Google Nexus 7: Quadcore Tegra, Android 4.1, 7'' IPS, HSPA+ $249/$299/$349

[bueller]

Originally Posted by DarkStyle

The above statement is an opinion formed according to your use of the product. You do not need to resort to an opinion based on its specifications about why you like it or prefer it over another comparable product but you should recognise your opinion is shaped by the positive experiences you've had e.g. you like the product because it suits your needs. You don't need to go into any greater detail then that.

Use of this product and like 5 other tablets at work and home in the last two years. And I only stated my preference regarding the specifications because this has been the first tablet to bring a decent set of hardware to the table at an affordable price. Prior to that I had no interest in owning a tablet but as soon as I saw the announcement with specs and price Google had my money. Once I actually used it for a while I new I made the right choice.

Originally Posted by DarkStyle

How about some constructive comments, with quality information, based on information about the products being compared, instead of this obtrusive, idiotic comparison of apples to oranges? I know I wouldn't choose to compare products on the basis of their specifications but on the basis of my needs (usually wants in this case )

Well if you want some comparisons based on experience and not specifications I can give you a basic rundown of some of the tablets I've used over the last couple of years...

iPad 3rd Gen
PROS: Good screen, battery life
CONS: iTunes, Price, owning another Apple device (I hate my iPhone)

Samsung Galaxy Tab
PROS: AMOLED Screen, expandable storage
CONS: Android Honeycomb sucks compared to Jellybean

Asus Transformer
PROS: Dock for additional battery life and keyboard
CONS: Price, Older version of Android

And I know that the list might seem somewhat centred around specs but those are pretty much the things that stood out while using the various tablets. And when you consider a lot of people are going to be comparing various Android tablets there's not a lot left to compare other than specs because the user experience is so similar moving between devices.

[DarkStyle]

Originally Posted by laidlow

Use of this product and like 5 other tablets at work and home in the last two years. And I only stated my preference regarding the specifications because this has been the first tablet to bring a decent set of hardware to the table at an affordable price. Prior to that I had no interest in owning a tablet but as soon as I saw the announcement with specs and price Google had my money. Once I actually used it for a while I knew I made the right choice.

I'd suggest its been the first tablet to bring decent specifications at an affordable price from a reputable company. I was in a position a little over 6 months ago having spent big on an Acer Iconia A500. After tooling around in JB Hi-Fi, I made my purchase based almost entirely on wants. Acer had a smaller form factor tablet (Acer A100). The form factor provided a new dimension of mobile computing for me and I really regretted not making the smaller (and significantly cheaper) purchase. The biggest plus was its ability to fit in most of my pockets.

After some searching around on Ebay, I found Ainol Novo 7 Paladin for $104.50 plus postage from a domestic seller. I knew I was on the right path with the price / form factor but unfortunately, I knew very little about the criteria for selecting a tablet. The resolution on it was terrible and even the menu screens looked very pixelated. However, the brand was solid and I soon realised that I had opted for too cheap. Recent products in their range include:

- Elf II, Dual-Core 1.5ghz A9 Processor, Quad-Core Malli 400 GPU, 1gb DDR3, 16gb Storage, 1024x600 5 point Multi-touch 7" Screen, HDMI / Wifi / Micro USB. Price - $139
- Aurora II, Dual-Core 1.5ghz A9 Processor, Quad-Core Malli 400 GPU, 1gb DDR3, 16gb Storage, 1024x600 IPS 7" LG Screen, HDMI / Wifi / Micro USB. Price - $142
- Flame, Dual-Core 1.5ghz AMLogic AML8726-MX Processor, Quad-Core Malli 400 GPU, 1gb DDR3, 16gb Storage, 1240x800 IPS 7" LG Screen, HDMI / Wifi / Micro USB. Price - $179

In terms of comparable specifications, I'd probably only opt to compare the Flame to the Google Nexus just on the basis of its higher screen resolution. I am waiting to receive an Aurora II before making a decision to purchase a Flame. I was interested in purchasing a Nexus but the lack of expandable storage and almost double the price tag of the Aurora II made my mind up for me. I cannot wait to receive it and do a write up as I will probably follow up the purchase with a Flame.

