I was always a skeptic when it came to owning a tablet. In fact, I held fast to the idea that they were pointless. Until now.
It all started in 2010 when Apple came out with the iPad. It seemed to me like a nice toy to play around with. A luxury item that the wealthy could flaunt in the faces of the rest of us while they gleefully loaded up Angry Birds on the morning train to work. In other words, nothing that had any practical use.
I just didn't get it. A 10 inch fragile screen that does everything a budget laptop can do, for twice the cost. On top of all that, it lacked a keyboard, so it would be useless for word documents and taking notes.
As someone who often finds themselves in a classroom, I did not find that at all attractive.
Flash forward two years, and my perspective has reversed. This is mainly due to two reasons: the influence of smartphones in my life and the more diverse range of tablets on the market.
Back in 2010, I still owned a flip phone. Therefore, I had no idea just how great things like "apps" were before I finally got an Android phone in early 2011. As you might have guessed, this had a strong influence in me disregarding the original iPad in 2010, as I had no previous experience with smartphones and therefore could not appreciate what it meant to transport that "Iphone experience" onto a larger device that contained much better hardware.
However, even with a smartphone (of the Android variety), I remained unconvinced that a tablet was necessary in my life. I told myself that my smartphone could do everything a tablet could do, and brushed off new iterations of the iPad, as well as its competitors.
The first time I truly considered buying a tablet was when Amazon released the Kindle Fire. I really liked the idea of having an e-reader, and I didn't want to buy one of those entry level e-ink devices because I knew I would rather have something with more bells and whistles.
Now, I was finally starting to see the point of this tablet craze. A smartphone on steroids, able to be utilized as an e-reader/entertainment device to a much greater degree due to the size and quality of their screens.
For me, the reading aspect was key. My smartphone has a 3.5 inch screen, and for reading, that just doesn't cut it. A tablet presented me with the opportunity to essentially carry around a newspaper or book in my pocket, and unlike with my phone, I wouldn't have to squint to see the text.
I ended up passing on the Kindle Fire mostly because it was Amazon's first foray into the hardware side of things, and though their attempt was admirable, I knew there would be a better version coming out soon. Luckily, I was right.
And no, it's not the Kindle Fire 2. It's the Google Nexus 7. Google (partnered with Asus) managed to create a tablet that improved upon the standards set by the Kindle Fire in every way, creating a 7" device that is portable, affordable, and packs an enormous amount of processing power. For these reasons, I bought one a few weeks after they made their debut in July.
You may ask why I didn't go for the iPad. Well, the answer is simple. One, it was way too expensive. The N7 (as it has been nicknamed) is only $250 for the 16gb version, a price that was much easier to swallow than what Apple was asking for with even their cheapest iPad iteration.
Secondly, I really prefer 7" tablets like the N7 over 10" ones like the iPad. To me they offer the perfect mix of portability and usability. Seriously, I can hold the N7 in my hand almost as comfortably as my smartphone, and the screen quality and legibility is nearly equal to the retina display on Apple's newest iPad. That to me is a huge plus when you are buying something mainly for its ability to be a portable super smartphone/ PC.
There's just something about the tablet interface that makes it incredibly easy to get lost in a wealth of interesting articles, songs, movies, and books for hours on end (in my case, it probably has something to do with the N7's Android 4.1 operating system...). The apps you love on your smartphone are ten times better on a tablet, and after using things like Pulse, Currents, and Pocket on something like the N7, I'm sure you'll agree.
Indeed, I'd be surprised if you could stomach using any app that requires heavy reading on a smartphone after experiencing what a tablet has to offer.
With the Google Nexus 7 and the Apple iPad, consumers now have access to two great tablets that are sure to serve you well. As you may have guessed, I'd suggest the former only because I love the smaller size and the fact that it's Google's flagship device; the latter of which means that it will get priority in terms of receiving new OS updates and having apps optimized for it.
Really though, you can't go wrong, and in the end your choice will probably come down to whether or not you own more Apple or Google (Android) devices.
It was difficult for me to disassociate tablets from the stigma that they were merely underpowered laptops without a keyboard, but I'm glad I did, as they truly are amazing devices.
If you are like me and just recently bought a Nexus 7, consider loading it up with the following apps (I've focused on productivity and gaming):
1. Pulse
I love to read, so it shouldn't surprise anybody that I bought my Nexus 7 initially for its e-reading capabilities. But this addiction wasn't limited to novels; I also enjoy reading the news and various other bits of information you can find around the web.
Pulse is a neat little app that essentially organizes everything you like to read into one place, and it does it in style. You basically tell it what you want to read, and it gives you top headlines from that website or other sources along with an image from the article. I was even able to load up this site onto it, which was a pleasant surprise.
