Nexus 7, iPad or Surface?

[soze]

Most of it is bullshit though. Take away widgets and it is no more locked down than anything else. The OS and the Apps are better optimised than the Android alternative. And Hardware wise they are second to none they are better built and have a better support infrastructure than any other tablet. They are expensive yes they are not expandable which is shite, your not allowed widgets which is a problem for some. And do fuck all out the box? They are fully online after giving them a WiFi passkey and have full access to the class leading App Store and have Internet and Email built in. What else should they have out the box?

I hate being a fan boy but some of the Anti Apple shit on her is pure bollocks. They are superior tablets the fact they got their first shows in the quality of the product. If you want to go guts deep and use four menus to get something done thats fine but the iPad is built so any muppet can pick one up and master it.

 

[Aada]

Much of what he said is correct though, might not agree with the vitriol but the argument holds water, they sell like hotcakes not because they are best in class but because of the branding and mass-media media adoration.

Look I bought a Nexus 7 nice bit of kit until I started downloading apps and I constantly got "incompatible device" and they REFUSED to start so for me that deemed the tablet not worthy of my £150 and put me off Android products.

The Play Store or whatever it's called was garbage, no tv shows? Sorry not good enough.

I then take it back spend more money on the iPad download all the apps I wanted and guess what? Shock fucking horror they actually work! Who would have thought that?

So based on my experience so far the iPad wins because everything is compatible, not to mention the fact the sheer amount of awesome games I can play Infinity Blade 1-2 blew me away for something like that on a tablet device those games put most console games to shame.

I didn't buy the iPad because it looks good and the media love them, I bought the iPad due to Nexus 7 not working with apps and games I downloaded and my wife already having iPhone 4S and never had 1 problem since the day she bought it.

Why is that so hard for some people to understand? Not everyone buys an Apple product for the fucking cool factor they buy them because they just fucking work.

I gave Android a chance and it just wasn't good enough.

 

[cHodAX]

Lies, Play Store does a compatabilty check BEFORE you can download.

 

[soze]

Lies, Play Store does a compatabilty check BEFORE you can download.

Some Apps on the Nexus 7 Warn you after install about compatibility issues. As in they will run but maybe not perfectly. I have only seen it once with a Media player and it was to do with Hardware decoding or similar.

 

[cHodAX]

Some Apps on the Nexus 7 Warn you after install about compatibility issues. As in they will run but maybe not perfectly. I have only seen it once with a Media player and it was to do with Hardware decoding or similar.

It's rare as rocking horseshit then, I have 3 android devices and I constantly get the compatability check on all 3, my old samsung fails with a ton of stuff, my san francisco runs most but 3d stuff and my tablet runs just about everything. I have never had that compatibility after download issues, been on android over two years ago now as well but Adaa is making out that it is a constant issue and it just isn't.

 

[soze]

It's rare as rocking horseshit then, I have 3 android devices and I constantly get the compatability check on all 3, my old samsung fails with a ton of stuff, my san francisco runs most but 3d stuff and my tablet runs just about everything. I have never had that compatibility after download issues, been on android over two years ago now as well but Adaa is making out that it is a constant issue and it just isn't.

I have only seen it once and it was a feature of the App rather than the App.

I wonder if Adaa is talking about the fact you see incompatible apps on Android where you don't on iOS you only see what you can install? But i don't want to put words in peoples mouths.

 

[opticle]

I have only seen it once and it was a feature of the App rather than the App.

My guess would be he's talking about Apps not working as they should? My experience with Android is that there are a lot of apps, but a lot of them aren't very good, nor do they work very well on my particular handset/model. Apple's advantage is they only have one platform to run apps on.

 

[opticle]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20127135 - Google reveals new Nexus devices

 

[SheepCow]

I wonder if Adaa is talking about the fact you see incompatible apps on Android where you don't on iOS you only see what you can install? But i don't want to put words in peoples mouths.

The Play Store hides anything not compatible with your device, the web based one doesn't but it'll tell you if you can't install it

 

[soze]

The Play Store hides anything not compatible with your device, the web based one doesn't but it'll tell you if you can't install it

I know I can see applications that then tell me there are compatibility issues but it is before installation.

