My Nexus 7 - Absolutely Loving It.
So after several years of toying with the idea, an opportunity struck and I took the plunge and acquired a Nexus 7 for myself. Let us say it was a Christmas gift to myself. After all, one never gets what they wish for at Christmas, so I decided not to disappointment myself and get something I really wanted. As mentioned earlier, I said I had been toying with an idea. the original plan was to save up for an iPad. The more I looked into the possibilities of getting an iPad, the more I said to myself that if I do get one, several reasons would make that iPad experience for me a negative one. For starters, the price. My Apple Macbook Pro cost me an arm and a leg. I have no regrets at all, and I am loving every minute I work on it. However, how many Apple products can one keep on buying at their current prices in one year...or even two years? Also, there is this ever rapid "turn around" regarding the frequency Apple releases new products. At such high prices, my logic [key word here is 'my'] says that the products should take a good trip 'round the circuit' over several years before an update is released. Fancy spending all that money on an iPad, only to realise that it is going to be upgraded the next year; and the difference? ...well something that they could have probably incorporated in the original product anyway. Of course, it is all a ploy to rope the consumer into buying.
So, I finally settled for the Nexus 7. To be honest, I wasn't too sure on what I was going to expect. I had done the normal research on the internet via Youtube Videos, but you were obviously not getting that 'hands on' experience. I went into several Mobile phone shops asking if they had any Nexus 7 tablets in stock, and if they did whether I could have a demonstration. Unfortunately, non of the shops that I visited could satisfy my curiosity. Mind you, there was an abundant display of Apple iPads.
My Nexus 7 arrived in the morning via courier. I immediately settled myself in my study and started exploring my new device. First impressions.....I was completely blown away. By the way, the device I got was a 32GB one.
I have no Youtube video offering you my unboxing and usage experience. If you need one, there are several good ones you can easily get access to on Youtube. The official Google Nexus 7 Fact page can be found here.
I am going to review my Nexus 7 under the following headings 1. Form Factor 2. Applications/Games 3. Usability
Form factor: This device is a joy to work with. As you will probably know, it fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. And if you decide to use both hands, i.e watching a film, it works beautifully in both hands. It is light, manageable and fits into and decent size bag you might be using. You can also get an assortment of cases/cover cases for it. I believe there is no need to go extravagant on these accessories as it does not add experience to ones usage of the device.
Applications/Games: If you have an iPhone and are worried that the apps that you have on the phone are not available in the Google Apps Store, the you are wrong. Even if you cannot find the exact App, you will certainly find one that does a similar function. This applies to those of you who have wisely moved from the iPad to the Nexus 7 [I say this with a smile]. I have read on several websites that this tablet is a true gaming tablet because of the Tegra 3 chip. I do not play videos games that much however I have purchased some good ones off the Google Pay store and can confirm that the experience is very good. To assist you get your bearings on the Nexus 7 and advice on which apps you should install, have a look at Google+'s Nexus 7 Community - you will not be disappointed. Whatever questions you have regarding the Nexus 7, ask it and someone will certainly attempt to provide you with the right answer.
Usability: I cannot fault this tablet. So far I have been able to perform and interact with this tablet without any issues.
So, for the time being, this is my review of my Nexus 7. More reviews will follow in the coming weeks. I have recently purchased an adapter which will enable me to access a USB drive. I think the technical reference to them is USB On-The-Go
And finally, yes, you do need a case for your Nexus 7. It would be suicide not to get one. Start off with a reasonable cheap one, and then after carefully researching, select one which fits your 'pocket'. The problem I have found is that all the good manufacturers of the Nexus 7 cases are based in the USA. Hence ordering from theses sites into the UK attracts an extra fee when the item arrives in the UK. I quite fancy a case from this site - Treegloo
