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Seven Days With a Nexus 7

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21–30 of 60 posts

Re: Seven Days With a Nexus 7

#21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

re: Google Now. The only ways I've seen it noticeable function is when you leave your current "home location" and if you turn on your Google web history (on the account that is tied to Chrome on the Nexus 7). Since I neither leave my home location often nor want to turn on web history, for either of my accounts, it's relatively useless for me.

For me, so far, it shows me - Commuting times to several places Here I don't know where it takes the address from. In the beginning it listed a couple off-by-one addresses for friends and family, by now (how..?) it resolved two of these addresses to contact names, so I have now a travel plan to visit my brother, dad or my company. It also includes a wrong address of my in-laws. This is impressive, technically, but a…

> I'm unable to 'fix' my data set here.

Try latitude -> location history -> menu button -> change home location.

Re: Seven Days With a Nexus 7

#22
post #17

I don't know why he mentions recommending to pure apple households. Surely if every computer (/phone/tablet) in your house is made by apple, you don't really care what anybody says about the competition.

I don't know, the nexus is attracting a lot of apple users. I for one have only got apple devices in the house. The nexus 7 is the sole exception to this.

Re: Seven Days With a Nexus 7

#23
post #17

I don't know why he mentions recommending to pure apple households. Surely if every computer (/phone/tablet) in your house is made by apple, you don't really care what anybody says about the competition.

Q: So would you recommend the Nexus 7 overall? A: For straight Apple households, probably not.

Haha, I'd say I'm in a pure Apple household (though I run a personal Ubuntu server... perhaps I'm disqualified). I'm still considering the Nexus 7 even with the iPad "mini" on the horizon. I think there's something to be said from having familiarity with the different devices/eco-systems (especially as a developer). The reviews are also hard to ignore.

Re: Seven Days With a Nexus 7

#24

The Nexus 7 is my first table and I'm still sitting on the fence about the whole experience. The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf, but there really are a lack of tablet specific Android apps. Some Android apps are also missing features present in their iOS counterparts. For example, the MLB app is very basic compared to the iOS version. I was hoping the 7 would be useful for reading PDFs, but i…

The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf

I have to strongly disagree with all of the lauding about Chrome on Android.

Chrome on Android was terrible on my Galaxy S2. Chrome on Android was terrible on my Galaxy S3. In both cases perhaps because Samsung heavily optimized the basic, unbranded browser (full hardware acceleration, etc), but also because Chrome has some bizarre rendering behaviors (for instance it separately sizes text on sites like HN or Reddit).

So I got a Nexus 7. Pretty powerful device, and I was used to browsing full sites like The Verge and The Toronto Star with no issue. Load Chrome -- they removed the unbranded browser -- and it is atrocious. Huge, multisecond pauses on either of those sites (http://www.theverge.com and http://www.thestar.com - be sure to go to the full sites and not the gimped mobile version). Scrolling is a hilariously bad affair.

Note these observations online and am given the standard "oh no must be your unit, etc. etc." Only my second Nexus 7 was just arriving (from Google Play, while the former came from Staples, fwtw) -- exactly the same behavior.

I do not understand the expressions of love for Chrome on Android. Perhaps it's the chrome of the browser -- bookmark management, etc? I don't generally use that but instead simply punch in auto-completed URLs and browse sites, and there it is profoundly, catastrophically deficient.

Re: Seven Days With a Nexus 7

#25
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Especially Google Now, while certainly interesting, seems to be useless to me so far (or I just don't get it?). this is interesting, because for my usage, Google Now was one of the most useful additions in Jelly Bean. i use it all the time, and love the notifications about nearby public transit, time and distance notifications for appointments from my calendar and so on. it's pretty basic at present, but it's alrea…

I guess you are living in one of the rare places on earth where google maps works for public transit. It's sometimes really frustrating to use technology in a place that is not the San Francisco...

Works in Washington DC too.

Re: Seven Days With a Nexus 7

#26
post #9

The Nexus 7 is my first table and I'm still sitting on the fence about the whole experience. The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf, but there really are a lack of tablet specific Android apps. Some Android apps are also missing features present in their iOS counterparts. For example, the MLB app is very basic compared to the iOS version. I was hoping the 7 would be useful for reading PDFs, but i…

> The Nexus 7 is my first table and I'm still sitting on the fence about the whole experience. The version of Chrome is superb and it's a pleasure to surf, but there really are a lack of tablet specific Android apps. Some Android apps are also missing features present in their iOS counterparts. For example, the MLB app is very basic compared to the iOS version. I was hoping the 7 would be useful for reading PDFs, but…

The screen separation issue is a very widespread issue of the very first batch -- I got such an affected unit. It always seems to be the left or upper left, and clearly relates to the adhesive applicator. I have zero doubt that they've ironed out the issue, fixed the glue machine, and all is well now (it isn't a foundational or design problem. Simple manufacturing).

Re: Seven Days With a Nexus 7

#28
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Especially Google Now, while certainly interesting, seems to be useless to me so far (or I just don't get it?). this is interesting, because for my usage, Google Now was one of the most useful additions in Jelly Bean. i use it all the time, and love the notifications about nearby public transit, time and distance notifications for appointments from my calendar and so on. it's pretty basic at present, but it's alrea…

I guess you are living in one of the rare places on earth where google maps works for public transit. It's sometimes really frustrating to use technology in a place that is not the San Francisco...

Works fine in my town of 3,000 people that is 15 minutes outside a "metro" area of 200k people.

Re: Seven Days With a Nexus 7

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me, so far, it shows me - Commuting times to several places Here I don't know where it takes the address from. In the beginning it listed a couple off-by-one addresses for friends and family, by now (how..?) it resolved two of these addresses to contact names, so I have now a travel plan to visit my brother, dad or my company. It also includes a wrong address of my in-laws. This is impressive, technically, but a…

> I'm unable to 'fix' my data set here. Try latitude -> location history -> menu button -> change home location.

Whoa, thanks.

I wasn't able to follow your instructions (I tried finding a setting like that on my mobile or the tablet, but failed), but the location history (that clicked!) website's dashboard allowed me to redefine 'home'.

Re: Seven Days With a Nexus 7

#30
post #23
post #17

I don't know why he mentions recommending to pure apple households. Surely if every computer (/phone/tablet) in your house is made by apple, you don't really care what anybody says about the competition.

Q: So would you recommend the Nexus 7 overall? A: For straight Apple households, probably not. Haha, I'd say I'm in a pure Apple household (though I run a personal Ubuntu server... perhaps I'm disqualified). I'm still considering the Nexus 7 even with the iPad "mini" on the horizon. I think there's something to be said from having familiarity with the different devices/eco-systems (especially as a developer). The rev…

Fair enough then, I've got the wrong end of the stick. I must admit, I didn't really think pure apple households were at all common.
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