Merry Christmas, y'all!
In my tryptophan/egg nog-induced post Xmas-eve dinner stupor, I realized that today marks 5 months with the Asus Nexus 7 tablet. Thus, I thought I'd give you guys an update on this remarkable device.
After our frustrating experience with the iPad, and the slow entry of Android into the market, I had given up on tablets. The iPad had been relegated to the plane's seat back, only used for sectional maps, and we were happy with our Android smartphones for daily use.
However, with OSH '12 fast approaching, and rumors of a new Super Android Tablet in a 7" form factor swirling around the internet, I started to regain hope. The death of Lowrance Airmap 2000's database support made me start looking for a replacement, and I realized that a 7" tablet would fit neatly in its place on the yoke.
And then I saw it at Sam's Club. Almost on a whim, I bought it, becoming a very early adapter of the 16GB Nexus 7 -- something I try to avoid. The $225 price made it easy to jump on board, however.
It would be no exaggeration to say that the N7 truly changed my world. Almost immediately, it began to go everywhere with me, simply because it easily slipped into the cargo pockets of my khaki pants.
The form factor was perfect. The right size for one-handed use, and a gorgeous screen coupled with a quad-core Nvidia (think: graphics) processor made for buttery smooth...everything. It quickly supplanted my cell phone for photos and videos, and blew all printed material out of my home.
The Android OS is SO wonderfully apaptable. Unlike Apple's "my way or no way" attitude, Android can be configured and modified in seemingly limitless ways. If you don't like it a certain way, you can change it -- and that suits me.
You would think after five months the shine might be off the apple (lol!), but nope -- we just keep finding new things to do with it. These include:
- Garmin Pilot. This app gets better with each update, and does things my old Lowrance could never do.
- Packer games. Every Sunday we toddle to our local Packer pub (yep, they even have them on islands!) where I fire up the Packer App. This amazing app gives me everything you could ever want to know about the game, the teams you're watching, every statistic, etc. When I first brought it out, some of the regulars made fun of me. Now, they ask me for statistics, schedules, records, etc. It's a lot of fun.
- Surveillance. When we were in Iowa I could access all 8 of our security cameras at the hotel.
- Emails, Facebook, PofA, magazines, newspapers, breaking news. It's all here, with new apps coming out daily.
- Daily Briefing. Using Google Assistant, I receive a briefing each morning from a woman who sounds just like Kate Beckinsale. She tells me the day, date, what's on my calendar, weather, weather forecast, and the top headlines.
- Google+. We make "hangouts" with our kids, and video-phone with them. It's so much easier using the Nexus 7 instead of our laptops.
- Books. The N7 is basically a super Kindle, so I've downloaded dozens of books in the last 5 months.
- Music. The N7 is an integral component of our stereo system, both at home and at the hangar, streaming all of our music via Bluetooth.
The list goes on and on. I play chess against it. I use it as a standalone GPS in the car. I use it to find constellations in the sky. I use it to jot myself notes.
Physically, the unit has been flawless. After 150 days of daily use, I still don't have a cover on it. I don't even use a screen protector, and the gorilla glass remains scratch-free. My wife and daughter have Nexus 7s, too, and they have been equally tough -- although they favor keeping them in stylish portfolio carrying cases in their purses.
I still get over 12 hours on the battery in regular daily use. (Much less when used as a GPS or streaming video player, of course.). If only my 4G cell phone was so good!
So, to sum up, we could not be happier with the Nexus 7. If it ever breaks, I will buy another one, same day. I'm not sure if I would know how to structure a day without one anymore!