The above example just serves to demonstrate another factor that shapes a purchase and that is market awareness. I hadn't heard of Ainol until recently and thought $400 dollars was the lowest you could go on Android Tablets in terms of pricing.

Originally Posted by laidlow

Well if you want some comparisons based on experience and not specifications I can give you a basic rundown of some of the tablets I've used over the last couple of years...

iPad 2nd Gen
PROS: Good screen, battery life
CONS: iTunes, Price, owning another Apple device (I hate my iPhone)

Samsung Galaxy Tab
PROS: AMOLED Screen, expandable storage
CONS: Android Honeycomb sucks compared to Jellybean

Asus Transformer
PROS: Dock for additional battery life and keyboard
CONS: Price, Older version of Android

iPad3 isn't out yet, I assume you're talking about the V2?

I've used the models above in passing and found that Samsung's implementation of Honeycomb was far superior to comparable fare at the time of release. I do not know if its the hardware or if the software was tweaked specifically for their units but the implementation of Honeycomb was smoother than a baby's ass. In not being able to implement features from ICS or JB it does seriously limit the units ability to move units but almost 2 years on, they are still selling.

While I dislike Apple as an entity, again, they have a quality product. While I cannot speak personally to extensive use of an iPad2, I can state that one of the primary reasons for resorting to an android platform is largely the ability to install software of my choosing without oversight from the company I bought it from. The ability to change or update the operating system without jail-breaking the unit (and voiding the warranty) is also a plus. Many of the cons for me about the iPad are based on software and not hardware which is unfortunate.

The problem with Asus is they have opted for a positioning strategy with their products. They tend to be high end, have a high price tag with the only offset being brand recognition from other consumers. Because of the nature of the Android Tablet industry at the moment, you can easily find comparable specifications from a variety of manufacturers. I think while this strategy has worked for them in the past, the Google Nexus would probably be stealing a huge market share because of its comparable specifications and quarter-the-cost price tag.

Originally Posted by laidlow

And I know that the list might seem somewhat centred around specs but those are pretty much the things that stood out while using the various tablets. And when you consider a lot of people are going to be comparing various Android tablets there's not a lot left to compare other than specs because the user experience is so similar moving between devices.

I'm suggesting that as the ability to innovate between competitors shrinks (reduced largely to the criteria listed above), we're going to start seeing more of the same at greatly reduced pricing. The price of the unit will play a bigger part in the decision, especially with a company like Google offering a range of qualities only seen from high end products. The fact that they can generate sales based on their brand recognition as well is going to help immensely.

We've definitely entered the time of plenty

[Zee]

Originally Posted by DarkStyle

...


iPad3 isn't out yet, I assume you're talking about the V2?...

Which desert island have you been stranded on for the last 3 or 4 months?

Apple just call it the "New" iPad...

Z...

[2SHY]

Originally Posted by Zee

Which desert island have you been stranded on for th elast 3 or 4 months?

Apple just call it the "New" iPad...

Z...

They dropped the naming scheme that mentions the version numbers. Not necessary anyway.

[Zee]

Originally Posted by 2SHY

They dropped the naming scheme that mentions the version numbers. Not necessary anyway.

Exactly - and seeing as Laidlow is referring to the screen being a pro - I would suspect he is, indeed, talking about the gen3 iPad - pretty much the best screen out there, from what I hear (pixel density wise, at least).

Z...

[vindicator]

Originally Posted by Zee

Exactly - and seeing as Laidlow is referring to the screen being a pro - I would suspect he is, indeed, talking about the gen3 iPad - pretty much the best screen out there, from what I hear (pixel density wise, at least).

Z...

It's really incredible.

