I have some stuff going on this AM and won’t be able to post after this one, but since I’m now officially an in-the-tank Google early adopter, I thought I’d post a bit on the Nexus 7 for anyone who cares. Those who don’t, nothing to see here, move along.
I’ve had the $200 Nexus 7 8GB tablet for two days now, and so far it’s really good. The display is great (it’s not a “retina” display but it is high resolution, crisp, sharp and easy on the eyes). The version of Android running on the tablet, “Jelly Bean”, is fast, smooth and looks great. Every version of Android ties your device closer to your Google account(s), and it’s almost scary what this device knows about my habits. For example, Jelly Belly is the first version of Android to come with a non-beta Chrome browser, and when I pull up Chrome on my tablet, I can see the tabs I have open on my desktop version of Chrome.
The Nexus 7 has a new voice search function that rivals Siri. From the comparisons I’ve seen, and the playing around I’ve done on others Siri-capable phones, the difference seems to be that Siri is more of a personal assistant, while the new voice search is more of a layer over your interaction with the Internet and your Google services. Here’s a little album of how it looks and works, with a couple examples. I don’t know anyone with an iPhone 4S who uses Siri regularly, and I doubt this feature will get a huge amount of usage, at least in its Jelly Bean incarnation.
A word about Android: the versions of Android in phones people carry around are generally ugly, clunky and slow. This is because phone manufacturers insist on installing “skins” on their devices, never update them after they are released, and install Android on crap hardware. I was at a high school reunion a couple of weeks ago, which is the kind of event where people use their phones to show pictures of their kids and exchange numbers, and I saw some really awful Android user interface abominations. Ice Cream Sandwich, which is Android 4.0, and Jelly Bean (4.1), are the products of a complete user interface overhaul by a team led by talented designer Matias Duarte. Part of Duarte and his team’s overhaul has included a new Android style guide for developers, and most of the new apps that follow this guide look good and work smoothly.
Google’s problem is that a small fraction of Android devices run the new version. The Nexus 7 is sold pretty much at cost, according to the tech analysts — it’s purpose is show off Android. Google is desperate to get a foothold in the tablet market, so this thing is a hell of a bargain, and it will get the latest updates to Android directly from Google, like most Nexus devices.
Google gives you $25 credit in its Play Store (where it sells video, books, music and Android apps) when you buy a Nexus 7, which makes it even more compelling. That said, it looks like Amazon and Apple are both going to launch new, smaller form tablets, so if you’re on the fence, you might want to wait to see what they have to offer. I mentioned earlier that the reason I bought a Nexus 7 is that I always carry a laptop when I travel so I wanted a smaller, lighter device to replace my Kindle keyboard. This thing is that and much more.
Alexandra
So true about networks and Android, even in the UK. Whichever phone — iPhone or Android — is my next one after my current Desire S, it won’t be a network-supplied phone, will not be on contract and it will be unlocked. Once bitten, twice shy.
magurakurin
This may seem like a dumb question, but where can you buy these things? I live in Japan, but I’m heading back home in August. I’ve been curious about a tablet, since it would be nice to have a WiFi device in the suitcase. Internet cafes seem to be disappearing in the world and I don’t have a smart phone. With the exchange rate, if I bought a Nexus 7 back home I could get it for 16400 JPY, which would be an amazing bargin. Never get anything even close for that here. Plus I could get an English version of Android. A big bonus. Do they sell them at electronics stores? Sorry, expats can get pretty out of touch.
Raven
Yea, well, what if we
don’t find
the next
whiskey bar?
jibeaux
I did some more research on the 8 gb v. 16 gb thing because I’m considering buying one myself…the 8GB is sold basically at cost but the 16GB is $50 more and it only costs them $7.50. So they are hoping to make money there. I wanted to just pick one up at Staples, but 1, they’re flying off the shelves, and 2) Staples tells me the 16GB is the only one they’ll stock.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
I bought mine on the 11th. They’re shipping it out overnight tonight. So I should have mine by tomorrow evening.
Woodrow/asim Jarvis Hill
Thanks for this. I’ve been on the Android bandwagon — admittedly, as a techie sort who disliked Apple’s more closed ecosystem — for some time now, and they’ve driven hard to make the UI better and better. It’s not quite as clean and smooth as iOS, but in some areas (notifications! GPS navigation!) it’s better, as competitors should be. I’d certainly say it’s not as much a slamdunk for iOS today as it was even 2 years ago.
