10 ms·

Seven Days With a Nexus 7

47 points by sogrady 14y ago

adestefan 14y ago
The Nexus 7 is my first table and I'm still sitting on the fence about the whole experience. The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf, but there really are a lack of tablet specific Android apps. Some Android apps are also missing features present in their iOS counterparts. For example, the MLB app is very basic compared to the iOS version. I was hoping the 7 would be useful for reading PDFs, but it's merely passable when there's nothing better around. Android 4.1 is a pleasure to use and is snappy. The hardware is nice, but I had to call for a replacement since my screen started to peel off after about 10 days.
- kevhsu 14y ago
  try ezPDF. It's a paid app, but it kicks the living poop outta Adobe's Android app.
- sogrady 14y ago
  > The Nexus 7 is my first table and I'm still sitting on the fence about the whole experience. The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf, but there really are a lack of tablet specific Android apps. Some Android apps are also missing features present in their iOS counterparts. For example, the MLB app is very basic compared to the iOS version. I was hoping the 7 would be useful for reading PDFs, but it's merely passable when there's nothing better around. unlike when i bought my Xoom, i'm reasonably optimistic that we'll see tablet applications and updates arriving shortly. as chris dibona has said before, the attractiveness of the platform is basically a direct function of how many are sold. with initial sales at least perceived to be promising, i think we'll see more announcements like EA's in the days ahead: http://phandroid.com/2012/07/30/ea-updates-dead-space-with-nexus-7-support/ http://phandroid.com/2012/07/30/ea-updates-dead-space-with-n... and if i'm being honest, it was easier to take a flyer on a $250 device that may seem more applications coming than a > $500 alternative. > Android 4.1 is a pleasure to use and is snappy. The hardware is nice, but I had to call for a replacement since my screen started to peel off after about 10 days. this is the second time i've heard someone mention this, and depending on how widespread the problem is, it could certainly impact sales negatively. mine has had no such issues thus far, but i guess i'll see what happens in three days.
  - adestefan 14y ago
    I had no idea it was an issue until I started to search around about how to send the device back. At first it was just the left side was a bit above the edging, but after another day it was so bad that when I push the left 1/4 of the device it discolors the screen. I thought it was just shoddy hardware so I was really thinking about returning it for a refund, but then I read the reports about it happening to other people. I called support and they said they're going to ship out a replacement.
  - huggyface 14y ago
    The screen separation issue is a very widespread issue of the very first batch -- I got such an affected unit. It always seems to be the left or upper left, and clearly relates to the adhesive applicator. I have zero doubt that they've ironed out the issue, fixed the glue machine, and all is well now (it isn't a foundational or design problem. Simple manufacturing).
- huggyface 14y ago
  The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf I have to strongly disagree with all of the lauding about Chrome on Android. Chrome on Android was terrible on my Galaxy S2. Chrome on Android was terrible on my Galaxy S3. In both cases perhaps because Samsung heavily optimized the basic, unbranded browser (full hardware acceleration, etc), but also because Chrome has some bizarre rendering behaviors (for instance it separately sizes text on sites like HN or Reddit). So I got a Nexus 7. Pretty powerful device, and I was used to browsing full sites like The Verge and The Toronto Star with no issue. Load Chrome -- they removed the unbranded browser -- and it is atrocious. Huge, multisecond pauses on either of those sites (http://www.theverge.com http://www.theverge.com and http://www.thestar.com http://www.thestar.com - be sure to go to the full sites and not the gimped mobile version). Scrolling is a hilariously bad affair. Note these observations online and am given the standard "oh no must be your unit, etc. etc." Only my second Nexus 7 was just arriving (from Google Play, while the former came from Staples, fwtw) -- exactly the same behavior. I do not understand the expressions of love for Chrome on Android. Perhaps it's the chrome of the browser -- bookmark management, etc? I don't generally use that but instead simply punch in auto-completed URLs and browse sites, and there it is profoundly, catastrophically deficient.
  - adestefan 14y ago
    Mainly because those websites run like trash even on my desktop.
    - huggyface 14y ago
      They run beautifully in Safari on the iPad. Indeed, they run quite well in Firefox (beta) on the Nexus 7. They ran quite well in the stock browser pre-JB. Those are only a couple of sample sites, but there is an endemic inefficiency of Chrome on Android that makes it unusable as a primary browser. Metacritic -- forget about it. I could go on and on. I have to think that people who like Chrome on Android must actually stay within the ghetto of mobile sites, where its inefficiency is less pronounced and things like the bookmark manager stand out more. The massive delays and largely non-functional scrolling on richer sites just makes it hard to believe that people are praising that browser.
antidoh 14y ago
>Q: How do you use the Nexus 7 differently than you used your Xoom? >A: Mostly, I use it more. It’s just small enough that it will fit in my shorts pocket (though admittedly sagging them to dangerously teenage levels), so if I’m walking over to lunch at the sushi bar, I’ll bring it. It’s replaced my Galaxy Nexus as the device I carry around the house or the property for browsing, Twitter and so on. And once I start traveling again, it will be making every trip, not just the long haul ones the Xoom was relegated to by the end. And it will replace my MBA for the short duration visits, an up and back to NYC, let’s say. In short, I think Tim is correct: the 7″ form factor is the correct one for personal use. My personal use, at least. Portablility might be its most compelling feature. The best computer is the one you have with you.
- sogrady 14y ago
  > The best computer is the one you have with you. best summary i've heard of the device's utility. the nexus 7 may well be the cameraphone of tablet devices.
  - taligent 14y ago
    If you are sufficiently 'large' enough that it will fit in your pant's pocket of course. If you aren't then the existing combination of phone/tablet or phone/MBA still seems optimal.
wickedchicken 14y ago
> Twitter has yet to release a tablet specific Android application. Why would you use the official Twitter client on Android when the incomparable Twicca[1][2] is available? I'm not sure how well it works on a tablet but its UI is the best Twitter UI I've seen anywhere. This is especially refreshing given the significant disagreements I have with Twitter's designers on what makes a usable site. It also has quite a large number of official[3] and unofficial[4] plugins, my favorite being the Google+ cross-poster[5]. Note: the author's English is charmingly bizarre (it used to say "retweeted by 1 people" and "retweeted by 2 peoples"), so "twicca is lightweight but it is not cheap" means it's not "cheap" on features. It is a free application. [1] http://twicca.r246.jp/ http://twicca.r246.jp/ [2] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.r246.twicca&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.r246.twicca... [3] https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Tetsuya+Aoyama https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Tetsuya+Aoya... [4] https://play.google.com/store/search?q=twicca+plugin&c=apps https://play.google.com/store/search?q=twicca+plugin&c=a... [5] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zakky.twicca.plus https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zakky.twic...
