News, Quickies July 17, 2012

Google Nexus 7 Unbox – Not As Bad As You’ve Heard, and Setup is Pretty Good as Well!

I have heard a bunch of negative reports of people struggling to get the tablet out of the box … so I was really intrigued at the possibility of capturing my frustration on video! Perhaps it is the years of wrestling with so many over-packaged toys for my kids, but it was no big deal. In the video I compare the unboxing experience to that of the Griffin MIDIConnect.

But as I say the unbox wasn’t a problem, so then I got it started up and linked to Google services. While we will go into more details for our full review, let me be clear – Google clearly took detailed but somewhat illegible notes on the Apple and Amazon setup experiences. In other words, it is better than just about any Android device I have used, but lags behind anything from Apple or the Kindle Fire.

Here is the video – let us know what you think!

Tags: Android Phone and Tablet Gear, Google

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About Michael Anderson

View all posts by Michael Anderson

I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!

loopyduck

Volume’s a bit soft for the unboxing; dunno if it’s a gain problem, the mic was too far away, or maybe you oughta turn down the intro a bit
- http://www.geardiary.com/ Michael Anderson
  
  Thanks for the feedback … in iMovie I had tweaked up the video volume so it was balanced, but now watching it does sound softer …
- http://twitter.com/dmcohen Dan Cohen
  
  And some day someone will invent a communication system where issues with video, typos and the like can be communicated privately.
  - loopyduck
    
    Some day I’ll trust a public terminal with something more important to me than a Disqus account password. Not in the very near future though
http://www.geardiary.com Bryan Eley

What did you think of the ergonomics, Mike? I loved the grippy back. Maybe not as “cool” as the metallic backside of an iPad, but IMHO definitely easier to hold.
- http://www.geardiary.com/ Michael Anderson
  
  iPad isn’t worth mentioning … It is inferior to the iPad in every possible way by a large margin. But that isn’t the point – the iPad isn’t the competition. Ergonomic ally it is a bit better than the kindle fire, but in terms of performance it is Definitely siginificantly better. But the overall feel is still that of an “affordable” tablet like the fire …
  - dancohen
    
    So I’m. Reading this with my iPad on my lap. It not only works but it works well. At the same time I can’t help but imagine that a 7-8″ form factor would be nicer for this kind of use.
    
    Mike- does this fit the bill?
    
    Sent from my iPad