Google Nexus 7 Tablet
- Thread starter jayhoz
- Start date
Taptu has surpassed Currents, Greader, and Pulse as my go-to blog/news reading app. Nice widget pack too.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.taptu.streams&hl=en
I updated to 4.2 a couple days ago.... And have had some very noticeable lag. I also have just over 2 gb free (16 gb), and and I think recall some complaints about performance when close to filling up the storage. The stock launcher often times freezes as well.
None of this was happening before the 4.2 update.
Anyone else on stock unrooted 4.2 experiencing lag issues when opening and running apps?
None of this was happening before the 4.2 update.
Anyone else on stock unrooted 4.2 experiencing lag issues when opening and running apps?
I've had the Nexus 10 a few days now, enough to have used it quite a bit, thought I'd throw together an impressions post. Will break it down by topic.
Form factor - coming from an HP Touchpad it's just so much lighter and easier to hold on to due to the slightly grippy back and the much lighter weight. The screen is pretty spectacular to look at.
OS - I like the split notifications and settings in the top bar, and I like the overall smoothness vs the hacked ICS build that I had running on the Touchpad. No complaints about speed whatsoever.
Web Browser - Came with Chrome installed, I was surprised with the very high screen resolution how rarely I notice aside from text being super smooth. Bill Simmons' Grantland is one exception I can think of, where the text column jumps into a funny place by default.
Video - With such a bright high-resolution widescreen video is a natural thing. Netflix, Hulu+ are both pretty great looking. HBO Go has the best UI I've seen them do anywhere (comparing vs Laptop and Web). XFinityTV has one of the rare scaling problems, where some of the channel logos are teeny tiny inside big buttons. The Youtube app fills the screen well considering the low fidelity video.
Reading - I don't think a backlit tablet will replace the Kindle for me any time soon, especially the new PaperWhite. The Kindle app does look good on this screen though and offers lots of options. I've also been using News360 for both the widget and the app itself, which is quite attractive an offers a wide variety of content. I messed with Pulse also and preferred that one. Also ponied up the $2 for the "golden platinum" edition of the Reddit is Fun app that has added a good tablet UI.
Forums (this place) - Tapatalk is up there with the basic Twitter app in the "waste of real estate" app category, with just one column browsing. I feel like they could imitate the Gmail or Reddit (mentioned earlier) apps and do something with columns in landscape, to jump between forums/topics without hitting back constantly. May email them about this, it's a paid app they should get with it.
Email - I've written a couple of emails in the Gmail app, and I like the columned UI of it. Can't say too much. But that brings me to...
Keyboard - the 4.2 Android Keyboard is kind of lame, no long-hold for symbol support at all, so have to constantly switch modes for numbers and symbols. Lame like the iPhone, where I don't like the keyboard much at all. Ponied up for SwiftKey tablet but it's still pretty awkward in-between thumbable and single-finger tap. Would use an outboard keyboard for any serious typing. (Writing this on my laptop)
Games - Not a huge tablet gamer but I downloaded one of my favorites, Puzzle Quest 2, and it looks good and loads quickly. My one complaint is that a lot of the board game translations are iOS only right now. Hoping Microsoft adds SmartGlass support for tablets, while I don't love the keyboard on this it is preferable to the controller-based on-screen one on the 360.
Social - Not on Facebook or G+, using Plume for Twitter right now though I'm open to suggestions if there is a better tablet-friendly client.
Photography - I really like the interface of Glimmr for browsing my Flickr account. I bought the premium for the higher resolution previews. The camera on board is emergency-only grade, and I don't want to (often) be "that guy" taking photos on a tablet.
2048px.com has some good wallpapers and I found some other "iPad Retina" ones in geometric styles that I like. Really hard to get my own photos to work well as a wallpaper because of portrait/landscape and how it scrolls. I really don't share a taste with whoever does the default Android backgrounds for Google, I think they use some gross palettes.
Other - Maps and BostonBus map look and work great. Bank of America has a good tablet-only version of their app that may be better than their desktop web site. Looked into Google Magazines since I have a couple of paper subscriptions, they don't translate over and it's a total rip off.