*Actually I think i saw that when I tried to install Flash which was not from the Play Store so I am more than likely wrong.

 

[cHodAX]

Specs on the Nexus 10 look a bit nuts!

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012...or-the-fences-with-2560x1600-nexus-10-tablet/

The tech in the new tablet is definitely top-shelf material: it features one of Samsung's new Cortex A15-based Exynos 5 chips clocked at 1.7 GHz, and its quad-core Mali-T604 GPU helps to drive a 10.055-inch PLS display with a resolution of 2560x1600. This 300 pixel-per-inch screen has four times the number of pixels in a 1280x800 screen and edges out the Retina iPad's 264 pixels per inch. The tablet's CPU should compare favorably to the Apple-designed CPU cores in its A6 and A6X processors, and the GPU should at least be playing in the same field as the A5X and A6X—we won't know for sure how they all shake out until we actually have hardware in-hand to test with.


Other specs common to high-end Android tablets are also present: 2GB of RAM, storage capacities starting at 16GB, NFC, 802.11n, and Bluetooth 4.0. There are front and rear-facing cameras (at 1.9 and 5 megapixels, respectively). It also has a 9,000mAh battery that Google says is good for nine hours of use. Like the Nexus 7, it lacks a microSD card slot, so the amount of storage you buy with it is the amount that it's stuck with—it does have micro USB and micro HDMI ports, however. It's also running the enhanced version of Jelly Bean, Android 4.2, and as part of the Nexus program should get prompt operating system updates for the foreseeable future.

 

[soze]

The Nexus 10 is very high spec and with iPad similar specs the price is very good. But the spec is not my issue with the Nexus 7 so iPad Mini is still the device for me.

 

[Tilda]

Just comparing anything now to the MS Surface makes them seem crap.
The sheer ability to run office nativley trumps any imitation no matter how good on android or ipad as far as I'm concerned.

 

[soze]

Just comparing anything now to the MS Surface makes them seem crap.
The sheer ability to run office nativley trumps any imitation no matter how good on android or ipad as far as I'm concerned.

I don't see that. The surface is brand new the competition has had years to optimise a touch interface this is the first MS tablet and while they have nailed it on the phones it is too early to know how well and how deep the surface will go. Don't get me wrong I hope it is epic but untill it is out and I have tried my applications I reserve any judgement.

 

[Syri]

Just comparing anything now to the MS Surface makes them seem crap.
The sheer ability to run office nativley trumps any imitation no matter how good on android or ipad as far as I'm concerned.

I can open the skydrive web app in the browser on my phone (galaxy s3) and edit documents using the office web apps. It's a little awkward with the screen size, but I'd imagine a tablet would manage that alright. I also have Polaris Office, which I got for free, which allows me to edit and save office documents. Maybe not fully featured, but I'd say both options would work for the majority of users, if they gave it a try. They're also a lot better to use than previous office clones for the desktop, such as open office.
Personally I don't see having "native" office support as anywhere near as big a draw as it once was. Yes, I do have office on my windows pcs, but that was mainly because I got a student version for £30 for pretty much the whole package. There's enough alternatives now, and the document format is interchangeable enough that they work decently with the same documents.
Another point, and the final reason I can't see surface eliminating other tablets, is that the version of Office shipping with windows 8 RT is actually a cut down version. It won't have email support built in (due to a lack of Outlook for RT) and won't have macros or add-ons, which are some of the biggest things that set the native office apart from the compatibles.
That's not to say I don't think it will be decent, or successful. I just can't see it totally eliminating the competition and becoming the only option for anyone who wants to do anything with documents on a tablet.

 

[cHodAX]

Just comparing anything now to the MS Surface makes them seem crap.
The sheer ability to run office nativley trumps any imitation no matter how good on android or ipad as far as I'm concerned.

Totally agree. iPad mini is still a very attractive option though, especially for Facetime with family.