- sogrady 14y ago
  [i'm the author] i'll check out Twicca, but the primary reason i use the official client over nice alternatives like Tweet Lanes [1] is the integration with Android itself, i.e. notifications, and so on. they just keep sucking me back in. but i'm more than willing to give it a shot. [1] link to the .apk: https://t.co/rkE4sw0j https://t.co/rkE4sw0j
  - ConstantineXVI 14y ago
    I decided to just live without Twitter notifications. Not really missing them. You can wire up ifttt to notify you via Google Talk on @s also.
    - sogrady 14y ago
      that was actually one of the things i didn't like about the tablet, now that you mention it: Google Talk got turned on by default. probably just a personal preference, but i really don't want to receive IMs on a tablet. but if you do, then you're right: the Ifttt recipe is your solution.
darklajid 14y ago
My brother and I imported one each from the UK. After 4 days of use I am very, very happy with the hardware (display, sound, weight), but still have to get used to the software (changes in 4.x seem to confuse me, my phone still doesn't offer it. Sidenote: Never ever buy a phone from LG if you can avoid it). Especially Google Now, while certainly interesting, seems to be useless to me so far (or I just don't get it?). Even after this short time I'm confident that I'll bring this thing with me wherever I go and it already feels _wrong_ to look at the phone display again. Do yourself a favor though and install Firefox Beta. Give it a shot against Chrome - for me the experience is so much better that I'd wish for a way to uninstall Chrome.
- sogrady 14y ago
  > Especially Google Now, while certainly interesting, seems to be useless to me so far (or I just don't get it?). this is interesting, because for my usage, Google Now was one of the most useful additions in Jelly Bean. i use it all the time, and love the notifications about nearby public transit, time and distance notifications for appointments from my calendar and so on. it's pretty basic at present, but it's already useful for me day to day and if they were to open the API could be dramatically more so. > Do yourself a favor though and install Firefox Beta. Give it a shot against Chrome - for me the experience is so much better that I'd wish for a way to uninstall Chrome. several people have said this as well, so i will definitely be giving it a shot.
  - Roritharr 14y ago
    I guess you are living in one of the rare places on earth where google maps works for public transit. It's sometimes really frustrating to use technology in a place that is not the San Francisco...
    - ry0ohki 14y ago
      Works fine in the megalopolis that is Pittsburgh
    - weenis 14y ago
TheBoff 14y ago
I don't know why he mentions recommending to pure apple households. Surely if every computer (/phone/tablet) in your house is made by apple, you don't really care what anybody says about the competition.
- tvon 14y ago
  Why not?
- glhaynes 14y ago
  Or they evaluated the competition and decided that, for right now, especially in the context of the other devices they already own from Apple (which tend to work well together), those purchases were likely the best for them.
- gordeh 14y ago
  I don't know, the nexus is attracting a lot of apple users. I for one have only got apple devices in the house. The nexus 7 is the sole exception to this.
- loeschg 14y ago
  Q: So would you recommend the Nexus 7 overall? A: For straight Apple households, probably not. Haha, I'd say I'm in a pure Apple household (though I run a personal Ubuntu server... perhaps I'm disqualified). I'm still considering the Nexus 7 even with the iPad "mini" on the horizon. I think there's something to be said from having familiarity with the different devices/eco-systems (especially as a developer). The reviews are also hard to ignore.
  - TheBoff 14y ago
    Fair enough then, I've got the wrong end of the stick. I must admit, I didn't really think pure apple households were at all common.
