Disclaimer: I am an Apple fanboy who has owned every iPhone and iPad since their release.
Ok, so now that I have that out of the way, we can get on to the juicy stuff. I have been growing tired of the iOS devices and have been looking for an alternative to freshen things up. When I heard about the nexus 7, I thought I would try it and if I really liked it, I would pick up the Galaxy Nexus for $350 which is a great price. My thought was I could sell my iPad 3 and buy both these Google devices with the money I receive.
Before I completely took the plunge, I found a Nexus 7 at Sams club on the release date and figured I could test it out for awhile before I made my final decision.
My first impression was WOW, I love this thing. The hardware and software out of the box seemed very smooth and intuitive unlike Android the last time I tried it (the original Verizon Droid). I immediately thought that the 7inch form factor was leaps and bounds better than the iPad. After using it for about a week, I am still convinced I am right and apple will be forced to come out with an iPad mini.
Now unfortunately, I have still decided to return the Nexus and stick with my iPhone and iPad. I just couldn't get over two key areas where Android/Nexus 7 aren't up to par:
1. Apps: the quality of apps isn't even comparable to their iOS counter parts. Going from twitter on the Nexus to twitter on the iPad is night and day. This applies to the majority of apps that I tested. Until developers focus on tablet apps for Android, this will be a major rift.
2. Web Browsing: the iPad still feels much smoother when browsing the web. I did not like the feel of chrome although this may just be personal preference.
With all that said, I will still be recommending the Nexus 7 to friends and family who are looking for a good, cheap tablet. I don't think the Nexus can compete with the iPad directly but it will certainly grab a chunk of the market who doesn't want to spend $500 when they can get 3/4 of the way to the same experience with a Nexus 7.
Just my $.02.
Ok, so now that I have that out of the way, we can get on to the juicy stuff. I have been growing tired of the iOS devices and have been looking for an alternative to freshen things up. When I heard about the nexus 7, I thought I would try it and if I really liked it, I would pick up the Galaxy Nexus for $350 which is a great price. My thought was I could sell my iPad 3 and buy both these Google devices with the money I receive.
Before I completely took the plunge, I found a Nexus 7 at Sams club on the release date and figured I could test it out for awhile before I made my final decision.
My first impression was WOW, I love this thing. The hardware and software out of the box seemed very smooth and intuitive unlike Android the last time I tried it (the original Verizon Droid). I immediately thought that the 7inch form factor was leaps and bounds better than the iPad. After using it for about a week, I am still convinced I am right and apple will be forced to come out with an iPad mini.
Now unfortunately, I have still decided to return the Nexus and stick with my iPhone and iPad. I just couldn't get over two key areas where Android/Nexus 7 aren't up to par:
1. Apps: the quality of apps isn't even comparable to their iOS counter parts. Going from twitter on the Nexus to twitter on the iPad is night and day. This applies to the majority of apps that I tested. Until developers focus on tablet apps for Android, this will be a major rift.
2. Web Browsing: the iPad still feels much smoother when browsing the web. I did not like the feel of chrome although this may just be personal preference.
With all that said, I will still be recommending the Nexus 7 to friends and family who are looking for a good, cheap tablet. I don't think the Nexus can compete with the iPad directly but it will certainly grab a chunk of the market who doesn't want to spend $500 when they can get 3/4 of the way to the same experience with a Nexus 7.
Just my $.02.