 

[cHodAX]

I can open the skydrive web app in the browser on my phone (galaxy s3) and edit documents using the office web apps. It's a little awkward with the screen size, but I'd imagine a tablet would manage that alright. I also have Polaris Office, which I got for free, which allows me to edit and save office documents. Maybe not fully featured, but I'd say both options would work for the majority of users, if they gave it a try. They're also a lot better to use than previous office clones for the desktop, such as open office.
Personally I don't see having "native" office support as anywhere near as big a draw as it once was. Yes, I do have office on my windows pcs, but that was mainly because I got a student version for £30 for pretty much the whole package. There's enough alternatives now, and the document format is interchangeable enough that they work decently with the same documents.
Another point, and the final reason I can't see surface eliminating other tablets, is that the version of Office shipping with windows 8 RT is actually a cut down version. It won't have email support built in (due to a lack of Outlook for RT) and won't have macros or add-ons, which are some of the biggest things that set the native office apart from the compatibles.
That's not to say I don't think it will be decent, or successful. I just can't see it totally eliminating the competition and becoming the only option for anyone who wants to do anything with documents on a tablet.

Polaris is utter gash compared to Office 2013 and the RT version is full featured, not some cutdown cobbled crap, it's a genuinely useful peice of industry standard productivity software. No other tablet platform has anything that even comes close in comparison.

 

[soze]

Polaris is utter gash compared to Office 2013 and the RT version is full featured, not some cutdown cobbled crap, it's a genuinely useful peice of industry standard productivity software. No other tablet platform has anything that even comes close in comparison.

That is true if it is useable. I have been able to TeamViewer my PC and run office on my iPad. But it is not useable for any length of time and I am not sure the touch or type covers will change that the reviews on both have been mixed. If you need to hoot up a mouse and keyboard to use it then it is not really fully featured is it?

I am dying for a Surface to replace my work laptop as long as I can dock it in work to keep my large monitor. I really hope they are all the have the potential be.

 

[opticle]

I would very much like a Surface if it could reliably replace a laptop with the keyboard/cover.

 

[cHodAX]

All the longtime hardware sites have been very positive about the keyboard, it is only the fluffy gadget sites that have found fault and we all know those fuckers are taking bungs from Cupertino! Both keyboards are fine but the pro is supposedly excellent for productivity. Anandtech wouldn't lie, they risk losing a reputation that took 15 years to build, most of these shitty gadgets have been around barely 5 years and don't have reputations that really stand up, the inaccuracies are incredible at time.

 

[DaGaffer]

All the longtime hardware sites have been very positive about the keyboard, it is only the fluffy gadget sites that have found fault and we all know those fuckers are taking bungs from Cupertino! Both keyboards are fine but the pro is supposedly excellent for productivity. Anandtech wouldn't lie, they risk losing a reputation that took 15 years to build, most of these shitty gadgets have been around barely 5 years and don't have reputations that really stand up, the inaccuracies are incredible at time.

I think you might want to check your facts on that one, Gizmodo and Cupertino do not have a good relationship. At all.

 

[cHodAX]

I think you might want to check your facts on that one, Gizmodo and Cupertino do not have a good relationship. At all.

Gaff, I was talking gadgets sites in general, not Gizmodo in particular bud. There are loads but Engadget, Wired etc are all hugely pro-Apple and anti-Microsoft unless MS drop a nice advertising contract their way.

Anandtech was one of the first hardware review sites on the internet going back to 1997 if I remember rightly and it is still one of the most trusted, same goes for Arstechnica. If they say the keyboard/covers are fine and that the pro version is very good for productivity then I 100% believe them. They have too much to lose, too many loyal regulars who know better and will not put up with bullshit reviews that are glaringly inaccurate.

 

[Aada]

The reviews for windows RT haven't been very good have they? Just read the eurogamer review they made it sound bloody awful.

 

[cHodAX]

The reviews for windows RT haven't been very good have they? Just read the eurogamer review they made it sound bloody awful.

