awkward on the smaller form factor because of how light it is.

The bottom line is that tablets of any size are "tweener" devices, iPads included. They all have their uses, benefits and disadvantages. It's silly to dismiss the Nexus 7 as a "waste."

Nope. Different product categories. The iPad is not a tweener, it is the largest multi-touch device Apple makes. Don't confuse it with point and click devices. A Mini is a tweener as it's sandwiched in between an iPad and an iPhone.

----------

All those words and I agree with much of what you wrote comparing to smart phones/laptops, that's all common sense but isn't the point I or others here have made.

It's simple ... 7" tablet or 10" tablet ... for what it's designed to be able to do, how it renders fonts and the user experience it offers sucks compared to a 10" screen. For me at least.

The 7" in its current design and layout is a miss-fit, too small to be a functional, enjoyable to use tablet, too big to be pocketable, not great for one handed or two handed typing, or navigating. Just go read some forms, pdf's, word doc's, surf the net it's just not that great, in my experience.

I wonder if you set a 7" tablet beside a 10" tablet and asked people to pick one and use it for an hour or two ... I'd bet 80% or more choose the 10". And if I'm just going to use something few a moment or look something up I'll grab my smart phone.

I tried it, I don't like it, no problem, I'm super happy with my iPad. You and others like it, that's great, enjoy it no problems whatsoever.

100% agreed. And there are several others on this forum that share the same opinion. Meanwhile, we have Larry, Curly, and Moe... who don't own the device trolling non-stop acting like they do.

The Nexus 7 sucks. All tweeners suck. And to those who really like it, that's cool. But it's not a big market because it's virtually worthless when smartphones and iPads are in the mix. I just picked up the Sexus and played with it for a few minutes online and again I go right back to my iPhone because it's so much smaller and the browsing experience is better. I find the form factor of the Sexus completely useless because I'm not getting any extra benefit to using it over my iPhone or iPad.

 

[brentsg]

What a bizarre post. But then again I'm not a hero worshiper.

sarcasm, meet internet

 

[Mac.World]

Tweeners will fail in the market, I will bet anyone $100. Anyone. Guaranteed and iCal it.

----------



Nope. Different product categories. The iPad is not a tweener, it is the largest multi-touch device Apple makes. Don't confuse it with point and click devices. A Mini is a tweener as it's sandwiched in between an iPad and an iPhone.

----------



100% agreed. And there are several others on this forum that share the same opinion. Meanwhile, we have Larry, Curly, and Moe... who don't own the device trolling non-stop acting like they do.

The Nexus 7 sucks. All tweeners suck. And to those who really like it, that's cool. But it's not a big market because it's virtually worthless when smartphones and iPads are in the mix. I just picked up the Sexus and played with it for a few minutes online and again I go right back to my iPhone because it's so much smaller and the browsing experience is better. I find the form factor of the Sexus completely useless because I'm not getting any extra benefit to using it over my iPhone or iPad.

I think you are confusing your ideology with that of every other person. The 7" form factor is in demand. That pos Kindle Fire wouldn't have sold a few million if there wasn't some demand. Apple wouldn't be making a mini iPad if there wasn't some demand. Just because the manufacturers have thus far sucked at making a 7 or 8.9" tablet does not, in itself, indicate that those smaller form factors are useless.
I don't have the Nexus 7, so can't provide a personal opinion, you could very well be right that the Nexus 7 sucks. I will let you owners debate that. I'll get my popcorn.

 

[phpmaven]

But I'm objective enough to realize something that hype and insanity and find it hilarious that anyone believes tweeners will be successful or useful to people.

Dude, I hate to have to be the one to break this to you, but the Nexus 7 is selling like hotcakes and is getting great reviews. I have one as well as an iPad "3". I think it's a great device. I still like my iPad better for general web surfing, but I'm definitely digging the Nexus as well.

 

[freudling]

Dude, I hate to have to be the one to break this to you, but the Nexus 7 is selling like hotcakes and is getting great reviews. I have one as well as an iPad "3". I think it's a great device. I still like my iPad better for general web surfing, but I'm definitely digging the Nexus as well.

Show me the sales data. I don't care about media hype and headlines. Show me how many devices have actually sold to consumers and not "shipped" numbers.

But that's cool, I want to see these numbers in 2 months time... because I predict at that point if they really are selling any that sales will meet the same fate as the Kindle Fire: that they'll fall off of a cliff.

 

[ixodes]

sarcasm, meet internet

Ten points, your great humor is timed perfectly

 

[Night Spring]

Show me the sales data. I don't care about media hype and headlines. Show me how many devices have actually sold to consumers and not "shipped" numbers.

Actually, in this case shipped = sold, as the Nexus 7 appears to be selling out everywhere. However, we don't know how many did ship/sell, it'd be interesting to see if any concrete number is announced.

 

[Mac.World]

Show me the sales data. I don't care about media hype and headlines. Show me how many devices have actually sold to consumers and not "shipped" numbers.

But that's cool, I want to see these numbers in 2 months time... because I predict at that point if they really are selling any that sales will meet the same fate as the Kindle Fire: that they'll fall off of a cliff.

Does Google show their Nexus line sales figures? I don't think they do. Analysts can only get reseller data. All I could find were articles claiming major outlets were sold out and that first day sales and pre-sales equalled roughly 500,000 on the first day, in the US. I have also seen figures of 1 million now sold. Of course, this still pales in comparison to iPad sales, and we'll have to see if this tablet maintains sales in 1 to 2 months (as you pointed out).

That said, I tend to agree with you. I don't think this particular tablet will be able to sustain these sales figures much past the 2-3 month mark. Although I do think it will be an Android best seller.