The reviewer had been in the market to buy a tablet for at least a year but there were some very specific qualities that a tablet needed to have. It had to be an Android and all of the customization that comes with it. It must have a newer operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich or higher. It must be able to support Netflix and particularly, Hulu. Finally, it had to be reasonably affordable, somewhere in the $199-$250. The Google Nexus 7 met all of those requirements and then some.
One of the first qualities about the Nexus 7 that immediately impressed was how easy the device is to set up. All the Nexus required was a Google Mail account and that was it. Within about two minutes, it was time to enjoy the Nexus and all of its...Googleyness. Almost immediately, the Nexus updated from Jelly Bean 4.1 to Jelly Bean 4.2 which was a very pleasant surprise and very cool to see. It was great that the Nexus was now open to so many applications and features.
Downloading applications was right where this reviewer started, immediately going into Google Play which was pre-loaded on the device and very easy to find. The user friendly interface on the Nexus screen made it very easy to download applications and almost immediately have them show up on the screen, no digging around to see if it actually successfully was installed. Also, all the applications that this reviewer was looking for were there, Netflix, Hulu, Dropbox, Evernote and particularly, Microsoft's SmartGlass. Not only were all those applications available, they also update constantly so they are running at top performance. This reviewer did absolutely refuse to download Angry Birds, however. The Nexus 7 also has a Tegra 3 processor which makes downloading and multi-tasking quick and easy. One particular favorite feature is Google Now, the Android personal assistant equivalent of Siri. It was cool being able to ask the Nexus what today’s weather would be and having it pull up a bunch of related websites almost immediately.
Now that the applications were downloaded, it was time to actually experiment with the device and see how it looked and sounded. The picture quality of the LCD screen was very vivid and quite impressive. It has a display resolution of 1280x800 pixels so while it might not be the brightest display on the market, it certainly makes for easy viewing of movies and television shows. The sound quality, while certainly not rich and full of bass, was enough where one can easily hear without necessarily needing headphones. It also possesses a smooth texture and is very easy to hold without having it feel overwhelming.
In terms of goodies that the Google Nexus 7 has, it really again depends on what one is looking for. It has Bluetooth, GPS, a feature known as NFC which means basically if you come across another device that has the same feature, you can transfer files from one device to another simply by having both devices touch the back of each other. What it does not have is a full-functioning camera. Oh, there is one there and its front- facing with 1.2 megapixels. However, you can only use it almost exclusively for Google Plus Hangouts. This reviewer does not have a need for a camera at all, but it is a somewhat strange omission.
This reviewer could really only find two issues with the Google and they are very minor. One is when the Nexus is turned on, it can take a while for it to fully boot up. Long enough where one might wonder if there is something wrong with their new device. Don't worry. It is typical for this device and it probably does it because there is a lot that needs to turn on, not unlike a smartphone. Also, this reviewer has learned that the battery tends to drain quickly while watching Netflix or Hulu and when it is put in "sleep mode" The reviewer has found it better to just turn the tablet off completely when done.
This reviewer has been extremely happy with the Google Nexus 7 and feels that it has been well worth the money, even using it to help right the article. You should always find the tablet that works best for you, but if you are looking for an easy to use, fast-moving and affordable tablet, the Nexus 7 is an amazing option.
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