Living with the Nexus 7
It's always fun to get a new gadget and, unless it totally sucks, people are usually gushing over how great it is. Unfortunately over time the initial shine disappears and the new toy is relegated to the unused gadget junk pile. Fortunately the Nexus 7 is not one of these. I've had my Nexus 7 for 5 weeks and it's one of the few devices I use every day. I have a Windows 7 desktop with two monitors as my daily work machine, a Windows Phone for my mobile needs, and a MacBook Pro for those times I don't want to be tied to my desk (yes, I am a true multi-platform user). With the addition of the Nexus 7 it's the MacBook that has seen it's usage drop. In the evening when I want to do some casual browsing or check email I used to haul out the MacBook. Now I flip open the Nexus 7. The Google Currents App is perfect for me to catch up on the news that interests me (AllThingsD, Arstechnica, Engadget, and a few others). The browser is fast and the convenience of it syncing with my desktop Google Chrome is invaluable. Checking the weather is better than using a desktop.
The Nexus 7 is just so convenient mostly due to it's size and speed.
Where the Nexus 7 isn't as useful, and this is true of any tablet, is when it comes to doing real work. Yes I can fire off a quick blog post or email using the Nexus 7, but it's so much more efficient to use a desktop or laptop. When it comes to working on documents, editing photos and making website changes there is no comparison to using a desktop. I know I could force myself to download various apps and force myself to work on the small screen and virtual keyboard, but what's the point. It would just take longer and the risk of mistakes increase without the precision of a mouse and keyboard.
So even though I love my Nexus 7 and wouldn't trade it for any other tablet (until the Microsoft Surface comes out) it's still just a gadget. I'm sure some very casual users could get by with just a tablet there is still the need for a "real" computer. This may change in the near future, but that's the reality today.
The Nexus 7 is just so convenient mostly due to it's size and speed.
Where the Nexus 7 isn't as useful, and this is true of any tablet, is when it comes to doing real work. Yes I can fire off a quick blog post or email using the Nexus 7, but it's so much more efficient to use a desktop or laptop. When it comes to working on documents, editing photos and making website changes there is no comparison to using a desktop. I know I could force myself to download various apps and force myself to work on the small screen and virtual keyboard, but what's the point. It would just take longer and the risk of mistakes increase without the precision of a mouse and keyboard.
So even though I love my Nexus 7 and wouldn't trade it for any other tablet (until the Microsoft Surface comes out) it's still just a gadget. I'm sure some very casual users could get by with just a tablet there is still the need for a "real" computer. This may change in the near future, but that's the reality today.