LIVING WITH THE NEXUS 7
So it has been a few months since I became the proud owner of a Nexus 7 and I feel it is time to share that experience with whoever cares to listen (or more likely read given this is a blog and not a radio show).
The relationship between myself and the Nexus got off to a good start, partly due to the warm feeling that a full function tablet that is arguably equal to more expensive options gives you. Add to that the store credit for Google play and your adventures get off to good start. I am also an owner of an HTC One X and although capable and satisfactory for reading e-books it is on the small side. In this regard the Nexus format is perfect being pretty much the size of your average paperback. Yes the Google bookstore might not be Amazon but there is always something there to read and for people like me who are still reading star wars books you are well serviced. Recently Google launched the magazine store too and that is simply awesome. I think magazines are curiously expensive, especially given the number of adverts that appear within them. Well not on Google play. WIRED, BIKE, DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY have been subscribed too so far and with subs in the $20 / year / mag you could get the price of the tablet back in your pocket in no time.
Some would argue that the lack of 3G or similar connectivity is an issue but I have to beg to differ. Actually no I take that back, I am not begging I am just differing and screw those who disagree. I have frequently found myself without wireless and simply move to tethering to my phone. Not much more to say on that, problem solved.
The subject of connection leads somewhat conveniently to browsers. The tablet ships with Chrome and for the most part I am happy to use the Google standard. However, Chrome can be weird at times with certain websites, I don't know why, and it is worth downloading another browser just in case. I generally default to Dolphin which seems to be more consistent. Flash gets poor support from android based devices nowadays which can be a pain but there are solutions out there for the persistent. I haven't bothered myself and I expect flash will start to disappear as HTML 5 gains momentum anyway.
Other apps I can recommend are QuickOffice, Wordpress, ES File Explorer and Dice Player. With these you will be well equipped for blogging, simple document editing and media playing on the road. The Dice player seems to offer the widest range of compatibility for video files so that is now my player of choice. ES file explorer has become the defacto standard for file management and will connect to pretty much anything whether that be your home LAN, NAS or cloud storage like Dropbox. Which leads me to the storage limitations of the tablet. Some say that it would be better if it offered expandable memory. Perhaps, but I have pretty much given myself up to drop box for convenient storage and movement of files between devices. With no cost to me I already have 26GB avail on Dropbox. The bulk of that came with m y HTC One X but look around and you can usually find a way to receive more free space from them.
With every tablet you open yourself up to a myriad of accessories. I was to travel fairly soon after my purchase and the need therefore arose for a case. I still think it sucks that they don't sell even the most basic protective sleeve with these things. Nexus 7 specific devices were not readily available at the time so I opted for compatible cases marketed for other 7" devices e.g. Kindle Fire or Blackberry Playbook. First off was a fairly clunky case by Targus. It worked, it offered protection but I can't say that it was too elegant and as it did not actually attach to the tablet you always have to find somewhere to put the damn thing when the tablet is in use. So not great but definitely functional and offers a lot of protection for a soft case.
I have since got hold of a Nexus 7 Case by Tuff-Luv. Again marketed for something other than the Nexus (Kindle Fire) it still works well and offers a feeling of high quality in your hand. It is a definite improvement over the Targus and needless to say the Targus likely has eBay in it's future, or perhaps craigslist to avoid eBay charges. Anyway i digress, back to some Tuff-Luv. The case not being designed specifically for the Nexus results in issues with access to the IO points on the tablet - headphone and volume/power buttons. The anchor straps cover the IO jacks which is annoying but rotating the tablet and only using three of the straps gives an acceptable solution for the frequently accessed power and volume buttons. Headphones I have found requires dropping to only two straps which if you are on the move will present some risk of the tablet falling out. If they bring out a Nexus specific version I am sure these minor issues will be resolved. The case also includes a loop for holding a stylus which I think would be a good accessory for the tablet. On the back there is a hand strap which I found gimmicky at first but it is actually quite good when walking around and can of course be used to hold other things like your phone when tethering. So all in all if you struggle to find Nexus specific cases check out the Tuff-Luv.
I am writing this post on a flight which forces me to use the onscreen keyboard instead of the Logitech Bluetooth keyboard I purchased. For real work on documents and even ease of use when not on the move I would recommend getting a good quality full size keyboard. This will transform your Nexus into a very capable laptop. The Logitech comes in an android specific version so you get the three navigation buttons on the keyboard. When connected the tablet will default to full screen editing all the time and not present the onscreen keyboard. The case for the keyboard also serves as a stand and I have found it a great solution when on the road.