Another great thing about Pulse is that it lets you save articles for later viewing. Recently, I've become accustomed to pouring over hundreds of articles, hunting and pecking for anything that looked interesting to me. Usually, this will leave me with twenty or so articles that I can access anytime at a later date.
I always have a backlog of interesting things to read on Pulse, and I am sure you will too if you give the app a try. On the Nexus 7, it runs buttery smooth and the screen really brings the best out of the interface. If you are searching for a news/reader app, look no further.
2. Pocket
Have you ever been on a webpage you think is interesting, but don't have the time to read it right at that moment? You could do the old fashioned thing and bookmark the page, but nowadays there are better options. The best of which is, in my opinion, Pocket (formerly "read it later").
Pocket is a great app which I initially used to use to save Pulse articles I really really enjoyed. Now though, I find I am using it more often to save pages I find interesting on the web for later viewing. What's great is that Pocket downloads whatever you are saving to it, meaning you can view it offline.
That's an essential feature to have on something like the Nexus 7, which doesn't have 3g or 4g capabilities. With Pocket, you can load up a bunch of interesting pages from the internet, and view them later while riding in a car or while in any other area that has no access to a wifi connection.
Pocket has other features that allow you to archive articles you've saved to it, allowing you to build a collection of your favorite reading material over time. I for one enjoy this feature, as it's sometimes an eye opening experience to see what I archived just a couple weeks ago.
Much like Pulse, Pocket is a great information compiling tool that allows you to access content while offline. Anybody who is using their Nexus 7 as a content consumer should seriously consider downloading this app!
3. Virtual Table Tennis 3D
Reading is great and all, but sometimes you just want to use your tablet for plain mindless fun. Virtual Table Tennis 3D accomplishes that and more. It's pretty self explanatory, so I won't spend too much time on it, but basically you control one ping pong paddle and the computer controls the other, and you play out a game of table tennis (shocking!).
It's an easy game to learn but a hard one to master. Even on the lowest difficulty settings you'll find yourself losing over and over again until you perfect your strategy and become better at blocking the computer's increasingly tenacious attempts to score.
My personal favorite time to use this app is during commercial breaks on TV. Your favorite show goes on break, you fire up Virtual Table Tennis 3D, play a few matches, and your show is back on in what seems like seconds. It's like magic!
Maybe I'm biased because I like playing ping pong in real life, but I'd definitely say that this game is one of the best available on the Nexus 7. Not only does it take advantage of the Nexus 7's processing power, but it frankly would not be playable on a screen the size of what's on your typical smartphone.
4. Songza
Move over Pandora, Spotify, and other music app competitors. Songza has arrived on the scene with a bang and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
What's great about Songza, to me, is the interface. You fire it up and you're introduced to what is called the "concierge". It will say something like "It's Sunday evening, do you want to play music for..." and it will list options like cooking, studying, eating dinner, relaxing, and more.
To me its ingenious how it matches genres to days, times, moods, and feelings. In my mind it's a form of creativity lacking in other music apps, which are either soulless (Spotify) or feature similar but less effective features (Pandora).
Songza is a clever app that makes listening to music fun, and that's saying a lot considering that I'm someone who generally doesn't listen to too much music during their downtime!
I feel like its interface works great and is easy to use with the Nexus 7's screen and processing capabilities. If you need some music to compliment the state of mind you are in at the moment, this is the app for you.
5. Wizard's Choice
Wizard's Choice is a game with multiple parts (I believe there are five total), and is essentially a text based choose your own adventure game. Before you fall asleep at the keyboard, hear me out. What makes this game impressive are the aforementioned choices, much like those Goosebumps books we all read as kids, or for the avant garde out there, Mass Effect or Fallout.
I can't really spoil the story as that's one of its best parts; suffice it to say, it's worth it to read/play it until the end. While the game isn't totally open ended, the writer (or writers, not sure how many were involved in the project) does a good job at portraying the consequences of your choices and actions.
Wizard's choice really is the ultimate package in my mind. You get great storytelling, engrossing gameplay, and a sense of accomplishment all in one neat and cheap little package.
And to close, let me be clear; you absolutely need the greater real estate of a 7"+ screen to truly enjoy an experience such as Wizard's choice, not only so you can read the text and make accurate choices, but also so you can appreciate the fantastic artwork present in the game.
---
That's all for now. Whatever you plan to do with your N7, enjoy!
1. Pulse
I love to read, so it shouldn't surprise anybody that I bought my Nexus 7 initially for its e-reading capabilities. But this addiction wasn't limited to novels; I also enjoy reading the news and various other bits of information you can find around the web.