And I’d not discount the direct-from-Google Android updates; having rooted (like jailbreak for iOS devices, but usually easier) phones before, I can say it really helps you push out the life of your device to have those updates coming w/o a wireless carrier slowing, or stopping the process altogether when they get “bored”. My OG Mororola Droid is still fairly up-to-date as a result of teams making it possible to keep up with the latest Google releases, and I use it as a remote and media player around the house, as well as a backup when I go places with good WiFi coverage.
In general, and in my opinion: the use case for a tablet + keyboard really beats out 90% of what people use any kind of laptop for (emails/light writing/media playing/web browsing). Even as a programmer, unless I need my work-specific laptop I carry just my HP Touchpad (hacked to run Android, natch) and a bluetooth keyboard, and it works wonders from airline seats to hotel rooms. My 5 year old laptop now sits at home to do duty as a media server for the house, unless I know I’m doing a LOT of typing/coding or will be in a place where the only Internet connection is Ethernet.
Anyway, I’m rambling, but thanks, again, for a good review.
nevsky42
I absolutely lurrrrrrve my Kindle Fire but it does look gimped compared to the Nexus; if I wasn’t such an Amazon fanboy I’d give it a closer look…
Walker
My wife picked one up too. It seems nice but the graphics card appears to be very slow compared to the iPad. Hence it’s gaming potential appears much weaker than the iPad. But as an eBook reader and web reader it seems very good.
The Red Pen
I’ve read some incredible reviews of the Google voice technology. For example, if you do a common search (e.g. baseball game results) it will stop waiting for you to ask, and just post notifications. In one case, the Nexus looked at a scheduled appointment, factored in traffic and automatically alerted the reviewed that he should “leave 45 minutes before his next appointment if he was going to make it on time.”
Eat it, iPhone.
J (reader)
Does it have the Swype “typing” feature? I LOVE that from my Samsung Galaxy SII phone, which is so superior to my old Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet (7-inch, bought in Dec 2010) that I have almost stopped using the latter.
J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford
@nevsky42:
My wife got me the Kindle Fire for my birthday and I mainly use it for reading comic books. In landscape the Fire gives you a little over 1/3 of the page and the display is sharp and bright. I use my android phone for music and movies. I’m going to grab myself a old PSP 3000 on amazon before they sell out to complete my little non-boredom set.
Walker
@The Red Pen:
The has nothing to do with voice technology. That is just integrated search. Which Google is very, very good at because it is their bread and butter (and why I was skeptical about how successful Apple would be breaking free from Google on maps and other search technology).
Woodrow/asim Jarvis Hill
@J (reader): You can get Swype for most Android devices; I think they just updated for the version on Nexus 7.
NCSteve
So, really just one question remains to be answered about your Nexus 7 Android: does it dream of electric sheep?
Soonergrunt
I’m ordering mine next week.
mistermix
@Walker: I’m not much of a gamer, but apparently you need games that are accelerated for the Tegra 3 chip in the Nexus. The first game on this list:
http://admin.androidcentral.com/top-5-games-your-new-nexus-7
ran without any hesitation with nice rendering.
@jibeaux: I’m pretty sure the 8GB is a Play store exclusive. I bought that one because as a Google slave, I’ve got everything in the Google cloud already.
mistermix
@Raven: At least it didn’t ask why.
horse dave
I bought mine on the 12th so I’ll be getting it next week. iOs phone, windows/linux laptop, and now an Android tablet.
RareSanity
@J (reader):
Even if it doesn’t have Swype, you can get the SlideIT keyboard, which gives the same functionality.
I’ve used both, and I have come to prefer SlideIT to Swype.
Also, depending on how comfortable you would be diddling with your phone, there are any number of places on the internets, where you can get the Swype program package, and install it yourself.
Odie Hugh Manatee
This is why I will not use anything Google or anything that tracks/stores my info. I use every damned thing I can to maintain my anonymity online and am quite happy to keep it that way. I know that I’m in the minority in this but it’s a minority that I’m very happy to belong to.
My computers do what I need when I ask them to and no more than that. Privacy is everything to me and I will keep it that way for as long as I can.
Raven
Did everyone get to see my fish?
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7572291832_5861675bf3_b.jpg
RareSanity
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
I remember when I was like that as well…then I just gave up.
