Tablets

So those looking at the current Nexus 7 might want to hold off... This rumor is showing up a lot. 1080p 7 inch display, 2 GB ram, upgraded proc (Tegra 4?), thinner bezel and same initial price. around $250.

http://www.gizmag.com/nexus-7-2g-rumor/26021/

If you're shopping for a budget tablet, you can do much worse than the Nexus 7. It's a quad-core workhorse, you can easily hold it in one hand, and its US$200 price is right. But there's always room for improvement. Though the Nexus 7's display is sharper than those of rival tablets, it isn't quite "Retina." That may soon change, with reports that Google and Asus are working on a 1080p follow-up.

Upgrades
According to DigiTimes, Google is partnering with Asus on a second-generation Nexus 7. The device's big upgrade would be its 1080p (1920 x 1080) 7-inch display. That would crank the Nexus 7 2G's pixel density up to a crisp 315 pixels per inch (PPI), up from its predecessor's solid 216 PPI.

The report cites "several specifications" seeing upgrades. The only other specific change it mentions is thinner side bezels, a la the iPad mini. That would also likely mean that the new Nexus 7 would tip the scales a bit lighter than its predecessor.

The report doesn't mention an upgraded processor, but we wouldn't be surprised to see NVIDIA's Tegra 4 chip make an appearance. No matter what engine lies under the hood, the tablet will supposedly ring up at the same $200-250 price points as the O.G. Nexus 7.

The sources say that the tablet will run "Google's upgraded Jelly Bean." That likely refers to Android 4.2, but a summer release could potentially coincide with the next major Android upgrade (Key Lime Pie?).

Release
The report expects Google to announce the new tablet in May. If it's released soon after, it would prove an even more compelling alternative to the iPad mini. Apple's second-gen miniature tablet (possibly toting a 2048 x 1536 Display) isn't expected to be released until October.

Google is also rumored to be working with Samsung on a 2nd-gen Nexus 10, which could launch by August or September.

Source: DigiTimes

There's always the "waiting game" for technology. Anyway, I can see maybe a June release date for Nexus 7 2G. ALso, the N7 and N4 had supply issues... so you might not even be able to order one until a month or two after release date.

bah, tablets are the new cellphone, no point holding off, the next gen is always only a few months out. get one now, get a better one a couple years later.

Pinch_sl said:

I can post a quick review when I get it if anyone is interested. I know I'm in a niche market since I need a digitizer as well as full Office productivity and long battery life. Maybe in a couple years that package will be available in thin, light model. I'm leery of Surface Pro's battery life and keyboard for long work days with lots of Excel work. It'll be handy to have the option to plug in full size USB accessories as well.

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That'd be cool to hear. I don't really know anybody that has one of these all-in-one hybrids already and I'll be looking to get one later this year for many of the same reasons you mention. I want a super portable machine that I can do everything on, including possibly playing some old PC games (as opposed to the shit games you can play on Android / iOS). Almost definitely going to wait for something with a Haswell chip in it, but I'm interested to hear how these first-gen all-in-one devices are working out for the few that are getting them.

Merkins4Brazil_sl said:

bah, tablets are the new cellphone, no point holding off, the next gen is always only a few months out. get one now, get a better one a couple years later.

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Thats pretty much how I felt. Not like the N10 upgrade will make me browse the web and view twitch.tv any faster.

Especially on low end stuff. The nexus 7 is already getting kind of old and was cheap as hell from launch. If you are in the market for one now I'd just wait for the next gen. Especially on Android, these device tend to make bigger and more leaps between generations.

Surface Pro reviews are starting to hit. Big downside is the battery life which we all should have expected from the hardware in that form factor.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6695/m...ace-pro-review

Anandtech_sl said:

Surface Pro is about as well executed as Microsoft could have made it given the currently available hardware. Its performance is outstanding for a tablet - it's truly in a class of its own. If I sit down and use Surface Pro as I would an iPad or Android tablet, it delivers an appreciably quicker user experience...

...If you're shopping for an Ultrabook today and want that tablet experience as well, Surface Pro really is the best and only choice on the market...

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Would an Ipad or Nexus 10 (or whatever) be better for school? Getting a little tiresome carrying 80lbs+ of textbooks.

This is a stupid question, but since I don't have an Android tablet, I simply don't know. Is there an option to have the screen stay on at all times when plugged in without needing a special app to do it?

Wolfen_sl said:

This is a stupid question, but since I don't have an Android tablet, I simply don't know. Is there an option to have the screen stay on at all times when plugged in without needing a special app to do it?

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You can change the sleep time but that's with or without being plugged in.

Deathwing_sl said:

Yes, it's in the dev options. Which you have to enable if you're on JB 4.2:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1989777

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Damn I never knew that was there

Arative_sl said:

Damn I never knew that was there

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That's been there since ICS enabled Dev options.

I love my nexus 7 for casual use. I don't miss my Ipad at all.

Kuriin_sl said:

Would an Ipad or Nexus 10 (or whatever) be better for school? Getting a little tiresome carrying 80lbs+ of textbooks.

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Both would work, to be honest. I imagine the iPad would be better, though, because of its 4:3 screen ratio. Just make sure you get a 'retina' class tablet - it makes a big difference with books and text heavy content.

ToeMissile_sl said:

I'm using an Ipad2(the wife got it from work, decided she wanted a mini instead) for my books this semester and am enjoying it so far. Even without retina, it's worth the savings and convenience. I've been using iBooks and importing via Dropbox. I would like to switch to something a little more targeted for pdf viewing though, with the ability to make notes etc.