That's pretty much what I've played with. Haven't messed with the music apps (pandora/spotify) that I'd use online because I'd tend to use them on headphones or better speakers. Nothing else really sticks out so far.
What are other people using on the Nexus 7/10 or other Android tablets?
Form factor - coming from an HP Touchpad it's just so much lighter and easier to hold on to due to the slightly grippy back and the much lighter weight. The screen is pretty spectacular to look at.
OS - I like the split notifications and settings in the top bar, and I like the overall smoothness vs the hacked ICS build that I had running on the Touchpad. No complaints about speed whatsoever.
Web Browser - Came with Chrome installed, I was surprised with the very high screen resolution how rarely I notice aside from text being super smooth. Bill Simmons' Grantland is one exception I can think of, where the text column jumps into a funny place by default.
Video - With such a bright high-resolution widescreen video is a natural thing. Netflix, Hulu+ are both pretty great looking. HBO Go has the best UI I've seen them do anywhere (comparing vs Laptop and Web). XFinityTV has one of the rare scaling problems, where some of the channel logos are teeny tiny inside big buttons. The Youtube app fills the screen well considering the low fidelity video.
Reading - I don't think a backlit tablet will replace the Kindle for me any time soon, especially the new PaperWhite. The Kindle app does look good on this screen though and offers lots of options. I've also been using News360 for both the widget and the app itself, which is quite attractive an offers a wide variety of content. I messed with Pulse also and preferred that one. Also ponied up the $2 for the "golden platinum" edition of the Reddit is Fun app that has added a good tablet UI.
Forums (this place) - Tapatalk is up there with the basic Twitter app in the "waste of real estate" app category, with just one column browsing. I feel like they could imitate the Gmail or Reddit (mentioned earlier) apps and do something with columns in landscape, to jump between forums/topics without hitting back constantly. May email them about this, it's a paid app they should get with it.
Email - I've written a couple of emails in the Gmail app, and I like the columned UI of it. Can't say too much. But that brings me to...
Keyboard - the 4.2 Android Keyboard is kind of lame, no long-hold for symbol support at all, so have to constantly switch modes for numbers and symbols. Lame like the iPhone, where I don't like the keyboard much at all. Ponied up for SwiftKey tablet but it's still pretty awkward in-between thumbable and single-finger tap. Would use an outboard keyboard for any serious typing. (Writing this on my laptop)
Games - Not a huge tablet gamer but I downloaded one of my favorites, Puzzle Quest 2, and it looks good and loads quickly. My one complaint is that a lot of the board game translations are iOS only right now. Hoping Microsoft adds SmartGlass support for tablets, while I don't love the keyboard on this it is preferable to the controller-based on-screen one on the 360.
Social - Not on Facebook or G+, using Plume for Twitter right now though I'm open to suggestions if there is a better tablet-friendly client.
Photography - I really like the interface of Glimmr for browsing my Flickr account. I bought the premium for the higher resolution previews. The camera on board is emergency-only grade, and I don't want to (often) be "that guy" taking photos on a tablet.
2048px.com has some good wallpapers and I found some other "iPad Retina" ones in geometric styles that I like. Really hard to get my own photos to work well as a wallpaper because of portrait/landscape and how it scrolls. I really don't share a taste with whoever does the default Android backgrounds for Google, I think they use some gross palettes.
Other - Maps and BostonBus map look and work great. Bank of America has a good tablet-only version of their app that may be better than their desktop web site. Looked into Google Magazines since I have a couple of paper subscriptions, they don't translate over and it's a total rip off.
That's pretty much what I've played with. Haven't messed with the music apps (pandora/spotify) that I'd use online because I'd tend to use them on headphones or better speakers. Nothing else really sticks out so far.
What are other people using on the Nexus 7/10 or other Android tablets?
Poking around xda, a few people ran forever gone, and an app that cleans up an sd card... I ran it, and now no more lag. Nexus 7 is running as well as before the 4.2 update.
