I liked the Google Nexus 7, it's a nice product and if I didn't already have an iPad I might have kept it. But I sold it this week after using it for just seven days.
Why?
No 3G. The 7 inch size makes it FAR
more portable than an iPad and the rubberised case makes it feel much more durable---plus, the $250 price leaves me far less concerned about my breaking or loosing it.
But that meant 50 per cent of the time when I pulled it out to use it I was somewhere away from a WiFi hotspot. So I'd have to pull out my phone too, switch on WiFi tethering (or at least wake it up) but the time that was ready the moment had passed.
I found it was just easier to use my phone. Yes, the screen is smaller but that's a better compromise than missing the always on, always connected benefit of mobile broadband.
It's a good lesson to learn and so something I'll be looking for in the next round of tablets launching with Windows 8 later this year.
Disclosure: I work for Intel.
