Asus Nexus7 Tablet Users?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
4,836
Location
Central Texas
A friend handed me this, saying she wasn't going to use it. Looks new. I've never played with one of these before. I scanned through the 100 page guide and it appears to only play in google's domain: their browser, email, ap store, gps etc. Also that I need to sign up with them to even use it. It's currently getting charged.

Experiences vary widely based on Amazon's rankings. Doesn't appear that dealing with Asus is much fun. Also that these units have experienced screen problems, charging issues, OS freezing, etc. in the past.

So if you have one, how do you use it? I use a desktop & occasionally a LT, but don't play games. I read that this unit is mainly for playing games! I think it runs 'jelly-bean'. Thanks.
 
I won one last year, I already have a Note 3, which is a 5.7 inch phone, so I didnt find much use for it. I left it on my nightstand and would look at websites. Mine did have the motherboard go out under warranty and dealing with them wasnt bad, they arent hard to take apart thats for sure.

Did you get the 2012 or the newer 2013 version?
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
I scanned through the 100 page guide and it appears to only play in google's domain: their browser, email, ap store, gps etc.


It does and it doesn't. It does run Android, which is supported/sponsored/chartered/whatever by Google. You don't have to run the Chrome browser; you can download other browsers through the Google Play store (which is their app store). You also don't have to use Gmail; you can connect any email service to it (Yahoo, Outlook, etc). You should be able to connect other email services through the built-in email app or download that service's email app. It is true that being "all Google" will give you the best experience. And you do need a Google account to use it...though you don't have to use that Google/Gmail account for anything else.
 
It sounds like you have the older 2012 version. I think the 2013 version came out in the summer.

I bought my daughter a 2013 Nexus 7 last year after researching all tablets. I seldom use it, but she uses it constantly. We haven't had any problems so far, it just works and works great.

I wouldn't say you are tied to Google, other than registering the tablet with a Gmail account and getting your apps from Google Play. There is a huge variety of free third party apps available on Play. It is just like getting your Linux software from the Ubuntu or Mint or whatever software repository. Much safer in terms of malware or spyware than downloading random Windows programs from wherever on the internet.

The 2013 takes great photos as long as you don't need the flash. The 2012's camera is kind of crummy.
 
Another thing, the Nexus branded tablets have the least amount of manufacturer software bloat and get updated first. Other name brand tablets may take a month or so longer to get major Android updates, and no name junk may take a year or more or never get updated.
 
Do not buy ASUS anything you would not believe the horror stories I could tell you like sent to service 6 times often 30 days at a time.They finally replaced my 6GB pc for a 4 that was all scratched up you would be a fool to subject yourself to what I have.
 
My wife has the newest model Nexus 7 and she loves it and hasn't had any problems with it at all. She's pretty hard on it and does a lot on there and it always works well for her.

You're not stuck with all google stuff. You can use Firefox and some other browsers on there if you want. You can connect to any mail service on the planet so that's not an issue.
 
Originally Posted By: cknight49090
Do not buy ASUS anything you would not believe the horror stories I could tell you like sent to service 6 times often 30 days at a time.They finally replaced my 6GB pc for a 4 that was all scratched up you would be a fool to subject yourself to what I have.


ASUS OEM's for an astonishing number of manufacturers; and I would expect because of non-compete clauses they do not do much in the way of marketing or support.

I am the last person in the world I would ever consider to be "brand loyal" in any way but I have had nothing but positive experiences with ASUS-branded ASUS products.
 
We have one - the "old" version. Don't use it too much but like others have said, you're going through google play but don't have to use google specific stuff, just download through the Play "store" (we have not paid for anything since we got it, which is probably over a year).
---
On ASUS quality, I've had the exact opposite experience. Have a cheap external DVD/CD burner combo drive to replace the one that failed on my laptop that I said I would get rid of years ago, a netbook, the tablet, and I believe the wireless router I picked up for my parents is also ASUS, no failures, the netbook is going on 6 years now...
 
I have a 2012 Nexus 7 that I use mostly for in-bed browsing, or for weekend trips when I don't need to bring a laptop.

It's been flawless so far. I live squarely within the Google ecosystem, so Google/Android systems are great as far as I'm concerned. I love they way it syncs between the Chrome browser on my laptop, tablet and phone.

I haven't had too many Asus branded products (a couple motherboards and this tablet), but I've typically had very good luck with them. I would consider them as one of the better brands.
 
