VeeshanVault

I want some sort of device that runs Android and do not want to switch from my iPhone so the new 7" Nexus 7 tablet running Jelly Bean looked interesting. I don't see a real reason for me to buy one except out of curiosity. The iPad 3 is my favorite device and if that wasn't my favorite, it would be my iPad 2 with the iPad 1 right behind that. The Android OS has come far enough along so that it doesn't completely suck but from browsing several Android Magazines, watching videos etc, it still has a long ways to go to catch the elegance and ease of use of the iOS devices.

I drove around today to pick one up but Sams Club and Gamestop didn't have any. Looks like it's all sold out. I'm not thrilled about a 7 inch screen. Maybe I'll wait for the Nexus 10.

Some of you people simply won't buy an Apple device so it looks like the Nexus 7 (and 10 later) would be the closest alternative to the best tablet out there. I still don't think a 7" tablet would give you the full experience as it's too small to be reading full page pdf/cbr/cbz files for magazine/comic book reading.

Anyone going to get an Android Tablet? The only real reason I can see for getting one is if you're price conscious or just hate Apple for some personal reason. For cell phones, I can see reasons to go with Android over Apple. The larger screens do make a difference and I think Apple will be losing customers starting with the iPhone 5 since it looks like they're just going to stretch the phone and keep it the same width, barely squeezing out a 4" screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

If iPhone 5 ends up 16:9 and the rumored iPad mini is released later this year, Apple is steering away from Steve Jobs' "vision" as he said he would never do either of those. I held a Galaxy S3 in my hand today and it didn't feel huge at all with it's 4.8 inch screen. With media consumption/text and everything BUT actual phone calls being the focus of phones these days, the 4.8 inch size feels right. If apple will only go from 3.5 to 4" on their next phone, they're heading down the wrong road. If anything, they should offer two iPhones, one with the traditional screen and one with a larger screen.

Give the ASUS eee Transformer a try, Winnow. Without the keyboard dock (re: Tablet only) it clocks in at ~$350 and is fantastic! Running android Icecream Sandwich on mine. 10"+ screen, great power and it works great! At that price point, you are getting quite a lot out of one of the best mobo manufacturers out there.

I'm tempted to get the Nexus 7 for a few reasons:

- It's about half the weight of the iPad and the 10"
- It fits in a pocket, 10" is ok if you carry a handbag
- Walled gardens are for children and the technically illiterate
- 7" prices are more reasonable for a toy

The only downside is no 3G, but I can wifi tether it to the phone which makes more sense to me than running 2 data plans and when I was briefly tempted to think about the dark side I didn't seriously consider their 3G or 4G models.

Zaelath wrote: - Walled gardens are for children and the technically illiterate

What exactly are you looking to do with the Android device that you can't do with the iOS device? ...keeping in mind that you can legally jailbreak an iPad 3 faster than you can root a Nexus 7 so by saying Walled gardens are for "children and technically illiterate" you must be referring to yourself since it seems you don't already know these facts.

As for the Transformer (model TF101-A1) Newegg has it for 339.00. Fry;'s has it for 399.00 in stock. If they price match (which they say they will), maybe I'll pick one up tomorrow. Need to read up on it some though. It has Tegra 2 not 3 inside. It's also year old. Is there a new model? It seems ancient in terms of tech cycles.


edit:

Ah, there is now the Transformer Infinity (TF700) with a 1920x1200 screen instead of the 1280x800 on last year's model. I like that a little better. Looks like it's 499.00 and comes out on Monday July 16th.

The slimmest and lightest 1920x1200 resolution Full HD Android™ tablet
The Fastest NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 Quad-core CPU ever, @ 1.6GHz
Improved graphics performance with a 12-core GPU
Elevate your audio experience with SonicMaster technology for a superior sound range
Stunning stylish colors with a metallic spun finished design
Rear auto-focus 8MP camera with LED flash, 5-element lens, large F/2.2 aperture and back illuminated CMOS sensor for crystal clear shots
Super IPS+ panel for ultra bright outdoor readability with 178° wide viewing angles
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2 provides improved impact resistance

http://www.asus.com/Tablet/Transformer_ ... ty_TF700T/


Here's also a TF300 Model:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... &Tpk=tf300

which has the 1200x800 screen but with Tegra 3 chip. Runs $389

Newegg shows 32 and 64 GB versions of the 1920x1200 screen for 499/599

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... 00&x=0&y=0

Yes. Mine is the older one. Didn't realize they had a new one coming out.