So in summary I have no regrets with my purchase of the Nexus, go get one.
The relationship between myself and the Nexus got off to a good start, partly due to the warm feeling that a full function tablet that is arguably equal to more expensive options gives you. Add to that the store credit for Google play and your adventures get off to good start. I am also an owner of an HTC One X and although capable and satisfactory for reading e-books it is on the small side. In this regard the Nexus format is perfect being pretty much the size of your average paperback. Yes the Google bookstore might not be Amazon but there is always something there to read and for people like me who are still reading star wars books you are well serviced. Recently Google launched the magazine store too and that is simply awesome. I think magazines are curiously expensive, especially given the number of adverts that appear within them. Well not on Google play. WIRED, BIKE, DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY have been subscribed too so far and with subs in the $20 / year / mag you could get the price of the tablet back in your pocket in no time.
Some would argue that the lack of 3G or similar connectivity is an issue but I have to beg to differ. Actually no I take that back, I am not begging I am just differing and screw those who disagree. I have frequently found myself without wireless and simply move to tethering to my phone. Not much more to say on that, problem solved.
The subject of connection leads somewhat conveniently to browsers. The tablet ships with Chrome and for the most part I am happy to use the Google standard. However, Chrome can be weird at times with certain websites, I don't know why, and it is worth downloading another browser just in case. I generally default to Dolphin which seems to be more consistent. Flash gets poor support from android based devices nowadays which can be a pain but there are solutions out there for the persistent. I haven't bothered myself and I expect flash will start to disappear as HTML 5 gains momentum anyway.
Other apps I can recommend are QuickOffice, Wordpress, ES File Explorer and Dice Player. With these you will be well equipped for blogging, simple document editing and media playing on the road. The Dice player seems to offer the widest range of compatibility for video files so that is now my player of choice. ES file explorer has become the defacto standard for file management and will connect to pretty much anything whether that be your home LAN, NAS or cloud storage like Dropbox. Which leads me to the storage limitations of the tablet. Some say that it would be better if it offered expandable memory. Perhaps, but I have pretty much given myself up to drop box for convenient storage and movement of files between devices. With no cost to me I already have 26GB avail on Dropbox. The bulk of that came with m y HTC One X but look around and you can usually find a way to receive more free space from them.
With every tablet you open yourself up to a myriad of accessories. I was to travel fairly soon after my purchase and the need therefore arose for a case. I still think it sucks that they don't sell even the most basic protective sleeve with these things. Nexus 7 specific devices were not readily available at the time so I opted for compatible cases marketed for other 7" devices e.g. Kindle Fire or Blackberry Playbook. First off was a fairly clunky case by Targus. It worked, it offered protection but I can't say that it was too elegant and as it did not actually attach to the tablet you always have to find somewhere to put the damn thing when the tablet is in use. So not great but definitely functional and offers a lot of protection for a soft case.
I have since got hold of a Nexus 7 Case by Tuff-Luv. Again marketed for something other than the Nexus (Kindle Fire) it still works well and offers a feeling of high quality in your hand. It is a definite improvement over the Targus and needless to say the Targus likely has eBay in it's future, or perhaps craigslist to avoid eBay charges. Anyway i digress, back to some Tuff-Luv. The case not being designed specifically for the Nexus results in issues with access to the IO points on the tablet - headphone and volume/power buttons. The anchor straps cover the IO jacks which is annoying but rotating the tablet and only using three of the straps gives an acceptable solution for the frequently accessed power and volume buttons. Headphones I have found requires dropping to only two straps which if you are on the move will present some risk of the tablet falling out. If they bring out a Nexus specific version I am sure these minor issues will be resolved. The case also includes a loop for holding a stylus which I think would be a good accessory for the tablet. On the back there is a hand strap which I found gimmicky at first but it is actually quite good when walking around and can of course be used to hold other things like your phone when tethering. So all in all if you struggle to find Nexus specific cases check out the Tuff-Luv.
I am writing this post on a flight which forces me to use the onscreen keyboard instead of the Logitech Bluetooth keyboard I purchased. For real work on documents and even ease of use when not on the move I would recommend getting a good quality full size keyboard. This will transform your Nexus into a very capable laptop. The Logitech comes in an android specific version so you get the three navigation buttons on the keyboard. When connected the tablet will default to full screen editing all the time and not present the onscreen keyboard. The case for the keyboard also serves as a stand and I have found it a great solution when on the road.
So in summary I have no regrets with my purchase of the Nexus, go get one.