Load up some photos in iPhoto.

The clarity, detail and colour rendition is just amazing.

Think about the first time you saw a HD TV - Same feeling.

My Nexus 7 has a nice enough screen for the price, but it's absolutely no competition for the iPad.

[DarkStyle]

Originally Posted by Zee

Which desert island have you been stranded on for the last 3 or 4 months?

Apple just call it the "New" iPad...

Z...

I don't pay too much attention to Apple products. Just checking on the v3's resolution, 2048x1536 is an amazing resolution but again, you get what you pay for

Originally Posted by Zee

Exactly - and seeing as Laidlow is referring to the screen being a pro - I would suspect he is, indeed, talking about the gen3 iPad - pretty much the best screen out there, from what I hear (pixel density wise, at least).

Z...

Seems like it edged out the Transformer Infinity on release. Interesting times...=D

[Zee]

Originally Posted by vindicator

It's really incredible.

Load up some photos in iPhoto.

The clarity, detail and colour rendition is just amazing.

Think about the first time you saw a HD TV - Same feeling.

My Nexus 7 has a nice enough screen for the price, but it's absolutely no competition for the iPad.

Originally Posted by DarkStyle

I don't pay too much attention to Apple products. Just checking on the v3's resolution, 2048x1536 is an amazing resolution but again, you get what you pay for


Seems like it edged out the Transformer Infinity on release. Interesting times...=D

I was quite impressed when I saw it, looking forward to seeing them get even better...

Z...

[PooJou]

Originally Posted by vindicator

It's really incredible.

Load up some photos in iPhoto.

The clarity, detail and colour rendition is just amazing.

Think about the first time you saw a HD TV - Same feeling.

My Nexus 7 has a nice enough screen for the price, but it's absolutely no competition for the iPad.

And nor is it a competitor to a 10" 'full house' slate.

It however, has eaten into the amount of time I spend on my phone, reducing it to a glorified hotspot when out and about at work and in transit.

Seeing people trying to jockey a 10" tablet around on the train is just painful

[DeNs]

Originally Posted by PooJou

It however, has eaten into the amount of time I spend on my phone, reducing it to a glorified hotspot when out and about at work and in transit.

Seeing people trying to jockey a 10" tablet around on the train is just painful

Mine too.. especially with Tablet Talk being incredibly useful and further reducing my need to pull my phone out to respond to SMS's and screen incoming calls.

I was getting super mega battery drain when using WiFi hotspot on my phone (Galaxy S running ICS) but since starting to use Bluetooth tethering it appears to be drastically reduced compared to how it was. I always have bluetooth pairing with my phone for TabletTalk anyway so it's just one less extra battery drain not needing to use WiFi hotspot tethering for internets.

---dens

[Zee]

Originally Posted by PooJou

And nor is it a competitor to a 10" 'full house' slate.

It however, has eaten into the amount of time I spend on my phone, reducing it to a glorified hotspot when out and about at work and in transit.

Seeing people trying to jockey a 10" tablet around on the train is just painful

I noticed this yesterday when I borrowed an iPad from my GF's sister to use as a map around Bagiuo - felt kind of unwieldy size wise, though 7"-8" would have been perfect.

7" is also a nice fit for the pockets in my cargos.

Z...

[anthony256]

Anyone with these in stock for <$350 for the 16GB version?

[ejoos]

Originally Posted by anthony256

Anyone with these in stock for <$350 for the 16GB version?

just saw it at melbourne qv officeworks for $317 in stock...

[anthony256]

Originally Posted by ejoos

just saw it at melbourne qv officeworks for $317 in stock...

A retailer that can ship to Adelaide? I just checked Officeworks' website, and it says "out of stock", so I'm guessing their warehouses have no stock, but that particular store has stock.

:cries:

[Lardman]

Mate of mine uses one as a maps GPS - got most of the ACT region on google maps saved, it pings up pretty quickly and doesn't need data.