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[BertramCooper]

If the Nexus 10 ends up being as awesome as rumored, I'll probably just end up giving my Nexus 7 to my mom or sister or something. Or I'll keep it. Not sure yet.

At $250, it was basically an impulse buy anyway. The fact that it's a pretty awesome little tablet was just icing on the cake.

 

[Clay Davis]

that's a very optimistic price for the ipad mini. I foresee a £250 entry point for a ipad mini.

Apple would be laughed at if they price the 8GB at £249.99, especially now the Nexus 7 32GB will be £199.

we were close on price. £270 for a 16gb when a 32gb nexus will be available for £199 is ridiculous. I hope people see sense and buy the nexus 7 instead, but the lure of apple is too strong.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

we were close on price. £270 for a 16gb when a 32gb nexus will be available for £199 is ridiculous. I hope people see sense and buy the nexus 7 instead, but the lure of apple is too strong.

I genuinely thought there would be an 8GB Mini for £199, I cannot believe the price.

I held out to see what I could replace my broken Ipad 2 with...I'm going with the 32GB Nexus 7. iOS is stale.

 

[BertramCooper]

I genuinely thought there would be an 8GB Mini for £199, I cannot believe the price.

Dat Apple hubris.

 

[The Elite]

The only problem I see with the Nexus 7 right now is the lack of Tablet dedicated apps. What's the deal with that?

 

[Bumhead]

I'm guessing I'm not going to be the only person visiting this thread post-iPad Mini announcement.

Looking for some impressions of the Nexus 7 for gaming, as much as anything. Does anyone here do much gaming on their Nexus 7? Is the gaming environment on Android as fleshed out as it is on iOS?

£269 is more than I ideally wanted to be paying, and £199 is very much a sweet spot. But I'm wondering if it's worth the extra £70 just to avoid disappointments over apps and games coming to Android. Gaming is a huge factor behind any money I spend on a tablet, along with web browsing.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

So there was a shot taken at the N7? What was it?

 

[Zeth]

What could one get for an 8gb in terms of resale? Does Gazelle no longer do android devices? That's new to me.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

The only problem I see with the Nexus 7 right now is the lack of Tablet dedicated apps. What's the deal with that?

I personally don't care.

My iPad 2 was used exclusively for web browsing and email. I've never needed to create content (they are too limited).

 

[VoxPop]

I'm guessing I'm not going to be the only person visiting this thread post-iPad Mini announcement.

Looking for some impressions of the Nexus 7 for gaming, as much as anything. Does anyone here do much gaming on their Nexus 7? Is the gaming environment on Android as fleshed out as it is on iOS?

£269 is more than I ideally wanted to be paying, and £199 is very much a sweet spot. But I'm wondering if it's worth the extra £70 just to avoid disappointments over apps and games coming to Android. Gaming is a huge factor behind any money I spend on a tablet, along with web browsing.

Gaming on any Android device is quite a drag. Aside from emulator functionality without jailbreaking, there isn't much to get excited about. Having both iOS/Android devices, the gaming isn't even close unless you're looking for simple stuff like Words with Friends, Angry Birds, Gameloft games, etc. For gaming, definitely go the iOS route. For basic web browsing, and everything else, the N7 is fantastic.

 

[reKon]

I'm guessing I'm not going to be the only person visiting this thread post-iPad Mini announcement.

Looking for some impressions of the Nexus 7 for gaming, as much as anything. Does anyone here do much gaming on their Nexus 7? Is the gaming environment on Android as fleshed out as it is on iOS?

£269 is more than I ideally wanted to be paying, and £199 is very much a sweet spot. But I'm wondering if it's worth the extra £70 just to avoid disappointments over apps and games coming to Android. Gaming is a huge factor behind any money I spend on a tablet, along with web browsing.

If you compare it to iOS, iOS would win from the quality and quantity. Regardless, there are still plenty of great games on Android despite critics who fail to do any research say. I'm not even including emulators/rom either, which are simple to get:

 

[Enduin]

I'm guessing I'm not going to be the only person visiting this thread post-iPad Mini announcement.