Canelek wrote:Yes. Mine is the older one. Didn't realize they had a new one coming out.

No worries : )

I watched a 27 minute video of some guy with a Russian accent review the TFT700

http://youtu.be/Pdgqk1aIZUI?hd=1

It seems nice enough except for the fact that absolutely nothing is optimized for the 1920x1200 screen. Icons, games, apps, all look "blurry".

If you've ever seen an iPad 3 screen in person, you don't need to be a fanboi to acknowledge that text, etc is incredibly clear. Even at 1920x1200 it doesn't come near the iPad 3's resolution which should matter to anyone but matters extra to me due to reading lots of magazines and comics on the device.

Also worrisome is the guy mentioning that 1080p videos don't play smoothly on the device...huh? That's not good news considering its resolution.

I think it's going to be another year before Android app makers catch up enough to iOS to have high resolution devices supported well. The guy in the video also said there's no easy way to tell on the Android Play store if an App supports high resolutions or not. That blows. iPad support for apps is crystal clear on iTunes and easy to filter. There's also the benefit to the iPad 3 that its ungodly 2048-by-1536 resolution doubles the iPad 1/2 making for easy up-scaling so even older apps look great.

I think Android is moving in the right direction and given maybe another year, they'll have their shit together with high res tablets, including a little support from third party apps.

If the iPad didn't exist, I'd be all over the Transformer TF700 because I'm completely sold on the usefulness of tablets. I freaking love my iPad 3. It's one bad-ass combination of hardware/software. I hope Google/Android and Microsoft, with their Window 8 Tablet, keep pushing Apple because I'm starting to see some worm holes in Apple and from what I've "heard" so far about the iPhone 5, doesn't impress me. When it comes to phones, I do some stock trading, SMS, and use various news apps mostly which I could easily do on an Android phone. That said, nothing comes remotely close to the iPad 3 yet.

Winnow wrote: What exactly are you looking to do with the Android device that you can't do with the iOS device? ...keeping in mind that you can legally jailbreak an iPad 3 faster than you can root a Nexus 7 so by saying Walled gardens are for "children and technically illiterate" you must be referring to yourself since it seems you don't already know these facts.

You need to jailbreak, I don't.

Only thing I've needed to root an android device for was full OS replacement, I can already sideload whatever I want with a setting that says "I'm an adult".

Zaelath wrote:

Winnow wrote: What exactly are you looking to do with the Android device that you can't do with the iOS device? ...keeping in mind that you can legally jailbreak an iPad 3 faster than you can root a Nexus 7 so by saying Walled gardens are for "children and technically illiterate" you must be referring to yourself since it seems you don't already know these facts.

You need to jailbreak, I don't.

Only thing I've needed to root an android device for was full OS replacement, I can already sideload whatever I want with a setting that says "I'm an adult".

Sideload? Sounds shady like something a kid would do. The age 10 and above requirement for jail breaking is there so kids, old people and retards can use a rock solid os. Anyone with half a bean in their head can legally jb a phone and customize it. Keep fantasizing about this "Walled Garden" though. It's used to attract wannabe tech geeks to Android that can't figure out how to click two buttons.

Well last Thursday, I was headed out for a family trip with the kids. (wedding in Montreal). I plugged in my Touchpad running Android to my PC, moved over a few movies I had on the PC to it using Windows Explorer and was able to play them in the car on the drive there and back and at random intervals over the weekend..

I'm growing to enjoy Android quite a bit personally. I dislike the skinned gingerbread on my wife's low end HTC but ICS and now Jellybean appear to be real slick. I wouldn't buy anything but the nexus branded devices though. Getting the latest OS'es in a timely manner is pretty high up there in my feature set for a device.

Winnow wrote: Sideload? Sounds shady like something a kid would do. The age 10 and above requirement for jail breaking is there so kids, old people and retards can use a rock solid os. Anyone with half a bean in their head can legally jb a phone and customize it. Keep fantasizing about this "Walled Garden" though. It's used to attract wannabe tech geeks to Android that can't figure out how to click two buttons.

Legally yes, but Apple can void your warranty for doing it.

The bootloader lock on the Nexus 7 is a serving suggestion, but again, removing it is not required to make it a functioning device..

Winnow wrote: Anyone with half a bean in their head can legally jb a phone and customize it. Keep fantasizing about this "Walled Garden" though. It's used to attract wannabe tech geeks to Android that can't figure out how to click two buttons.