Companies like SoftChoice existed before the internet explosion, and they have data on everyone. I will agree that the internet has definitely made it easier to gather information. But I got to the point where the amount of energy I had to invest in anonymisers, and what the current tracking technology is, so I could counter it, I realized that I was spending more time trying to stay anonymous on the internet, then I was spending on the actual internet.
Do I like it? Absolutely not.
But I also realize that in the case of that particular horse, it may not be possible to ever get it back in the barn.
bemused senior
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Hear, hear.
Walker
@mistermix:
None of those games really push the device (and THOSE are the top games for the Android? The app ecosystem is worse than I thought). Just because it is 3D does not mean it is computationally expensive. The problem is the offscreen computation (e.g. FBOs).. Anand Tech benchmarks put it at 4x slower than the iPad 3. While realworld benchmarks are supposed to be better, you can tell the difference.
My wife really noticed it when comparing aviation apps to ForeFlight on the iPad. “Unusuable” would be a kind description.
RareSanity
@Walker:
Whoa, whoa…those aren’t the top games for Android.
Those are just the games that where optimized to take special advantage of the graphics processor on the Nvidia Tegra CPU.
Doug Danger
Google appreciates the commercial.
James K. Polk, Esq.
Retina Mac Book Pro = 220 pixels per inch
Nexus 7 = 240 pixels per inch
Ipad 3 = 264 pixels per inch
Don’t pay attention to the marketing from Apple…
RareSanity
@James K. Polk, Esq.:
Shhhhhh…
You’re hurting Apple’s carefully constructed marketing campaign with your facts.
dmsilev
@James K. Polk, Esq.: Apple’s propaganda has always been pretty careful to state that the ‘Retina’ label depends on viewing distance, and that the bigger the device the longer the typical viewing distance and hence the lower the needed pixel density.
It’s a reasonable point; our eye resolutions are measured in arc-seconds, not inches or microns.
Cheap Jim
Forgive the ignorance, but what’s it for? I mean, what is the primary use for this gizmo? Is it mainly for playing games? Is it a cell phone? Is it for reading previously downloaded text? Please help out a guy who has a cell phone that folds in half, but leaves it at home all the time anyway.
Hill Dweller
Microsoft has hired Mark Penn. I’m not kidding.
Doug Danger
Things that really bother me about Android:
7% adoption of Ice Cream Sandwich by existing users (versus over 50% adoption for io5). Why are so many people on old, insecure versions of android? Because carriers wont do the work to certify the absolute riot that is the world of Android devices and Google doesn’t care.
Carrier-controlled unless you buy one of only a very few google branded devices
Isn’t nearly as secure
The store is useless and full of malware
Other than that, this is a great tablet.
JR in WV
I use Google a lot, search to jump to a web site, map to find the hardware store, etc. I don’t have any Google accounts, AFAIK, and don’t use Gmail at all.
I want a small form factor computer like a nexus, with GPS and web browsing, and even communications. My neighbor has an ap that displays color video of every bird (other apps for herps, bugs, mammels, etc) in North America. With their calls!
Can you buy and use a Nexus 7 without signing up for Google accounts?
SRW1
Must admit that I don’t care absout a Nexus 7.
A Nex-7 would be an entirely different proposition.
ETA: Edit function screwy again.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@RareSanity: My view is that horse was never in the barn to begin with. The post office has had to know where you are, the government has to know where you are, tax records have been public since forever, your street address is on the front of your house, cameras are legal. What privacy means in this country is that no one can use this information against me.
SRW1
@Raven:
You the guy on the right? Cause the guy on the left obviously is Hemingway.
Btw, congratulations on that catch. Must have tired you out.
Raven
@SRW1: Wanna fight?
WaterGirl
@Raven: I did, but it was worth clicking again. That’s one big fish. That must have been a thrill. Did you throw it back? :-)
SFAW
@Raven:
Yes, we saw the damn fish already.
But did you bring enough sushi for everyone in class? NO! So stop it already, you smug bastard.
Christ, you’re getting as bad as Cole when he’s on an all-Tunch-all-the-time kick.
WaterGirl
@SFAW: I hope that was snark, because if not, I have to ask… Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?
EdTheRed
It’s definitely an upgrade over the Nexus 6. I mean, really, who wants to hear their tablet say, “…All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain,” every single time they power down?
SFAW
@SRW1:
Maybe not, but if you see Malcolm McDowell hanging around, you might want to get your affairs in order.
