iPad v Nexus 7 updated

If your trying to decide between an iPad and a Nexus 7 you have probably read some of the many  reviews on the web. I have both devices and the table below compares them on the features that matter to me.



iPad Nexus 7
Battery Management - Nexus 7 better Cumbersome. Easy to prolong battery life by toggling Wi-Fi, GPS and other battery guzzlers on/off with home page widget.
Apps available - iPad better Lots Poor selection that does not include most of the apps I use on my iPad.
App Permissions - Nexus 7 better No info given on what an app gets up to after you install it. Before you install an app you are told what permissions [eg access your browser history, read your location, read your address book]it will use. Have rejected several apps because they wanted far too much.
Book Reading - iPad better iBooks allows you to buy ebooks from Apple and read your own epub books. Can only read books bought from Google. Cannot read epub without buying a third party app. Google charges for old out of copyright books that Apple provide for free.
Music - about the same Buy from Apple or import your own Buy from Google or import your own
GPS - Nexus 7 better Not on Wi-Fi version GPS included. You can download Google maps for an area of several hundred square miles and your GPS will tell you where you are as long as you stay in that area.
Do I trust them with my usage info - Apple better Maybe Are you kidding?  Trust Google? Their ethical reputation is long gone.
Video - iPad better Buy from Apple or import your own Can import your own videos but I have only been able to get the  Nexus 7 to play MP4s. Does not support many formats. Otherwise, you can only watch videos bought from Google.
Value for money Overpriced Will be excellent when it can do more.
Use I continue to use my iPad a lot I only use my Nexus 7 occasionally. Not enough secure apps. Many Android apps contain spyware and malware. Cannot read my own epub books.

Google has an opportunity to break into the tablet market because Apple has started to stumble now that Jobs is not there. However, it needs to move fast.  The main problem with  Android apps is that so many of them contain malware. Google has started to clean up its apps store but it needs to move much faster and harder with a spectacular purge of malware apps that will improve the image of Android apps.

It also needs to improve its own video and book apps, and produce some killer apps of its own. It cannot rely on third party developers to come up with stuff that will make the Nexus 7 a must buy.

The lack of a forward facing camera in the Nexus 7 rules out some useful apps.  For example, augmented reality apps need a forward facing camera.  I have 'The Night Sky' app on my iPad. If I point the camera at the sky on a clear night the app can identify planets, stars and satellites for me. It would be nice to have an app like that on the Nexus 7.

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