How ironic a statement. How long have mac users been forced to live w/ one mouse button?

If I was interested in getting a content device, the nexus 7 would definitely be on the short list because of the form factor and flexibility it provides. $200 for the toy is reasonable. However, my phone w/ its 4.3” screen does just fine with that kind of stuff so I just don’t see the need. And I’m sure this will be the case with the inevitable influx of millions of S3 owners with their 720p 4.8” screens. I can see why iphone users would want a media and internet devices like the current crop of tablets because their phone screens are too small to use effectively for such things. It’s why my wife is pining for an ipad, her iphone sucks at web browsing and other content.
If i ever get a tablet, i need it to do something that’s not just a bigger phone. The Surface is the only thing I can see potential in for me, but I dont know enough concrete info about it as it’s not even released yet.

Chidoro wrote:

Winnow wrote: Anyone with half a bean in their head can legally jb a phone and customize it. Keep fantasizing about this "Walled Garden" though. It's used to attract wannabe tech geeks to Android that can't figure out how to click two buttons.

How ironic a statement. How long have mac users been forced to live w/ one mouse button?

Technically, you're using one mouse button to click two different buttons on your screen : )

Winnow wrote:What exactly are you looking to do with the Android device that you can't do with the iOS device?

First thought was "what about the reverse"?

Couple guys at work have transformers, I've heard no complaints. With the keyboard they become useful for limited work-type stuff.

I toggle back and forth between WebOS and Android on my touchpad. Not due to any failing in Android, I don't entirely trust the people building Cyanogen. Never rooted my phone in part for the same reason, in part as I've never seen the need to aside from playing and I can do that on an Android emulator with a better user experience and no danger of bricking my phone.

The vanilla Android interface is pretty boring, though entirely functional. WebOS is much cleaner.

I've really been enjoying my Android tablet. If there was anything I would change, it would be the lack of a camera on the back...I don't need the front facing one at all. I have the Acer Iconia A200. It is a 10" tablet with 16Gig built in. That would have been enough memory for what little I planned on using it for, but the 32Gig MicroSD card loaded with comics has definitely been worth having. The speakers have been a complaint from others, but they are actually better than I expected. The case I have folds into a stand behind it, which actually seems to amplify the sound somewhat too. The USB ports have come in handy several times. I was able to just snag a normal USB cable at a friend's place to throw some files onto a PC. I haven't run into anything that I couldn't plug in to use (yet?).

I really don't see any massive difference between what can be done on an iOS device and Android. The only thing I really have seen that is an issue would be the way that licensing apparently has to be done for each device. Basically, a certain app, like HBOGo, may only work on particular devices until others become enabled. The apps I've run into this on actually get updated for new devices quicker than I expected they would. After running into tons of issues with apps that could no longer be run on my older iPod Touches (older iOS versions), my experience with the tablet has been much more pleasant. Sure, you can customize almost all of your Android experience, but you probably won't have/want to change much. The only thing I have actually changed was the onscreen keyboard. I even swap between three of them depending on what I am working on, all with one icon. Oh, and the live wallpaper can be pretty fun. I "think" that is an ICS thing? Maybe a Tegra processor thing. Not sure...

I think that I actually miss using iTunes with this thing. I have installed an app that is supposed to make syncing with iTunes possible, but I haven't actually run it on my PC to see how well it works. There really is a lack of quality control in the Android apps. It seems to be pretty hit-or-miss on what you will be getting. Apparently both Google and Amazon are pretty quick to check into complaints though. It would be nice to have some of the obvious rip-offs and such weeded out more regularly though. The only thing I have not used my tablet for yet would be movies. I have streamed Netflix which looked great, but I have yet to actually rip and transfer anything over. I have just been too lazy to determine what settings/filetype to use for best results.

Would I use an iPad? Probably. The build quality and software is pretty damned consistent, but that is what happens when one company does it all. I think my experience with the Acer A200 has shown me that I cando a lot more with it than I ever expected when I was shopping for a tablet.

Boogahz wrote: Would I use an iPad? Probably. The build quality and software is pretty damned consistent, but that is what happens when one company does it all. I think my experience with the Acer A200 has shown me that I can do a lot more with it than I ever expected when I was shopping for a tablet.

I think the biggest point is that "most" people come away finding tablets more useful than they thought.