Looking for some impressions of the Nexus 7 for gaming, as much as anything. Does anyone here do much gaming on their Nexus 7? Is the gaming environment on Android as fleshed out as it is on iOS?

£269 is more than I ideally wanted to be paying, and £199 is very much a sweet spot. But I'm wondering if it's worth the extra £70 just to avoid disappointments over apps and games coming to Android. Gaming is a huge factor behind any money I spend on a tablet, along with web browsing.

I've got 24 games on my device that are all pretty fun and I don't even have most of the big name games. There's no denying Apple has the edge on this by a wide margin, but its not as if there's nothing available on Android. There's still some great games on there and its only gotten better as time goes on.

 

[Shai-Tan]

You can compare games by just searching google play. I was surprised most of the games I consider good are also on Android. Still there are a few I could only play on the ipad like Magic 2013. There's also things like Walking Dead but I end up playing those on PC because they come out before the ipad versions for whatever reason. I have a Vita too though so I throw anything with virtual controls right out the window.

Obviously it's different for other demographics e.g. the ipad has a big advantage in hidden object type games like from Big Fish that old women like, same for educational games for little kids

 

[Cipherr]

I'm guessing I'm not going to be the only person visiting this thread post-iPad Mini announcement.

You definitely aren't the only one. I have used one plenty but hadn't bought one with the rumors of the Mini looming. I'm definitely back now though, and waiting on the announcement. I'm waiting on the 29th though, they will probably price drop them and intro the 10".

 

[VoxPop]

If you compare it to iOS, iOS would win from the quality and quantity. Regardless, there are still plenty of great games on Android despite critics who fail to do any research say. I'm not even including emulators/rom either, which are simple to get:

Yeah those are pretty much the same games I have. Things like Fruit Ninja, Cut The Rope, Temple Run, World of Goo, Jetpack Joyride, etc have been long available for months on iOS before Android. The wait was excruciating. The quality of games on iOS is still far better than anything on Android. Games like Solomon's Graveyard, Zombie Gunship, Phoenix, and other older games are still a no show. Not saying there aren't some great games on Android but the great disparity of apps is quite apparent.

 

[The Elite]

I personally don't care.

My iPad 2 was used exclusively for web browsing and email. I've never needed to create content (they are too limited).

My Nexus 7 is used primarily for web browsing and reading. I barely notice the "tablet" app deficiency. I probably wouldn't have noticed it at all if it hadn't been brought to my attention.

 

[Battlezone]

I'm probably the exact opposite. I was looking for tablet apps, not larger phone experiences. Coming from iOS, using an app like Zillow is night and day between iOS and Android. On the day I received my N7, I tried to download the ESPN college football app, only to find it's not compatible with my device. I then found several others in that same category. That's a bad experience, especially with a brand new device.

I thought Phil's comparison about screen sizes was thin at best, but he was dead on accurate with the app comparison. Outside of Kindle ( because of the size of the device), I have yet to find an app I've preferred using on my N7 over my iPad.

 

[this_guy]

So there was a shot taken at the N7? What was it?

Shown side by side with the iPad Mini 7.9" screen, the mini's screen is larger. Yes the 7.9 inch screen is larger than the 7" screen on the Nexus if you can believe it.

 

[DagsJT]

Shown side by side with the iPad Mini 7.9" screen, the mini's screen is larger. Yes the 7.9 inch screen is larger than the 7" screen on the Nexus if you can believe it.

Odd thing to do considering the N7 has better resolution and PPI. Bigger isn't always better ... apparently.

 

[VoxPop]

Odd thing to do considering the N7 has better resolution and PPI. Bigger isn't always better ... apparently.

Isn't the resolution the same since the N7 has the soft button bar? Far less bezel on the Mini too.

 

[DagsJT]

Isn't the resolution the same since the N7 has the soft button bar? Far less bezel on the Mini too.

Not sure regarding the soft button bar, just read the numbers on here:

http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/23/3542546/apple-ipad-mini-nexus-7-kindle-fire-hd-specs-compare

 

[Phoenix]

But now my thumb doesn't go from "here" to "here"...

 

[JonnyBrad]

Isn't the resolution the same since the N7 has the soft button bar? Far less bezel on the Mini too.

