A Pain in the Whatchamacallit
By Tiny Ruisch
Maybe I should start calling this column “Tales From the Dark Side”. I’ve had my new toy for about three weeks now. It’s the Google Nexus 7 tablet. If I had to describe it with one word, I think I’d say fantastic. I’d been thinking about replacing my Archos tablet with something more capable. The Tech Guy, Leo LaPorte, convinced me to get this machine.
The Nexus 7 has a Quad-core Tegra 3 processor and the latest Android operating system, Jelly Bean (4.1). It is really fast and smooth scrolling. This is by far the best Android machine that I have seen. The display is a 7 inch 1280×800 HD (216 ppi). It is gorgeous.
There is no 3G/4G installed. For me, that is not a problem. I didn’t have it on my old tablet and never missed it. On the few occasions I was away from a network, I just tether to my cell phone if I need to access the Internet. There is Wireless b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0.
It has a built in microphone which I have used quite a bit with Google Talk. I’ve found myself searching for really stupid things just to see what the machine will find. For instance, I often tell my Grandson that he is just a “silly goose”. When I told the Nexus 7 to “find a silly goose”, I got driving instructions to the Silly Goose restaurant in Nashville, TN.
There isn’t a rear camera. For me that isn’t a big thing. I can’t think of a reason that I would ever use a tablet to take a picture. I seldom take pictures with my Pocket PC. Oops! I meant to say telephone. I used to say the same thing about front facing cameras, but I use the one on the Nexus 7 several times a day. One of the features of Jelly Bean is taking a picture of yourself and then using the camera to wake the machine up from sleep mode. The camera compares your face with the file picture. If you look different, a pass code is needed to wake the machine up. I haven’t been able to fool it yet.
Other features include a Near Field Communication technology, and Accelerometer, Global Positioning System, a Magnetometer and a Gyroscope. The battery is a lithium ion 4325 mAh. I haven’t yet got a recharge soon warning. I wish I could say the same for my Android phone.
There are only two ports on this machine. One is for a headphone jack. The other is a mini USB (host) port, used for both charging and input/output. I haven’t yet tested to see what USB peripherals can be used with the Nexus tablet.
All is not roses. Almost every review you read lets us know that there isn’t an HDMI out port. That doesn’t matter much to me. I have a HDMI port on my other tablet. I’ve used it exactly one time. When I first got the machine, I plugged it in to see how the output looked on my television. My old HTC phone had a HDMI out port too. I used it two times. I had tested it at home when I first got it. The second time is when I demonstrated it on the big screen TV at one of the SIG computer meetings. I think I’ll be able to cope without an HDMI port on the Nexus tablet.
There isn’t a Secure Digital expansion slot. I purchased the 16 GB model, so I’m hoping that I won’t miss it. I’ve never filled up the expansion data cards on either my phone or my Archos tablet.
I only have two real complaints about the Nexus tablet. The on/off button is placed in a corner of the case and I am constantly accidentally bumping it and turning the machine off. I also wish the speakers were a little louder. I’m getting older and my hearing isn’t as good as it once was. There is plenty of volume for me when I use headphones.
I like using Android 4.1 so much that I’ve decided not to get the Galaxy S4 III phone. I’m going to save my upgrade for something with Jelly Bean. Maybe I should send Microsoft a thank you note for dropping the ball on Windows Mobile and Windows Phone. It got me to try Android and I’ll probably never go back.
If you’re in the market for a tablet PC, I highly recommend you check out the Galaxy Nexus 7. By the way, it already passed the “drop” test twice for me. I’d better hurry up and order a case for it.
Thanks for reading.