Butch
@Cheap Jim: I got flamed on a different site for trying to be “cool” and “disdainful” with my comment, and my question is anything but – I genuinely don’t understand what these things are used for.
srv
@James K. Polk, Esq.: Lies, the Nexus 7 has a pixel density of 216.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@RareSanity:
I can understand where some can feel overwhelmed by the hoops you have to jump through to maintain some semblance of privacy but they are worth it to me. My wife and our son/daughter are the same way I am (though my wife counts on me to take care of the tech side, she just does what I say afterward). I look at it this way; I’m the consumer, not a product to be cataloged, inventoried, packaged and sold to the highest bidder. I don’t want advertising to be targeted to my likes/dislikes, I want to have to look for what I need and not have the initial choices made for me. I lie on every web form, using wrong birthplaces, dates and so on.
I let my customers know the consequences of being an “internet slut” and quite a few of them take the time to learn how to avoid being packaged and shelved. Some just don’t care and are more than happy to lie back and enjoy it (so to say). What’s interesting is that the ones who maintain their privacy have few computer issues and those who are web sluts make me lots of money in repairs.
Link whores are moneymakers, that’s for sure…lol! For me. :)
SFAW
@WaterGirl:
Snark? Don’t know the term.
No, it was just envy-fueled ball-busting.
Besides, it’s Raven, why would I go after him? (Other than the fact that going after someone appears to be the official sport of Balloon Juice.) If it had been Caz, that would have been a different story
Gin & Tonic
@SRW1: Hemingway had hair.
Raven
@WaterGirl: It’s all in fun!
James K. Polk, Esq.
@srv: I stand corrected!
Raven
@WaterGirl: The fish belongs to the boat, she went directly to the restaurant after the photo session. We caught a number of smaller ones and each person on the boat got a nice 10lb or so bag. I fed what members of my lightweight family that would eat it and took the rest down to the beach and gave it to some locals.
WaterGirl
@SFAW: Yeah, I should have said “talking smack” rather than “snark”. Personally, I never talk smack before 10am, and where I live, it’s still earlier than that.
Welcome back, Raven!
Woodrow/asim Jarvis Hill
@Butch:
I put a list of common activities in my 1st comment here. And you can do a lot more, but usually with more friction; I can develop Andoid apps on my phone or tablet, but the apps isn’t as easy to dev with as the desktop tools. That’s not the same as, say, writing emails, which can be faster/easier on a tablet than on my desktop. And it’s much easier to watch NetFlix or listen to music on tablets/phones than on my desktop, in my opinion.
The trick is ease of use and portability; I can do more overall with a laptop, but why haul it around if I can do the same tasks with ease on a much smaller device that doesn’t pump out heat or work for only 2-3 hours w/o recharging?
WaterGirl
@Raven: Love to cast, hate to fish. I don’t eat fish, either, so I’m sure you would have no use for me on the water!
My idea of a fun day of fishing is to cast a few times, then sit back and read a nice book in the boat.
Raven
@WaterGirl: I admit it’s pretty obnoxious to post the pixs more than once!
KSH
Man oh man I am waiting on tenterhooks for my 16GB Nexus 7 to arrive… so excited!! I’ll set it up to use the WiFi tether on my Galaxy Nexus!
Nexus forever baby!!
WaterGirl
@Raven: Not when you ask if everybody has seen it yet! It’s not like we are being suckered into thinking there’s a new photo and then it’s the same old one.
Plus with a fish of a lifetime like that, none of the usual rules apply. Not in my world, at least.
Lolis
I have a Toshiba thrive tablet. I bought it cause it has replaceable/back-up battery, sd card, full usb port. I love it.
burnspbesq
16 Gb is a non-starter for me. I use every bit of the 64Gb on my iPad. And cloud storage is a non-starter for me, for two reasons: (1) I refuse to listen to crappy low-res MP3 files, and (2) I can’t leave anything that is subject to the attorney-client privilege out there.
Not gonna work for me.
RareSanity
@Cheap Jim:
I thought the same thing until I won an iPad at a company Xmas party.
Tablets have one main use, media consumption. Whether it is just general web browsing, YouTube, Facebook, email, etc.
It’s not that anyone “needs” a tablet, it’s just that when you you are just surfin’, or reading an ebook, or on Facebook, it’s just easier to do on a tablet. It’s not as leaner than a laptop, but has a bigger screen than a smartphone.