No. 1024 vs 1280 on the long side.

 

[Massa]

Isn't the resolution the same since the N7 has the soft button bar? Far less bezel on the Mini too.

Nope, the Nexus 7 has a higher resolution regardless of the button bar. And the bezel on the iPad mini is a downside if you ask me, as you're supposed to hold the device with your hands.

 

[Vyer]

£269 is more than I ideally wanted to be paying, and £199 is very much a sweet spot. But I'm wondering if it's worth the extra £70 just to avoid disappointments over apps and games coming to Android. Gaming is a huge factor behind any money I spend on a tablet, along with web browsing.

If that is your primary feature, especially for tablets, then you should be going iOS.

 

[VoxPop]

No. 1024 vs 1280 on the long side.

My mistake didn't notice that. I still want one

 

[Shai-Tan]

Nope, the Nexus 7 has a higher resolution regardless of the button bar. And the bezel on the iPad mini is a downside if you ask me, as you're supposed to hold the device with your hands.

I would like the Nexus 7 successor to have a smaller bezel. I can palm it but it feels a little big in a pocket if it's not loose fitting clothing. The iPad mini it's 0.6 inches wider than the N7 which would be too big for me to even palm comfortably. It doesn't matter so much when looking down on a device but I'm leaning back right now. Can't set it on the hand or prop with the finger on the bottom from that angle. One of the reasons I like the 7 inch form factor is how secure it can be held in one hand while walking around or shifting places.

 

[Pyrokai]

Guys, I seriously am having the hardest time deciding between a Nexus 7 and the new $250 Chromebook.

Does anyone here have a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Nexus simultaneously? If so, do you feel that there is too much similarity to justify owning both? I feel like I'd simply have two Galaxy Nexus phones, but one has a larger screen without the phone. It's hard to decide.

Right now I have a Galaxy Nexus and an iMac. I'd like something portable that's easier to do things on than a smartphone, but also provide entertainment. Can a Chromebook provide me with that? I also don't want to feel like any of my devices are usurping another. A laptop and a smartphone would be perfect for me, but I already have an iMac, and I don't want two fully-fledged desktop computers.

What do you guys think? Anyone here ever feel they have too many devices with a smartphone, netbook/tablet, and a smartphone? Trying to "synchronize" the apps and services I use on each would be such a pain in the ass.

Ugh.

Last question: what's this about a $149 Nexus tablet I'm seeing? Is it expected to go down in price after the October 29th event? If so, I might just bite. That $100 difference between a Nexus tab and Chromebook would probably push me over the edge to opt only for the tablet.

Or maybe I should go used and see how things work out?

 

[Phoenix]

I'm probably the exact opposite. I was looking for tablet apps, not larger phone experiences. Coming from iOS, using an app like Zillow is night and day between iOS and Android. On the day I received my N7, I tried to download the ESPN college football app, only to find it's not compatible with my device. I then found several others in that same category. That's a bad experience, especially with a brand new device.

I thought Phil's comparison about screen sizes was thin at best, but he was dead on accurate with the app comparison. Outside of Kindle ( because of the size of the device), I have yet to find an app I've preferred using on my N7 over my iPad.

I have found a couple. I find anything where I'm entering text to be lightyears better on Android than on iOS. So my email apps, word processing apps, etc. all benefit greatly. I find Netflix to be better on the 7" factor, though the kids like the bigger screen. I find Kindle reading to be about the same though the 7" factor makes it more compelling.

Google Now keeps a place in my heart and its really sad that Apple doesn't have anything like that as I'm finding Now to be a GREAT travel companion. The biggest issue, of course, being that the N7 doesn't have a data connection - yet.

The Google photosync is still substantially better than Apple's confusingly poor Photostream.

Maps and navigation are just stellar on the N7 compared to any variant of iOS today.

On the average though, iOS has more apps and the apps are of better quality. A lot of this STILL has to do with the economics of the space. Android is still a port target and Google/Samsung are just finally coming to the realization that they will have to buy apps in this space and spend money to jumpstart the marketplace the right way. THere is just so little economic incentive otherwise.