Pulse is a neat little app that essentially organizes everything you like to read into one place, and it does it in style. You basically tell it what you want to read, and it gives you top headlines from that website or other sources along with an image from the article. I was even able to load up this site onto it, which was a pleasant surprise.
Another great thing about Pulse is that it lets you save articles for later viewing. Recently, I've become accustomed to pouring over hundreds of articles, hunting and pecking for anything that looked interesting to me. Usually, this will leave me with twenty or so articles that I can access anytime at a later date.
I always have a backlog of interesting things to read on Pulse, and I am sure you will too if you give the app a try. On the Nexus 7, it runs buttery smooth and the screen really brings the best out of the interface. If you are searching for a news/reader app, look no further.
2. Pocket
Have you ever been on a webpage you think is interesting, but don't have the time to read it right at that moment? You could do the old fashioned thing and bookmark the page, but nowadays there are better options. The best of which is, in my opinion, Pocket (formerly "read it later").
Pocket is a great app which I initially used to use to save Pulse articles I really really enjoyed. Now though, I find I am using it more often to save pages I find interesting on the web for later viewing. What's great is that Pocket downloads whatever you are saving to it, meaning you can view it offline.
That's an essential feature to have on something like the Nexus 7, which doesn't have 3g or 4g capabilities. With Pocket, you can load up a bunch of interesting pages from the internet, and view them later while riding in a car or while in any other area that has no access to a wifi connection.
Pocket has other features that allow you to archive articles you've saved to it, allowing you to build a collection of your favorite reading material over time. I for one enjoy this feature, as it's sometimes an eye opening experience to see what I archived just a couple weeks ago.
Much like Pulse, Pocket is a great information compiling tool that allows you to access content while offline. Anybody who is using their Nexus 7 as a content consumer should seriously consider downloading this app!
3. Virtual Table Tennis 3D
Reading is great and all, but sometimes you just want to use your tablet for plain mindless fun. Virtual Table Tennis 3D accomplishes that and more. It's pretty self explanatory, so I won't spend too much time on it, but basically you control one ping pong paddle and the computer controls the other, and you play out a game of table tennis (shocking!).
It's an easy game to learn but a hard one to master. Even on the lowest difficulty settings you'll find yourself losing over and over again until you perfect your strategy and become better at blocking the computer's increasingly tenacious attempts to score.
My personal favorite time to use this app is during commercial breaks on TV. Your favorite show goes on break, you fire up Virtual Table Tennis 3D, play a few matches, and your show is back on in what seems like seconds. It's like magic!
Maybe I'm biased because I like playing ping pong in real life, but I'd definitely say that this game is one of the best available on the Nexus 7. Not only does it take advantage of the Nexus 7's processing power, but it frankly would not be playable on a screen the size of what's on your typical smartphone.
4. Songza
Move over Pandora, Spotify, and other music app competitors. Songza has arrived on the scene with a bang and it doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
What's great about Songza, to me, is the interface. You fire it up and you're introduced to what is called the "concierge". It will say something like "It's Sunday evening, do you want to play music for..." and it will list options like cooking, studying, eating dinner, relaxing, and more.
To me its ingenious how it matches genres to days, times, moods, and feelings. In my mind it's a form of creativity lacking in other music apps, which are either soulless (Spotify) or feature similar but less effective features (Pandora).
Songza is a clever app that makes listening to music fun, and that's saying a lot considering that I'm someone who generally doesn't listen to too much music during their downtime!
I feel like its interface works great and is easy to use with the Nexus 7's screen and processing capabilities. If you need some music to compliment the state of mind you are in at the moment, this is the app for you.
5. Wizard's Choice
Wizard's Choice is a game with multiple parts (I believe there are five total), and is essentially a text based choose your own adventure game. Before you fall asleep at the keyboard, hear me out. What makes this game impressive are the aforementioned choices, much like those Goosebumps books we all read as kids, or for the avant garde out there, Mass Effect or Fallout.
I can't really spoil the story as that's one of its best parts; suffice it to say, it's worth it to read/play it until the end. While the game isn't totally open ended, the writer (or writers, not sure how many were involved in the project) does a good job at portraying the consequences of your choices and actions.
Wizard's choice really is the ultimate package in my mind. You get great storytelling, engrossing gameplay, and a sense of accomplishment all in one neat and cheap little package.
And to close, let me be clear; you absolutely need the greater real estate of a 7"+ screen to truly enjoy an experience such as Wizard's choice, not only so you can read the text and make accurate choices, but also so you can appreciate the fantastic artwork present in the game.
---
That's all for now. Whatever you plan to do with your N7, enjoy!
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