Nexus 7 Android Tablet

Terrysdelight

Hi

I've just been reading up on this product and it looks good to me - but having no experience of tablets/Ipads I can't compare.

Am I understanding this correctly - a tablet is like an Ipad (a competitor), so should have all the features etc of an Ipad?

If so, does anyone have one - would you recommend or should I pay more and go for an Apple Ipad?

I'm looking at the 32gb 'unlocked' version for £239 - does 'unlocked' mean that if I have a mobile phone, I can put the chip in it and browse the internet using my chip/phone tariff?

Many thanks

Neil49

First off, an iPad is a tablet and the name iPad is just a brand name the same as Nexus is to Google/Asus and the Galaxy name is to Samsung.

With an iPad you are tied to Apple for their apps which has the advantage of strict control on development etc but you may find you have to pay for many of them that may be free on an android tablet such as the Nexus or Galaxy.

If you are looking at a 3G version of a tablet then just be aware that many mobile phone operators do not permit use of their data allowance on a pc/tablet. You should check the terms and conditions of your contract nefore doing this. You can however buy sim cards specifically for tablets and prices are falling, but see my next paragraph.

Secondly, if you were going down the route of using your mobile phone chip (as you put it) into the tablet then you may as well just connect your phone to the tablet wirelessly using the tethering feature where your phone acts as a wireless hotspot. If you do this then you don't need to purchase a 3G tablet, just a cheaper wifi version (which is what I do). Most of the time I either connect at home uisng wifi or out and about using free wifi in shops/cafes and only tether as a last resort (as my tariff only has a 500 M/B limit but permits tethering).

As to which one to buy, personally I would go for the Nexus and save a shed load of cash. The iPad is very nice but unless you are taken up by the Apple hype and really have to have one then I can't see any great advantage. Many people go on about the vast range of apps that Apple provide but how many do you really expect to use? Google Play offers a good range of apps for android tablets and I have always found more than enough to keep me going.

Hope this helps.

DCFC79

Terrysdelight wrote: »

Hi

I've just been reading up on this product and it looks good to me - but having no experience of tablets/Ipads I can't compare.

Am I understanding this correctly - a tablet is like an Ipad (a competitor), so should have all the features etc of an Ipad?

If so, does anyone have one - would you recommend or should I pay more and go for an Apple Ipad?

I'm looking at the 32gb 'unlocked' version for £239 - does 'unlocked' mean that if I have a mobile phone, I can put the chip in it and browse the internet using my chip/phone tariff?

Many thanks

Yes a tablet is like an iPad, I could be wrong but no doubt there are some features an ipad has which a nexus doesn't.

Yes thats the idea of it being unlocked as with mobile phones your free to choose your own network, there are sim cards (or chips as you call them) that are specific for ipads and maybe tablets as well.

If you have a wireless router at home you can use the wifi at home and when out and about either use the free wifi hot spots or as Neil suggests tether the phone so the ipad/tablet so it can surf the internet.

Terrysdelight

Thank you both for your really helpful advice.

I basically work for myself and quite often there won't be a router for me to hook up to and definitely no free wifi spots.

I've never done tethering (only heard of it a few weeks ago!) - I shall look into how to do it on my blackberry and laptop to see if I can get on with it. If successful - I will be treating myself to a nice Nexus 7.

Thanks again - you have both been really helpful.

grizzly1911

My daughter has just purchased a Nexus 7 32gb , after quite a bit of research. It is a cracking piece of kit. Crisp screen, good wifi, fast response. Loads of apps I am told. She is well happy.

Would recommend it.

There are Ipad/apple diehards out there that will state the ipad is best but unless you specifically want something only an ipad can do then why go for it apart from brand.

My MIL is the same with branded groceries - must be best.

Each to their own I know which I would buy .

BigRonW

I think tat others have already done a good job here, but (just to be on the safe side) "Unlocked" was an interesting choice of word. Apple hardware (not just phones - tablets too, regardless of whether they have built in 3G data) is "Locked" to pevent you installing software from anywere BUT Official Apple Sources. This is kind of controversial in some techie circles, and circumventing it is known as "Jail breaking". You can install whatever you damned well please on a "Jail broken" iPad (or iPhone).

A similar controversy arises with Android hardware - like the Nexus - although Google is far less restrictive over allowing you to do whatever you want with your hardware (in fact, there's a tick box under "settings" which allows you to install uncertified software at your own risk) There's also a secondary stage with Android kit, known as "rooting", which gives you unencumbered access to the root directory and allows you to make absolutely ANY change you might want to (which is risky if you're NOT a techie!)

