Nexus 7 Tablet

[Richard]

Anyone here played with one, bought one? I am interested in taking the plunge and am curious. Also, thoughts on the 8 vs 16 gig model?

[deechee]

Love it.

It basically feels like a large smartphone. Its very light and portable. If you've used Android, the UI is straightforward. I pre-ordered mine from google and they even put in my username in the phone so the only set-up I had to do was enter my password. (Downside is once you login, you realize how much information google has been taking from your life as they suddenly appear on the Nexus.)

Battery life so far has been fantastic, two days of first-time use, downloading updates and apps, and I'm still at 60% battery life.

I would get the 16gb. I think I installed a few apps like Skype and it was already down to 13gb left. I can fill that easily with movies and music. (My N8 mobile has more than 10gb of music.) My 8gb iphone constantly gets full and drives me nuts. (Wouldn't have bought that size but its a free work phone.)

Compared to some of the larger 4.5" HTCs which recently came out, the line is harder to draw. Yeah, the screen is bigger, but then at least with the phone you can use it anywhere. Also, some of the android apps seem optimized for the smaller screen/or maybe bigger(?) and appear a bit weird or with limited functionality on the Nexus. That said I was never a huge android fan. I'm more of a Windows7/8 mobile UI guy.

After the initial excitement, I'm not sure what I would use this device for. Its too small as a laptop replacement (and less functional), but too big compared to my iphone to carry. For travel, sure, its a no brainer but besides that?

[rice rocket]

So you don't love it anymore?

I'm planning to get one, will probably pull the trigger next week. My use will be for web browsing and listening to music at work. At home, it will be my media center remote. While travelling, it will be my eReader / web browser since I don't really read periodicals, just books and websites.

Also, like all Google devices, it's meant to be a "cloud" device. Storing movies should only be reserved for when you're stuck on a remote desert island with no data connection. Otherwise, stream stream stream! WiFi only isn't a limitation for me since I can use the WiFi hotspot on my Android phone.

In the future, I'll probably sell my Macbook Pro and get the Microsoft Surface tablet. Saves me from having to carry a backpack to and from work.