There's no denying that the mature iOS app store is a major plus for Apple. Android still has a ways to go with that. The other biggie is the retina display. It is a big deal. Text/images look awesome on the iPad3. The 1920x1200 Asus Infinity TF700 tablet is at least getting closer but then you have to go right back to the app situation where like .01% of the apps are optimized for high yes on android while there's a shit-ton of optimized apps for the iPad3 plus up-scaling is exactly 2X making everything else look good anyway. That's another major plus for iPad 3 for now.

I still may get the TF700 at some point but if I think about it too long, I may just blow it it off and buy a Windows 8 tablet in a few months which looks like more interesting to me as an alternate to the iPad/iOS to play around with.



Impressive growth for tablets.

Winnow wrote:I think the biggest point is that "most" people come away finding tablets more useful than they thought.

Agree with that. Watching people trying to work from them is still great for a giggle.

Asus and MS have a decent lead in that direction, I don't really expect the MS device to succeed though unless they sell them really cheap to businesses at the start.

Boogahz wrote:I think that I actually miss using iTunes with this thing. I have installed an app that is supposed to make syncing with iTunes possible, but I haven't actually run it on my PC to see how well it works. There really is a lack of quality control in the Android apps. It seems to be pretty hit-or-miss on what you will be getting. Apparently both Google and Amazon are pretty quick to check into complaints though. It would be nice to have some of the obvious rip-offs and such weeded out more regularly though.

I have Winamp on my phone that works fine. I don't remember having to set up anything, I dl'd it and it just worked.

I haven't gone back to winamp for a while. They just messed with it too much to be worth using. I have read recently that the Android version is closer to the original. I didn't realize that any type of sync options were built in.

I just checked my tablet, and the app I had read reviews for is 'Easy Phone Tunes.' Once you install the app and the software on the PC, it will "configure your phone so that it can be synchronized with iTunes." Maybe I will remember to run it when I get home tonight. The review actually made it sound useful. I'm hoping to sync podcasts more than anything else. I have already been using ES File Explorer to move files to the tablet from my network PCs.

Bought the Nexus 7 last week. Jelly Bean is beyond slick. Living this thing. The size is absolutely perfect too.

Previous (and this) post were made from the Nexus.

Animalor wrote:Living this thing.

Poor auto-correct on Jelly Bean! (iOS auto-correct sucks too!)

Overaggressive autocorrect FTW

How’s the 7 holding up? Apple used it as the compare for their ipad mini today and they were as misleading about their mini compared to the 7 as Romney is on his 5 point plans.
Never mention that the 7 has the better resolution or that once the ‘stuff’ on the bottom hides itself after a second, all of that usable space Apple blacked out comes back. Ohh, and they didn’t mention that theirs is $130 more expensive either.
I also just bought my wife the ipad 3 for her birthday a few weeks ago. It was going to be her anniversary present (10 years on Nov 2.) but I decided to get it a month and a half early under the assumption that apple never lowers their prices during the life cycle and that the lifecycle has historically been 12 months. I pretty fucking pissed right now. Hate shitty overpriced apple now more than ever

I still like my 7. Latest update seems to have improved the interface a little, but I'm most impressed that they listen to their user base and allowed the home screen to rotate even though it makes the face unlock thing a bit ropey (your face isn't where the camera is pointing when it's sideways).

They have a point about the soft interface consuming space, but only from a touch interface perspective, you do get it all back as you say when you need it like watching a clip etc.

Google's Latest Attempt At An iPad-Killer Has A Great Screen, But Weak Software

businessinsider.com
Jay Yarow
November 2nd, 2012
view original

is still making the best tablet on the market, according to The Verge, and Gizmodo.

They've published their reviews of the Nexus 10, a new iPad-killer from Google. Because of hurricane delays our review won't be online until next week. So, stay tuned for that.

In the meanwhile, the Verge and Gizmodo's reviews generally send out the same message.

The Nexus 10 is a ten-inch, $399 tablet from Google made in conjunction with Samsung. It's the big brother to the Nexus 7, a well-reviewed seven-inch tablet from Google.

Google's newest tablet has a fantastic screen, but the software isn't all that hot. You're better off buying an iPad if you're looking for a new tablet.

Here's Gizmodo on the screen:

The screen! The screen the screen the screen. It is simply gorgeous. At 10 inches and 300ppi it’s bigger and far higher resolution than the new retina iPads. 2560 x 1600 means more than 4 million pixels. That is absolutely insane. 1080p video looks terrific on it. I slapped some high resolution photos on there and they are astonishingly clear. Add the excellent speakers to the equation and this device is killer for watching videos and playing games. Very immersive.

