Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 am Posts: 6465 Location: The Lab
And they announced that they are adding TV, Magazines and Movies to Google Play, and including a $90 gift card good for $25 of credit for purchases in the Play store.
Last edited by Midgen on Wed Jun 27, 2012 2:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Haven't had time to work up a real review, but here are a few thoughts I voiced to a co-worker this morning over Skype (hence the staccato format):
I had convinced myself Friday night that I WASN'T going to buy one...so of course, literally the first thing I do upon waking up is roll over and grab the phone and call Office Depot to see if they have them in stock. Then scramble to get a shower and drive over there ASAP, lest they sell out. I have a problem. #sobs
It came with a $25 Google Play credit, which was nice...and a free copy of 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,' which...wasn't.
It's actually a very nice little tablet. It's widescreen, though, which means typing horizontally is pretty much completely out of the question, particularly with the bulky Android keyboard. Still, I love the size and weight, and the backing is something I wish that Apple would adopt. It's this lovely, high-quality leathery rubber. So nice. It would be pretty near perfect if it were 4x3 instead of widescreen (seriously, why do people insist on making widescreen tablets?
Still runs Android though, which they are making strides to beautify, but Google has yet to come up with a solid, overriding aesthetic for it, which still makes it feel kinda cheap and thrown-together.
But I will say that it runs Android better than any other Android device I've ever used. It runs smoothly, gets warm over the battery but nothing intense, and has a very nice screen, far better than the Fire's. It's not a Retina screen, but it'll do, pig.
It's still got the lack of A-list content that plagues the Android OS as a whole, but that's a developer problem, not an OS or device one.
I think it's killed the Kindle Fire outright...unless Amazon seriously brings the funk with the Fire 2. Right now, there's no need to own a Fire (unless you make heavy tablet-use of Amazon VOD).
Oh! And I did not realize it until I got this N7...but with the release of Android 4.0, Android has dropped all support for Flash (which was always its Big!Selling!Point!). Which unfortunately means that the Nexus 7 won't work with Amazon Prime videos (or Amazon VOD at all). Over which I'm sure Amazon is crying themselves to sleep right now.
Bottom line: if you're an Android fan, this is the tablet to get. And it's good enough to probably make some converts. The general UI fussiness and lack of A-list content keeps me from loving it entirely, but those are basic Android issues. The hardware itself is solid and beautiful.
I did notice that the Fire's latest system update seemed to really (finally) give it a burst of much-needed speed (at least flipping through the UI, browsing, etc.), but yeah. This is what it should have been from day one.
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 am Posts: 6465 Location: The Lab
My Galaxy Nexus auto updated to Jelly Bean a few days ago, and even as smooth and fast as that device was, the new OS really polished it up. It makes a big difference in 'feel' of the thing.
The N7 benefits from JB's OS enhancements as well. That combined with the exceptional hardware makes it an excellent tablet.
I'm not sure it beats my T-Prime for functionality (docking keyboard/battery, etc...), but the smaller form factor makes it a lot easier to take with you (almost) everywhere. Mine goes with me to lunch every day, whereas I rarely take my T-Prime, which is more suited to longer time away, out of the bag any more.
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 am Posts: 6465 Location: The Lab
Also, I noticed this N7 has four pogo pins, which bodes well for full featured docking accessories, but I have yet to see any for sale anywhere, including the devices page at the play store.
Here is an article suggesting that ASUS is going to have an audio dock available for the N7 later this year.
I did notice that the Fire's latest system update seemed to really (finally) give it a burst of much-needed speed (at least flipping through the UI, browsing, etc.), but yeah. This is what it should have been from day one.
What I dislike mainly about my fire is how hard it is to get rid of the utterly awful Amazon version of android. I'm not a root novice, but for some reason, I can't get it to work properly and had to return it to default.
I could try it again, but its pretty tedious, and I'm not sure its worth it really.
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 am Posts: 6465 Location: The Lab
I've had (access to) dozens of Android devices.
The rooting experience can vary greatly depending on many factors.
I've finally settled on a pair of devices (Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7) that I have no desire whatsoever to root. They do everything I could want them to do right out of the box.
My Transformer Prime was the same. The installed firmware was as good as or better than the custom stuff that is/was available, and I really had no reason to risk rooting it.
The last device I spent any amount of energy on rooting was the original Vibrant. It was a fairly easy process and the phone performed much better with the custom firmwares.
For some reason my KF isn't being recognized. /sigh. ADB remains persistently offline. I remember the last time I did this, there were burritos and shells and whatnot involved. Was a real PITA.
I'll twiddle with it some more.
Bleh. Got it to recognize, permarooting now.
And, after a couple of tense moments where I thought I bricked it, restoring it and reinstalling the rom... I think I have JB running on it.
And irony... the Kindle reader app doesn't want to install... /sigh
And after "factory resetting" through TWRP, I have it up and running like a real tablet.
I maintain that it was a pain int he *** though hehe
Spoiler:
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_________________ Holy shitsnacks!
Last edited by Müs on Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 am Posts: 6465 Location: The Lab
Man, I forgot how painful browsing XDA developers is. I was helping friend look for a ROM for his HTC One S. The answer is, there probably is one, but wading through the XDA forums for that phone trying to make sense of it... blegh..
I did stroll over to the Nexus 7 forums there and found a thread on "Nexus 7 Gaming".... thought it might serve to get this thread back on topic...
Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2009 9:09 pm Posts: 614 Location: Salem, MA
It's a shame they ruined it with such a low max storage and no expandable storage, it would be a great replacement for my aging Galaxy Tab (the original 7" one) but no way I can live with only 16gb of storage as on my phone I only have 9gb free out of it's 48Gb. It's actually my one big complaint with Android devices, most manufacturers don't seem to get that this is 2012, 8-16gb was appropriate in 2009 maybe, but not now, especially with a lot of them ditching expandable storage on top of it. They really need to follow Apple's lead there and offer 64gb models, or heck even 128gb, I know I could see myself filling a 64gb, only reason my phone isn't filled is I have some larger apps that aren't on it and I took off the movies I had because I was getting pretty close to the 48gb mark.
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 am Posts: 6465 Location: The Lab
I had the same complaint several devices ago.
Then I realized that while I had a lot of local stuff stored, I never actually used any of it (now that my music is in the cloud).
My only minor laments about the N7 is that I can't seem to find a case I like for it, and that I wish there was an option for an HSPA+ or LTE version, although I can live with it tethering off of my phone for now.
Last edited by Midgen on Tue Jul 31, 2012 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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