Ten reasons I dont need the new$200 NEXUS7

[jswinden]

Originally Posted by afv011

On ICS and JB you can request the Desktop version of a page. Also, the Nexus 7, in landscape mode, has a width of 1280px; most websites are designed for 1024px, so they should display nicely.

Well, not really. Will they display the whole width of the page? Perhaps. Will it be comfortably readable with that super tiny text? No way.

Another thing that bugs me about the 7 inch tablets, and many other sized tablets too, is that they tend to use an awkward widescreen in 16 x 9 or 16 x 10 configuration. I like widescreens on large computer monitors, but on a small device it is awkward, especially for reading books and web browsing. Reading in portrait in widescreen looks like a really narrow page. Reading in landscape in widescreen looks like a really short page. I really think the 4 x 3 screen configuration is more natural for reading books and web browsing. The only reason to have 16 x 9 is for videos, but why make all others apps suffer because of that?

[geoffwood]

Originally Posted by afv011

Why would you get a 2 year old phone? In this day and age, 2 years is an eternity.

Maybe because a two year old iPhone, unlike most Android Phones, is running the current OS and is upgradeable to IOS6. Now in the world of Android, you have a point. Jelly Bean is released and yet most phones are just now getting upgrades to ICS.

I'm no FanBoy, I have Android, IOS and Symbian phones, but I'll admit that iPhones have a much longer shelf life than their competitors.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Another thing that bugs me about the 7 inch tablets, and many other sized tablets too, is that they tend to use an awkward widescreen in 16 x 9 or 16 x 10 configuration. I like widescreens on large computer monitors, but on a small device it is awkward, especially for reading books and web browsing. Reading in portrait in widescreen looks like a really narrow page. Reading in landscape in widescreen looks like a really short page. I really think the 4 x 3 screen configuration is more natural for reading books and web browsing. The only reason to have 16 x 9 is for videos, but why make all others apps suffer because of that?

If you're used to reading hardcovers and tech books I'd say yes 4:3 is probably a more "natural" ratio, but I don't think 16:9 is that far off from the aspect ratio of most mass market paperbacks is it?


As for web browsing doing it on a 10" tablet is more comfortable, but it's not that bad on a 7" screen at least for me (browsers set to desktop). Of course I only browse for brief periods on a tablet, might feel different if I was browsing for hours and hours at a time.

[Serena]

I find browsing on a 7" tablet very easy. Most websites are set up for mobile browsing, they take out all the ads and extra crap they show on the desktop version, and just show me what I want to see.

I use the Dolphin browser, I find it does a very good job of making the mobile pages readable.

[DreamWriter]

I use Dolphin HD browser on my 7" Acer tablet. It's readable in landscape orientation, and when I do need to enlarge text, I just use pinch-to-zoom. No big deal.

I also have a 10.1" tablet. I do prefer that for web-browsing, but the 7" device has other charms, like lighter weight and portability. There are trade-offs with either size. The tablet size that's best for you will depend on how you use it most often.

[jswinden]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

If you're used to reading hardcovers and tech books I'd say yes 4:3 is probably a more "natural" ratio, but I don't think 16:9 is that far off from the aspect ratio of most mass market paperbacks is it?

There must be more people who prefer 3 x 4 or 4 x 3 for reading. After all, almost all of the eInk devices from the major players use a 600 x 800 screen (which is 3 x 4). The only player to use a longer screen recently was Sony in their PRS-900 and PRS-950, both of which are discontinued. Thus only 600 x 800 screens are currently being used for 6 inch screens. I think the probably soon to be extinct Kindle DX is also 3 x 4 ratio though a larger screen overall.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by jswinden

There must be more people who prefer 3 x 4 or 4 x 3 for reading. After all, almost all of the eInk devices from the major players use a 600 x 800 screen (which is 3 x 4). The only player to use a longer screen recently was Sony in their PRS-900 and PRS-950, both of which are discontinued. Thus only 600 x 800 screens are currently being used for 6 inch screens. I think the probably soon to be extinct Kindle DX is also 3 x 4 ratio though a larger screen overall.

Which doesn't really have anything to do with what I posted, which was that paper mass market books are closer to the 16:9 ratio (I think). Most people take what's available and eInk screens are predominantly manufactured in 3:4, but that doesn't necessarily make the other ratio bad, unwanted or anything else.

Personally I've tried both and I guess it doesn't make much difference to me.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by geoffwood

Maybe because a two year old iPhone, unlike most Android Phones, is running the current OS and is upgradeable to IOS6. Now in the world of Android, you have a point. Jelly Bean is released and yet most phones are just now getting upgrades to ICS.

I'm no FanBoy, I have Android, IOS and Symbian phones, but I'll admit that iPhones have a much longer shelf life than their competitors.

Right, like the 3GS could be upgraded to whatever iOS version it was that turned the phone into a brick, where you couldn't even dial. That it CAN be upgraded does not mean that it SHOULD.

How's Siri working on the iPhone 4, by the way?

[jswinden]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Which doesn't really have anything to do with what I posted, which was that paper mass market books are closer to the 16:9 ratio (I think). Most people take what's available and eInk screens are predominantly manufactured in 3:4, but that doesn't necessarily make the other ratio bad, unwanted or anything else.

Personally I've tried both and I guess it doesn't make much difference to me.

I pretty sure this is a forum for eBooks and eReaders, not for printed books. Therefore my comments were directed more toward what we find on eInk devices. I really have not seen any paper books in 9 x 16, BTW.

[geekmaster]

Not only did Google make asus remove the sd card slot, but they also removed USB drive support from the USB OTG interface (requiring rooting to add it back).

With a full battery charge, I tried hooking a little webcam (500mA rating) to my USB OTG and the N7 locked up with a black screen. Only a half-minute power-hold (reset) would get it back.

Rumors are that Google removed SD card support so they could sell the 8GB to 16GB upgrade for $50USD when it costs them $7.50USD. But even the free space on 16GB is barely enough to hold one or two HD movies.

[geoffwood]

Originally Posted by afv011

Right, like the 3GS could be upgraded to whatever iOS version it was that turned the phone into a brick, where you couldn't even dial. That it CAN be upgraded does not mean that it SHOULD.

How's Siri working on the iPhone 4, by the way?

My 3GS is running IOS 5 quite happily. As to Siri, I suspect it runs as well as "Google Now" runs on ICS, which would be not at all, at least not in any supported way.

[afv011]

Originally Posted by geoffwood

My 3GS is running IOS 5 quite happily. As to Siri, I suspect it runs as well as "Google Now" runs on ICS, which would be not at all, at least not in any supported way.

Google Now doesn't run on ICS because it has dependencies satisfied only on Jelly Bean, not because some company tells you the hardware suddenly is not powerful enough to run it (especially when the app was actually running on that same hardware, Siri anyone?).

Note that Google Now can be hacked to work on ICS, but it will not have the same voice prediction capabilities as on JB (hence why by default it requires JB). It's a genuine reason, unlike that given by other companies.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by WillysJeepMan

I'm paying $45/month for my iPhone 4 with unlimited talk/text/data and no contract.

Owning an iPhone is getting cheaper and cheaper. It's not quite as cheap as even the top-of-the-line Android phones but much cheaper than it used to be. That trend will continue.

I'll get a smartphone when data plans become an option instead of a requirement.

[geoffwood]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I'll get a smartphone when data plans become an option instead of a requirement.

Buy an unlocked/used smartphone, stick the sim from your "dumb" phone in it and you're all set. Unless you tell your cell company that you have a smartphone, they'll never know

[Dewdd]

Could not agree more