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Nexus 7 |OT| Google's $199 7-inch tablet by Asus

S

Salaadin

Member
scorcho said:
they've reused this case design since the original iPad, and I'm a huge fan of it. the case will add some bulk to the device, but it's sound protection against drops and the built-in stand functionality works great.

hopefully this version actually comes with the 'smart cover' functionality included.
Click to expand...

Good to know. Thanks.

Samus4145 said:
Title says it has the sleep function but a review says otherwise. Hmm...
Click to expand...
This particular case isnt out yet so the reviewer probably reviewed the wrong one.
Moko released another case last week without the smart cover functionality and upgraded all buyers to a newer version with the functionality for free so im not sure why that guy wouldnt mention that.
 
O

OriginalThinking

Member
Emily Chu said:
Yeah it was a nice tablet, the first one I've decided to purchase.
Only the weight, bulk, and hardware defects bothered me enough to return it, it just wasn't ready yet at least imo

but I can see apple hitting my checklist in dream tablet features first before anyone else hence they control their vision of the hardware and software.

but for now I'm just gonna be using my laptop like everyone else for most things.
Click to expand...

You think the Nexus 7 is heavy and bulky? You make Copernicus look like an amateur.
 
S

Samus4145

Member
Salaadin said:
Good to know. Thanks.


This particular case isnt out yet so the reviewer probably reviewed the wrong one.
Moko released another case last week without the smart cover functionality and upgraded all buyers to a newer version with the functionality for free so im not sure why that guy wouldnt mention that.
Click to expand...

sweet. Ordering now. Just the style of case I wanted.
 
J

JudgeN

Member
Trying to install flash but how do I access the system/apps on nexus 7? I have the tablet unlocked and root but its not showing up on computer and I have hidden folder enabled in windows.

Figured it out
 
C

Cartman86

Banned
If anyone installed the Ultimate Rotation Control app that I might have mentioned in the past it causes stuttering in video apps like Youtube. Here is what the developer says to do until they fix it (other than uninstalling)

*** Note for Nexus 7 users: various comments indicates that this app causes lag during video playback. Until I have implemented a "proper" workaround, you can enable forced auto only in the apps that really need it. To arrange it for the launcher (which does not appear in the per app list) use the following trick:
- set the default mode to auto instead of forced auto.
- when on the home screen tap on the notification. In the dialog which appears, set the global/per app toggle to per app and choose forced auto

I noticed this and thought it was a coincidence at first. Either way this helped me make it so only the home screen forced into landscape and not games as well.
 
H

Harry_Tequila

Member
For God sake... Google have just sent me an email to confirm that the Nexus 7 I cancelled has been shipped.

I've never encountered such incompetence as they way Google have handled this launch.
 
D

DagsJT

Member
Threi said:
pretty much just multipicture live wallpaper and minimalistic text.
Click to expand...

We need more details! That video is pretty awesome, would love an in-depth mention of what apps/widgets/tools you've used so we can get it setup exactly like that.

Links to a RAR of the wallpapers would also be great :)
 
S

surly

Banned
suedester said:
I second this!
Click to expand...
I third it!

I posted about a case I bought a few pages back, which I initially really liked for the money. It has the magnets in the flap to both hold the flap closed and wake the tablet/put it to sleep, but today I found that if the flap is folded behind the tablet - which is the most comfortable way to have it when you're using it - sometimes the magnets still cause the screen to go into sleep mode and it won't turn back on unless I move the flap away from the back of the tablet. Perhaps this is going to be an issue with other cases like this, or maybe the magnets in this case are too strong.
 
O

OriginalThinking

Member
OneEightZero said:
You misse my point. She doesn't own an iPad as a weight reference.
Click to expand...

Seriously? If you read her/his comments then either we are being trolled by a master or Chu is totally bonkers. Like the poster has admitted she/he wants something generations away from being feasible.

It's like me buying a flat screen TV and being disappointed afterwards that it doesn't support holographic video conferencing yet. Calling the Nexus 7 bulky stretches the limit of credibility.
 
OneEightZero

OneEightZero

aka ThreeOneFour
OriginalThinking said:
Seriously? If you read her/his comments then either we are being trolled by a master or Chu is totally bonkers. Like the poster has admitted she/he wants something generations away from being feasible.

