Is this a viable alternative to an iPad?

[amsparky]

Hey all!

First of all, I am not being facetious here. I am a former Evo user (now iPhone...I don't love it, not a fanboy, just like that it always works) and am contemplating getting a N7. Before I do, I am looking for some honest opinions - is this a good alternative to an iPad.

Here's my situation - I'm a teacher and a writer, so saving up for an iPad will take me forever. It's a lot easier to justify the N7 pricetag vs. the iPad. Here's what I would use it for:

• meeting notes
• email
• calendar
• games
• opening and reviewing docs on the go
• attendance in class via wifi
• connecting to projector to show short video clips or class presentations
• games - I LOVE playing games on my phone and I imagine this would be better on my eyes

Thoughts? Opinions? I need to be able to use this for work to justify it and I want to make sure it will do what I need it to before I snag one. I miss the Android platform and while it is smaller than the iPad, I think that may actually be an advantage to using it and being mroe productive in my classroom.
Thanks for any thoughts!

 

[dukeblue91]

Hey all!

First of all, I am not being facetious here. I am a former Evo user (now iPhone...I don't love it, not a fanboy, just like that it always works) and am contemplating getting a N7. Before I do, I am looking for some honest opinions - is this a good alternative to an iPad.

Here's my situation - I'm a teacher and a writer, so saving up for an iPad will take me forever. It's a lot easier to justify the N7 pricetag vs. the iPad. Here's what I would use it for:

• meeting notes
• email
• calendar
• games
• opening and reviewing docs on the go
• attendance in class via wifi
• connecting to projector to show short video clips or class presentations
• games - I LOVE playing games on my phone and I imagine this would be better on my eyes

Thoughts? Opinions? I need to be able to use this for work to justify it and I want to make sure it will do what I need it to before I snag one. I miss the Android platform and while it is smaller than the iPad, I think that may actually be an advantage to using it and being mroe productive in my classroom.
Thanks for any thoughts!

I'll probably get allot of flak for saying this but if you have a iPhone already it is a no brainer to add the iPad to it since they will seamlessly synchronize with on another and share all data.
This is a very powerful combination.

You could always go with a refurbished ipad 2 at good price.

Combining ios devices is Apples real strength when it comes to sharing stuff.

This is the biggest thing I miss from switching phones to android.

Sent from my HTC One X using Android Central Forums

 

[NickA]

I think the N7 would fit your needs, or the new iPad mini that should be available soon. Like @dukeblue91 said, an iPad would be a great companion to your iPhone.

I would lean towards an iPad because of the projector use. You can use the VGA adapter on the iPad to go directly to your projector. There's no mini-usb to VGA (or HDMI) adapter. There are wf-fi projectors, but your school probably doesn't have them, unless they have upgraded equipment lately.

Another advantage of an iPad is a bigger screen. You mentioned being a writer, and you'll want the larger screen.

You can't beat the portability of the N7 though. If you are a dude and you have to wear dockers or dress pants, the N7 will fit in your pocket. And if you miss Android, the N7 is the way to go.

 

[adamtalife]

I think the N7 would fit your needs, or the new iPad mini that should be available soon. Like @dukeblue91 said, an iPad would be a great companion to your iPhone.

I would lean towards an iPad because of the projector use. You can use the VGA adapter on the iPad to go directly to your projector. There's no mini-usb to VGA (or HDMI) adapter. There are wf-fi projectors, but your school probably doesn't have them, unless they have upgraded equipment lately.

Another advantage of an iPad is a bigger screen. You mentioned being a writer, and you'll want the larger screen.

You can't beat the portability of the N7 though. If you are a dude and you have to wear dockers or dress pants, the N7 will fit in your pocket. And if you miss Android, the N7 is the way to go.

What about if he used AirDroid with a laptop(assuming he had one) then connected that to the projector?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[g1toevo678]

7in tablet is great for media consumption but if you're planning to do real work on it, I would think the ipad is more appropriate. And as mentioned above, a refurbished ipad2 is just slightly more expensive.

