I actually think that post-ICS and especially with Jelly Bean that Android is a superior tablet OS to iOS, at least for me. There's basically no feature on iOS that I miss when I'm on Android, but a few (eg. custom keyboards, the overall intent system, etc) that I miss when I'm on iOS.
iOS still kills Android for app availability though (especially when it comes to "tablet optimized" apps) and between that and iOS ecosystem lock-in, Android/Google still has some catching up to do to make tablets a true two-horse race.
> iOS still kills Android for app availability though (especially when it comes to "tablet optimized" apps)
I keep hearing that. But never seen it backed up. Based on exactly what does people say this? There's no efficient way to "count" Android tablet optimized apps. So how do you compare? Is it because there are some major apps that still works bad on Android tablets? If so, which ones?
I remember when Honeycomb just came out. It was terrible, most apps I'd download looked terrible, and I furiously uninstalled many of them. It was so frustrating. But it has been a long time since I don't feel like that anymore. Today, every app I use on my phone is nicely optimized for my tablet as well. I literally cannot think of a single example of one app I'm missing tablet support for. Yet, the "Android still doesn't have tablet optimized apps" meme didn't stop.
But maybe I'm just living under a rock and haven't been using the same apps as others. So I humbly ask, could anyone please give me an objective argument for this point to understand if there's actually still any merit to it?
This is a google device, not a run-of-the-mill Android device (most of which are not on ICS much less JB).
This point is very important - it makes the device more like an iOS one - more likely for updates, more fine touches as Google's cred rests on it.
If we see other tablets of similar calibre to the nexus7, then yes - you can say "Android" compares/best iOS. But for right now, it's nexus7 vs. iPad or Kindle Fire.
Jelly Bean added a bunch of stuff that I'm very happy to see as a developer. But it will take a long while for that to trickle down to the user level, even for people who get on Jelly Bean quickly.
On the other hand, this translates into bucketloads of low-hanging fruit if you're an Android developer.
Android is inferior to iOS. Google Android could be on par with iOS, that's exciting and I can't wait to try the Nexus 7.
But it takes only one glance at what is released under the "Android" name for me to definitively state: Android is inferior to iOS.
But that's the point of Android. There is very, very little centralized quality control so the spectrum of quality goes all the way from the Nexus 7 down to a $99 POS Walgreens Android tablet.
I have to give Siegler credit for actually posting an objective review of an Android device.
No matter which side you favor in the tablet wars I think you have to agree that we're better off as hackers and consumers in a market with real competition. Rather than picking sides we should be happy that Apple and Google are pushing each other to improve their hardware and software at a rate we rarely see in consumer electronics.
I always wonder when I read a comment like this. Is 'objective' a proxy for 'positive'? Is the implication that his negative reviews of previous Android tablets were not objective? Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. Sorry for picking on you particularly but the word Objective is a very loaded one.
> we're better off as hackers and consumers in a market with real competition
On the tablet market, the competition was decimated by the iPad, which was, objectively, overall better than any contender, and by a comfortable margin. Yes Android could potentially do stuff better than iOS, yes hardware could be non-crap, but what was going out of the door was not even in the same league at all. The only one that had real potential at some point was the WebOS based one†.
Until now.
The trouble was that if you had the balls to tell this fact you were irrevocably dismissed as an Apple fanatic.
I long for this tablet to be available outside North America.
†The Kindle Fire is completely under-specced in terms of quality. The Nexus 7 and iPad are both way better.
It really depends on what you perceive as objective. I'm not sure I would call it objective, but I would certainly call it a bad review. Every other sentence contains an Apple reference. While this is to be expected when Siegler writes a review, this is a way too narrow view for a good review.
His conclusion is basically, that there is room for an iPad Mini and Jelly Bean is faster and not much about the Nexus7 itself.
I don't understand why people praise a journalist for doing his job (that is, not being a total Apple fanboy). I guess I have different standards towards (tech) journalism.
It's nice to see real discussion about good products, rather than hearing the opinions of thinly veiled loyalists.
As a person who is often mistaken for being an apple fan because I'd rather people discussed each platform factually rather than sharing false information that smells of a loyalists agenda, I'm pleased to see TC putting out a balanced review.
Awesome! Now if Google can just distribute it beyond the initial five launch nations, create meaningful product support, rework a half million third-party applications, and answer growing malware concerns they'll have a sweet two-month sales window all to themselves before you-know-who barges into their market.
As much as a I love the idea of a 7 inch tablet, there's just one thing that I really really use my tablet for and that's reading PDFs and old scanned comic books (guilty pleasure). The size of a ~10" tablet is more or less perfect for this despite the difficulties in handling the size of the device while in bed vs. a 7".
I can see a 10" being a little too heavy to hold after a while. A 7-8" is at the right weight / size to hold with one hand then switch to another without getting to tired too quickly.
Browsing is tricky as clicking on tiny links take more work, I find I need to do a lot more zooming in on the 7".