And on the software:

Again, this software was not yet final. That said something was wrong with the radio on my device. It had major problems staying connected to my Wi-Fi router, and when it did, I got downloads came through at 1/5th the speed of the computer next to it. I tried it on a friend’s network and couldn’t get it to connect at all. I spoke to Google about it, and its rep told me, “it sounds like a problem we’ve isolated and will be fixed with the OTA that will be pushed with the consumer launch on 11/13.” Here’s hoping. At the same time, Gizmodo Editor-In-Chief Joe Brown had zero problems with radio connectivity on his home network, with speeds equal to or exceeding his MacBook Pro. It’s possible that mine was a dud. We’ll be doing more testing and will report back, but this was easily the tablet’s biggest flaw.

And here's The Verge:

The Nexus 10's display is every bit the Retina's equal, the build quality is excellent, and it even has a half-decent set of speakers. Android 4.2 is more stable than ever, and Android does a lot of great things iOS simply doesn't. But you take it out of the box, say it's beautiful and fast... then what? Apple's tablet has 250,000-plus other apps that look and work great on a huge, high-res screen, and Android's ecosystem is leagues behind. The Nexus 10 is a great way to watch movies, but there's absolutely no way it's going to replace your laptop the way the iPad could.

Yes, the Nexus 10 wins on price — $399 for this incredible display is a nice deal. But consider the extra $100 you'll spend to get the iPad an entry fee to the App Store, and its many apps and accessories that just aren't available to the Nexus 10.

Google's now proven conclusively that it can design great Android hardware, but until developers prove they can design great Android software it's still hard to recommend the Nexus 10 over an iPad.

Shame the software is still crap. Looks like Google has solid hardware specs for the Nexus 10 as long as that wifi issue was abnormal. I doubt Android will ever catch up with quality apps since iOS and Windows 8 (walled garden) environments allow for commercial success and stability. Plus Microsoft also has a clue when it comes to efficiently updating the OS like Apple while Android devices still have random versions of their OS. Just not going to work for the average consumer.

Seems people are liking Windows 8 a lot more than Android when it comes to tablets/UI. I was reading up on some user reviews on the Lenovo Yoga 13 (ulta notebook/tablet) and it was all positive about Windows 8 as a touch interface.

Google better get their shit together on the software/OS soon or Windows 8 will take a big chunk of their market share. As much as people are bitching (really with no cause) about Metro on desktop PCs (you never have to even look at it), it's solid on touch devices and well designed as opposed to whatever Android is trying to do, plus you'll have a full blown Windows OS if you choose instead of RT (Lenovo already has the full Windows 8 as to other third party vendors)

edit:

http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/02/nexus-10-review/

Ah bummer. While the ppi is outstanding for the Nexus 10, the screen quality isn't as good as the Retina iPad . Light leakage and such (on both units tested) if you watch the video in the article linked above. Hate flash lighting. It drove me nuts on the Evo Android phone I tested. I guess it would still work ok if you just want a music/video player (that any other tablet on the planet can also be).

I use my N7 in a daily basis. The thing is great. The form factor allows me to hold it comfortably in 1 hand without having to overextend my fingers as well. The iPad mini looks nice but every time I see a reviewer holding it, their hands looks overextended and uncomfortable.

I've taken to using OneNote as a note taking tool at work with it as well as using SkyDrive to pass documents that I need to read back and forth to it.

I can't help but agree with the points being made about the Tablet App ecosystem on Android though. Very few tablet optimized apps is unfortunate but not a deal-breaker in the slightest for me.

got my n7 this week, not sure that the screen kicks as much ass as the reviews I have read.. .but I had $80 in staples bucks from reimbursable business supplies.... and for what it is it kicks ass. Im still working on configuring Aldiko reader to sync with my nexus, GS2 and Nook simple touch.. but I have it working flawlessly with my phone and N7...

Oh, and if you have an N7.. this case kicks so much ass for $5, best tablet case Ive ever had.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008IE ... 02_s00_i00

Double Post

Android smartphones have already taken the sales crown with 75 percent share and 57 million shipped by Samsung alone last quarter. It seems that the tablet market will soon follow suit.

Sales of Android-powered tablets have grown faster than iPad sales in six out of the last eight quarters. That fact, along with other trends in the tablet marketplace, mean that Android-based tablets will out-sell iPads in either the second or the third quarter of 2013, according to analyst Sameer Singh.

iPad market share dipped precipitously to just 50.4 percent in the third quarter of this year, but that was an aberration, says Singh, based on rumors and anticipation surrounding Apple’s new midsized tablet as well as shipping slowdowns due to the impending product refresh.

