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All iPads ipad mini retina or nexus 7

H

haori

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 31, 2013
19
4
if one is not really OS-bounded, which one makes more sense?

just want a tablet to read pdfs, browse internet.

nexus 7 is so much cheaper...


or the full size ipad air
 
If that's all you want to do, and you aren't already invested in the Apple ecosystem, then I'd say give the Nexus a try.

Caveat: I don't know a whole lot about the Nexus, so others with more expertise may have other opinions.
 
haori said:
if one is not really OS-bounded, which one makes more sense?

just want a tablet to read pdfs, browse internet.

nexus 7 is so much cheaper...


or the full size ipad air
Click to expand...

Well it depends on your budget. If money is not a problem, iPad mini would be a better choice (especially for reading PDFs and browsing)
 
TommyA6 said:
Well it depends on your budget. If money is not a problem, iPad mini would be a better choice (especially for reading PDFs and browsing)
Click to expand...

I'd try a Nexus 7 first and see what you think. If not, return it and then wait for the Mini. No reason to spend more money if you are not tied to any one system and the 7 meets your needs.

Rick
 
Based on your requirements and considering its price/performance value you'll be better served with the Nexus 7. I owned both (Mini and 2nd Gen Nexus 7 - also iPad 4) and the Nexus is a solid tablet with a great-looking display, responsive, and a little more comfortable to hold in one hand (narrower than Mini, soft-touch back).

For me getting to learn/use Android is also a plus. Now, I must admit that I keep missing the feel and elegance of the iOS platform when I use the Nexus. Nothing significant but the flawless response and consistent app behavior is still superior IMHO (I'm also heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem and I'm a gadget junky, so I don't mind the splurging on its hardware).
 
i owned a nexus 7 (2013) and an ipad 4...pros for nexus 7 is it is fast and the screen looks good...cons - battery life was bad and IMHO the 7" screen widescreen its great to look at - but too small to use for day to day use...i would suggest getting the new ipad mini...it has a bigger screen at 7.9 and it too will be smoking fast or the Air ofcourse will be great...i myself sold the nexus 7 and ipad 4 and will be getting an Air and prob a new mini
 
thank you all. my work pays for this, but still we can use the money somewhere else.

i'll probably get a nexus 7 or this year's nexus 8/10.

my htc flyer is too slow.
 
haori said:
thank you all. my work pays for this, but still we can use the money somewhere else.

i'll probably get a nexus 7 or this year's nexus 8/10.

my htc flyer is too slow.
Click to expand...

i think it should depend on what phone you have or if you have a mac at home...if you don't have an iPhone or a Mac thats ones thing...but if you have an iPhone or Mac its a pretty easy decision to go iPad Mini or Air - they work great together.
 
I got a Nexus 7 2nd gen at launch and am getting rid of it for the new iPad mini. You should go play with them at Best Buy and see which you like better.
 
I STRONGLY prefer iOS over Android. But the reason I'm so tempted by the Nexus 7 is based purely on one thing.

THE NEXUS 7 DOESNT REQUIRE I CARRY A PURSE

I like having my iPad Mini with me for when I want to read a book or do some tasks that the iPhone is too small for, but for that I now carry a purse. It's not a coach leather tote or a hello kitty bag, its just a plain black netbook backpack and since I have an 18mo old I get to say it's a diaper bag. BUT, for the short time I tried using a Galaxy Tab 3 then the BIGGEST feature was that I could put it in my back pocket and leave the purse at home.

So IF you really dont care about OS and want the most portable product (and are a man) then I highly recommend looking at the 7" Android tablets simply because they're the most practical size (if you're a woman then go for the Mini because you're likely carrying a purse anyway).
 
Honestly, i was all set to get the nexus 7 until I bought it. It does not give me the same pleasure as the iPad and iPad minis have. Dare I say that it is even buggier than a beta version of iOS 7. Im inclined to like google more than Apple but i just don't like Android. It always feels like Im an experiment even when the features being tested aren't new.
 
haori said:
if one is not really OS-bounded, which one makes more sense?

just want a tablet to read pdfs, browse internet.

nexus 7 is so much cheaper...


or the full size ipad air
Click to expand...