It's like me buying a flat screen TV and being disappointed afterwards that it doesn't support holographic video conferencing yet. Calling the Nexus 7 bulky stretches the limit of credibility.
Click to expand...

It sounds like the genuine complaints of a person who has bought a first generation device. I'd be skeptical if she were praising an Apple tablet in it's wake, but she's not. She wants to wait to see what comes from the Nexus line next.
 
S

Stat Flow

He gonna cry in the car
Just pulled the trigger on an 8GB Nexus 7 from the Play Store. So excited. About to put Kindle Fire on eBay right now.
 
3

345triangle

Member
just got mine, surprisingly! coworker shipped me one from the US, only took four days to get here.

first impressions really good, build quality seems solid and i definitely prefer the form factor to the ipad for things like games and the kindle app. not as good for web browsing or magazines, but i'm glad i now have both.
 
S

scorcho

testicles on a cold fall morning
Stat Flow said:
Just pulled the trigger on an 8GB Nexus 7 from the Play Store. So excited. About to put Kindle Fire on eBay right now.
Click to expand...

temper your enthusiasm, sir. you do realize that this isn't as thin as a sheet of paper? nor does it recharge via built-in solar panels or through kinetic movement.
 
O

OriginalThinking

Member
OneEightZero said:
It sounds like the genuine complaints of a person who has bought a first generation device. I'd be skeptical if she were praising an Apple tablet in it's wake, but she's not. She wants to wait to see what comes from the Nexus line next.
Click to expand...

Read this:

Emily Chu said:
It's gotta be much lighter and far less bulky in the back, ethereal light or at least as light as a phone but with a 7" 10" of course where not there yet...

maybe a couple of generations away in tablet tech

a major advancement in battery tech 12-24 hr actual usage time battery life.

a solar, motion, and or kinetic charger built in ?

of course what I want is all pie in the sky stuff atm

realistically it's Nexus 7 5.0 or somewhere down the line.

but this is a great start but there is much much room to improve.
Click to expand...

These were never realistic expectations given todays level of commercially available technology at a $199 price point. It's not like the poster will have never seen a tablet before or seen pictures or read reviews on the internet. It's like buying a car for the first time but then deciding it's too heavy and not agile enough because it cant perform instantaneous 180 degrees turns. This is despite having seen other people's cars on the road every day and never having witnessed a car perform this manoeuvre. Then telling everybody loudly you are going to wait for hover cars when maybe they can meet your ludicrous expectations.
 
OneEightZero

OneEightZero

aka ThreeOneFour
OriginalThinking said:
Read this:



These were never realistic expectations given todays level of commercially available technology at a $199 price point. It's not like the poster will have never seen a tablet before or seen pictures or read reviews on the internet. It's like buying a car for the first time but then deciding it's too heavy and not agile enough because it cant perform instantaneous 180 degrees turns. This is despite having seen other people's cars on the road every day and never having witnessed a car perform this manoeuvre. Then telling everybody loudly you are going to wait for hover cars when maybe they can meet your ludicrous expectations.
Click to expand...
That post wasn't the focus of our argument... right? I thought we were disagreeing about the weight.
 
F

Fantasmo

Member
WHOAH, is this true??

Is the Search soft button missing from Jelly Bean because of Apple? CAN IT BE THAT I CANT SEARCH MY DEVICE EASILY BECAUSE OF A FUCKING PATENT ON SEARCH? IF SO, FUCK YOU APPLE
 
W

womp

Member
Harry_Tequila said:
For God sake... Google have just sent me an email to confirm that the Nexus 7 I cancelled has been shipped.

I've never encountered such incompetence as they way Google have handled this launch.
Click to expand...

My pal had the same incompetence when ordering his unlocked Galaxy Nexus from them a few months ago as well so it isn't just the Nexus 7. Google really needs to step up their game in this department.

He ended up buying his Galaxy Nexus at Fry's. :p
 
O

OriginalThinking

Member
OneEightZero said:
That post wasn't the focus of our argument... right? I thought we were disagreeing about the weight.
Click to expand...