However, while the fourth quarter numbers should be much better for Apple with the new iPad mini and the unexpectedly refreshed fourth-generation iPad, the long-term trend is clear: iPad will not always be the market leader.

Of course Apple will still be selling millions of devices with incremental updates so they're probably not overly concerned.

Animalor wrote:I use my N7 in a daily basis. The thing is great. The form factor allows me to hold it comfortably in 1 hand without having to overextend my fingers as well. The iPad mini looks nice but every time I see a reviewer holding it, their hands looks overextended and uncomfortable.

I've taken to using OneNote as a note taking tool at work with it as well as using SkyDrive to pass documents that I need to read back and forth to it.

I can't help but agree with the points being made about the Tablet App ecosystem on Android though. Very few tablet optimized apps is unfortunate but not a deal-breaker in the slightest for me.

So I bought a 16GB Nexus 7 Friday so I could play around with the OS and see what a 7" tablet was like. No need for another iPad so I got the Nexus 7 for 200.00...at Wal-Mart...ug

Part One: Wal-Mart Hell

One of the few local stores that actually sells Nexus 7 is Wal-Mart. I detest going in those stores. I feel like I should burn all of my clothes when I get home from there. Anyway, I did my research and found a Wal-Mart that had Nexus 7 16GB version in stock. I drive to the store. It takes awhile to get someone's attention but finally a lady (16-18 year old and clueless) helps me. I point to the 199.99 16 GB Nexus 7. She gets it out of the cabinet. It rings up at 279.00 (32 GB Version). I point again to the 199.00 16 GB sign. She goes back to the cabinet and says they're out of stock. I tell her to scan the sticker with her inventory doohicky. It says they have 15 in stock. THIRTY minutes later, they still can't find them. I tell them to call the next closest store. FIFTEEN minutes later (this is all time with them spent figuring how to call the next store, finding the phone number, misdialing multiple times...finally they confirm the other Wal-Mart has them and they place one on hold for me. I drive to the next Wal-Mart and tell them there's a Nexus 7 16GB with my name on it. The lady recognizes my name. So far so good. The lady then fumbles around for five minutes, unable to find the right keys to open the fucking cabinet. She finally gets a manger to open the cabinet. Meanwhile some retard (no really, she was a retard) asks me if I need help. I tell her politely that I'm already being assisted. She wanders away mumbling to herself, holding her broom,saying in an upset tone, "I just wanted to see if you needed help"...what? Is there some secret way to inform an employee at Wal-Mart that you don't need help beyond smiling politely and saying you're already being assisted? The (fat) stupid, but nice lady finally gets off her hands and knees so I don't have to see her butt crack anymore and goes to the register to ring me up...FIVE minutes of agony as she can't figure out how to ring it up. After finally getting herself logged into the register, she can't read the bar code (the register clearly states, "use other bar code" on its display...at least Wal-Mart upper management prepares for hiring idiots). She rings me up and I'm on my way. I fucking hate Wal-Marts.

Part Two: Initial Impressions

I get home, relax a little, vow to never return to Wal-Mart if at all possible, and then open up my new Nexus 7 Tablet.

It has Jelly Bean 4.1 installed. I turn it on, go through some initial setups. That goes smoothly. I have a gmail account so that part was easy. A notice a pop up that there's a system update to 4.1.1. It says my battery is too low so I need to plug in the tablet. No problem (it has a 3 foot cord like those PS3 controller chargers but otherwise no problem). The OS update goes smooth. I'm ready to check things out. I get another notice that a system update is available to 4.1.2. OK, whatever, so I go through the update process again. All done. I get another notice that there's a system update to 4.2. WTF, isn't Android smart enough to update all at once from whatever version you're on? Jesus. Another system update later, I'm on the latest and greatest Jelly Bean 4.2.

It's been years since I used Android so it's like a new experience for me.

4.2 seems pretty slick overall. Things I like:

Like the lock screen
Like the multiple home screens with a couple useful gidgets (well just mail so far)
Like the easy access to the open apps. Little smoother process to close them out than on iOS
Like 4.2's dual pull down notice screen (left drag down gets you traditional notices, right side drag gets you common settings (screen rotation lock, brightness, wireless, bluetooth, airplane mode, etc)

Really like Google Now. It's faster and more accurate than Siri. I actually have Google Voice Search on my iPhone but of course, Google voice is built into Chrome, etc with Android.