    - sogrady 14y ago
      what i meant by "pure" Apple households was those that are not only running Macs, but things like Apple TV, AirPlay etc. if you've heavily invested in Apple media, the benefits to an Apple device would probably outweigh any individual feature wins of the Nexus 7. if you're more of a casual Apple household, meaning just hardware and no media, the Nexus 7 is likely a fine choice.
dysoco 14y ago
Does it really fit in your pocket ?
- darklajid 14y ago
  I'm mostly wearing cargo pants (or whatever you call these things with pockets on your legs as well). It fits in one of those easily enough. You don't that I carry it, it's about the same weight as my (too stuffed) purse on the other side and barely noticeable.
- gordeh 14y ago
  Yes, well the back pocket of my jeans.
- adestefan 14y ago
  Does it fit? Yes. Would I walk around with one in my pocket? Nope.
- sogrady 14y ago
  it will fit in the front pocket of my jeans, a pair of adidas shorts and another set of khaki shorts. the fit is tight, however, meaning that while i'm fine walking to a coffee shop with them in there, i'm not walking around all day or going for a hike with them pocketed.
thought_alarm 14y ago
I haven't been terribly impressed with the Nexus 7, and it certainly hasn't changed my opinion of the 7" form factor. To get an idea of the size of this thing, hold your iPad in portrait orientation and then cover the top 55% of the screen. There's your Nexus. It's tiny. One problem with this 7" form factor is that the portrait orientation isn't wide enough to display most regular web pages without having to zoom in and scroll around; it's just like browsing on your smartphone. I'm also struggling to find any software that wouldn't look and work in exactly the same way on a regular sized smartphone. It makes for a better e-book reader than a regular smartphone, but that's just about it. There are some good things. This device exists almost solely to tie you into Google's on-line services, so if you're a Google user then the integration with their services is slick in a lot of places. But I'm mostly interested in the quality of the software, and unfortunately it isn't that great, at least when compared to iOS. The browser is particularly poor, which surprised me. It's difficult if not impossible to reliably tap on small links. There's no visual indication of what you've tapped, or the indication is delayed, or that indication is completely hidden under your finger. Often you will tap on a link and a magnifier winder will pop up instead; I still haven't figured out how to trigger that. Taps may not register at all, and there's virtually no visual indication that the browser has begun loading a new page. It makes the browser seem fussy and unreliable, and consequently is not a joy to use. As a result, if I need to look something up then I'll grab my iPhone before I grab the Nexus. The browser is also missing some important iframe performance and usability improvements that appeared in iOS 5. It's hard to argue with the price, but if you already own an Android phone then I'm not sure why you'd buy this device. And if you want to see the best of what modern tablet software can offer, you won't find it on a 7" 16:9 screen.
- omaranto 14y ago
  The magnifier pops up only when you click on a spot that's very close to two links, you then disambiguate on the magnified links. It's perfect, I love it.
ralph 14y ago
Do people find it's happy with an ad hoc wifi hotspot, e.g. as set up in Ubuntu 12.04. http://www.howtogeek.com/116409/how-to-turn-your-ubuntu-laptop-into-a-wireless-access-point/ http://www.howtogeek.com/116409/how-to-turn-your-ubuntu-lapt... It doesn't work for me, the hotspot isn't listed on the Nexus among the many local networks, and without other wifi equipment I'm unsure where the fault may lie; so many possibilities.
- sogrady 14y ago
  i've had no issues with ad-hoc hotspots working off a Galaxy Nexus and a Xoom, FWIW.