Honestly, I am on the verge of losing patience. If you want an O/S review then you go to a tech site, people who have been reviewing hardware and the operating systems for a long long time and aren't reliant on advertising from Microsoft's rivals. RT is getting very good reviews, it's a great tablet O/S and the only major issue right now is the app store is a bit thin but come on, it's week 1 of release. RT still has the most important application for anyone looking to do actual work, Office 2013.

 

[Killswitch]

Actually, if you can wait until mid-November it looks like the Nexus 10 might be the new King of the Non-Apple Tablets. Killer specs, better-than-Retina display, no SD card (booooo!) and all the latest and greatest Android updates. It's not going to be a game-changer if you're locked in to the Apple ecosystem or just plain *need* Office RT for some reason, but it looks promising.

 

[Aada]

As I said before the WP7 store is no different the apps have been sub par to iOS and droid since day one, the app developers couldn't give a monkeys about developing for it.

This is why I won't buy a Windows tablet yet because I want to see if the thing will get apps.

Did you read the Eurogamer review? They made some pretty good points.

 

[cHodAX]

As I said before the WP7 store is no different the apps have been sub par to iOS and droid since day one, the app developers couldn't give a monkeys about developing for it.

This is why I won't buy a Windows tablet yet because I want to see if the thing will get apps.

Did you read the Eurogamer review? They made some pretty good points.

You do not understand. WP7 is a entirely different fish. It is not built on the NT kernel that supports all desktop/server versions of Windows, WP7 is Windows CE by a different name, its a quite an old O/S that a great many developers avoided because it wasn't widely available in the mainstream. Windows 8 and RT are built around the same kernel, developing for both platforms is as simple as ticking a box at the compile stage and getting different binaries for x86 and ARM systems at the same time. Windows 8, WP8 and RT will not be WP7, the first three are all built on the same foundations, WP7 is dead as a dodo because Windows CE is being killed off so they can concentrate on single platform to that spans all computing segments.

 

[Aada]

Eurogamer wrote that review using the RT, in short Office is rubbish it lags to extremes , the keyboard doesn't even have a caps lock indicator ffs wtf?

The CPU spikes when task manager is open shows the CPU spikes to 80% while photo viewer is open.

Games? They run like shit.

If you want a tablet that can give you Office on the go then this isn't it I'm afraid.

 

[cHodAX]

Eurogamer wrote that review using the RT, in short Office is rubbish it lags to extremes , the keyboard doesn't even have a caps lock indicator ffs wtf?

The CPU spikes when task manager is open shows the CPU spikes to 80% while photo viewer is open.

Games? They run like shit.

If you want a tablet that can give you Office on the go then this isn't it I'm afraid.

lol oh dear. So, anandtech, arstechnica and all the others lied? The keyboard lag is a bug that will be patched, of course Office spikes the CPU, it is FULL BLOWN Office running on an ARM core, you are trying to compare it with the performance of Apps when it is a Application, a much much bigger beastie. As for photo viewer, again it needs patching, the hardware is more than capable but that application has not been optimised enough. Unlike Android though Microsoft can use live update to roll out fixes for these things very easily. No rooting or waiting a year for a upgrade that never comes, none of the Jellybean farce where they make major changes but hardly anyone can get a manufacturer to update for hardware more than capable of running and as for iOS, well it's a closed eco-system and Apple run it will but the interface needs a massive overhaul and the levels to which they lock it down are extreme.

 

[soze]

... iOS, well it's a closed eco-system and Apple run it will but the interface needs a massive overhaul and the levels to which they lock it down are extreme.

I will not get involved with the RT stuff until I get hands on. Reviews are based on the reviewers experience so it may have nothing to do with how you will get on. With all review sites I look for how stable it is and the hardware sections but the software is a personal preference.

But seriously I disagree completely with the interface needing an overhaul Apple are so successful because it is so simple. I love the fact that nothing is hidden in Menus if it is a Setting it is in Settings and I like that. But again Software is personal preference what works for me might not work for you, and I suppose that is where Android is better you can craft the experience that is right for you. But for the love of god stop putting it out there that my favorite mobile OS needs to be changed so I don't like it anymore