So I just picked up the Nexus 7, thanks to Office Depot's black Friday deal (32gb for $220) and I love it. Its on 4.1 right now, but I'm waiting to get home before updating. I don't trust Starbucks WiFi enough to update in the shop. I have an iPad 1, but I don't see myself using it much anymore. The form factor is great and its really light. Plus the screen is awesome on the N7.
The only thing that will take some getting used to is the OS, but I like it so far. As an Apple user, I don't see much a difference in the apps so far and the user experience is just as good. Nice little device.
The only thing that will take some getting used to is the OS, but I like it so far. As an Apple user, I don't see much a difference in the apps so far and the user experience is just as good. Nice little device.
Possibly relevant to people in this thread, there is a beta out for Tapatalk HD, which is more tablet friendly. Resembles the Gmail app that ships on the N7/N10 from the screenshots. I don't have my tablet on me so I can't test, but it must look better than the current one.
Edit: definite step up
Edit: definite step up
The boss just gave us all Nexus 7 tablets for Christmas.
Work productivity levels this afternoon will be low.
Work productivity levels this afternoon will be low.
Just picked up one of these bad boys today. Love it so far.
Was wondering if there was a way to get my text messages on the tablet and found an app called TabletSMS. Seems to work perfectly. Figured I'd pass it along.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.tabletsms&hl=en
Was wondering if there was a way to get my text messages on the tablet and found an app called TabletSMS. Seems to work perfectly. Figured I'd pass it along.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.tabletsms&hl=en
The Play Store apps section has a few promoted sections with tablet-friendly apps in them. Try some, see if you like them. Some people have put up suggestions in this thread with a view towards tablets also. There are other apps in the other thread(s) (phone thread/app thread) but they may not be the most tablet-optimized.
My 4 nieces got me one of these for Christmas (32GB), so I'm pretty stoked. Haven't played with it too much yet, as it's my first "smart" device of any type (still have a basic flip phone) and it's a little overwhelming trying to follow along with everyone's suggestions where a shitload of abbreviations and unfamiliar tech lingo is the norm. For instance, I have no idea how to check things like battery power, available storage space, etc. I'll figure them out eventually through the Power of Google, so no need to answer. But I really love the size, appearance and portability. I've taken notes on some of the apps noted in this thread, and everyone's input is appreciated.
Like SaintNick, as a laptop user I find the keyboard extremely annoying. Toggling between letters & numbers sucks, and it took me about 3 minutes to type in the alphanumeric security key for my Comcast wifi. I'm hoping there's an app out there that emulates a standard PC or laptop layout, since for me an external keyboard would be pointless (I might as well just use my ThinkPad).
One question I do have, though it's more related to the cloud than this specific device: If I set up a Google Play account, will I be able to upload mp3s from my laptop & external hard drives to the cloud so I can listen to them on the Nexus? Some of my stuff is on the rare/eclectic side, while others were ripped from out of print CDs and LPs, so they're not available through Spotify, Pandora, or any other music service. I really don't want to take up storage on the Nexus.
Like SaintNick, as a laptop user I find the keyboard extremely annoying. Toggling between letters & numbers sucks, and it took me about 3 minutes to type in the alphanumeric security key for my Comcast wifi. I'm hoping there's an app out there that emulates a standard PC or laptop layout, since for me an external keyboard would be pointless (I might as well just use my ThinkPad).
One question I do have, though it's more related to the cloud than this specific device: If I set up a Google Play account, will I be able to upload mp3s from my laptop & external hard drives to the cloud so I can listen to them on the Nexus? Some of my stuff is on the rare/eclectic side, while others were ripped from out of print CDs and LPs, so they're not available through Spotify, Pandora, or any other music service. I really don't want to take up storage on the Nexus.
Here's a link regarding the Google Play cloud and putting your music on it.
I like the standard Jelly Bean keyboard. Some don't. I find it is good for Swiping. You can decide if swiping is for you or not of course.
SwiftKey is generally regarded as the best keyboard app - you will have to pay for it. Make sure you get the tablet version. It requires a toggle to see numbers though, even on the tablet. However it's predictive text is bar none and it will learn from you as you type.
