So I Test Drove a Nexus 7
So yesterday, after many weeks of looking for a retailer with a display model of the Nexus 7 for me to test drive, I finally found one. As luck would have it, the retailer is a staples just down the street from my house (facepalm). I've really wanted a Nexus 7 and it has taken a whole lot of self control to not just jump in and buy one. However, having been burned by early adoption in the past, I was determined to wait and test drive one before making the decision to buy or not. I am so glad I waited.
First let me say that I currently own a Transformer prime and a Galaxy Nexus. Both are excellent devices and I couldn't be happier with them. My reason for even considering a Nexus 7 is to use it primarily as a portable book reader with lots of additional functionality. I have a HUGE library of eBooks, which I read primarily during my commute to and from work (it is mostly on trains). Both the Prime and the GN handle book reading well enough, but I find the The prime is a bit on the large side to be used comfortably while commuting. It is also expensive, so I would be very upset if something happened to it on the train or if it got stolen. The GN is a wonderful device, but as good as it is, the limited screen space can make reading annoying, and the load the LTE mobile connection puts on the battery (and I use an extended battery) leads to more rapid draining than I like if I also use the phone to read books for an extended period. This is why I thought that the bigger screen on the Nexus 7, coupled with it's extremely affordable price would be perfect for my book reading. In addition to reading, The Nexus 7 should also make for a great addition to my office, allowing me to take notes and view documents will on the move.
So anyhow, I tested the Nexus & and found that the fit and finish is excellent- it solid as a brick. I mean there was no flex, no creaking, nothing. This thing felt as if it were built of a single piece of material. I dare say it is put together even more nicely than the Prime in that regard (and that is saying something). In a way it feel very much like a big Galaxy nexus with the volume rocker moved to the opposite side. After turning it on you notice that much of the experience is remarkably like ICS, but with added polish and details. the biggest things that jump at you is Google Now, and the effects of project butter on the device. This thing is slick - I'm talking iPad-like smoothness, which I found very surprising. It is also fast, very fast. As this is an Asus product, I decided to check if there were settings for processor cores like in the Prime. Oddly there were none, so I'm guessing that the tegra 3 in the N7 runs on all cores all the time (which is my preference anyway). As many have written, the home screen orientation is locked into portrait mode (but not application orientation), just like in the Galaxy Nexus. Since the screen is smaller and the UI is the phone UI, I suspect that finding apps scaled appropriately for this screen will not be a problem (IOWs, no issue finding tablet optimized apps). There is a lot more to test and explore and I didn't have enough time to look at it all, but based on what I saw, I am super glad I waited. This is easily one of the nicest tablets on the market regardless of price. I'll be ordering one sometime over the next few weeks. If you've been on the fence about one of these, I urge you to give it a shot, it is definitely worth it.
So I Test Drove a Nexus 7...
- jeckyll
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Re: So I Test Drove a Nexus 7...
Good review!
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Re: So I Test Drove a Nexus 7...
Gabe do you think tablet prices will continue to come down? I have a Samsung tab 10.1 that was pretty expensive so I would love to pick up something cheap for my 5 year old to play with. will we be looking at sub $200 tablets with reasonable amounts of memory soon?
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David St. Hubbins
David St. Hubbins
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Re: So I Test Drove a Nexus 7...
Its still jumpy a bit and the memory expansion lock out is fucking asinine. At least even Apple will let you copy over shit from a memory card or USB stick.
Don't get the OEM case, it has the look and feel of cancer.
The nexus7 is a great value though, very cheap for how much horsepower and screen quality its packing.
Don't get the OEM case, it has the look and feel of cancer.
The nexus7 is a great value though, very cheap for how much horsepower and screen quality its packing.
Re: So I Test Drove a Nexus 7...
In the long term, the Answer should be yes. Right now the biggest factor in prices is Solid State memory, and that is coming down rapidly and in a big way. Will it be any time soon, I don't think so. Google really did their homework here, and they've shown up most of the OEMs. product cycles here run about 6 months to a year, so I would expect the industry to be playing catch up in terms of quality, performance and price for at least another year. I suspect that there will be other inexpensive tablets entering the market, but I would be surprised if anyone but Asus manages to equal or surpass the N7 for the same price.CGSshorty wrote:Gabe do you think tablet prices will continue to come down? I have a Samsung tab 10.1 that was pretty expensive so I would love to pick up something cheap for my 5 year old to play with. will we be looking at sub $200 tablets with reasonable amounts of memory soon?
I used to feel the same way and went out of my way to buy the max on-board memory on the Galaxy Nexus and Transformer Prime. After 8 months with them i find that I'm using a tiny fraction of that on board memory (less than 8GB on either device), and I have a ton of apps and files in both. I think memory really gets eaten up by music and media files more than anything else.FlyPenFly wrote:Its still jumpy a bit and the memory expansion lock out is fucking asinine.
That said, I would still buy the 16GB N7 instead of the 8GB. The smaller one would be as gift or for a kid.
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Re: So I Test Drove a Nexus 7...
Just got the 16gb version. Liking it so far.
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Re: So I Test Drove a Nexus 7...
hell my 6 year old takes better care of her laptop then most adults I know.CGSshorty wrote:Gabe do you think tablet prices will continue to come down? I have a Samsung tab 10.1 that was pretty expensive so I would love to pick up something cheap for my 5 year old to play with. will we be looking at sub $200 tablets with reasonable amounts of memory soon?
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