47 points by sogrady 14y ago

The Nexus 7 is my first table and I'm still sitting on the fence about the whole experience. The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf, but there really are a lack of tablet specific Android apps. Some Android apps are also missing features present in their iOS counterparts. For example, the MLB app is very basic compared to the iOS version. I was hoping the 7 would be useful for reading PDFs, but it's merely passable when there's nothing better around. Android 4.1 is a pleasure to use and is snappy. The hardware is nice, but I had to call for a replacement since my screen started to peel off after about 10 days.

kevhsu 14y ago
try ezPDF. It's a paid app, but it kicks the living poop outta Adobe's Android app.
sogrady 14y ago
> The Nexus 7 is my first table and I'm still sitting on the fence about the whole experience. The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf, but there really are a lack of tablet specific Android apps. Some Android apps are also missing features present in their iOS counterparts. For example, the MLB app is very basic compared to the iOS version. I was hoping the 7 would be useful for reading PDFs, but it's merely passable when there's nothing better around. unlike when i bought my Xoom, i'm reasonably optimistic that we'll see tablet applications and updates arriving shortly. as chris dibona has said before, the attractiveness of the platform is basically a direct function of how many are sold. with initial sales at least perceived to be promising, i think we'll see more announcements like EA's in the days ahead: http://phandroid.com/2012/07/30/ea-updates-dead-space-with-nexus-7-support/ http://phandroid.com/2012/07/30/ea-updates-dead-space-with-n... and if i'm being honest, it was easier to take a flyer on a $250 device that may seem more applications coming than a > $500 alternative. > Android 4.1 is a pleasure to use and is snappy. The hardware is nice, but I had to call for a replacement since my screen started to peel off after about 10 days. this is the second time i've heard someone mention this, and depending on how widespread the problem is, it could certainly impact sales negatively. mine has had no such issues thus far, but i guess i'll see what happens in three days.
- adestefan 14y ago
  I had no idea it was an issue until I started to search around about how to send the device back. At first it was just the left side was a bit above the edging, but after another day it was so bad that when I push the left 1/4 of the device it discolors the screen. I thought it was just shoddy hardware so I was really thinking about returning it for a refund, but then I read the reports about it happening to other people. I called support and they said they're going to ship out a replacement.
- huggyface 14y ago
  The screen separation issue is a very widespread issue of the very first batch -- I got such an affected unit. It always seems to be the left or upper left, and clearly relates to the adhesive applicator. I have zero doubt that they've ironed out the issue, fixed the glue machine, and all is well now (it isn't a foundational or design problem. Simple manufacturing).
huggyface 14y ago
The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf I have to strongly disagree with all of the lauding about Chrome on Android. Chrome on Android was terrible on my Galaxy S2. Chrome on Android was terrible on my Galaxy S3. In both cases perhaps because Samsung heavily optimized the basic, unbranded browser (full hardware acceleration, etc), but also because Chrome has some bizarre rendering behaviors (for instance it separately sizes text on sites like HN or Reddit). So I got a Nexus 7. Pretty powerful device, and I was used to browsing full sites like The Verge and The Toronto Star with no issue. Load Chrome -- they removed the unbranded browser -- and it is atrocious. Huge, multisecond pauses on either of those sites (http://www.theverge.com http://www.theverge.com and http://www.thestar.com http://www.thestar.com - be sure to go to the full sites and not the gimped mobile version). Scrolling is a hilariously bad affair. Note these observations online and am given the standard "oh no must be your unit, etc. etc." Only my second Nexus 7 was just arriving (from Google Play, while the former came from Staples, fwtw) -- exactly the same behavior. I do not understand the expressions of love for Chrome on Android. Perhaps it's the chrome of the browser -- bookmark management, etc? I don't generally use that but instead simply punch in auto-completed URLs and browse sites, and there it is profoundly, catastrophically deficient.
- adestefan 14y ago
  Mainly because those websites run like trash even on my desktop.
  - huggyface 14y ago
    They run beautifully in Safari on the iPad. Indeed, they run quite well in Firefox (beta) on the Nexus 7. They ran quite well in the stock browser pre-JB. Those are only a couple of sample sites, but there is an endemic inefficiency of Chrome on Android that makes it unusable as a primary browser. Metacritic -- forget about it. I could go on and on. I have to think that people who like Chrome on Android must actually stay within the ghetto of mobile sites, where its inefficiency is less pronounced and things like the bookmark manager stand out more. The massive delays and largely non-functional scrolling on richer sites just makes it hard to believe that people are praising that browser.

antidoh 14y ago

>Q: How do you use the Nexus 7 differently than you used your Xoom? >A: Mostly, I use it more. It’s just small enough that it will fit in my shorts pocket (though admittedly sagging them to dangerously teenage levels), so if I’m walking over to lunch at the sushi bar, I’ll bring it. It’s replaced my Galaxy Nexus as the device I carry around the house or the property for browsing, Twitter and so on. And once I start traveling again, it will be making every trip, not just the long haul ones the Xoom was relegated to by the end. And it will replace my MBA for the short duration visits, an up and back to NYC, let’s say. In short, I think Tim is correct: the 7″ form factor is the correct one for personal use. My personal use, at least. Portablility might be its most compelling feature. The best computer is the one you have with you.

sogrady 14y ago
> The best computer is the one you have with you. best summary i've heard of the device's utility. the nexus 7 may well be the cameraphone of tablet devices.
- taligent 14y ago
  If you are sufficiently 'large' enough that it will fit in your pant's pocket of course. If you aren't then the existing combination of phone/tablet or phone/MBA still seems optimal.

