Hi all,
I love the operating systems that gave user plenty of customization options and a strong balance between productivity apps and personal apps. Longtime Windows Mobile user (until Microsoft, in their eternal wisdom, killed it off), then longtime Android user. To be honest, I still don't quite like many aspects of iOS - the lack of workable inexpensive Office replacements (Cloud On is way too slow and cumbersome), the lack of customization, and I especially hate what they did to the iOS7 - the childish garish unsofisticated icons, the washed out look of Safari, and the murdered iCalendar.
However, over a year ago we bought an iPad 3 for my wife. Gorgeous display, best presentation of photos outside of using a calibrated monitor (I am into photography), decent battery life. But most importantly, it still works. In the meantime, we went through a number of Android devices that all start great but tend to deteriorate.
The original Kindle Fire - a great device, as long as you live withing it's limitations. Beautiful screen, well thought through OS. Just over a year later, the charger port works loose. Amazon's solution - buy a refurb for $139, with same design flaw that caused the charging port failure on the first unit. No thanks.
Nexus 7 - we actually have 2 of them, one was a gift to family, I liked it so much I bought another one so that I could take it to work. Fast, cheap, extremely customizable, display wasn't the greatest but I could live with it. After an update to Android 4.2 the system came to a screeching halt, lagging so badly the device was unusable. I re-flashed back 4.1, but eventually had to upgrade to 4.3 to get the latest security upgrades. Not lagging as badly, but not as fast as it used to be. Many articles on the net suggesting it was related to memory chips physically degrading over time - Google cutting corners to sell units cheaply. And on both mine and family's Nexii, I had to open the rear panel and tape the power connector in place as it would get shaken loose.
My Android phone is great, but it has to be reset every 6 months or so because this or that program gets out of whack and slows it down.
All that time, the iPad 3 kept working just as when we bought it.
So, in a leap of faith, I gave my Nexus to my son and bought Mini Retina 32gb Wifi. I hope I won't be disappointed... It's an expensive device, and I could get an Android tab that would have far better specs for less money. However, I am by now afraid that Android = lottery, hardware wise.
Right now, I am finding things I like and things that are bad surprises. The form factor is the best of any device I used - while I like iPad 3 size for browsing at home, it's too large to carry around to meetings, and Air isn't much smaller. Mini is just perfect, a tad wider than Nexus. OTOH, the colors aren't as good as they were on 3 - not as crisp, and not as true to life (e.g. the greens tend to have a slight yellow tint). Overall, however, a nice device. Time will tell if I made the right choice.
Thanks and hello again !
I love the operating systems that gave user plenty of customization options and a strong balance between productivity apps and personal apps. Longtime Windows Mobile user (until Microsoft, in their eternal wisdom, killed it off), then longtime Android user. To be honest, I still don't quite like many aspects of iOS - the lack of workable inexpensive Office replacements (Cloud On is way too slow and cumbersome), the lack of customization, and I especially hate what they did to the iOS7 - the childish garish unsofisticated icons, the washed out look of Safari, and the murdered iCalendar.
However, over a year ago we bought an iPad 3 for my wife. Gorgeous display, best presentation of photos outside of using a calibrated monitor (I am into photography), decent battery life. But most importantly, it still works. In the meantime, we went through a number of Android devices that all start great but tend to deteriorate.
The original Kindle Fire - a great device, as long as you live withing it's limitations. Beautiful screen, well thought through OS. Just over a year later, the charger port works loose. Amazon's solution - buy a refurb for $139, with same design flaw that caused the charging port failure on the first unit. No thanks.
Nexus 7 - we actually have 2 of them, one was a gift to family, I liked it so much I bought another one so that I could take it to work. Fast, cheap, extremely customizable, display wasn't the greatest but I could live with it. After an update to Android 4.2 the system came to a screeching halt, lagging so badly the device was unusable. I re-flashed back 4.1, but eventually had to upgrade to 4.3 to get the latest security upgrades. Not lagging as badly, but not as fast as it used to be. Many articles on the net suggesting it was related to memory chips physically degrading over time - Google cutting corners to sell units cheaply. And on both mine and family's Nexii, I had to open the rear panel and tape the power connector in place as it would get shaken loose.
My Android phone is great, but it has to be reset every 6 months or so because this or that program gets out of whack and slows it down.
All that time, the iPad 3 kept working just as when we bought it.
So, in a leap of faith, I gave my Nexus to my son and bought Mini Retina 32gb Wifi. I hope I won't be disappointed... It's an expensive device, and I could get an Android tab that would have far better specs for less money. However, I am by now afraid that Android = lottery, hardware wise.
Right now, I am finding things I like and things that are bad surprises. The form factor is the best of any device I used - while I like iPad 3 size for browsing at home, it's too large to carry around to meetings, and Air isn't much smaller. Mini is just perfect, a tad wider than Nexus. OTOH, the colors aren't as good as they were on 3 - not as crisp, and not as true to life (e.g. the greens tend to have a slight yellow tint). Overall, however, a nice device. Time will tell if I made the right choice.
Thanks and hello again !
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