Also, I would think you could find more ways to integrate it into your classroom curriculum. I know my 8 yr old son's school uses ipads for the students and they really love it.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Nychotxxx]

I'm both an ipad user (had all three) and have an ipad 3 now and recently bought an n7. Its great and android is in some ways better than ios. But for everyday work uses i think you're better off with an ipad. And if i were you i'd go for a reconditioned ipad2 from the apple store. Much less. Expensive and does everything the ipad3 does. I see my use of the n7 as more to carry with me outside the house as i work at home. It's not a work machine. All of that said, you should buy an 11" macbook air that is a full blown computer a little bigger than an ipad. And almost as light. Again the apple store has reconditioned ones with full warranty.

 

[amsparky]

Thanks for the input! I have to say I am surprised at all the recs for the ipad. LOL

As for integrating into the classroom, I would LOVE to actually plan for students to use this tech as well, but I teach at an inner city school and we're lucky to get into the computer lab and have enough for each student.

Having never had a tablet (which is a shocker, as I LOVE my technology) I wasn't sure what would suit my needs best. I do know I am sick of seeing so many of my colleagues toting around their iPads - I think I need a sponsorship or something! My brother in law let me mess around with his and I was amazed! And since my laptop is starting to decline after only 1.5 years of use, I have already decided that the next laptop will be Apple, which means I will have it about the time my kids graduate high school.

Thanks again for the input and please feel free to continue the convo.

 

[Chocoburger]

I've never owned an iPad (I feel like it costs too much for too little in return), but I do love my N7 and use it for leisure and not work, so I won't try to answer from that angle. But I will give you my opinion on the device and if it will fit some of your mentioned requirements.

Meeting notes - Do you just mean a basic text editor? I too enjoy writing and I use a great free app called Evernote (it's on iOS, Android, Windows and Mac), you can do some pretty decent writing once you get comfortable with a virtual keyboard (I recommend Swift Key X as your keyboard).

E-mail - Yes a lot of people love using e-mail on Android, it should work perfectly fine.

Calendar - Uh, well, it's there and it works, I'm not sure specifically what you're looking for. If you need something customized to your needs, maybe you'll have to look for a paid calendar app in the store.

Games - N7 works great to play games. You can connect a wired Xbox 360 controller, or a wired PS3 controller or even a wireless PS3 controller. You will need the 'sixaxis' app on the play store to connect wirelessly, but it is soooooooo worth it! You can game without a controller too, but it's only fun depending on the game in question.

Docs on the go - I have no idea what you want to open but PDF files work fine on my N7.

Class attendance - Um... a checklist app? I guess? I'm not really sure what you're looking for here.

Connect to projector - No idea how you can do that.

 

[4Holly]

I have an iPad, Nexus7 and several Kindles. I do not use these interchangeably. The iPad would be best for your work related activities. Maybe I am underutilizing my Nexus. I got it primarily as a book reader and for e- mail and it is great for that. IPad is the best for surfing.

 

[NickA]

What about if he used AirDroid with a laptop(assuming he had one) then connected that to the projector?

Yes, good idea. Or run something like SpashTop, or any RDP/VNC app and control the laptop from the N7.

 

[amsparky]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm not looking for specific apps (I have my faves already ) more just wondering if the N7 can handle doing all that. The apparent inability to connect to a projector might be an issue - I loathe toting around my laptop and stretching a cord across my classroom is a total pain.

 

[Nychotxxx]

As i noted in my post earlier look into getting an 11" macbook air. Not much bigger ior heavier than an ipad but its a fulll-blown computer that will do everything, and you say your laptop is dying anyway.

 

[Channan]

If price and portability isn't an issue, I'd personally go for the iPad. Higher res/bigger screen + rear camera + more apps + slightly longer battery life?

I've had every iPad since the day each came out, but I'm looking to buy a Nexus 7 soon. I'm trying to sell my TouchPad to cover some of the cost. I'd really like to have a 7" tablet to carry around with me since it actually does fit in some of my shorts pockets.

@whoever above, I personally don't really see how an iPad makes a great companion to the iPhone. Other than not having to purchase the same app twice for both devices (for most applications) they're two separate devices for me. Since getting the ThunderBolt and now Galaxy Nexus and using them with my iPad, it's no different to me than using an iPhone and iPad. If anything, I'd rather have an Android phone and iOS tablet or vice versa so I'm not running the same OS on all my devices.