 

[crazy monkey]

Guys, I seriously am having the hardest time deciding between a Nexus 7 and the new $250 Chromebook.

Does anyone here have a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Nexus simultaneously? If so, do you feel that there is too much similarity to justify owning both? I feel like I'd simply have two Galaxy Nexus phones, but one has a larger screen without the phone. It's hard to decide.

Right now I have a Galaxy Nexus and an iMac. I'd like something portable that's easier to do things on than a smartphone, but also provide entertainment. Can a Chromebook provide me with that? I also don't want to feel like any of my devices are usurping another. A laptop and a smartphone would be perfect for me, but I already have an iMac, and I don't want two fully-fledged desktop computers.

What do you guys think? Anyone here ever feel they have too many devices with a smartphone, netbook/tablet, and a smartphone? Trying to "synchronize" the apps and services I use on each would be such a pain in the ass.

Ugh.

Last question: what's this about a $149 Nexus tablet I'm seeing? Is it expected to go down in price after the October 29th event? If so, I might just bite. That $100 difference between a Nexus tab and Chromebook would probably push me over the edge to opt only for the tablet.

Or maybe I should go used and see how things work out?

nexus 7 or transformer prime.

 

[Phoenix]

Guys, I seriously am having the hardest time deciding between a Nexus 7 and the new $250 Chromebook.

Does anyone here have a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Nexus simultaneously? If so, do you feel that there is too much similarity to justify owning both? I feel like I'd simply have two Galaxy Nexus phones, but one has a larger screen without the phone. It's hard to decide.

If you're not talking about the phone perspective then I would say yes. Both are good devices, but between the normally carried iPhone, iPad, Nexus 7, GS3 and Galaxy Nexus... the GNexus spends most of its time unused. Device use in priority order: iPhone, N7, iPad, GS3, GN. If the N7 had a data connection for Skype/Voice/etc. I would probably use it as a phone fairly often as well.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

The only problem I see with the Nexus 7 right now is the lack of Tablet dedicated apps. What's the deal with that?

Android apps are resolution independent. Other than having assets that scale in good quality or (potentially) tablet-specific layouts, it's not as important as it is on iPad.

It's not like Android apps all run as if they were on a magnified phone screen.

 

[ThatObviousUser]

Guys, I seriously am having the hardest time deciding between a Nexus 7 and the new $250 Chromebook.

Does anyone here have a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Nexus simultaneously? If so, do you feel that there is too much similarity to justify owning both? I feel like I'd simply have two Galaxy Nexus phones, but one has a larger screen without the phone. It's hard to decide.

I have both and don't use my N7 except to consume content (basically, reading books and comics.) I'd use it more if I didn't have my GN.

Right now I have a Galaxy Nexus and an iMac. I'd like something portable that's easier to do things on than a smartphone, but also provide entertainment. Can a Chromebook provide me with that?

Depends on what you mean. If it's on the web, you can play it.

I also don't want to feel like any of my devices are usurping another. A laptop and a smartphone would be perfect for me, but I already have an iMac, and I don't want two fully-fledged desktop computers.

What do you guys think? Anyone here ever feel they have too many devices with a smartphone, netbook/tablet, and a smartphone? Trying to "synchronize" the apps and services I use on each would be such a pain in the ass.

Eh both Google Play and Chrome do a good job of it without any user interference. Not something to worry about, unless you mean actual files and even then Dropbox/GDrive are pretty dead-simple.

Last question: what's this about a $149 Nexus tablet I'm seeing? Is it expected to go down in price after the October 29th event? If so, I might just bite.

The current 16 GB Wi-Fi model is expected to hit $200 when the new 32 GB and/or 3G model is announced at the event. Dunno where the $150 price came from but maybe it's the 8 GB version?

There's also rumors they'll announce a $99 tablet at the event, but not based on the N7 so no one knows how the quality will be.

 

[CoachKevin]

How is the nexus at playing video?

Does it support just drag and drop MP4 videos? What about xvid?

 

[ThatObviousUser]

How is the nexus at playing video?

Does it support just drag and drop MP4 videos? What about xvid?

Pretty good. Can do 720p quite well.

