Tech Discussion Nexus 7 version 2 tablet

[velvetfog]

I finally got myself a tablet computer.
I bought the new Asus made Google Nexus 7 version II 32 GB model.
It runs Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean)
It has gotten very good reviews:
Google Nexus 7 Review
Google Nexus 7 (2013) Android tablet

This video compares the Google Nexus 7 with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

I am new to Android and touch screen technology, since I don't own a smart phone.
This is a very helpful instruction video:

(This post was last modified: 09-06-2013, 12:50 PM by velvetfog.)

[velvetfog]

After playing with my new Nexus 7 tablet for two days, I decided I wanted root access to the device.
I downloaded a a few Windows based toolkits to do just that, and discovered the hard way that they couldn't see the Nexus 7 properly when I had it connected to my Windows XP Pro machine.
Only one toolkit came with the USB driver for the Nexus 7.
Without the proper USB driver, nothing else will work, when you are trying to control the device from a PC.
On Windows XP, the necessary ADB drivers for the USB connection would not install.

The toolkit described here worked fine from my Windows 7 Pro laptop:
All-In-One Google Nexus 7 2013 Root Toolkit is Now Available

I followed the instructions to the letter, and made a backup of all my installed apps before doing anything else.
Now I have an unlocked Nexus 7 running Android 4.3 with root access.

(This post was last modified: 09-07-2013, 10:57 PM by velvetfog.)

[velvetfog]

Doing much typing on the virtual keyboard that you get on the screen on a tablet computer sucks.
So I bought an Azio LED Large Print Backlit Bluetooth 3.0 Keyboard (KB335) to go with my tablet.
It came with 6' mini-USB to USB patch cable than is twice as long as the short 3' one supplied with the Nexus 7 tablet.
That represented a bonus for me, since the longer cable makes it more convinient to charge either device from the wall adapter.

The keyboard sells locally for $45 and looks like this:



It is also available from Amazon for $40. --> http://www.amazon.com/Azio-Backlit-Bluet...B00EHBELXU

Connecting it is a breeze. When the keyboard is first turned on, the tablet sees it in its Bluetooth settings.
You are then provided with a 6 digit code that must be typed on the keyboard to register the linkage.
Once that is done, you have a working wireless keyboard that can be turned on and used any time.

(This post was last modified: 09-08-2013, 12:01 PM by velvetfog.)

[Nebulon]

Love the tablet. I distrust Google though, so I'd probably install Ubuntu Tablet and wipe Android off of the system completely.

[velvetfog]

That is not an option for me, as I specifically bought the Nexus 7 tablet to run the latest Android OS and access the Google App store.

[velvetfog]

The innards of the new Nexus 7 tablet is shown here:

Nexus 7 2nd Generation Teardown

The computer motherboard is amazingly small.
The CPU used is the quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon APQ8064 running at 1.5 GHz.

(This post was last modified: 09-16-2013, 10:42 AM by velvetfog.)

[velvetfog]

Today Google rolled out their latest OS update for the Nexus 7, taking it to Android 4.4.3, their 3rd update of the KitKat release.
Read more here:
Android 4.4.3 KitKat Has Arrived, When Will You Get The Update?

[radiobox]

Congrats on your entry into the smartphone world. :-)

Could I ask, have you used it to read ebooks yet ?
What font do you use and how many words per line and lines per "page" do you get ?
Could you share your experience.

Would you have preferred a 10 inch tablet for:
a) reading
b) viewing videos

[velvetfog]

I do indeed use my Nexus tablet to read ebooks.
I have quite a large library of ebooks in epub format stored in my tablet.
I use the Android app "Cool Reader", which is available for free from the Google Play Store.
Cool Reader is an excellent eBook reader created by a Russian programmer.
I have it configured with a font size of 44, which gives me 30 lines of text per page, with around 55 characters per line.

A bigger tablet is obviously easier to read books and watch videos on, since it has a larger screen.
But I find the 7" size of the Nexus 7 ideal for carrying around with me, since it is the size of a book.
I keep mine in a black leather case with a magnetic lid.
That is very handy, since the display turns on and off as I open or close the lid.
The lid also works as a kickstand for placing the tablet upright on a table in landscape mode while watching videos.
My tablet now looks like this:

(This post was last modified: 06-13-2014, 02:02 PM by velvetfog.)

[velvetfog]

Android version 4.4.3 didn't last very long.
It needed some security bug fixes, and has now been superseded by version 4.4.4
Read more here:
Android KitKat 4.4.4 Update Out for Google Nexus 5, Nexus 7, Nexus 10, Nexus 4, Sony Xperia 1, Xperia Z Ultra

My Nexus 7 received the update yesterday.