Another advantage of many 7"-ers is they can charge from the USB port. If for some reason you also have your laptop with you, you can often plug the tablet into it and it will charge (albeit much slower than from the wall charger), most 10"-ers cannot do that.
I have to disagree on this. 7 inches are so much better when you want to read on the crowded NYC subway. I already tried with an iPad and it's a whole lot more inconvenient.
What I read from this article is: "Apple should release a 7" iPad and I will buy it at once. I am sad I have to use a Google product now but this 7" form factor is really irresistible".
Let's hold on a sec and put things in perspective. Although MG is regarded by some as an Apple fan boy, this is not the first time he has been enthusiastic about a non-Apple tablet.
http://m.techcrunch.com/2011/09/02/amazon-kindle-tablet/
and we aren't still aren't sure what the prospects are for the Fire.
This is important to note because although Amazon has a strong commerce offering and can provide music and videos, it's own tablet lacks in apps.
The Nexus offers plenty of apps, in my opinion, but the music and video offerings are pretty weak right now.
The iOS ecosystem still offers it all, with a strong retail presence to boot, and if Apple introduces a 7ish" tablet at a good price point, I'm not sure how this will stack up then.
Why would you want to hold your tablet with two hands, other than perhaps gaming? But I figure it should be easier to play them if it's smaller. You're using the iPad with 2 hands, because you don't usually have a choice.
I do think Google needs to make the next version 7.7"-8", though. I think 7" is a little too small. Basically they should make one that is as large as possible (but up to 8"), which you can still hold easily with just one hand. From what I've noticed I think Samsung's 7.7" tablet qualifies for that.
> Why would you want to hold your tablet with two hands, other than perhaps gaming?
Only slightly related, but: Is there any data on how people use tablets? I feel we're just making guesses based on smartphones all the time.
Example: My iPad spends the whole breakfast standing (in a case) on the table with me only turning eBook pages. Then it spends the evening somehow tucked into the bed as a movie machine. When I read in bed after that, I always read sideways and I'm happy that the iPad is so wide.
I could never connect with the Kindle ads because it wouldn't occur to me to hold the iPad (or a magazine or thick book) freely to read.
Other people may be obsessed with BT keyboards or other gadgets even.
In his review he says that he accidentally has pressed the software buttons while playing games. I don't know about Jelly Bean but on my TF101 ICS there's an explicit option to enable locking/unlocking of the soft buttons if you check the advanced page on the system settings. Once that's enabled, a small "slide to lock" padlock is constantly visibly in the middle of the status bar screen. So the next time when you want to play or something, just slide to lock the soft-buttons.
Wow. Someone not only discovers that a 7" inch tablet is smaller than an iPad, but that a smaller tablet is also a thing unto itself with special use cases. Welcome to 2010.
Actually, most reviews I've seen specifically mention Asus. Seems like they're in a winning situation: they're just about the only people making a profit on the Nexus 7.
Why after a few years is noone able to build a 10 inch tablet? I honestly don't care how good an Android tablet is, I'm just so accustomed to the iPad form factor that I won't give it up. To get me interested, an Android manufacturer needs to come up with a bezel-less 9" or 10" tablet with more screen real estate than the iPad.
I've had a Transformer Prime for several months and have been enjoying the supposedly unobtainable Android tablet experience that everyone is waiting for. It runs stock ICS and has a 10.1" screen, and I actually wish it had a bit more of a bezel. I really don't understand why people are ignoring the Transformer Prime.
And the Transformer Infinity is coming out tomorrow, with a 1920x1200 screen, fixes to the Transformer Prime's GPS/Wifi issues (which I have not personally seen), and a micro SD slot & HDMI out (two of the things missing from the Nexus 7).
Ignoring good products seems to be a big issue with Android - with phones, people are complaining about skinning and lack of updates when the Galaxy Nexus is just sitting there waiting for buyers (I've already got Jelly Bean running on my GN).
[+] [-] georgemcbay|13 years ago|reply
iOS still kills Android for app availability though (especially when it comes to "tablet optimized" apps) and between that and iOS ecosystem lock-in, Android/Google still has some catching up to do to make tablets a true two-horse race.
[+] [-] vibrunazo|13 years ago|reply
I keep hearing that. But never seen it backed up. Based on exactly what does people say this? There's no efficient way to "count" Android tablet optimized apps. So how do you compare? Is it because there are some major apps that still works bad on Android tablets? If so, which ones?
I remember when Honeycomb just came out. It was terrible, most apps I'd download looked terrible, and I furiously uninstalled many of them. It was so frustrating. But it has been a long time since I don't feel like that anymore. Today, every app I use on my phone is nicely optimized for my tablet as well. I literally cannot think of a single example of one app I'm missing tablet support for. Yet, the "Android still doesn't have tablet optimized apps" meme didn't stop.