MP4 yes. Xvid, no, but there are probably some apps for that. Edit- Rockplayer and CinXplayer can apparently do Xvid.

 

[DagsJT]

How is the nexus at playing video?

Does it support just drag and drop MP4 videos? What about xvid?

Yep, yep.

Multiple players and it plays 720p without any problems here.

Pretty good. Can do 720p quite well.

MP4 yes. Xvid, no, but there are probably some apps for that.

Yep, Dice Player etc support XviD.

 

[Polk]

How is the nexus at playing video?

Does it support just drag and drop MP4 videos? What about xvid?

Using external video players (like MX Player) you can play probably anything you want.

 

[CoachKevin]

Sweet, and it gets 8ish hours of video playback? Might be perfect for me.

 

[OneEightZero]

I'm really liking DoubleTwist's video interface.

 

[Phoenix]

How is the nexus at playing video?

Does it support just drag and drop MP4 videos? What about xvid?

Okay, let me stop you right now. Don't consider buying ANYTHING until the Google event on the 29th. There will be changes and bumps across the branding line and there will be some last minute vendor stuff as well. Look at your options at that point.

 

[aeolist]

I used DICE Player for a while but it stopped working

Got MX Player and haven't looked back

 

[GroteSmurf]

Download bsplayer and you won't be looking back

Try it here: Bsplayer Free

And if you like it buy it here: Bsplayer

It'll play just about anything you throw at it plus it also streams everything from your windows share or nas

 

[Izick]

Do we have any ideas on what the Nexus 10" will be, price wise?

 

[midonnay]

Pretty good. Can do 720p quite well.

MP4 yes. Xvid, no, but there are probably some apps for that. Edit- Rockplayer and CinXplayer can apparently do Xvid.

plays most high bitrate 1080p stuff without the need to reencode either ...other players include mx, dice and bs player

 

[sca2511]

How is the nexus at playing video?

Does it support just drag and drop MP4 videos? What about xvid?

I use MXplayer and haven't ran into issues.

 

[Ferrio]

If you compare it to iOS, iOS would win from the quality and quantity. Regardless, there are still plenty of great games on Android despite critics who fail to do any research say. I'm not even including emulators/rom either, which are simple to get:

Android game selection sucks PERIOD. It's night and day. The only releases get on android are the really popular/casual stuff like angry birds, or really really crappy "games" that you'd never want to touch. It's quite depressing actually.

If games are the least bit concern to you, I'd stay away from android.

 

[Pyrokai]

nexus 7 or transformer prime.

I'd probably got N7 between those two....but I still feel that it's redundant with a Galaxy Nexus phone

If you're not talking about the phone perspective then I would say yes. Both are good devices, but between the normally carried iPhone, iPad, Nexus 7, GS3 and Galaxy Nexus... the GNexus spends most of its time unused. Device use in priority order: iPhone, N7, iPad, GS3, GN. If the N7 had a data connection for Skype/Voice/etc. I would probably use it as a phone fairly often as well.

Maybe I should sell my GNexus for a Galaxy Note II

I have both and don't use my N7 except to consume content (basically, reading books and comics.) I'd use it more if I didn't have my GN.

Not what I wanted to hear! I'm looking for a reason to WANT this thing

Depends on what you mean. If it's on the web, you can play it.

So Netflix, Hulu, and all that good stuff? Good to hear.

Eh both Google Play and Chrome do a good job of it without any user interference. Not something to worry about, unless you mean actual files and even then Dropbox/GDrive are pretty dead-simple.

Yeah, I realize Chrome sync is phenomenal, but just trying to keep up with having the same apps on both and organized in a similar manner might turn out to be a pain, you know?

The current 16 GB Wi-Fi model is expected to hit $200 when the new 32 GB and/or 3G model is announced at the event. Dunno where the $150 price came from but maybe it's the 8 GB version?

There's also rumors they'll announce a $99 tablet at the event, but not based on the N7 so no one knows how the quality will be.

Maybe I should just wait until after the event to make a decision. A $99 seems too good to be true, honestly. We'll see though...

 

[VoxPop]

Guys, I seriously am having the hardest time deciding between a Nexus 7 and the new $250 Chromebook.