Yes but the crux of the discussion was my assertion that Chu was criticising a product based on ludicrous expectations which simply don't match with reality. Calling the tablet weighty or bulky because you want something that should be `ethereal light' is just silly. Especially as the specifications and weight were readily available at the time of order. Chu is critiquing all tablet technology at this point in time and says that she/he will only be satisfied 5 generations down the road. And unless she/he is wilfully blind she had ready access to materials which make it clear that the technology in the tablet was never going to meet his/her specifications. Case in point, battery life. Google advertised it at 12 hours. So then to be frustrated because it isn't 24 hours? That's like buying a motorcycle that is advertised as doing 130mph then returning it because you only want one that can do 260mph despite the technology to do so being years away at a reasonable price. If this was important to the poster why did they buy in the first place? If this was my customer I'd feel as though they'd just wasted my and everybody else's time.
 
K

kehs

Banned
Just got my N7 today....wow I forgot hot much I don't like LCD screens. Thing is built tight though.

Also...I think they closed the credit loop hole. >=| should have started with my own first.
 
E

Emily Chu

Banned
Copernicus said:
Just got my N7 today....wow I forgot hot much I don't like LCD screens. Thing is built tight though.

Also...I think they closed the credit loop hole. >=| should have started with my own first.
Click to expand...

well the screen was bigger, but the colors were washed out compared to my Gnex.

it was pretty jarring at first but you'll get used to it.

or not

how are you liking it so far ?
 
K

kehs

Banned
Emily Chu said:
well the screen was bigger, but the colors were washed out compared to my Gnex.

it was pretty jarring at first but you'll get used to it.

or not

how are you liking it so far ?
Click to expand...

Crazy day at work, haven't really had a chance to mess with it too much, but it's very...different feeling than my GN or my TF.
 
H

Hieberrr

Member
Is Nova Launcher Premium worth it?

Also, lease tell me there is a browser out there (not Firefox) that supports flash. One of the reasons that I bought this was to stream shows during breaks at school or something. Firefox is... well it is fine, but it's really bare and minimal feature wise. It also has one ugly ass mofo of an icon.
 
R

renitou

Member
junkster said:
WHOAH, is this true??

Is the Search soft button missing from Jelly Bean because of Apple? CAN IT BE THAT I CANT SEARCH MY DEVICE EASILY BECAUSE OF A FUCKING PATENT ON SEARCH? IF SO, FUCK YOU APPLE
Click to expand...
Search from the omnipresent Google bar at the top of the screen. They removed both the Search and Menu buttons starting with Ice Cream Sandwich.
 
T

Threi

notag
finished: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAsEQTpgAtA


thanks guys. Like I said, it's all minimalistic text, nova launcher, multipicture wallpaper and a bunch of work. A rough tutorial is here but I didn't really use that at all.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1232359

Multipicture wallpaper is pretty awkward to set up, basically you have to set each wallpaper for each screen, which has to be EQUAL to the number of screens your launcher has. After install you have to press the "add individual settings" button for as many screens as you have. After that go into those individual settings and set the wallpaper for each of them "single picture" (it takes a while for the gallery chooser to pop up here, dunno why).

After that is done you have to set the "workaround for home application" (near the bottom), as the wrong one will be buggy. For nova launcher i use "ignore vertical movement"

In nova make sure you enable widget overlapping. That is how you will be able to put everything where you want, and from there its similar to setting up rainmeter on a desktop comp. Very tedious, but doable.

You create a minimalistic text widget (i suggest 2x2 or 3x3 then resizing to what you want), select "custom layout" from predefined layouts, go into custom layout, add a "static text" button (under the "misc" button), type in your text, select "normal" for text style.

Go down to text style in the widget settings, adjust the size and whatnot.

Scroll down some more, set it to "start another activity" and select what you want it to open in the list.

Put it on the desktop, resize it, and there you go.

Only thing is...you have to repeat this about 30 (or more) times. Very tedious. Only thing that helps is you can save certain configs so you don't have to repeat everything.

I'll try to zip up some configs but they are pretty specific to my tablet homescreen dimensions, you will still have to resize everything.

The wallpapers...whew. I just dumped my desktop collection onto my tablet, it's a ton of em. I'll see what i can do though, hold tight.


The "cube" effect is just enabling the cube transition in both multipicture wallpaper and in nova launcher.
 
M

Mairu

Member
Need more people posting who received the device and started using it! I'm interested in what apps people are finding to be useful or essential. The Android Apps thread is okay... but the stuff I see there is mostly recommended for phones.