@JR in WV:
A Google account is not required to use Android, but you would need one to access the Play Store (I still prefer calling it the Android Market). However, one of the main benefits to Android, for the fans of it (like me!), is the seamless integration of Google services.
If you would prefer not to use Google’s services, you might want to look into something like the Kindle Fire, which does require an Amazon account, but almost wholly removed any type of native Google integration with Android.
Raven
@WaterGirl: This was a whole different ball game. Left at 10pm, baitfished for a few hours then out to the really deep water. I felt really badly for the 4 that were too sick to fish but it’s what gave me the primo shot at the big un.
Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God
Neither do I, and I have a 4S.
I do plug the 4S into the car stereo and use Siri as a hands-free iPod for safety (“Play… Photek”), but there’s not nearly enough apps integration. It would be nice if I could ask while driving (for example) “get me to 123 Main Street, Woburn” and have it pull up TeleNav and get me directions, but Siri’s only integrated with (some) Apple apps, no third-party apps.
It’s also more sensitive to accents then I think it should be. My Boston accent isn’t that thick anymore, but I might as well be a Scotsman as far as Siri is concerned. I end up having to Talk. Slowly. Like. This.
The Red Pen
@Walker:
Technically true (and collectively true), but if search is primarily driven by voice (and expressed with voice cues), all those features will become associated with voice.
The point about Apple not really being good at search is key, and very relevant to Siri. Siri’s “engine” was never really intended for Google-style search. It turns out that this is its most popular use. As a result, despite some cool tech under the hood, Siri is not comparing well to the new Android feature.
Cheap Jim
@RareSanity: I’m not thinking anything. I really don’t know what the thing is to be used for, because I am old and out-of-touch with mobile tech. So this thing is a quick email/facebook/twitter thing, easily carried about one’s person, while a tablet is better for things like video or ebook viewing?
But is it a phone, too? It doesn’t seem to be.
The Red Pen
@burnspbesq:
The iPad can’t encrypt things?!
Trooptrap Tripetrope
Nexus 7 definitely has a lot going for it, but I wouldn’t swap it for my Galaxy Tab 7.7 (even with Samsung’s clunky interface and annoying bloatware) for one simple reason: the Nexus won’t accommodate a micro SD card. Just this week I added a 64 GB card to my Galaxy Tab and threw dozens of movies and TV shows onto it. I haven’t even filled it halfway.
Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God
@The Red Pen:
It can (it has AES256 hardware built-in, and has apps like this available).
That said, I wouldn’t put anything confidential on the cloud, either. Encryption is only part of security: Limiting others’ access to the data is important, and putting stuff on the cloud violates that. Anyone could get the encrypted file without your knowing, and crack it at their leisure.
SFAW
@Raven:
J’accuse!
RareSanity
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
I can’t begrudge you for any of that.
In my case, being a software engineer and just general techie, the specific knowledge of how tracking technology is used an how fast it evolves…lead me to a logical conclusion, if you are on the internet, you are being tracked, period.
The only thing that matters, is would someone ever have reason to “work a little harder” to tie the tracking information directly to you and your IP address.
But hey, I applaud your commitment for fighting the good fight, because it is just that. My problem is that fighting the good fight, started to severely encroach on quality time with my PS3 and NBA2K12… :-)
JenJen
I’m typing this from my brand new Nexus 7. I’m on Day Three, I can’t put it down, it was love at first swipe. :-)
RareSanity
@Cheap Jim:
Short of using something like Skype, no. It doesn’t even have cellular wireless capability, only wifi. But, that is one of the reasons it, and the Kindle Fire for that matter, are so (relatively) cheap.
Steeplejack
@Raven:
You’re gonna need a big aquarium for that.
Raven
@Steeplejack: I’m getting quotes for a fiberglass replica as we speak!
Cranky Observer
Giving Google your real e-mail/account as your primary Android management name seems like an extraordinarily bad idea; that’s what throwaway IDs are for.
Cranky
Brachiator
@mistermix:
Thanks for this. A co-worker recently bought the 16GB model from the google store and likes it so far.
Some of the reviews I’ve seen assume that the device will be a great alternative to the Kindle Fire. I don’t have a Fire, but wondered in practical terms how the Nexus 7 works for reading books, magazines and comics. Is the screen big enough to display content without your having to swipe a lot?
I presume, but would like to verify that there is a Kindle app that works on the Nexus.
Apart from that, good to read that it works for you and that you are enjoying it.