Things I don't like so much:

Nexus 7 has a quad core processor but the apps aren't as smooth (scrolling, etc) as with iOS.

As Animalor mentioned, Android still doesn't have a lot of apps optimized for tablets. Not sure what the holdup is as there's plenty of Android Tablets out there now. Zite, my favorite news agitator app, looks like shit on the tablet. It even warns you beforehand that it's going to look like shit. They really need to get their shit together with optimizing apps for tablets.

App Store is so so. I don't think iTunes is anything special so this store is almost as good.(it's definitely not as good but I don't really care)

Nexus 7 Hardware:

Like the texture on the back
Like the size as a portable for someone that is actually going to use it on the go (like on a train etc)
Laying in bed, videos were big enough on the screen to be enjoyable.

Text/screen is too small to view standard web pages in portrait without zooming. Magazine text also mostly too small to view full pages (read fine on 10" screens)

Don't like the speaker so much. It's passable but it's placement isn't so good and sound quality not so good.

MAJOR dislike of where Asus placed the power on/off button. It's on the side, right next to the volume rocker. Now, you can be careful about feeling for the volume buttons and mostly avoid turing off the power but when you're watcing videos, etc, in about an hour or so, I had accidentally turned off the power three times watching youtubes...and when you turn the power back on, you have to watch the commercial each time before resuming your youtube video...ug. I need to find a youtube alternative as I've never had to watch Ads on youtube before and it's even worse since it's so easy to accidentally turn the tablet off.

The power button is a major design flaw. Very poor placement. You're much less likely to accidentally hit it if it's on the top or bottom. Just naturally holding the tablet in landscape gives a good chance of hitting the button. On top of that, you have to be extra careful when feeling for the volume controls due to the high chance of hitting the power off. Also, when you pick up the tablet, you grab it from the sides, not the top/bottom so having the power on the side is incredibly stupid. I expect they'll fix that with the next version.

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Overall, I think Android has come a long ways since the last time I tried it. I'm starting to get comfortable using voice controls more often and I think Android has the advantage atm over iOS Siri there a little. I can't see a reason for anyone to get Android over iOS, especially for a 10" tablet. Possibly for the 7" since the Nexus is a little thinner and easier to hold. I'm assuming the the iPad mini has the better speaker that they put into the iPhone 5 which is markedly better than the Nexus (if that matters...it does to me since I don't use headphones).

I did a few google searches to find apps exclusive to Android that weren't on iOS. I found almost nothing of note. They where all file managers and such that I have no need for. (I can access my movies, books, music, etc on my network locally or remotely using iOS). The only App I found so far was Grooveshark which you need to jailbreak to use on iOS...although there's now a web html 5 based Grooveshark player for iOS so not a huge deal.

There are certain things I do like better with Android that I mentioned above but overall, the apps run smoother and apps rarely crash on iOS (I had several Apps crash on me already with Android). Even on a pretty powerful device like the Nexus 7, the apps felt "sticky" compared to iOS. That, combined with the crappy support for tablet apps kinda hurts the case for Android right now. I think an overhaul of iOS is long overdue though. I got used to Jelly Bean 4.2 pretty quick. It's also nice that 4.2 allows you to create multiple profiles so more than one person can customize their experience with the same tablet. As for the Nexus 7, they really need to move that power button.

It's only been a day so I'm not going to make any comments besides the initial impressions. Android's 4.2 "desktop" is more advanced than iOS for sure but you spend the majority of your time in the apps. If they get that part squared away, and maintain their advantage with voice, and Apple does nothing to improve their UI, then Android becomes a viable alternative. 7" seems slightly more usable than I thought it would be, especially if you're an ebook reader, etc. (go 10 if you're primarily going to surf the net, read comics, pdfs, etc)

https://code.google.com/p/android/issue ... l?id=39692

Hilarious bug in 4.2 when adding an event to a contact in the people app. December is missing.

Winnow wrote:
Text/screen is too small to view standard web pages in portrait without zooming. Magazine text also mostly too small to view full pages (read fine on 10" screens)

You probably need your eyes checked... I don't find it too small with my reading glasses on ><

You can change the text size in the accessibility settings of Chrome though, or double tap to zoom in a little.

Don't like the speaker so much. It's passable but it's placement isn't so good and sound quality not so good.