I like the standard Jelly Bean keyboard. Some don't. I find it is good for Swiping. You can decide if swiping is for you or not of course.
SwiftKey is generally regarded as the best keyboard app - you will have to pay for it. Make sure you get the tablet version. It requires a toggle to see numbers though, even on the tablet. However it's predictive text is bar none and it will learn from you as you type.
I have about 2500 songs uploaded to Google Play and stream them off of the N7 without actually loading the songs to the device. Works really well for me.
Dog
Go the Swype route for keyboard. Watch the tutorials and practice.
Also - Amazon Cloud Player is an option for music as well.
Go the Swype route for keyboard. Watch the tutorials and practice.
Also - Amazon Cloud Player is an option for music as well.
I think Swift Key Flow blows Swype out of the water. Much smoother and seemingly more accurate.
http://www.swiftkey.net/flow/
http://www.swiftkey.net/flow/
Before you do that, I would test it for a while first.
I thought I mentioned this in one of these Android app, or something threads, but I was looking exactly for something like this. Think about it, with talkatone, you wouldn't need to use *any* of your cell phone minutes or buy a separate text messaging package. Instead, all you would ever need is an unlimited data plan (for when you aren't on wi-fi). T-Mobile, for example, offers for $30/month, unlimited 4G (throttled after X GB), unlimited texts, 100 minutes. Thirty dollars!
So, in the summer, I found talkatone, and I did a test phone call in my house to my mother's cell phone (she was in Mass at the time). The quality of the phone call was fairly poor, with a lot of feedback, moreso when I had her on speakerphone. Maybe I should test again, but I wasn't impressed at that time. This thread/post is giving me the initiative to play around with it again though.
The Tapatalk HD is now in beta on the Play Store, instead of having to sideload an apk like before. Gets smoother with each update.
I would like to use a tablet for PDF document reading and was hoping you guys could educate me about Android tablets.
Ideally, I would be able to use Dropbox just like on a PC. Create a folder in Dropbox/ , put the PDF files there, read them with a reading app, annotate where needed (sticky notes, highlighting), and have them automatically synced back to the cloud. So that I can transparently open them on either PC or tablet and they will be kept in sync. This is basically the killer feature of Dropbox.
On an ipad, this doesn't seem to be possible. You have to click "import from Dropbox" to pull the file in, and when you're done, hit "sync to Dropbox". Having used distributed file systems since DFS/AFS, and knowing myself, I know I will forget to sync often enough that I will just eventually give up on saving changes on the tablet. Which is frustrating the hell out of me because I thought this would be transparent -aaah!
On an Android tablet, is it possible to install Dropbox, open PDFs directly from the Dropbox folder, and have Dropbox automatically keep them in sync? If so, I'm returning this iPad and getting a Nexus 10.
(I know that Goodreader and PDF Expert on the ipad provide somewhat similar services, but for other files including text files and video stuff I'd really like to have a filesystem on the tablet that syncs to my desktop, and if the Android tablets do this and the iPad does not it's worth it for me to switch)
Ideally, I would be able to use Dropbox just like on a PC. Create a folder in Dropbox/ , put the PDF files there, read them with a reading app, annotate where needed (sticky notes, highlighting), and have them automatically synced back to the cloud. So that I can transparently open them on either PC or tablet and they will be kept in sync. This is basically the killer feature of Dropbox.
On an ipad, this doesn't seem to be possible. You have to click "import from Dropbox" to pull the file in, and when you're done, hit "sync to Dropbox". Having used distributed file systems since DFS/AFS, and knowing myself, I know I will forget to sync often enough that I will just eventually give up on saving changes on the tablet. Which is frustrating the hell out of me because I thought this would be transparent -aaah!
On an Android tablet, is it possible to install Dropbox, open PDFs directly from the Dropbox folder, and have Dropbox automatically keep them in sync? If so, I'm returning this iPad and getting a Nexus 10.