Are there any essential apps that you think work well with the device?
JenJen
@Brachiator: I downloaded the Kindle app for Nexus 7 almost as soon as I unwrapped it. It works like a charm!
So far the feature I’m most impressed with is the display. It’s stunning. My jaw dropped when I started reading the latest issue of Vanity Fair, sent right to my device in seconds. I adore magazines and this is the perfect gadget for enjoying them!
RareSanity
@Brachiator:
Not to worry, Amazon has a Kindle app for Android, any Android device.
mazareth
Serious question re the tablet. What happens when the battery dies for good?
Is there a way to have it replaced?
luc
The problem with the Nexus 7 is, that if forces you into the Google ecosystem by disabling all other reasonable data transfer and storage option:
– no SD card or mSD card ports
– disabled access to USB storage via the existing mUSB port
– outrageous price increase for the (only) 16 GB device.
I cannot believe this happened by accident. Google would like you to transfer your digital lifein its entirety onto their servers. Thank You!!!
Brachiator
@burnspbesq:
There is an attorney, David Sparks, who does the Mac Power Users podcast. He also uses an iPad. I don’t know how he gets around the attorney-client privilege issues, but he has alluded to security and confidentiality issues before and seems to have found something workable.
Cheap Jim
@RareSanity: I didn’t think so, nor did I even think of skype. I’ve been thinking there would be value for me in all this smartphone stuff, and Thanks for helping me trudge along into this century.
Steeplejack
@Brachiator:
The Kindle Android app works fine on the Nexus 7, apparently: “Turn Your Nexus 7 into a Kindle Fire.”
SRW1
@Raven:
Sorry, too busy re-reading ‘The Old Man and the Sea’. Maybe some other time.
SRW1
@Gin & Tonic:
That will possibly be hurtful to our friend!
Brachiator
@luc:
It’s interesting that some people insist that a tablet (or smartphone) must have an SD or mSD card. But I also talk to many people of various degrees of techniness who just don’t care as long as they have Dropbox or their own personal cloud alternative.
It’s like the people I keep hearing from who use Pandora or Spotify and who cannot understand why anyone would do something so primitive as to buy CDs or even MP3s.
In short, the trend seems to be moving away from having big storage alternatives on these devices. It doesn’t seem to be connected primarily of locking you into a particular ecosystem.
@JenJen:
Great to hear. And it sounds as though you don’t have any issues with not enough of the magazine appearing on the smaller (compared to the iPad) screen.
luc
@Brachiator:
It is only a “trend” because there are massive financial interests behind it ( the ones of our dear friends at apple, amazon, and google that is)- not because consumers prefer it – all the big players try to lock you into their ecosystem in multiple ways. Intentionally forcing you to keep all your data online is one way to get there.
I do encounter plenty of situations without wifi access – why can’t I store my stuff locally?
Adding a microSD card port would add maybe 1$ to the cost of the tablet and enabling USB storage would cost them basically nothing.
This policy might make Google only half as bad as Apple for the moment, but ….. things might change any time.
Brachiator
@luc:
Disagree. And the whole locking into an ecosystem is being rejected by consumers in many ways.
There is a counter-reaction that recognizes that devices can be, and often want to be, operating system agnostic. If I store documents and files on google drive or Dropbox, I can access them and work on them on any device I want.
And nobody forces you to keep data online. It’s a choice, an option, and one that works well for a lot of people.
Heck, my nephew’s middle school provides them with laptops. In addition, he uses Dropbox for his files. A fiften year old kid. He has, of course, lost his laptop a couple of times. But because the files are in the clouds, he can’t claim that a lost computer ate his homework.
He cannot understand why anyone would not keep data in the cloud. But he and some of his friends can encrypt, hack and otherwise defend the ever-loving crap out of his data.
For him, old fogeys are 18 year olds who don’t get it.
Some of this seems to be a design and manufacturing choice, more than a cost issue. And at some point, any kind of USB connection begins to look old. People want faster, more capacious wireless download ability, with USB 4 or 5 or x or Thunderbolt as a secondary option.
Again, I see this less a policy thing, and just a technological trend.
I do note, however, the other group who love TB hard drives and massive local storage. So, there is something for everyone, but still I think the direction is toward the cloud.