wickedchicken 14y ago

> Twitter has yet to release a tablet specific Android application. Why would you use the official Twitter client on Android when the incomparable Twicca[1][2] is available? I'm not sure how well it works on a tablet but its UI is the best Twitter UI I've seen anywhere. This is especially refreshing given the significant disagreements I have with Twitter's designers on what makes a usable site. It also has quite a large number of official[3] and unofficial[4] plugins, my favorite being the Google+ cross-poster[5]. Note: the author's English is charmingly bizarre (it used to say "retweeted by 1 people" and "retweeted by 2 peoples"), so "twicca is lightweight but it is not cheap" means it's not "cheap" on features. It is a free application. [1] http://twicca.r246.jp/ http://twicca.r246.jp/ [2] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.r246.twicca&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.r246.twicca... [3] https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Tetsuya+Aoyama https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Tetsuya+Aoya... [4] https://play.google.com/store/search?q=twicca+plugin&c=apps https://play.google.com/store/search?q=twicca+plugin&c=a... [5] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zakky.twicca.plus https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.zakky.twic...

sogrady 14y ago
[i'm the author] i'll check out Twicca, but the primary reason i use the official client over nice alternatives like Tweet Lanes [1] is the integration with Android itself, i.e. notifications, and so on. they just keep sucking me back in. but i'm more than willing to give it a shot. [1] link to the .apk: https://t.co/rkE4sw0j https://t.co/rkE4sw0j
- ConstantineXVI 14y ago
  I decided to just live without Twitter notifications. Not really missing them. You can wire up ifttt to notify you via Google Talk on @s also.
  - sogrady 14y ago
    that was actually one of the things i didn't like about the tablet, now that you mention it: Google Talk got turned on by default. probably just a personal preference, but i really don't want to receive IMs on a tablet. but if you do, then you're right: the Ifttt recipe is your solution.

darklajid 14y ago

My brother and I imported one each from the UK. After 4 days of use I am very, very happy with the hardware (display, sound, weight), but still have to get used to the software (changes in 4.x seem to confuse me, my phone still doesn't offer it. Sidenote: Never ever buy a phone from LG if you can avoid it). Especially Google Now, while certainly interesting, seems to be useless to me so far (or I just don't get it?). Even after this short time I'm confident that I'll bring this thing with me wherever I go and it already feels _wrong_ to look at the phone display again. Do yourself a favor though and install Firefox Beta. Give it a shot against Chrome - for me the experience is so much better that I'd wish for a way to uninstall Chrome.

sogrady 14y ago
> Especially Google Now, while certainly interesting, seems to be useless to me so far (or I just don't get it?). this is interesting, because for my usage, Google Now was one of the most useful additions in Jelly Bean. i use it all the time, and love the notifications about nearby public transit, time and distance notifications for appointments from my calendar and so on. it's pretty basic at present, but it's already useful for me day to day and if they were to open the API could be dramatically more so. > Do yourself a favor though and install Firefox Beta. Give it a shot against Chrome - for me the experience is so much better that I'd wish for a way to uninstall Chrome. several people have said this as well, so i will definitely be giving it a shot.
- Roritharr 14y ago
  I guess you are living in one of the rare places on earth where google maps works for public transit. It's sometimes really frustrating to use technology in a place that is not the San Francisco...
  - ry0ohki 14y ago
    Works fine in the megalopolis that is Pittsburgh
  - weenis 14y ago

TheBoff 14y ago

I don't know why he mentions recommending to pure apple households. Surely if every computer (/phone/tablet) in your house is made by apple, you don't really care what anybody says about the competition.

