[too lame to come up with a good username]

I've owned both the 2012 and 2013 Nexus 7's, and while they were both fantastic tablets, over time two things have become a huge issue for me. The first being the size. The Nexus 7 kind of feels like a big phone. This wasn't a big deal when I had a 4-inch phone, but now I'm not getting too much of a benefit when I have a phone with a nearly 5-inch screen. Even the occasional game just feels kind of cramped. Ever since I bought my Toshiba Chromebook 2 (Full HD version) I've had no reason to watch videos on my Nexus 7. My Chromebook goes with me everywhere so there isn't going to be a time when I want to watch a video and my Chromebook isn't within reach.

Although Chromebooks are more productive and still rportable, a tablet still has a place in my life mainly as an eReader. But unfortunately that's the only thing I use my Nexus 7 for, and even then I can't use it to its full potential. PDF's look awful on this screen due to reason #2: The aspect ratio. Casual web browsing is just as bad because of the 16:10 screen. In fact, the Nexus 7 is kind of unusable in landscape mode. The notification bar and the navigation bars take up way too much screen space and in portrait mode the screen is too skinny. There actually aren't too many websites with a mobile version, and some of the sites that do still display the desktop version on my Nexus 7.

I used to love my Nexus 7 and the form factor it had. But something about me has changed and now the combination of screen size and aspect ratio just don't work anymore. I decided it was time to look for an Android tablet with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Aaaand... there aren't very many of them. Right now the best 4:3 Android tablet is the Nexus 9, which is way too expensive for me. 1) I'm a college student and 2) Even if I had the money, nearly every review mentions build quality issues and light bleed. There's the Xiaomi MiPad, a Chinese iPad Mini knockoff with a "retina display", but it's running a skinned version of Android that plagiarizes iOS, it's not easy to root, and it's still a bit pricey for me. There's the Nokia N1 coming soon, but I probably won't be able to afford it if it comes to the US.

I realized I was reaching too high. I actually don't need a premium tablet. If I won't be playing many games or watching videos, then higher-end specs are overkill for my needs. After looking around I've found there are a lot more Android tablets with 4:3 screens, but most of them are pretty crappy. They only tackle the low-end market and most of them are off-brand, ugly and bulky.

And then I found the Acer Iconia A1-830, and I've decided it's the tablet for me. The 1024 x 768 resolution won't compete with the Nexus 7's 1920 x 1200 screen, but the 4:3 aspect ratio on a 7.9" screen is better for my needs. Thankfully, it's by Acer, a well-known brand, and the aluminum build is much more premium-feeling than you'd expect for the price. So, I ordered one, and I'm actually excited. Yes, I'm downgrading from the 2013 Nexus 7, widely considered one of the best Android tablets ever made, and I actually think I'll be happier with the device I'm downgrading to. I must be crazy, right? I'll update when my new tablet arrives to see how it compares to the 2013 Nexus 7.

[B. Diddy]

Those are interesting points. I find myself not using my Nexus 7 that much these days, and like you, a big reason is having a Chromebook (well, two actually) as well as a powerful phone. If I were more of a gamer, I'd probably still be using the N7 a decent amount, because I think that size is the right balance between gaming and portability.

Acer definitely makes quality devices for pretty cheap. Definitely let us know how you like it!

[Wildo6882]

I've kind of ditched the tablet idea for more portable laptops. I noticed that I tended to not touch the tablet and would reach for the phone or laptop. I'm currently using a convertible Windows laptop, but can't decide if a Chromebook would do the trick for me. Currently looking at the Acer C720 i3 or C740, or Samsung Chromebook 2, or Dell Chromebook i3.

[B. Diddy]

How much do you use the Windows laptop for anything besides the browser, or things that could be done in the browser? Try jotting down notes of how often you have to do this for a couple of days. If the answer is not at all, or very very little, then definitely give Chromebooks a try.

[Wildo6882]

How much do you use the Windows laptop for anything besides the browser, or things that could be done in the browser? Try jotting down notes of how often you have to do this for a couple of days. If the answer is not at all, or very very little, then definitely give Chromebooks a try.

I've had a few Chromebooks, I know I can use them. I really like them. But there's always something missing. There isn't that AWESOME perfect Chromebook, other than the Pixel, and I'm not paying for that. The main things I really like about the Windows laptops are easy printing to my wireless printer, full access to all Windows apps (desktop in particular), and I like the convertible with touchscreen. There isn't a really good Chromebook that gives that, other than the Lenovo one, but I feel like that's overpriced for the processor you get.

If they would give me a solid build quality, 720p IPS display, convertible with touchscreen, and an i3 or Broadwell processor, with 4gb of RAM and at least 32gb SSD and I'd be golden.

[B. Diddy]

If they would give me a solid build quality, 720p IPS display, convertible with touchscreen, and an i3 or Broadwell processor, with 4gb of RAM and at least 32gb SSD and I'd be golden.

Aw man, you got me drooling!

[Wildo6882]

Aw man, you got me drooling!

Haha! Is that really too much to ask for? I'd gladly pay $500+ for that. You can find Windows laptops a plenty with that configuration, but there's no Chromebook to be had like that. And that's my problem.

[B. Diddy]

Gotta give it a bit more time. There's definitely been an uptick in the number of manufacturers making Chromebooks, as well as the price and feature range. The risk here, though, is that they oversaturate the market too quickly, and then manufacturers give up too quickly because they were gunshy to being with, which would be bad for Chromebooks in general. So I'm actually ok with the current pace of Chromebook development.

[Geodude074]

OP wrote an essay just to say that he prefers 4:3 ratio? Lol.

[Geodude074]

I gave up my N7s long ago, I really didn't have a use for them anymore.

I have a main PC that's hooked up to my TV, a Windows laptop in my bedroom, 2 Android phones (haven't gotten around to selling my N5 yet), and a Dell Venue 8 Pro, which I much prefer over the N7 because 1) It's bigger. 2) Runs full Windows. 3) Displays all websites in desktop mode, which is my preference. I hate mobile sites lol.

I was thinking of buying a Surface Pro 2, because the Dell is just a little too slow for my liking, but we'll see. Not sure if I want to spend $700 just to be able to browse the internet in bed.

[LeoRex]

Tablets.... you know, I see those being turned into business specific devices... Restaurants, hospitals, factories.... places where the form factor might have some utility. You have phones like the Note 4 and Nexus 6 eating at the small end and capable devices like chromebooks eating away at the larger end, I think the golden days of tablets are kind of over.

Oh, sure, they'll stick around, but I don't think they will be nearly as popular to the main stream consumer as they were a year or two ago.

[Geodude074]

Tablets have existed in the business world long before they ever existed in the consumer world, and they will stay. I remember going to donate blood last year, and the questionairre that you had to fill out before donating, was on a tablet. An old HP Windows 7 Mobile tablet in fact lol.

In the consumer world, I can only see two popular use cases for tablets: 1) For smaller children, who would love to play interactive games on them. 2) For adults who need an eReader.

[Wildo6882]

I see some utility to something like a Windows tablet that you can get real work done on, but for the average consumer, they're a novelty. I put all my pennies into my phone and travel laptop. Those are the things I use the most.