Is my first tablet going to be the Nexus 7?

Alright, alright, I think we c.an agree that I’ve been waiting to get a tablet for a very long time.

1. I’ve looked at the various iterations of the Apple iPad for years. Heck, I had an iPod Touch (gen 1), then an iPhone 4. The iPad (gens 1 through the latest one with the Retina display) looked so good to me. What stopped me all this time? The cost, of course. They’re freakin’ expensive. I had two options — either the 32 Gb wifi-only or the LTE model. Unfortunately, that would either run me $600 or $750, which is a pretty penny to plunk down for a tablet. With so many other things to worry about, it wasn’t like a tablet for my own personal use wasn’t a priority.

2. In the past three years since the Gen 1 iPad came out, I’ve moved on to Android. I’ve become a bit bored or disillusioned with iOS. For example, we all went to the Menlo Park mall, and while waiting around, the kids and I stopped at the Apple store. For the first time, I was….. underwhelmed? by it. I’ve had my Galaxy S4 for about two months, and I actually prefer Android now. To conceivably go back to iOS now didn’t seem right. I have a lot of movies through the digital copy program, but was this best and only reason to buy an iPad now?

3. I’ve been checking out the Sony Xperia Z tablet, but the screen and wifi reception issues put me off. Also, in person, I didn’t find it all that comfortable to hold — too sharp and angular. Go figure. Finally, while the ability to be dustproof and waterproof are cool in itself, constantly having to open and close those little tabs/covers whenever I wanted to charge the tablet or use my headphones seemed more cumbersome than anything else. So I’m interested in an Android now. Which to get?

The updated Google Nexus 7

The updated Google Nexus 7

4. Last year, I bought my wife the Nexus 7 as a gift, but turned out that she liked the bigger 10″ screen on the Nexus 10 instead. A year later, she still likes the Nexus 10. I wasn’t interested in copying her here. Google announced the much anticipated refresh of the highly popular Nexus 7 this week. It’s got a 1080p screen, and other additional updated internal specifications. I’m a “big screen” kind of guy, but it’s got me thinking. I want a tablet to browse the web and watch Netflix in bed. I also want a tablet that I can use to watch videos while we are on vacation later this summer. I already have a smartphone with a 5″ 1080p HD screen that I use already to do this, but I could use a slightly larger screen, and a better battery capacity. A 10″ screen is better to me, but the low price point is amazing. A $600 iPad is expensive, but a 7″ screen for only $269 is a lower threshold to overcome.

Before I finalize my decision, I want to hold it in my hand. I want to see if the 7″ screen is good enough, or am I going to be yearning for a larger screen in a few months. We visited a local Best Buy which has the new Nexus 7 in stock, but they had no floor model on display. I’ll have to wait a few more days before I know for sure.

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1 Response to Is my first tablet going to be the Nexus 7?

  1. Pingback: My Google Nexus 7 has arrived - Tales From The Ipe!

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