Gus
@Cheap Jim: I’m kinda with you on this. My company has issued all employees a laptop and an iPad. I pretty much never use the iPad. Typing on the damn thing is a chore, and I haven’t used it enough to get good at it. It is better than a laptop for reading, but still not as good as a book.
trollhattan
@Raven:
Nice! Weighs 2x my kid. Here are some of mine.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3363/3474721951_d5a601c603_z.jpg?zz=1
JenJen
@Brachiator: I was also concerned about the 7″ display, and only decided against an iPad because of the price. I was so pleasantly surprised that the Nexus 7 screen display is so vibrant, and really the perfect size. Plus, I can’t even describe how terrific the device feels in your hand. Whatever that is on the back of the device just makes it fit so comfortably.
Right before I left for work, I downloaded the Netflix app and was blown away by the streaming video quality, too! I just can’t stop raving about this little machine and I’m only on Day 3!
luc
@Brachiator:
Ahh, that is great. People complaining about that are just not smart enough. Thus, we simply do not deserve any choices or freedom where to store our data (e.g. locally) – because this is sooo last decade – and we all necessarily need be online any time and any where – well I can not.
If the device offers 16 GB max storage, I have no choice but to put most my music files online not even considering all the other stuff.
Enabling local storage would not cost them more than $1 in manufacturing. Thanks, “choice is slavery” is this the motto?.
BTW, if a device had a microSD port, nobody would force you to use it.
The Red Pen
@Judas Escargot, Acerbic Prophet of the Mighty Potato God:
1. No. Cloud storage also has access protection. If your cloud storage is publicly accessible, you’re doing it wrong. Also, if you are transferring files to and from your cloud storage without using TLS you’re doing it wrong.
2. No. Nobody is going to crack AES “at their leisure.” That’s pretty much the entire point of having AES.
Your files are probably in greater danger of being disclosed to 3rd parties just being on a device that is high on the list of “things people like to steal” than sitting, encrypted, in cloud storage.
Catsy
@luc:
That’s the stake in the heart for me. There’s no excuse for trying to block the ability to use external storage unless you’re trying to screw/gouge your users.
Brachiator
@luc:
I’ve been involved with computers and related stuff almost my entire adult life. There is nothing that annoys me so much as the spurious claim that people who have any particular view about what they want to do or how they want to do it “are just not smart enough.”
Any technology that is worth a damn is simple to use and easy to understand. When you pick up a pencil, you just pick it up and start writing. You don’t have to think about it, ask about it or consult a user guide or knowledgeable geek.
You have lots of choices and “freedoms.” You just don’t have extra onboard storage with a Nexus 7. If this is a serious mistake, the device will not sell. Or onboard storage will be added to future models.
And when it comes to products, there is no such thing as what you “deserve” or your freedom. And you are, of course, free to retire to your garage and make your ideal tablet, and sell it to anyone else who wants it.
Again, there are many in the younger generation who don’t care about buying gobs of music files or storing them locally. I sympathize, but just watch the change in habits. But the larger point is that there is not a grand conspiracy by device makers at work here, or uninformed customers. People just want different stuff than people wanted in the past.
And their judgment is that people who want to put all their music on every device they buy, especially smartphones or tablets, are stupid, or don’t know how to use their devices efficiently.
You keep going on about how little it would cost them. Clearly, they would prefer form factors without room for an SD slot (or replaceable batteries). It’s about their choice as much as it is about yours.
I’m not saying that you are wrong, and the tide may turn in your direction later on. But for now, the way that you look at your data, especially your music files, seems quaint and old fashioned to many users, developers, and device makers.
accidentalfission
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Google Dashboard gives you complete, very fine-grained control over your privacy settings.
Or don’t sign in to your google account at all. Voila, the same anonymity you’re used to now.
I assume this is an option with Android devices. The Chrome browser certainly works fine without signing in. But it’s really cool features kick in when you sign in to Chrome.
Google is much more trustworthy than MS in my opinion.
TheTabletPro
@magurakurin: You can get it directly from Google in the “Play” store, or retailers like GameStop, Sams Club, Staples and Office Depot, as well as many others.
Stephen
@JenJen: I have to agree with this. The device feels very nice and works great. I have had it for a few days now and it has been awesome.
Also it did not have Swype but that took about five seconds to install.
I was also a little nervous that the screen was going to be to small but I have to say I actually prefer it now because it can be held in one hand. To each their own though.
Sasha
When Google releases a 10-inch tablet, I’ll be all over it like white on rice.
LC
@Sasha:
Isn’t the Asus Transformer 10″?