Nexus 7

Do you recall when the first iPad came out and your thoughts/feelings on it? It wasn't that long ago - April 2010 in fact - that Jobs and Apple dropped this piece of tech on us. It was met with skepticism in part, probably due to one line of thought that it looked simply like a big iPhone, and that Apple was brash enough to tell how this device was going to fill a hole in our lives that we didn't know was there. It's bold, but in the end they were right of course. The iPad would take the poorly performing tablet market and redefine it, just as they did the portable music device and smart phones in general. But I still scoffed at it a bit: it was easy to do so while working in the tech industry. My coworkers and I didn't see how it fit into the corporate world, and to a degree we are still correct, although the app selection and evolution has made them more business and productivity friendly.

The president of our company wanted one, so we got him one, then the IT department got one as well so we would know how to support them - standard practice. But we never used the thing and it collected dust; that is, until I started taking it home on the weekends. I brought it home during my stint with Fallout 3, and it served as the perfect companion on my in-game journeys. The iPad sat propped up on a pillow next to me, open to a browser with various Fallout wiki articles and guides opened. The size was pretty ideal for that, but I didn't get into the tablet for much else. I thought about getting one, but didn't feel that the price of it was justified. This would continue for a while, especially as more tablets came out, and the tech evolved rapidly. I didn't want to be stuck with old tech or missing key features. You know what I mean.

Then the Nexus 7 came out, and introduced us to an affordable tablet that wasn't particularly lacking. Sure, it wasn't loaded to the teeth with features, but it delivered a great experience in what I know think is an ideal size. The original iPad was too big and heavy for me, for what I wanted to use it as. The Nexus 7 was considerably lighter but also much smaller: a seven inch screen to the iPad's ten. My parents ended up giving me the Nexus 7 for Christmas this past year, and I was immediately hooked. It presented me with the Google ecosystem that I was so entrenched in already, in a very satisfying way. Enter my Gmail password once, and the tablet comes to life with all the services I used. A much better experience than the individual apps and permissions in iOS.

And I realize that my devotion to all the Google services is a big reason I enjoy the 7 so much. But I also enjoy it because it's refreshing, and modern. After using what feels like an antiquated iOS device for so long, it was a delight to get into something new and all the little OS flourishes were quite welcome.

Then, the new Nexus 7 was coming out, and I couldn't help myself. I didn't need the device, but I wanted it. The day it was available in Canada, I bought it without hesitation. For the first time in quite a while, I was helpless against the allure of a product. The high resolution screen was a big improvement and perhaps the major reason for getting the new 7 revision. But in general it is truly a refinement of the tablet experience: it was ligther, a bit more narrow and thinner, which makes it that more comfortable to hold for longer periods of time. The screen is the big draw, and now the tablet is replacing my Kindle as my primary e-reader.

The entire Play store helps the transition as well. Buying things through the web interface and sending them to the tablet is a dream. I'm impressed by the number of e-books, magazines and media that is available. Which brings us to the apps. You know the drill: Android is lacking compared to iOS, and this is undoubtedly true. But it's getting better all the time, and from my perspective, I'm not missing much. I'm not app crazy to begin with: I have a few main apps and they are all on Android - they work, they are good and I'm happy.

A few short weeks ago I was given an iPad Mini at the office, so I could compare the 7 to the Mini directly. What's the verdict? The 7 is better in every way, I suppose. The screen especially, but it's a bit unfair - the Mini has some catching up to do and is a bit older than the new 7 anyway.

I don't take the tablet with me everywhere. You could describe it as a Reddit browsing device more than anything else. But I find myself using it more for reading now - comics, RSS feeds (yes, I'm still holding onto them) and books. So what's next? Nexus 5, for sure...then perhaps the 10?