iPad Air 2 vs. Nexus 9

[analogmonkey]

I know, it's like comparing potatoes and orange juice, but please indulge me. I don't game. I don't do social media. I do work on my tablets -- reading PDFs (scanned books that are processor and memory intensive) and writing. I particularly value a crisp display, smooth operation (especially when flipping through PDFs), and a large screen size (for reading PDFs) in that order.

If there was a new Nexus 10, I wouldn't post here with questions at all, because I would buy it without hesitation, but with the Nexus 9, I am wondering if the relatively low ppi and smaller screen size will be an issue for me. I loved my Nexus 7, but it was just too small to get work done.

Anyhow, I am not terribly familiar with the K1 processor or the significance of 2GB of RAM. I also don't have a good sense of how much screen real estate I will be missing out on if I opt for a Nexus 9 over the iPad Air 2.

 

[jstwondrng]

Actually, this thread gives you an early comparison:

http://forums.androidcentral.com/go...a-k1-runs-full-unreal-engine-4-nexus-9-a.html

J

 

[quadtronix]

I know, it's like comparing potatoes and orange juice, but please indulge me. I don't game. I don't do social media. I do work on my tablets -- reading PDFs (scanned books that are processor and memory intensive) and writing. I particularly value a crisp display, smooth operation (especially when flipping through PDFs), and a large screen size (for reading PDFs) in that order.

If there was a new Nexus 10, I wouldn't post here with questions at all, because I would buy it without hesitation, but with the Nexus 9, I am wondering if the relatively low ppi and smaller screen size will be an issue for me. I loved my Nexus 7, but it was just too small to get work done.

Anyhow, I am not terribly familiar with the K1 processor or the significance of 2GB of RAM. I also don't have a good sense of how much screen real estate I will be missing out on if I opt for a Nexus 9 over the iPad Air 2.

I think the N9 actually has the same resolution as the iPad Air 2 but on a smaller screen, making the PPI higher on the N9...

 

[analogmonkey]

My understanding was also that the ppi of the Nexus 9 (281) is superior to the Air 2 (264). Neither is anywhere close to the Nexus 10 (300). Not that I have any complaints about the Air, but I do have them about the Microsoft Surface, so there is a point at which things get blurry again, and I want to be as far from that as possible.

(at) jstwondrng

Thanks for the link. That was helpful. They love each other I wonder what that will mean for non-gaming in the real world next to the Air. My Nexus 4, for example, is a little pokey next to the iPhones. I had the same problem with the original Nexus 7. I suppose there isn't a huge market out there for people who want to read heavy PDFs on their tablets!

 

[djm7541]

I know, it's like comparing potatoes and orange juice, but please indulge me. I don't game. I don't do social media. I do work on my tablets -- reading PDFs (scanned books that are processor and memory intensive) and writing.

As I said to another person that asked the same sort of question, 9 months ago... 6 days of the week I download a .zip file from the newspaper "Le Monde". I unzip this file, and extract the 2 or 3 .pdf files in it to a directory. These "daily" directories are all sub-directories of "monthly" directories. Moving around files, downloading .zip files, creating directories and sub-directories, extracting .zip files ... the last time I looked, this couldn't even be done on an iPad.

And if you want to be moving stuff off the tablet, on to your PC, you'll have to use some piece of Apple software that can access the file system on your iPad. Because the entire file directory system is hidden from the user on the iPad.

You say it's like "comparing potatoes and orange juice", but you should make yourself aware of how true that is, before you think anymore about the iPad.

But the iPad will be fine for Web browsing, and buying books and music through their store. Films too. Just get your bank card details ready. They will be there, ready to sell you stuff.

But on the Android side, a tablet will appear on your PC almost like a USB storage device. This is not the case with the iPads, the last time I looked.

Hardware wise the iPads look fine to me. But I wouldn't even consider one for the sort of reasons I have mentioned above. I don't want to be mucking around with the Apple software just to get to the files on my tablet.

 

[jstwondrng]

My understanding was also that the ppi of the Nexus 9 (281) is superior to the Air 2 (264). Neither is anywhere close to the Nexus 10 (300). Not that I have any complaints about the Air, but I do have them about the Microsoft Surface, so there is a point at which things get blurry again, and I want to be as far from that as possible.

