New N7, questions and observations

[anon(205625)]

Hi all,

Just picked up a 32GB N7 through a deal a local store was offering. My wife and I both have Galaxy Nexus phones - she is convinced the N7 is unnecessary but I got it anyway. So now that I'm up and running (for the most part) I have a couple things I have a few questions about.

1) I noticed that the N7 automatically installed all of the same apps that I have on my phone (even sync'ed the wallpaper!). Pretty cool, although I had to manually remove some of the phone-specific ones. However, it did not install any apps on the N7 account I created for my wife. Does it only sync apps for the "owner"/primary user of the N7?

2) When the screen is locked/off and I push the button to wake it, on the left side of the lock scree I briefly see part of a white rectangle. This is where I can add another lock screen widget if I want, next to the date/time. But if I don't want to add another widget, is there any way to make it stop showing that partial rectangle? It's kind of ugly.

Everything else is OK so far. Haven't noticed any of the issues others have reported. I have to admit it doesn't seem much bigger than my phone, and I'm wondering if a N10 would have been the better choice - although the cost difference is significant obviously. I think with time, though, I'll end up using the N7 instead of my phone most of the time while at home. Of course I still have a laptop for "real work" too.

 

[systemofadown1]

I do believe it only sync's the owner apps. The rectangle is here to stay sadly. Maybe the next update will offer an option to have only one widget on the lockscreen (or none). Yep, at home my n7 takes the place of my phone & lap top for simple tasks such as web browsing (bigger screen & faster than my phone - smaller & lighter than my laptop). I love it

 

[THHT]

Don't know about the first question, but a solution for the second one is installing this and disabling widgets (it won't get rid of your clock/date):

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...chow.deviceadminkeyguard&hl=en&token=tjNaxxI9

It'll disable the 'add new widget' box that briefly appears when you turn on the screen from standby.

 

[jontalk]

I have a question as well.. I'm in the Bay area and have been thinking about getting an N7. Someone has been posting in Craigs List offering either the 16 or 32 gb models for $150 factory sealed, which is obviously a good deal. Is there ANY chance these are gray market and therefore do not have the Asus/Google hardware warranty? Am also curious whether most that have purchased an N7 was their FIRST tablet. I've debated whether I need one since I have the GS3 which is amazing, but a 7" screen just seems ideal

 

[B. Diddy]

You take your chances any time you purchase something using Craigslist, especially if it's advertised as new and factory sealed. I'd be more concerned that it could be stolen merchandise, in which case it'd be taken away from you and you'd be out $150 if it were tracked down. If you do decide to buy it from Craigslist, I'd ask the seller if you could see the original receipt.

I got my N7 after owning an Acer A100 (7") and A500 (10") for a while. The N7 is a great device, and it's the perfect middle ground between a larger screen and an easily held device. 10" tablets are nice to look at, but they're hard to hold in one hand for an extended period--they're really best if you can stand them up on a table to use. I'm sure your S3 is a great device, but trying to surf the web on a small screen or do more involved things like typing a long document or email can be a drag. So the 7" tablet size really splits that difference well, and the N7 has the advantage of a speedy Tegra 3 processor as well as being pretty light compared to other 7" tablets.

 

[Suntan]

Just throwing it out there, but if you only use your N7 at home, and you find parts of the lock screen annoying, why not just turn the lock screen off all together?

The first thing I do when I get a new android device is disable the useless swipe screen. YMMV.

-Suntan

 

[anon(205625)]

Edit: This was meant to be a reply to jontalk above about the $150 offers on Craigslist. I forgot to quote the original.

There's a very good chance it's some kind of scam. There was a relatively new iPad on my local Craigslist lately for very cheap. I emailed them and the reply was a scam to get you to click on a link where supposedly you could buy one at that price.

The N7 is my first tablet. My wife is correct that it isn't something we really need (several laptops and two GNex phones in the house) but I had the urge for a new gadget!

 

[anon(205625)]

Don't know about the first question, but a solution for the second one is installing this and disabling widgets (it won't get rid of your clock/date):

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...chow.deviceadminkeyguard&hl=en&token=DO9hcUzH

It'll disable the 'add new widget' box that briefly appears when you turn on the screen from standby.

Awesome, this appears to do the trick! Music controls for apps like Songza still work on the lockscreen even after installing this, which is fine with me. I just hated that stupid empty rectangle flashing on the screen every time I unlock.

And for the person who suggested just disabling the lockscreen, that's a good idea too!

 

[jontalk]

Thanks folks.. And yes, another woman posts on Craigs List offering a new N7 for $100 but when she replies, she says it was sold and inserts a link to an auction site where she says she got hers for $95.. B.S. I have the guy's number that posted N7's for $150 and when/if he replies again, I'll ask him to see the original receipt. Obviously if this was a midnight auto parts thing, the serial number will be recorded with Google and it will get recovered and I'm out $150. Buyer beware

 

[Thor20003]

Sorry for the newbie question, but what setting allows for your apps to be automatically installed on a new device?

Also, thanks for the lock screen app to get rid of the blank box.

Thanks