(I know that Goodreader and PDF Expert on the ipad provide somewhat similar services, but for other files including text files and video stuff I'd really like to have a filesystem on the tablet that syncs to my desktop, and if the Android tablets do this and the iPad does not it's worth it for me to switch)
Using my Galaxy Siii I was able to do as you described with an excel document (not sure how to annotate PDFs). On the phone I opened the file from the Dropbox app. It opened in my default office app (OfficeSuite Pro). I edited the file and hit save in OfficeSuite Pro and it automatically updated the dropbox version both on the phone and on my PC.
Looks like there's an app called DropSync that will do just that.
http://lifehacker.co...r-android-phone
https://play.google....txapps.dropsync
Thanks everyone - I wanted to know if anyone had direct experience with using Dropbox/Dropsync to keep files in sync across Android devices, and if there were any hidden bugaboos. And that's exactly the answer I was hoping for.
Someone asked a question about home screen launchers on the android phone thread... and it got me to thinking about my N7's launcher and tablet specific ones. I've been looking at Chameleon launcher, and can't seem to pull the trigger on it just yet. Anybody use Chameleon or one of the higher end (like Next Launcher or SPB Shell... both of which are around $15... yikes!).
I have Nova Launcher Prime on my phone, but just curious if anyone loaded up a tablet launcher.
I have Nova Launcher Prime on my phone, but just curious if anyone loaded up a tablet launcher.
Nova Prime works well on the N7 too, but it's the same phone type interface if that's something you want to avoid. I can't justify $15 for a launcher, but I've been tempted to try them out and then return it in the 15 minute window.
Got the N10 a few days ago. This thing is amazing. Seamless integration w Dropbox, so I can both read and edit PDFs and Word docs (using DocsToGo) from the tablet or from other computers. Screen is great. Chrome interface is far better than Safari on the iPad. The only thing I prefer on the iPad so far is its aspect ratio.
Google and Samsung are killing it with this device.
Google and Samsung are killing it with this device.
App is now out of Beta and on sale for 24 hours only for $0.99 rather than $4.99.
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/01/14/tapatalk-hd-out-of-beta-on-google-play-launch-sale-initiated-at-0-99/
So I just got a Nexus 7 32 GB; it was well-priced, so I suppose it's last year's model. It's been inundated with updates. The most recent one is KitKat, which I believe replaces Jellybean. I haven't installed it yet. I have done a bit of Googling, but can't see the real advantage for me in the update. There was also this scary article, which I don't pretend to understand : http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/11/25/bug-watch-nexus-4-kitkat-ota-krt16s-causing-bizarre-home-button-and-quick-settings-issues/ Any opinions?
I couldn't find a widget for the camera, and apparently you need to download a camera launcher. That seems strange.
Also, I was looking to duplicate on the Nexus the Android apps I already have on the phone. I thought I could do that wirelessly by syncing the two, but while I can easily locate the sync on the phone, haven't found it yet on the Nexus. I guess I can just go to Google Play and get the apps again. Using the same Gmail account, I shouldn't be charged again, I THINK.
I don't like the way Chrome displays Sosh on the Nexus. I haven't yet been able to get rid of that "recent topics" area on the front of the first page, which squishes all the fora into a narrow panel. Even when I "x" it out, something remains and the fora remain narrow.
Did any of you end up using it to make phone calls?
Anyone who has any ideas about these queries/problems, I'd welcome answers. TIA
I couldn't find a widget for the camera, and apparently you need to download a camera launcher. That seems strange.
Also, I was looking to duplicate on the Nexus the Android apps I already have on the phone. I thought I could do that wirelessly by syncing the two, but while I can easily locate the sync on the phone, haven't found it yet on the Nexus. I guess I can just go to Google Play and get the apps again. Using the same Gmail account, I shouldn't be charged again, I THINK.
I don't like the way Chrome displays Sosh on the Nexus. I haven't yet been able to get rid of that "recent topics" area on the front of the first page, which squishes all the fora into a narrow panel. Even when I "x" it out, something remains and the fora remain narrow.
Did any of you end up using it to make phone calls?