(at) jstwondrng

Thanks for the link. That was helpful. They love each other I wonder what that will mean for non-gaming in the real world next to the Air. My Nexus 4, for example, is a little pokey next to the iPhones. I had the same problem with the original Nexus 7. I suppose there isn't a huge market out there for people who want to read heavy PDFs on their tablets!

No problem! I read this yesterday prior to coming to AndroidCentral and was glad someone else picked up on this article. Looking forward to seeing the power of the N9 in person.

J

 

[littleemp]

The Nexus 9 is actually 287 ppi.

 

[analogmonkey]

As I said to another person that asked the same sort of question.... I don't want to be mucking around with the Apple software just to get to the files on my tablet.

Thanks for the advice. Actually, I've got both iOS and Android stuff, and like them both for different reasons, but I am definitely no fan of iTunes. I wouldn't miss working with that at all

The Nexus 9 is actually 287 ppi.

Thanks. I've seen 281, 287, and 288 mentioned. I wasn't sure which it was.

 

[Kaido]

Nexus 9 vs iPad Air 2:

• 16 GB Wi-Fi Prices: $399 vs $499 (even the 32 GB Wi-Fi Nexus 9 is $479)
• Speakers: Front Facing (Boomsound) vs bottom
• PPI: 288 vs 264
• RAM: 2GB vs 1GB
• Wi-FI Weight: 425 grams vs 437 grams
• LTE Weight: 436 grams vs 444 grams

 

[analogmonkey]

Nexus 9 vs iPad Air 2:

• 16 GB Wi-Fi Prices: $399 vs $499 (even the 32 GB Wi-Fi Nexus 9 is $479)
• Speakers: Front Facing (Boomsound) vs bottom
• PPI: 288 vs 264
• RAM: 2GB vs 1GB
• Wi-FI Weight: 425 grams vs 437 grams
• LTE Weight: 436 grams vs 444 grams

Thanks! Yeah, it does look nice when you put it that way, and all of the specs you mentioned are reasons why I'm looking at the N9.

1. Yep. This is very tempting. I would have to get the 64GB iPad, I think, because 16GB is too small, and 32GB doesn't exist, so it will be a lot of wasted money there. In Japan (where I will be buying them), it works out (at the moment) to about a $200 difference.

2. iPad speakers are pretty unpleasant, though I usually use headphones if I am watching a movie, so it isn't a big deal for me. Still, front facing speakers seem kind of obvious, don't they.

3. Given the smaller display size, the 288 (or 281 or 287) probably isn't going to make a big difference either way, but it is important that they are roughly equivalent.

4. At the moment, rumors point to a triple-core 2GB RAM iPad Air 2, which would probably impact my decision. It appears (to my amateur eyes) that a lot of my iPad problems stem from low memory (something I've been annoyed by since the iPad1).

5. The iPad is bigger and thinner, so I expected the weight to be a bit more. I think it is a wash here, though any weight savings is appreciated. Frankly speaking, the iPad Air is thin enough, and I am not terribly concerned about the weight any more once we start dropping under 450 grams or so.

A lot here to think about...

 

[littleemp]

Thanks for the advice. Actually, I've got both iOS and Android stuff, and like them both for different reasons, but I am definitely no fan of iTunes. I wouldn't miss working with that at all


Thanks. I've seen 281, 287, and 288 mentioned. I wasn't sure which it was.

It's roughly 287.6 or so.

 

[fm123]

This appears to be the first benchmark info on the ipad air 2. The A8X is 3 core basically adding a 3rd core with a tiny speed bump. Based on known data, the single core performance is about the same as the K1 64 bit. Since A8X is 20 nm, they could squeeze another core in there, and supposedly more GPU. Definitely interested in seeing the power consumption of Denver.

Apple's new A8X powered iPad Air 2 smokes new Android tablets, including Nvidia's Tegra K1 Shield Tablet

 

[analogmonkey]

This appears to be the first benchmark info on the ipad air 2. The A8X is 3 core basically adding a 3rd core with a tiny speed bump. Based on known data, the single core performance is about the same as the K1 64 bit. Since A8X is 20 nm, they could squeeze another core in there, and supposedly more GPU. Definitely interested in seeing the power consumption of Denver.

