If you follow me on Google+ or Twitter, you likely already know that I am not a tablet fan. I know the statement is contradictory when coming from a techy person like me. I have a hard time seeing the benefit of a tablet in my day to day life. I already own a great smartphone (the Android-based Droid Razr) and I prefer the ease of a physical keyboard on my computer and notebooks when writing content is crucial. Overall, I'm just not convinced that a tablet will allow me to do anything more than what my current devices already do. Perhaps this is a sign of my age, but I lost my "wow" some time ago for new technology.
Yesterday, I bit the bullet and finally ordered my first tablet, the Google Nexus 7. Although, I bought my wife an iPad 3 last spring (it seldom gets used around here), I never really felt comfortable playing with the iPad since I am not the primary user of the device. With regards to my decision to purchase the Nexus 7, I have to admit that I'm not looking forward to confusing my family further with another new device in our home. We are already at war here in Ruby Manor battling the mix of Windows, OSX, iOS, Linux, and Android devices scattered throughout the household. The mix of DVR and Blueray players connected to our TV's aren't helping either. Life should be simpler but we tend to have complicated matters as none of my family are fully satisfied with a single cloud service whether those services come from Apple, Google, or Amazon.
After three years of waiting for the right tablet to come along, I'm hopeful the Nexus 7 will be a perfect fit for me. I purchased the Nexus 7 over other tablets for three reasons. First, I prefer the 7-inch form factor over the 10-inch as I think the lighter and smaller device will be much easier for bedtime casual reading as well as for travel. In fact, I think Apple has made a colossal mistake here by pushing it's one-size-fits-all philosophy for too long onto it's iPhone and iPad users. Secondly, I simply like Android over IOS (personal preference). Finally, I love what Google is doing in Kansas City with their introduction of the Google Fiber network into that community.
Google is onto something by realizing positive customer experience isn't just tied to the device and cloud service but also the network infrastructure itself. How can you not love the idea of a 1 GB internet connection to your house? What Google is doing these days excites me and that excitement is why my money has landed on the Google Nexus 7. I know what Apple is doing these days, I understand what Amazon is trying to do. But Google is innovating so fast now that I'm not even sure Google knows where they are at today nor where they're going tomorrow. That element of venturing into the unknown is what excites me about Google. I feel like I'm on an adventure with Google and which is why I happily choose the Google Nexus 7 as my very first tablet.
The Nexus 7 should be delivered to me sometime next week. Somewhere down the line, I'll comment whether I'm satisfied or regret my purchase of the device. If I'm not satisfied with the Nexus 7, I likely won't be buying another tablet anytime soon.