MAJOR dislike of where Asus placed the power on/off button. It's on the side, right next to the volume rocker. Now, you can be careful about feeling for the volume buttons and mostly avoid turing off the power but when you're watcing videos, etc, in about an hour or so, I had accidentally turned off the power three times watching youtubes...and when you turn the power back on, you have to watch the commercial each time before resuming your youtube video...ug. I need to find a youtube alternative as I've never had to watch Ads on youtube before and it's even worse since it's so easy to accidentally turn the tablet off.

The power button is a major design flaw. Very poor placement. You're much less likely to accidentally hit it if it's on the top or bottom. Just naturally holding the tablet in landscape gives a good chance of hitting the button. On top of that, you have to be extra careful when feeling for the volume controls due to the high chance of hitting the power off. Also, when you pick up the tablet, you grab it from the sides, not the top/bottom so having the power on the side is incredibly stupid. I expect they'll fix that with the next version.

Agreed on both counts, particularly the power button. I do like the way disconnecting the headphones stops things playing though.

I think your later points on smoothness are a bit out there.. but in general I think the occasional quirk is mostly down to Android being multitasking versus iOS.

I would have bought a couple of iPads already if they weren't being such tossers with the patents though (this week it's a patent on animated page turning... really)

The initial version of the software on the N7 was buttery smooth but has gotten steadily worse with every update IMO. 4.2 has been the worst yet.

Animalor wrote:The initial version of the software on the N7 was buttery smooth but has gotten steadily worse with every update IMO. 4.2 has been the worst yet.

Android Jelly Bean 4.2, the Most Problematic Update So Far

Google released the most recent variation of its mobile operating system Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, yet the
complexity is as every day passes we are listening to more and more individuals having troubles with the new
software, and it makes you believe this could be the most troublesome Android release yet.

Late last week we first started to become aware of individuals experiencing issues with their Nexus 7′s after
updating the equipment to Android 4.2 that in the beginning simply seemed to focus around using the Bluetooth
hookup on the device for streaming music. Difficulty is this swiftly grew to much more major concerns being
reported with countless owners reporting their device randomly rebooting, which clearly can be greater than
simply discouraging depending on just what you are doing at the time.

We have likewise heard users experiencing the auto-brightness function coming to be unstable and also there
are now reports on some forums that this complication is likewise influencing the Nexus 10, and it also seems
the restarting problems are affecting individuals of the Nexus 10 a lot much more too.

An additional troubling trouble stated by several Nexus 7 managers is the abrupt lag in the UI when in use, with
some apps taking an age to open up now yet some users have stated that a manufacturing plant reset improved
things temporally, yet others have specified it makes no distinction at all.

There have been some recommendations that the multi-user alternative with Android 4.2 could be the path of
the issues now being experienced by Nexus 7 managers, with some claiming that after deleting the second account points boosted.
Various other issues being grumbled about is the battery life reducing a ton quicker than prior to with Wi-Fi
hookups additionally leaving suddenly, and we have additionally listened to some problems of the lockscreen
widgets being uncertain or vanishing completely.

Earlier today we told you concerning the troubles with the People Application as well as Google neglecting the
month of December completely, so users will not see buddies birthday parties or Christmas. While the Android
4.2 update is presently only operating on a very small portion of Android tools, there are lots of that have
actually acquired the Nexus 7 given that it was released back in the summer season, and can have obviously
excitedly updated the device to the new firmware when it was discharged last week.

We have yet to listen to almost anything formal from Google regarding the troubles impacting the software,
however you can have believed the business would currently have its software application designers hard at
work finding a fix for all the problems that have actually come to light.

Seems like pretty poor quality control. Besides my WiFi connection sucking on the Nexus compared to my iPhone and iPad when in the exact same location, I've noticed no other issues so far mentioned above.

Kind of a toss up for me right now between an N7 and a 7" galaxy tab 2, basically comes down to the fact I really like the SD slot and hate the proprietary connecter.

It's for the wife, the cable will go MIA in short order and I don't want to deal with that

On the upside, I had 4.2.1 delivered to me today. Things appear to be pretty much back to normal.

Animalor wrote:On the upside, I had 4.2.1 delivered to me today. Things appear to be pretty much back to normal.

Yeah, I got it as well today. At least with the Nexus line from Google you get the Android updates fast.

I wish the Nexus 7 had a decent speaker so I could use it for Audiobooks. With the voice Google Now capabilities, it does work as a quick reference guide for researching stuff on the web when I'm working on other systems that I use.