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https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/good...363448914?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/iann...363998953?mt=8

Both are way better than ibooks. ^

So I received my Lenovo x230 tablet earlier in the week. Quick rundown of the specs: core i5-3320M, 2.6GHz, 8gb RAM, 320gb 7200rpm HDD, 12.5'' convertible touchscreen with Wacom digitizer.

The first thing that surprised me was that it uses a matte display - I've only ever used slicker displays like those used in iPads and the Nexus 7. It's not quite as satisfying to swipe your fingers on; I wouldn't say there is much more resistance, but there is a noticeable texture to the screen that just feels different than touchscreens I'm used to. I can press on the screen with quite a bit of force and there's no give or discoloration, and the hinge seems pretty sturdy. When used in laptop mode there's very slight screen wobble if I use the touchscreen. Surprisingly, the 1366 x 768 screen is not as big a big deal as I thought it would be, especially since the viewing angles are awesome and the screen is small enough that I don't notice pixelation unless I'm holding it next to my nexus 7 or galaxy nexus. The touchscreen is very responsive. I was worried since this wasn't designed for Windows 8 that I would have issues with swiping and gestures, but I've had no issues. Pinch to zoom, swiping, scrolling, tapping, etc. are all smooth with no slowdown, and I've read that this machine comes with 5 point multitouch though my system properties say "limited 2 point multitouch." I went to Lenovo's site and DL'ed all the Windows 8 drivers I could find and went with Windows 7 drivers where there were none available so I'm sure there are some lurking issues.

The pen was a major selling point for me, and it hasn't disappointed. The accuracy does degrade a bit near the edges of the screen, but there is a pointer on screen when you hover the pen close to the display, and I am able to draw, click small objects, take handwritten notes, etc. with almost no hiccups. The touch pad was terrible at first until I realized I was missing drivers, and now it's about as good as any Windows touch pad I've used. The Win8 drivers included gesture support, so I can swipe in from the side of the touch pad to get the charms bar, swipe from the top for the menu, and swipe from the left to switch apps. I had to turn off some weird settings that were causing the cursor to continue moving if my fingers reached the end of the touch pad, as well as increase the sensitivity. I have never owned a Thinkpad so the trackpoint nub feels foreign to me. The keyboard is probably the best laptop keyboard I've ever used. I hear they changed the keyboard design in these latest Thinkpad models, but I have no complaints. I have been working on a manuscript all day and haven't had any discomfort. I do wish my model had come with a backlit keyboard.

It's definitely bulkier and heavier than any 10 inch tablet I've used. I personally don't mind, since most of my use is at a desk or in my lap, but it's not comfortable to hold in one hand for long periods of time. With two hands available it's fairly comfortable in tablet mode, but you'll start to feel the weight if you don't have anywhere to rest it. I believe it weighs in a little under 4 pounds, and that includes the 6-cell battery. I made sure to get a model with the 6-cell, and I'm glad I did because the battery absolutely lasts all day. Additionally, I installed the Win7 power management software so my battery only charges to a pre-set threshold while plugged in, which I've read can really slow down battery degradation. All-day battery life is one criteria that is absolutely necessary for any tablet or laptop I buy in the future, and that was one of the turn-offs about the Surface Pro to me.

Win8 was completely new to me before this machine. It shipped with Win7 Pro and one of the first things I did was install Win8 Pro. Besides the fact that I had to install a whole bunch of drivers, everything has worked pretty smoothly. I feel like Metro apps are a lot less productive than desktop apps when I'm in laptop mode, though. I have to make two clicks just to change tabs in IE 10, and I miss having a menu bar present in a lot of apps, so when I am doing anything productive I'm usually in desktop mode. The start menu is handy when I'm just goofing around on the internet or Netflix'ing. I haven't had much time to acclimate to the new interface, and I think I need a solid month or two before I can pass any real judgment.

Performance has been awesome so far. I literally haven't noticed any slowdowns, and coming from a core 2 duo desktop and a first-gen i3 laptop, this thing flies, and this didn't even come with an SSD. It has 3 usb ports, which has already come in very handy, and also has VGA, mini displayport, a card reader, and an ethernet port. It's also built like a tank. No creaking or flimsiness, and the 6-cell battery is molded into a shape that's comfortable to hold under your arm. I was pleasantly surprised by the speaker volume. It's way, way louder than any tablet I've used or any laptop I've owned, though sound gets distorted a bit once the volume hits 80 or 90 (out of 100). One major annoyance with the Nexus 7 was that you couldn't hear dialogue in movies over the sound of the road on a freeway or over the AC in my office. No such problems with this machine.

Overall, it's not going to replace my Nexus 7 for browsing in bed or sticking in my jacket pocket, but it is replacing my laptop for work, and my Nexus 7 for use on the couch, and my desktop for productivity at home. I just hope I can get used to Win8, because some things I do feel like they take longer than they did on Win7. When it's folded into tablet mode, however, the advantages of Win8 are very apparent. The Surface Pro is probably a better tablet, but this is an infinitely better laptop that CAN be a tablet. I am surprised by how nice it is to be able to reach up and touch the screen even in laptop mode. Some gestures and tasks are just easier that way, and having the choice already feels like something I can't live without anymore.

I'd give this convertible an A- or a B+

Pros:
Comfortable keyboard
Long battery life + power management software
Matte screen
Awesome build quality
Lots of ports
Responsive touchscreen
Doesn't generate a lot of heat or noise
Good speakers

Cons:
A little bulky when used just as a tablet
1366 x 768
Some drivers are still in beta (2 point multitouch when it's built for 5, had to roll back wifi drivers due to frequent disconnects)
Win8 is... different

Is the Nexus 10 worth it? I'm thinking about getting it for when I do cardio at the gym on the Elliptical so I'm not bored to tears and hopefully pass the time faster.