 

[Eduardo06sp]

The Nexus 7 is a beast for gaming, though the iPad has much better graphics due to it's retina display. Honestly, if you do separate things from your phone, get a Nexus 7. If you want to have data from your phone on your iPad, just get that.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[KitN]

I own an iPhone. I own a Nexus 7. They work seamlessly together. This is not conjecture but from real 24/7 ownership. There is no issue whatsoever.

I use my N7 for both work and play. It has literally all but replaced 2 laptops and 2 iMacs and even my iPhone in almost all situations! I rarely touch my computers or my iPhone now. Everything I need now, basically, can be done on my Nexus 7.

Emails galore
Documents
Spreadsheets
Web logins (accessing work web portal/website)
Web browsing
Video conferencing
VoIP
Phone calls (Google Voice + Talkatone)
SMS (see above)
Video games
eBooks
Magazines
Streaming Video Services (Netflix, Hulu etc)
Movies/Video
Music -- including my whole entire iTunes library

I could go on and on...

The only thing the N7 can't do right no, natively, that the iPad can is Video Out. I'm sure some ingenious XDA Dev will come up with a workaround/hack but if this is of the utmost importance to you then I would suggest you look elsewhere.

Personally, if money is as tight as you say, then I would WAIT for an announcement and pricing of the upcoming iPad Mini. Industry "Insiders" are pointing to an early Oct announcement so if you can wait a little more than a month, I would highly suggest you do it. Then you can compare the N7 and iPad Mini and choose accordingly.

Otherwise, if you cant wait until Oct, think long and hard about how important native Video Out is for you and make your decision on an N7 or a refurbished iPad 2.

Good luck.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[retsaw]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm not looking for specific apps (I have my faves already ) more just wondering if the N7 can handle doing all that. The apparent inability to connect to a projector might be an issue - I loathe toting around my laptop and stretching a cord across my classroom is a total pain.

Couldn't you connect your iPhone to the projector for videos and presentations?

I think the Nexus 7 could probably handle everything else on the list, though I'm not sure it's suited for note taking unless you add a real keyboard, personally I hate writing using on screen keyboards.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[KitN]

I think the Nexus 7 could probably handle everything else on the list, though I'm not sure it's suited for note taking unless you add a real keyboard, personally I hate writing using on screen keyboards.

I take notes with no problem on my N7. I use the onscreen keyboard, a stylus and... here's the kicker... VOICE DICTATION! The N7 has the best speech recognition that I have ever experienced! I don't even have to touch any keyboard, virtual or physical.

Like I said, I have an iPhone and I can tell you that Siri can't touch Google's speech recognition, from first hand experience. Sorry, Siri. But I still love you, girl. LOL!

If you can, head down to a store that has an N7 on display and play with it yourself. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what this little guy can do. :thumbup:

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

[jschu22]

If your next laptop will be an Apple, I think the decision is even more obvious- iPad. Like many others here, I too own both an iPad and a Nexus 7. Since the Nexus 7 has come out, I have definitely used my iPad less. Thats due in part to being new toy and convenience of size. If I had to choose between them though, it would be the iPad. Besides it's quality, it is just a more well-rounded tool for all I do and as stated earlier, works seamlessly with my other devices (iPhone and Macbook. Hey I do have a Galaxy Nexus as well, so cut me some slack). The person that said The Nexus 7 works fine with an iPhone is correct but it works better with an iPad. Just a fact.

Good luck and either way you go, I'm sure you'll be happy.

 

[kieranmullen]

Meh if video out is not a bid deal (it is probably being blown way out of proportion here.) Still not sure why people are comparing a $500 device to a $200 device. For $200 you get quite a bit and your dollars will go further in the classroom. Not sure how much work people get done on their tablets anyway besides emails. Seriously are you going to type Moby Dick on it or something? (You can get usb or bluetooth keyboards for both)

 

[jschu22]

Well there it is, video out is insignificant and its doubtful that anyone would consider do any significant work beyond email on a tablet. Sounds like the decision should be easy.