tvon 14y ago
Why not?
glhaynes 14y ago
Or they evaluated the competition and decided that, for right now, especially in the context of the other devices they already own from Apple (which tend to work well together), those purchases were likely the best for them.
gordeh 14y ago
I don't know, the nexus is attracting a lot of apple users. I for one have only got apple devices in the house. The nexus 7 is the sole exception to this.
loeschg 14y ago
Q: So would you recommend the Nexus 7 overall? A: For straight Apple households, probably not. Haha, I'd say I'm in a pure Apple household (though I run a personal Ubuntu server... perhaps I'm disqualified). I'm still considering the Nexus 7 even with the iPad "mini" on the horizon. I think there's something to be said from having familiarity with the different devices/eco-systems (especially as a developer). The reviews are also hard to ignore.
- TheBoff 14y ago
  Fair enough then, I've got the wrong end of the stick. I must admit, I didn't really think pure apple households were at all common.
  - sogrady 14y ago
    what i meant by "pure" Apple households was those that are not only running Macs, but things like Apple TV, AirPlay etc. if you've heavily invested in Apple media, the benefits to an Apple device would probably outweigh any individual feature wins of the Nexus 7. if you're more of a casual Apple household, meaning just hardware and no media, the Nexus 7 is likely a fine choice.

dysoco 14y ago

Does it really fit in your pocket ?

darklajid 14y ago
I'm mostly wearing cargo pants (or whatever you call these things with pockets on your legs as well). It fits in one of those easily enough. You don't that I carry it, it's about the same weight as my (too stuffed) purse on the other side and barely noticeable.
gordeh 14y ago
Yes, well the back pocket of my jeans.
adestefan 14y ago
Does it fit? Yes. Would I walk around with one in my pocket? Nope.
sogrady 14y ago
it will fit in the front pocket of my jeans, a pair of adidas shorts and another set of khaki shorts. the fit is tight, however, meaning that while i'm fine walking to a coffee shop with them in there, i'm not walking around all day or going for a hike with them pocketed.

thought_alarm 14y ago

I haven't been terribly impressed with the Nexus 7, and it certainly hasn't changed my opinion of the 7" form factor. To get an idea of the size of this thing, hold your iPad in portrait orientation and then cover the top 55% of the screen. There's your Nexus. It's tiny. One problem with this 7" form factor is that the portrait orientation isn't wide enough to display most regular web pages without having to zoom in and scroll around; it's just like browsing on your smartphone. I'm also struggling to find any software that wouldn't look and work in exactly the same way on a regular sized smartphone. It makes for a better e-book reader than a regular smartphone, but that's just about it. There are some good things. This device exists almost solely to tie you into Google's on-line services, so if you're a Google user then the integration with their services is slick in a lot of places. But I'm mostly interested in the quality of the software, and unfortunately it isn't that great, at least when compared to iOS. The browser is particularly poor, which surprised me. It's difficult if not impossible to reliably tap on small links. There's no visual indication of what you've tapped, or the indication is delayed, or that indication is completely hidden under your finger. Often you will tap on a link and a magnifier winder will pop up instead; I still haven't figured out how to trigger that. Taps may not register at all, and there's virtually no visual indication that the browser has begun loading a new page. It makes the browser seem fussy and unreliable, and consequently is not a joy to use. As a result, if I need to look something up then I'll grab my iPhone before I grab the Nexus. The browser is also missing some important iframe performance and usability improvements that appeared in iOS 5. It's hard to argue with the price, but if you already own an Android phone then I'm not sure why you'd buy this device. And if you want to see the best of what modern tablet software can offer, you won't find it on a 7" 16:9 screen.

omaranto 14y ago
The magnifier pops up only when you click on a spot that's very close to two links, you then disambiguate on the magnified links. It's perfect, I love it.

ralph 14y ago

Do people find it's happy with an ad hoc wifi hotspot, e.g. as set up in Ubuntu 12.04. http://www.howtogeek.com/116409/how-to-turn-your-ubuntu-laptop-into-a-wireless-access-point/ http://www.howtogeek.com/116409/how-to-turn-your-ubuntu-lapt... It doesn't work for me, the hotspot isn't listed on the Nexus among the many local networks, and without other wifi equipment I'm unsure where the fault may lie; so many possibilities.

sogrady 14y ago
i've had no issues with ad-hoc hotspots working off a Galaxy Nexus and a Xoom, FWIW.