But maybe I'm just living under a rock and haven't been using the same apps as others. So I humbly ask, could anyone please give me an objective argument for this point to understand if there's actually still any merit to it?
[+] [-] r00fus|13 years ago|reply
This point is very important - it makes the device more like an iOS one - more likely for updates, more fine touches as Google's cred rests on it.
If we see other tablets of similar calibre to the nexus7, then yes - you can say "Android" compares/best iOS. But for right now, it's nexus7 vs. iPad or Kindle Fire.
[+] [-] glimcat|13 years ago|reply
On the other hand, this translates into bucketloads of low-hanging fruit if you're an Android developer.
[+] [-] betterth|13 years ago|reply
But it takes only one glance at what is released under the "Android" name for me to definitively state: Android is inferior to iOS.
But that's the point of Android. There is very, very little centralized quality control so the spectrum of quality goes all the way from the Nexus 7 down to a $99 POS Walgreens Android tablet.
[+] [-] cageface|13 years ago|reply
No matter which side you favor in the tablet wars I think you have to agree that we're better off as hackers and consumers in a market with real competition. Rather than picking sides we should be happy that Apple and Google are pushing each other to improve their hardware and software at a rate we rarely see in consumer electronics.
[+] [-] simonh|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] lloeki|13 years ago|reply
On the tablet market, the competition was decimated by the iPad, which was, objectively, overall better than any contender, and by a comfortable margin. Yes Android could potentially do stuff better than iOS, yes hardware could be non-crap, but what was going out of the door was not even in the same league at all. The only one that had real potential at some point was the WebOS based one†.
Until now.
The trouble was that if you had the balls to tell this fact you were irrevocably dismissed as an Apple fanatic.
I long for this tablet to be available outside North America.
†The Kindle Fire is completely under-specced in terms of quality. The Nexus 7 and iPad are both way better.
[+] [-] tjogin|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ch0wn|13 years ago|reply
His conclusion is basically, that there is room for an iPad Mini and Jelly Bean is faster and not much about the Nexus7 itself.
[+] [-] epsylon|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] idspispopd|13 years ago|reply
As a person who is often mistaken for being an apple fan because I'd rather people discussed each platform factually rather than sharing false information that smells of a loyalists agenda, I'm pleased to see TC putting out a balanced review.
[+] [-] jpxxx|13 years ago|reply
I want one anyway.
[+] [-] jbarham|13 years ago|reply
That's still much better than the Amazon Fire which AFAIK isn't even sold outside of the US.
See also this article from The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/28/3122716/nexus-7-internatio... ("The Nexus 7's most important price is £159, not $199").
[+] [-] bane|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rdtsc|13 years ago|reply
Browsing is tricky as clicking on tiny links take more work, I find I need to do a lot more zooming in on the 7".
Another advantage of many 7"-ers is they can charge from the USB port. If for some reason you also have your laptop with you, you can often plug the tablet into it and it will charge (albeit much slower than from the wall charger), most 10"-ers cannot do that.
[+] [-] eLobato|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jessriedel|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] donniezazen|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wangweij|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chj|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sidcool|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dr_|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mtgx|13 years ago|reply
I do think Google needs to make the next version 7.7"-8", though. I think 7" is a little too small. Basically they should make one that is as large as possible (but up to 8"), which you can still hold easily with just one hand. From what I've noticed I think Samsung's 7.7" tablet qualifies for that.
[+] [-] gurkendoktor|13 years ago|reply
Only slightly related, but: Is there any data on how people use tablets? I feel we're just making guesses based on smartphones all the time.
Example: My iPad spends the whole breakfast standing (in a case) on the table with me only turning eBook pages. Then it spends the evening somehow tucked into the bed as a movie machine. When I read in bed after that, I always read sideways and I'm happy that the iPad is so wide.
I could never connect with the Kindle ads because it wouldn't occur to me to hold the iPad (or a magazine or thick book) freely to read.
Other people may be obsessed with BT keyboards or other gadgets even.
[+] [-] taligent|13 years ago|reply
It's more comfortable to hold it with two.
[+] [-] sigkill|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rdtsc|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mikecane|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] grecy|13 years ago|reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3...
[+] [-] mycodebreaks|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chrisbroadfoot|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tuananh|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Achshar|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] adventureful|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] officemonkey|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bluthru|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wavephorm|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] w1ntermute|13 years ago|reply
And the Transformer Infinity is coming out tomorrow, with a 1920x1200 screen, fixes to the Transformer Prime's GPS/Wifi issues (which I have not personally seen), and a micro SD slot & HDMI out (two of the things missing from the Nexus 7).
Ignoring good products seems to be a big issue with Android - with phones, people are complaining about skinning and lack of updates when the Galaxy Nexus is just sitting there waiting for buyers (I've already got Jelly Bean running on my GN).
[+] [-] jarek|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] r00fus|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] CamperBob2|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gringomorcego|13 years ago|reply