The "Nexus" is an unusual piece of kit, in that it's "pure Android", unadalterated by tweaks added by the handware manufacturer (Sony, HTC or Motorola tend to modify Android's interface somewhat) "Nexus" gadgets, be they phones or tablets, are guaranteed to have upgrades made available when the next couple of versions of Android are released. (The current Nexus is madse by ASUS, but the next one's going to be a Samsung product, and the next "Nexus" Phone will be made by LG!) My phone's a Sony "Xperia Arc S", which is running Android v4.03 - Ice Cream Sandwich. There is NO official upgrade for it to 4. 1 ("JellyBean") and nor will there be, but there's an UNofficial upgrade, produced by a team of enthusiastic volunteers, and called "Cyanogen". There's a Cyanogen upgrade for pretty much ANY Android device bringing it more up to date than the manufacturer ever did. With Apple... there is no Cyanogen equivalent. When your hardware is made obsolete by the release of a newer version of the "IOS" operating system - which alas won't run on your hardware.... that's just tough.

Fifer

I'm not sure what is meant by 'unlocked' - the Nexus doesn't have a 3G capability to be locked in the first place, does it?

pogofish

Fifer wrote: »

I'm not sure what is meant by 'unlocked' - the Nexus doesn't have a 3G capability to be locked in the first place, does it?

I believe the 3G version has appeared very recently or is just about to hit the shops.

penrhyn

BigRonW wrote: »

I think tat others have already done a good job here, but (just to be on the safe side) "Unlocked" was an interesting choice of word. Apple hardware (not just phones - tablets too, regardless of whether they have built in 3G data) is "Locked" to pevent you installing software from anywere BUT Official Apple Sources. This is kind of controversial in some techie circles, and circumventing it is known as "Jail breaking". You can install whatever you damned well please on a "Jail broken" iPad (or iPhone).

A similar controversy arises with Android hardware - like the Nexus - although Google is far less restrictive over allowing you to do whatever you want with your hardware (in fact, there's a tick box under "settings" which allows you to install uncertified software at your own risk) There's also a secondary stage with Android kit, known as "rooting", which gives you unencumbered access to the root directory and allows you to make absolutely ANY change you might want to (which is risky if you're NOT a techie!)

The "Nexus" is an unusual piece of kit, in that it's "pure Android", unadalterated by tweaks added by the handware manufacturer (Sony, HTC or Motorola tend to modify Android's interface somewhat) "Nexus" gadgets, be they phones or tablets, are guaranteed to have upgrades made available when the next couple of versions of Android are released. (The current Nexus is madse by ASUS, but the next one's going to be a Samsung product, and the next "Nexus" Phone will be made by LG!) My phone's a Sony "Xperia Arc S", which is running Android v4.03 - Ice Cream Sandwich. There is NO official upgrade for it to 4. 1 ("JellyBean") and nor will there be, but there's an UNofficial upgrade, produced by a team of enthusiastic volunteers, and called "Cyanogen". There's a Cyanogen upgrade for pretty much ANY Android device bringing it more up to date than the manufacturer ever did. With Apple... there is no Cyanogen equivalent. When your hardware is made obsolete by the release of a newer version of the "IOS" operating system - which alas won't run on your hardware.... that's just tough.

FWIW The latest issue of Jellybean is 4.2, my N7 upgraded the other day. Not much to write home about though.

kwikbreaks

penrhyn wrote: »

Not much to write home about though.

I think the 360 camera was the biggest most noticeable thing in JB and of course with no rear camera the Nexus 7 doesn't support that. I looked around to see if there wer any hacks yet to use the front facing camera but didn't see any. I'm hoping one will come as for a 360 camera being able to see while shooting really isn't essential.

almillar

There have been lots of attempts at tablets over the years, mostly unsuccessful, which involved trying to make computers smaller.
What currently constitutes a 'tablet computer' (which started with the iPad) is, pretty much, a phone with a bigger screen and battery, and the phone bits removed. That means it runs on a phone/mobile OS - iOS, Android etc rather than OSX, Windows etc. Different tablets will have different features - screen size, resolution, storage, cameras, GPS etc - you need to check what you want and what you can have.
Jellybean 4.2 - Multiple users on the same tablet has been added which I think is very useful.