Does anyone here have a Nexus 7 and a Galaxy Nexus simultaneously? If so, do you feel that there is too much similarity to justify owning both? I feel like I'd simply have two Galaxy Nexus phones, but one has a larger screen without the phone. It's hard to decide.

Right now I have a Galaxy Nexus and an iMac. I'd like something portable that's easier to do things on than a smartphone, but also provide entertainment. Can a Chromebook provide me with that? I also don't want to feel like any of my devices are usurping another. A laptop and a smartphone would be perfect for me, but I already have an iMac, and I don't want two fully-fledged desktop computers.

What do you guys think? Anyone here ever feel they have too many devices with a smartphone, netbook/tablet, and a smartphone? Trying to "synchronize" the apps and services I use on each would be such a pain in the ass.

Ugh.

Last question: what's this about a $149 Nexus tablet I'm seeing? Is it expected to go down in price after the October 29th event? If so, I might just bite. That $100 difference between a Nexus tab and Chromebook would probably push me over the edge to opt only for the tablet.

Or maybe I should go used and see how things work out?

I currently own the GNex, iPhone 5, iPad 3, Nexus 7 and yes I would say the GNex is way too similar to the N7 to justify having both. I'm actually pretty conflicted on what to keep and what to get rid of at the moment as well.

While the iPad is very similar to the iPhone, it does have its tablet specific apps to differentiate devices. I also love the retina display and web browsing on the iPad compared to the others.

In my opinion, The Nexus 7 is also much more enjoyable to use than the Gnex. I got it as a hand me down because my girlfriend's parents store couldn't use it with the Square reader and I've been loving it ever since. The form factor is surprisingly good and while it doesn't have a lot of apps like iOS, it still has most of the main stuff like fb, netflix, etc. Great for basic media consumption like watching movies and reading. Even better than the iPad. Its a wonderful device but you would probably put your gnex on the shelf after buying one.

I would probably stick with the N7 as a supplement to my iPhone and iPad. I see myself using the N7 more than my iPad as well due to the convenience in size. I have already dropped my Gnex and using these 3 devices along with my Macbook pro.

The introduction of the New iMac and iPad mini has put me in a tough place again. I absolutely love the 27" iMac I use at work and it sucks coming back to my lowly 24" monitor. I also wouldn't mind dropping the iPad 3 in favor of Mini but I would like some hands on time with it also before making any rash decisions. I might even go about doing a Lumia 920, iPad mini setup along with the N7 to get the best of all worlds.

I also don't know much about the Chromebook but its an online only laptop iirc. It also doesnt support Android apps. Unless you need to do some heavy word processing, I would go with the Nexus 7.

 

[Shai-Tan]

Pretty good. Can do 720p quite well.

MP4 yes. Xvid, no, but there are probably some apps for that. Edit- Rockplayer and CinXplayer can apparently do Xvid.

I tried a lot of players and liked Mx player the best. They improved performance recently and have probably the best image quality followed by Dice player. The negative was it doesn't have network browsing like Dice player. You can play stuff off a network by launching the video with ES File Explorer or File Manager but it would have been nice to have it built in.

The main problem with the Tegra (as well as the SoC in the iPad) is it doesn't support hardware decoding of Dolby ac3. I find it's only just fast enough to software decode which means you maybe get some hiccups that wouldn't happen if Nvidia bothered to get a license to do it in hardware. I find it completely unplayable on the iPad devices using AvplayerHD or CineXplayer but maybe the a6x or newer chips will fix that. Maybe a new Tegra for the refresh will have the hw decode else an a15 cpu can probably do it at the expense of battery life.

The workaround on a home network is to use transcoding software like Emit on android or Air Video on ios but the video quality isn't quite the same especially on the Nexus where it can show the video with a 1:1 pixel mapping instead of scaling up or down

 

[Alex]

MX Player is great, handled everything I've ever tossed at it. One thing I appreciate is its ability to handle subtitle files well, whereas when I had my iPad absolutely nothing could handle the subtitles in foreign films and the bit of anime I watched without choking and skipping lines, wonder if that's better now.