I ended up switching to the official Twitter Android client rather than Tweet Lanes as I'd run into all these bugs where, while typing, the text field for typing the tweet would reset and it'd be a race to try and type the tweet in time before it reset. Oh well, it is a beta.
 
O

OriginalThinking

Member
Cross post from Android Apps. P.S some of these have free versions available too :) OK here's some apps I've been using on my Nexus 7. Not all are optimised for tablets yet, but some will be soon (I'll note it if that's the case). In almost every case these apps follow the new Android design guidelines. I've only tried to include apps where the performance (smoothness, responsiveness) matches up to my expectations of a modern Android app. If you like it, let me know and I can maybe add in more. I haven't really included games either!

Safe In Cloud

Awesome Password manager/backup service which uses the cloud sync between your Android Devices. Desktop version coming September 2012. I use it all the time.

Pattrn

Lovely app, great if you like patterned wallpapers.

Timer

Really simple, but beautiful timer.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.laurencedawson.reddit_sync.pro

The best Reddit client on the play store. Dev is super responsive (on Reddit). Currently on version 6, Tablet UI coming in version 8.

Clipper

Great way to manage the Android clipboard. Really useful if you need to copy and paste multiple but separate items.

Reader HD

Great RSS reader. tablet optimised. Has a magazine layout too.

Boid

This isn't yet available to download for the Nexus 7, but the next release will be (in the next few days). Great Twitter client. Still in Beta but unbelievably smooth. Version coming in the next few days will include auto complete of user names, push notifications and lots of other stuff. Tweet caching and a tablet UI should hit within weeks. Makes the official Twitter app look like the pile of crap it is.

Evernote

Evernote. Tablet optimised. Syncs notes in the cloud. Awesome.

Google Translate

Really useful for translating Tweets and the like. You can also use this for web pages in Chrome. Chrome > Share page > choose translate > Bingo. Only seems to work with desktop sites.

Soccer Livescores

Love Soccer? Best football scores app hands down. Notifications for goals scored, can set favourite teams and loads more.

Tasks

Awesome task manager which syncs in the cloud using Google tasks. Great widget , tablet optimised in landscape.

Battery Widget Reborn

Battery Widget(s), super stylish. Tablet optimised.

Dropbox

It's Dropbox. Totally awesome.

Evernote Food

Like Evernote, but for food. For those of you who eat out a lot, or fancy yourselves as chefs.

Guardian Crosswords

It's a Crossword app. But ICS style.

Google Drive

Drive. Alternative to DropBox but with 5GB free storage and syncs with Google Docs. As my work literally lives in Google Docs it's invaluable.

MD.emu

Megadrive emulator. Grab a USB OTG cable for your PS3 controller and you've got the worlds best Megadrive/Genesis emulation device at your fingertips.

Snes9x

See MD.Emu but for Snes. Not available on the play store, but you can download it for free at the Devs website.

IMDB

IMDB. Tablet optimised.

Lobowiki

ICS style Wikipedia browser. Still very early Beta.

DealPad

UK only. Hot UK Deals for your tablet. Looks great.

Notes With task Sync

If you need to take Notes, but want something lighter than Evernote, use this. Syncs in cloud with Google Tasks.

Spotify

The new Spotify Android app is a thing of beauty. Not tablet optimised but works great on the Nexus 7.

Imgur

Post on any kind of forum? You need this app. Notifications are JellyBean optimised!

Folder Sync

Foldersync. Allows you to sync any folder on your phone/tablet with your choice of cloud provider. Works great.

Flipboard

It's Flipboard. Not tablet optimised.

InstaWifi

InstaWifi allows you to share Wi-Fi passwords by NFC or QR code. Makes sharing Wi-Fi passwords a doddle.

Solid Explorer

One of Androids best, if not the best file explorer.

TED Talks

TED talks. Tablet optimised.

Tune In Radio Pro

Tune In Radio Pro. Amazing radio app. Tablet optimised.

Colors

Simple wallpaper app allowing you to set a plain color as your wallpaper.

Foursquare

Foursquare. Not tablet optimised but looks great anyway.

Markers

Tablet optimised sketching app. Simple but elegant.