Anyone who has any ideas about these queries/problems, I'd welcome answers. TIA
Why do you think it's the old model? I just got one a couple of weeks ago. There's a camera button right on the front. I use the SoSH app for SoSH.
I can see the camera aperture (or whatever you call it in this case) but no button. There is no reference to a button anywhere in the guidebook or the written materials that come with the tablet. The only buttons are on the side. When you say "button," do you mean something physical or just an icon that one touches? I have neither. Several sites indicate that this is the norm: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zealdroid.nexus7camera&hl=en; also http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57474820-285/how-to-access-the-camera-app-on-your-nexus-7/Monbo Jumbo said:
I think it's the old model b/c the new ones cost more.
The camera icon is lower right here. It's an app not a widget. You can place it on any screen, or put it where I have it - as those appear on all screens.
Yeah,that's the thing I'm looking for. I don't have one in the apps the 7 came with. Also,given that the lens is facing you,it must be odd to take a photo looking away. The lens should be on the other side, like my phone,IMO.
Yeah,that's the thing I'm looking for. I don't have one in the apps the 7 came with. Also,given that the lens is facing you,it must be odd to take a photo looking away. The lens should be on the other side, like my phone,IMO.
Ahh.
I just found a comparison between the old and new models. They added the rear facing camera on the new ones, so yeah, you've got the old model.
Ahh.
I just found a comparison between the old and new models. They added the rear facing camera on the new ones, so yeah, you've got the old model.
A bit late to the game, but I just ordered the Nexus 7 (2013, 32gb). My first tablet. I have the HTC One which I do a lot of media consumption on it that will probably be better served on the tablet. Looking forward to it.
Does it come with Jelly Beans (4.3) or KitKat (4.4)? Everywhere I am reading so much bad about KitKat, that I'm ignoring the update sitting in my notification bar. (Mine is new, but seems to be the 2012.)yecul said:
Just one example: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topicsearchin/nexus/android$204.4.2|sort:date|spell:true
InsideTheParker said:
Kit Kat has been fine on my 2012 N7. Anytime you get a big update like that you're going to see tons of complaints about glitches, but so far it's been perfect for me.
I'm guessing Yecul's will ship with KitKat, and if not, offer the update as soon as he turns it on.
I used my brother Kindle Fire over the weekend and it's pretty glaring how inferior it is to the N7 imo.
I recommend NOT upgrading to Kit Kat. So far it's made my TWC and HBO Go basically useless since it seems to have some issues with smooth. My N7 2012 still on JB has no issues. Unless there's a compelling reason for you to upgrade then I would hold off.
Anyone have the dock for the 2012 N7? My N7 will no longer charge. Not while connected to the wall charger, nor the computer... not while turned off... not while turned on... but the charge icon in all cases is on. So I'm hoping that charging via the dock will work otherwise my N7 is a goner (I'm not that interested in replacing internal parts).
Just curious if anyone has one and whether it sucks or not. most of the more negative reviews on amazon were more relevant to the previous cost ($50 versus $25 now) and that it doesn't include the cable/charger.
Just curious if anyone has one and whether it sucks or not. most of the more negative reviews on amazon were more relevant to the previous cost ($50 versus $25 now) and that it doesn't include the cable/charger.
Lady Google has numerous instances of N7 having charging problems after the Kit Kat "upgrade." Are you using Kit Kat?
From this forum, a possible answer to your problem: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/wrTqHYhS-Vw%5B1-25-false%5D
From this forum, a possible answer to your problem: http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/nexus/wrTqHYhS-Vw%5B1-25-false%5D
InsideTheParker said:
Yes, I'm on KK, but from what I can tell, my problem and the KK problem are slightly different. The more common problem is that people let the battery run down and then can't turn on their device or charge it (there's a couple of workarounds to get it to charge that I tried but don't work for me). I have a device with about 20% battery, that I can turn on and off at will, but can't get it to charge.
Hextall said:
Mine seems to have the same problem. I fixed it by plugging it into the charger and holding Power + Volume Up (I think it was Up) until the Google logo came on the screen. Shortly after, the tablet would begin to charge.