I posted in another similar thread here.
I think my post is relevant here so I'm going to copy/paste it:

I actually agree with this. I have a new Nexus 7, and while I like it, I would trade it today for a current gen iPad Mini. I've refused to buy the mini to this point because I want a retina version, but still, the Nexus 7 just disappointing me. And just to be clear, I'm not an Apple fanboy by any means. I prefer my Note 2 big time over an iPhone for example.

When I first got the Nexus 7 I thought it was very exciting. Finally the retina 7(ish) inch tablet Apple refuses to make. And sure enough, it was beautiful. I wasn't enthused about the tall thin form factor, the 3x4 form factor is one of the things I like about the iPad, but the screen is glorious. Also, I don't really care about the "ecosystem" card everyone plays. For my needs, both Android and Apple are excellent. So, I thought this N7 would be perfect rather than continue to wait for a retina mini.

But as I started using it I started to become more and more annoyed. In most apps it feels like the touch targets are too small. I hit my finger on something and it just doesn't register. I have to tap all around it until finally I accurately hit the target. That never seems to happen on my iPad (3rd generation). Its like my finger is just not accurate. Hard to explain. Also, annoyingly, the pinch zoom is not responsive. I pinch and for like the first maybe 1/4inch of pinch travel there is nothing, then it kicks in. Its like the N7 is spending a split second trying to determine if I'm pinching or not.

Another item is the sometimes sluggish behavior. I tap something and it doesn't respond, so I tap again, only to have it finally respond from the first tap and now my 2nd tap is actually landing on something on the followup screen. wtf?

If I had to summarize the problems I have with the N7 in one word it would be responsiveness. Its just not responsive. My iPad has none of these problems and I assume the mini doesn't either, and therefore, I'd choose a current gen mini over the N7.

I think I'll wait until the retina mini is confirmed, then sell the N7 to help fund it.
Click to expand...
 
I'm an iOS man because I love their devices and the quality of the apps. That being said, I did buy a 2013 Nexus 7 and it's a wonderful device. With Apple saying the retina mini will be thicker I'm not sure what to say about thinness and lightness.i love my Nexus 7 so much I used it exclusively for a month. In the end, I'm drawn back to iOS and it's superior apps.
 
Owning a Nexus 7 and a Mini, I find reading and surfing the internet more pleasant on the Mini's 7.9" screen; however either will do the job. To be honest, a couple of hours with the Air and I'm loving it. I'll be giving Mini away to a family member. The Nexus 7 I'll keep just to have an Android device.
 
Nice machine, but

I tried both the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Note 8. Both are nice devices, but returned them both. I could easily tell the lack of integration of hardware and software, despite the bottom line functionality be about the same. Android requires more work to get to the iPad functionality, but it's there in my view, and perhaps greater in some areas. Being heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, there were not enough pluses to keep either Android device. Even less so now with the iPad Air.
 
I have a Nexus 7, and iPad 3, and iPad mini.

I don't even remember the last time I ever powered the Nexus on. I prefer the mini for just about everything.
 
I'll vouch for the Nexus 7, it's a surprisingly good tablet. The 32GB version is $279, while the Retina mini is quite a bit more.

Btw, I'm an android phone user and also use a MacBook and iPad. If you're using Google's services (gmail, calendar, etc) it's pretty seamless to go back and forth between platforms.
 
One thing to keep in mind - the nexus 7 has a 16:10 display.

With an iPad the entire view will be filled with the PDF because it is 4:3. The N7 will have large black bars when viewing a typical PDF file, so it will require more zooming than the iPad.

But I will say the nexus 7 is easier to hold than the mini.
 
Browsing the internet and reading pdfs, docs, and ebooks, will hands down be better on an iPad Air vs the Nexus 7.

But you could still be satisified using the Nexus 7, and save a lot of money.

But if you compare them to each other, the iPad is a better tablet. Which it should be considering the cost.

But it's best to see for yourself.
 
I just spent some time with the Nexus 7, and while it is a nice tablet, if all I wanted was to surf the web and read PDFs, I would still strongly suggest the iPad mini. For one reason:

Screen size. When viewing web pages, the screen is extremely cramped in comparison. Having a tablet be so wide makes PDFs and web pages small and you have to zoom in a lot.

There are a lot of other reasons why I like the iPad mini, but the screen size alone would break it for me based on the OPs criteria.
 
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