Apple's new A8X powered iPad Air 2 smokes new Android tablets, including Nvidia's Tegra K1 Shield Tablet

Yikes. Thanks for the link. According to the update on that page, the iPad is looking much better than the N9 when it comes to multi-core. Will that be useful for me using PDFs and so forth? I don't know, but it can't hurt.

Then, there is the iPad's display, which has gotten wonderful reviews. It's looking more and more like I will end up with the Air 2. But, I am still undecided. I'll think it over for another week or two. The fact that the N9 is still not available is also not in its favor. I feel like Google got outplayed on this one. Imagine if they had released all of these just a month or two earlier. Well, maybe the 10 is still somewhere in the pipe...

 

[fm123]

Yikes. Thanks for the link. According to the update on that page, the iPad is looking much better than the N9 when it comes to multi-core. Will that be useful for me using PDFs and so forth? I don't know, but it can't hurt.

Then, there is the iPad's display, which has gotten wonderful reviews. It's looking more and more like I will end up with the Air 2. But, I am still undecided. I'll think it over for another week or two. The fact that the N9 is still not available is also not in its favor. I feel like Google got outplayed on this one. Imagine if they had released all of these just a month or two earlier. Well, maybe the 10 is still somewhere in the pipe...

3 cores to 2 cores, it should benchmark multi-core better with 3 cores.

Here's a review with more benchmarks. Looks like K1 is about the same in GPU as A8X (31-32 fps GFXbench Manhatten), but K1 comes out with higher 3Dmark scores.

The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 review

Remember one thing, I don't know if any of the software is running 64 bit or optimized in any way for the new hardware. Denver is "self learning" in how it optimizes a running app but of course having 1 extra core is nice. However, for PDF viewing it's a lot on the software optimization. I tried various PDF readers on Tegra 4 and some are fast while others are slower but more stable, etc.. None seem to be very multi-core.

 

[analogmonkey]

Thanks. That is very helpful to know. On the iPad, in general, all of the major ones seem roughly on par these days in terms of how well they move through PDFs. I happen to be pretty pleased with PDF Expert, but iAnnotate and GoodReader are solid choices as well.

It has been a while since I have used a PDF reader on Android, because I no longer have a tablet (sold the N7 for the N10 that never appeared). Adobe and ez PDF Reader were the best in my experience. I wish that I had the Air 2 and N9 side-by-side to compare. My guess is that they are roughly equivalent. I kind of doubt anyone is optimizing for multi-core.

 

[anon5664829]

Thanks. That is very helpful to know. On the iPad, in general, all of the major ones seem roughly on par these days in terms of how well they move through PDFs. I happen to be pretty pleased with PDF Expert, but iAnnotate and GoodReader are solid choices as well.

It has been a while since I have used a PDF reader on Android, because I no longer have a tablet (sold the N7 for the N10 that never appeared). Adobe and ez PDF Reader were the best in my experience. I wish that I had the Air 2 and N9 side-by-side to compare. My guess is that they are roughly equivalent. I kind of doubt anyone is optimizing for multi-core.

Good reader on the iPad is fantastic!

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[smileman]

I don't game. I don't do social media. I do work on my tablets -- reading PDFs (scanned books that are processor and memory intensive) and writing. I particularly value a crisp display, smooth operation (especially when flipping through PDFs), and a large screen size (for reading PDFs) in that order.

My $0.02: sure, go ahead and get yourself a tablet as they do a lot of useful things. I have the original iPad I love it for what it is: a bigger iPhone with sick battery life at a compelling price point.

However, if you work with PDFs a lot and value screen real estate then you owe it to yourself to take a good look at the Sony Digital Paper.

I've been dreaming about a Digital Paper-like device for years, and now having used Sony's for a few months it makes me want to cry that it took this long for something like it to come out. Full size PDFs, no more eye strain, wonderful markup/annotation support, syncs with Box, etc. You can use Calibre software to easily convert other eBook/doc files to PDF. Absolute game changer for those of us who read/work with a lot PDFs.

