Quote:
Originally Posted by Roseweave
I have a bunch of new considerations so I'm really torn here.
On one level, 7 inch tablets are great because they're a similar size to 6 inch readers but with a little extra on top for watching movies and the like. They're super portable and useful like that. At the same time, 7 inches is a small screen for doing certain types of work. I know from the experience of using an EEE PC that 9 inches is generally enough for a device to focus as a true replacement for a laptop in certain scenarios.
The downside being 9 inch devices are heavier and might not be as suitable for reading on. In fact when I was checking some out in the shop, the size almost seemed daunting, and of the tablets over 8 inches almost seemed artificially enlarged in a way. iPads seemed more right to be because of the 3:4 aspect ratio.
But I feel like the 9 inchers are growing on me now and that I might get a fair amount of use out of them, getting more out of it than just replacing my broken Nook. I'm not a big fan of android and would prefer a portable device that can run legacy windows software but at this stage android is so widely supported it's probably not going to be much of an issue.
If I can use the tablet as an MIDI controller too I might be able to get rid of my Launchpad. Does Android still have Audio Latency issues? How is Touch Latency on the Nooks?
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As you explicitly mention Nook HD and Nook HD+:
I've got both. Personally, I wouldn't buy neither again.
But if you're a fan of Nooks: Nook HD+ is okay. But I found the build quality of Nook HD unbearable. Visible gaps between the plastic frame and the housing. You even see them on about half the pictures in reviews. Some users don't bother. But I can't help myself: Whenever I turn on my Nook HD, first thing I see are those gaps.
Reason why I wouldn't buy a Nook anymore:
Over time, I've bought quite a few apps in the Nook App Store. With the latest firmware update, Google Play got integrated. Now I can access all my other apps. In general, that's a good thing. I've got way more apps that way. But why did I buy so many apps twice? it doesn't make much sense, to use the Nook versions anymore. Most don't get updates and the Google Play versions usually are a few versions ahead. But if I'm using the original Google system: Why then buy a Nook in the first place? It's a nice enough tablet, but not really outstanding, in my opinion. And managing 2 sets of applications simply gets bothersome.
As for your general question:
Personally, at the beginning of the tablet hype, I was into large format. And back then, Kindle DX had been my favorite reader. No Kindle Paperwhite is my favorite reader and I tend towards 7" tablets.
Only exception: I use Surface Pro for "professional tasks". And, would I still have the need (personally, I don't anymore, since changing jobs 18 months ago), to process PDFs, I'd aim for tablets/readers close to A4/letter format. But for all other tasks, I find 7" more than adequate.
As for the OS:
I quickly replaced iOS by Android because of the open OS and accessible file system.
In the meantime, I've replaced Android by Windows 8 and couldn't be happier with my Surface Pros and Dell Latitude 10.
In another thread, there was a discussion about productive respectively productive apps. How could there be more apps respectively how could productivity be any higher than on a full blown PC? No need for apps, just go for the legacy software and your options are sheer limitless.
But of course it all depends on the usage patterns. A Surface Pro certainly is overkill for playing Angry Birds...