Movies

Movies. It's not properly optimised for &" yet as the text is wonky in portrait, but it's fine in landscape. Great for checking movie times/theatres etc etc

Trivialist

Awesome trivia app which allows you to challenge your friends. Dev is currently working on optimising for tablet.

Beyondpod

Not totally sold on the UI yet, but probably the best Podcast app on the play store.

Aircalc

Aircalc. One of these floating apps that are better suited to tablets than phones. Try it.

Stick It

Same as aircalc but for videos. Similar to the feature Samsung tout on the S3 which allows you to watch videos whilst web browsing etc

Tablet talk

Hooks up to your android phone so you can send texts from your tablet and receive them instead. Useful when your phone is on charge and you'd rather use your tablet.

Jotterpad HD pro

Another note taking app, with a nice UI

OK that's it for now. There are many, many more that I've missed. If people think it's worthwhile I'll go back and add some more in.
 
T

th3dude

Member
Asked in Android OT and will ask here:

On the topic of apps, what apps do you all feel are still missing? Especially in regards to 4.0+ support and especially tablet support.

I'm itching to write something, but not sure what.
 
B

bob page

Member
So I've decided to return mine, here's why:

After using the N7 for the past 4 days or so, I tried using my iPad 2 last night and the experience was simply more enjoyable. Even though the iPad 2 screen was noticeably less crisp after using the N7, I have several reasons for returning it.

-It's more difficult to type on the N7, even with other keyboard apps. This is mainly due to the smaller screen size, but I definitely prefer the iPad keyboard.
-The iPad 2 is simply faster. Going back to Chrome on the iPad 2, scrolling was much, much smoother (night & day difference) and pages loaded a tad faster.
-The apps. I could tell I was already getting bored with the tablet apps on the N7 after a few days, which is a bad sign. The Google stock apps were great and the library will likely improve, but by then, I'm assuming there will be other tablet options available.

So overall, I think it's a great tablet with a great build for $200. If $200 is your budget, buy it. Jelly Bean has some really great features that I wish iOS would incorporate and it's definitely the only enjoyable experience I've had with Android so far. But as an iPad 2 owner, I can't justify keeping it or completely selling my iPad 2.
 
N

NawidA

Banned
bob page said:
So I've decided to return mine, here's why:

After using the N7 for the past 4 days or so, I tried using my iPad 2 last night and the experience was simply more enjoyable. Even though the iPad 2 screen was noticeably less crisp after using the N7, I have several reasons for returning it.

-It's more difficult to type on the N7, even with other keyboard apps. This is mainly due to the smaller screen size, but I definitely prefer the iPad keyboard.
-The iPad 2 is simply faster. Going back to Chrome on the iPad 2, scrolling was much, much smoother (night & day difference) and pages loaded a tad faster.
-The apps. I could tell I was already getting bored with the tablet apps on the N7 after a few days, which is a bad sign. The Google stock apps were great and the library will likely improve, but by then, I'm assuming there will be other tablet options available.

So overall, I think it's a great tablet with a great build for $200. If $200 is your budget, buy it. Jelly Bean has some really great features that I wish iOS would incorporate and it's definitely the only enjoyable experience I've had with Android so far. But as an iPad 2 owner, I can't justify keeping it or completely selling my iPad 2.
Click to expand...
I think the choice to not make tablet apps standardized on Android was a big mistake. I've heard all the excuses for not doing this but the end result is I go on the iPad app store and know what I'm getting and I don't have that on Android.
 
O

OriginalThinking

Member
sn1pes said:
Asked in Android OT and will ask here:

On the topic of apps, what apps do you all feel are still missing? Especially in regards to 4.0+ support and especially tablet support.

I'm itching to write something, but not sure what.
Click to expand...

Its really just a lack of tablet optimised apps. The biggest ones are good Twitter and FB tablet apps. Twitter should be rectified shortly by Boid and hopefully Carbon. FB, who knows. Instagram, Flipboard too. I think on a 7" tablet it's less noticeable at 10" it's a much bigger problem.

NawidA said:
I think the choice to not make tablet apps standardized on Android was a big mistake. I've heard all the excuses for not doing this but the end result is I go on the iPad app store and know what I'm getting and I don't have that on Android.
Click to expand...

This should be an easy fix for Google. They just need a 'tablet optimised' filter and bang, done.
 
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