Is the Sony Digital Paper expensive at $999. Yes. Is it worth it? Without a doubt IMO.

And no I don't work for Sony

 

[anon5664829]

My $0.02: sure, go ahead and get yourself a tablet as they do a lot of useful things. I have the original iPad I love it for what it is: a bigger iPhone with sick battery life at a compelling price point.

However, if you work with PDFs a lot and value screen real estate then you owe it to yourself to take a good look at the Sony Digital Paper.

I've been dreaming about a Digital Paper-like device for years, and now having used Sony's for a few months it makes me want to cry that it took this long for something like it to come out. Full size PDFs, no more eye strain, wonderful markup/annotation support, syncs with Box, etc. You can use Calibre software to easily convert other eBook/doc files to PDF. Absolute game changer for those of us who read/work with a lot PDFs.

Is the Sony Digital Paper expensive at $999. Yes. Is it worth it? Without a doubt IMO.

And no I don't work for Sony

The iPad is great for PDFs its not just a blown up iPhone...

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Seth_Brower]

I want to throw this out not as much on the vs debate, I have no concrete information or thoughts on that.

But specifically on the PDF viewing issues, I wanted to throw in a trick I realized/figured out a few weeks ago.

I try to keep PDF copies of some of the Role Playing Game books that I have purchased for ease of travel, but they are invariably image heavy affairs that even some of the better pdf viewers choke on when you try to "thumb through the pages".

I also am a constant user of the android and windows app ComicRack (ComicRack) It works great as a .cbr/.cbz viewer for comic books. But I realized that I could use the feature in the windows software that I have been using to convert purchased pdf comics to .cbz's to do the same to my large RPG rulebooks.

At which point, you have a file that is ... comparable in size, and can scroll though pages as fast as you might want. With no loss in image/page quality.

Now granted if you are looking to take advantage of any of the inerrant note taking capabilities of the PDF format, you lose that. But if all you are looking for is a smooth and fast way to read your documents, this might be worth checking out for some people.

 

[analogmonkey]

My $0.02: sure, go ahead and get yourself a tablet as they do a lot of useful things. I have the original iPad I love it for what it is: a bigger iPhone with sick battery life at a compelling price point.

However, if you work with PDFs a lot and value screen real estate then you owe it to yourself to take a good look at the Sony Digital Paper.

I've been dreaming about a Digital Paper-like device for years, and now having used Sony's for a few months it makes me want to cry that it took this long for something like it to come out. Full size PDFs, no more eye strain, wonderful markup/annotation support, syncs with Box, etc. You can use Calibre software to easily convert other eBook/doc files to PDF. Absolute game changer for those of us who read/work with a lot PDFs.

Is the Sony Digital Paper expensive at $999. Yes. Is it worth it? Without a doubt IMO.

And no I don't work for Sony

Thanks for the comments! Not a chance, though. A 150 ppi dedicated device with slow page turns on light files (I don't even know if it could handle any of my PDFs) and only 2GB of storage would not tempt me at 1/2 the price. I loved my Kindle DX, and I wish they'd update it with the fabulous new screen tech and software they have, but I think e-ink readers and heavy PDF files are probably not going to be a thing for me in this lifetime. Glad to hear you like yours! But, I don't think it will work well for me.

The iPad is actually a big iPod, and that is kind of why it works for me, because it has phenomenal resolution and I can easily manipulate PDFs on it (the iPad 1, though, lacked sufficient RAM to even open my PDFs). The Air can even replace my computer for a lot of tasks. So, I'd say it is in an entirely different world than the Sony e-reader.

(at) Seth

Interesting idea. It sounds a little painful, as I have thousands of PDFs, and it would be quite troublesome to convert them every time I want them on my device, but I am glad to know that the option exists. These are the kinds of workarounds that can really come in handy!

At the moment, I am still on the fence. I suppose it comes down to OS, apps, and price now. The hardware on the Air 2 initially looked roughly equivalent, but now it seems that it has a lot more going for it. I am quite keen on Android, though, and I don't relish the thought of basically spending 200 dollars more to accomplish the same tasks (within my workflow). I'm going to talk with a colleague who is an expert on Android stuff (teaches computer science) and see what he thinks.