Originally Posted By: cknight49090
Do not buy ASUS anything you would not believe the horror stories I could tell you like sent to service 6 times often 30 days at a time.They finally replaced my 6GB pc for a 4 that was all scratched up you would be a fool to subject yourself to what I have.


You should tell me two DVD drives, one BD drive, motherboard and router that need to stop working because they aren't living up to your model.


As has been said, the Nexus 7 is a nice little tablet. Some had problems, I would assume that since yours is later in the generation that it should be a little more stable. No MFG bloat is nice, but sometimes that overlay that the MFGs include is a nice addition with a couple nice features. I was looking to buy the newest generation Nexus 10 but one never came to fruition over the last several months so I gave up and bought a Samsung Note 10.1 (2014).
 
Hello - I have the "old" Nexus 7 which my father gave me when he decided it wasn't for him, I use it a bit more but not as much since it depends on wifi access. But I find it convenient at times. As other posters have said, it is not exclusively "locked" in the way that a Nook or Kindle might be, and actually runs quite a lot of apps available from the Google store. It's OS is more generic in nature and isn't customized the way the Nook or Kindle are, or the way that a name-branded (HTC, Samsung, etc.), Android phone is.

I rather like it and wish I could use it more but they don't have wifi available in my office so I just leave it at home. I don't use it for much more than web browsing (especially when I want to step away from the PC) or watching videos in a different room, or when I'm somewhere that has free wifi (i.e., starbucks, etc.).

You mentioned yours was dated 03/2013, does it only have a camera in the front, or also one in the rear? The newer model has the rear-facing camera.
 
Originally Posted By: peacefrog0521
You mentioned yours was dated 03/2013, does it only have a camera in the front, or also one in the rear? The newer model has the rear-facing camera.

Only front-cam, therefore this is the older model. Just made in 2013 instead of 2012.

Thanks for all the replies! I'll make up an account and browse their 'store' once it's fully charged. I've learned to be wary of google due to privacy concerns, email scanning, knowing where you are with gps, knowing who you're contacting and what sites you're visiting. Perhaps there is a way to turn this off?
 
The older nexus 7 ran very well, the only issue I've had with mine was once in a while things would slow down for a split second, like the ram was catching up to the cpu.
the New Nexus 7 doesn't have that issue, it also has dual cameras.

I went with Nexus 7 only because I wanted a tablet that's updated within days of an update being released. I have not been disappointed.
My big disappointment with the Nexus 7 is lack of and SD card port. So you're limited in that aspect.
But it's a small price to pay.
the New nexus 7 is still the fastest tablet on the market.
even the old Nexus 7 is still formidable.

I use my new 7 everyday, play games, surf internet, email, chat, etc.. it works well for me.
my old Nexus 7 is loaded with games for my 3yr old. He can maneuver very well for not being able to read. He's figured out almost every kid game & puzzle on there. I have to limit him on it, he'll stay on it for hours on end and never get bored or hungry.
 
Have a Nexus 7 gen2. A very nice tablet. Just big enough, just small enough. Has both the 5Ghz and usual 2.4Ghz wireless network bands, a nice touch.

I've heard of battery & main board problems but thankfully haven't seen these issues.

You don't have to use the Google Play app store if you don't want to...use the Amazon App store instead. Personally, I prefer the Google Play store, more apps there, more apps updated quicker.

I only wish they offered an SD card slot to store music and such. Other than that, it's a very good device.
 
Thanks to all for chiming in! Been too busy to mess with it. One area it might really come in handy is when I do astronomical outreach with the public. There are many aps out that tie in with gps to show what's in the sky. These are really handy for the public, even though I still use large charts.

Since I don't own anything based on AOS, I don't know what's available.
 
I bought my wife the first generation nexus 7 32 GB version in 1/2013. she uses it everyday instead of the laptop. it came with jelly bean. the problems we have had is poor battery life and charging takes forever. I replaced it with a new battery and use a different charger/cord. The charging and battery life is better, but since kit kat came out, the first generation nexus 7 still suffers from it. Tons of complaints online about poor battery life/charging issues/touchscreen complaints. however, I realize that not everyone treats their stuff good. I know of some that will drop their tablet on the table and make a big "thud". I think they just broke their tablet. They will act like it's normal to do. hope the touchscreen doesn't crack! I see there are ton of cracked screen tablets on ebay!
 
Last edited:
I got the newer 7 inch Nexus when they first came out. I don't use it as much as the iPad, but it works very well and is a great form factor, fast and a good screen.

I am not a fan of the Android Eco system, but the device works very well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top