Some thoughts on the Nexus 7

In no particular order:

• At $200, it’s a steal.
• On a 8GB model, you get about 5 1/2 of “free” space left when you receive the device.
• Out of the box, it’s tightly integrated with Google’s services and Google Play. You have no obligation to use them.
• If you have a problem with the big Goog, remember they loose money every time you buy one. (More so on the 16GB model, the price difference between the 16GB and 32GB in raw parts is only ~$5)
• Do not expect iPad Retina crispness, but the display is bright, vibrant and holds up well in bright ambient sunlight. (I’ve not tested in direct sunlight, tablets don’t tend to like that as they quickly absorb heat anyway.)
• Android 4.1 “Jelly Bean” is the best yet.
• Scrolling/swiping still doesn’t come close to iOS’s buttery smoothness. I’m not sure why Android can’t get this right.
• The mix of a “welcome” screen (when you first swipe to unlock), various widget pages and navigation to get to apps will still confuse the uninitiated. Not so much that people won’t find what they’re looking for, but there will be many who only know “Oh, I unlock, then I this screen (that I don’t want) and then click this button to get to my stuff.”
• Almost nothing orients to portrait. Some apps force it for necessity, such as Netflix.
• Annoyance: The soft keyboard does not pop in all cases when text input is expected.
• Annoyance: If I sleep the device, then click it back on, it doesn’t return to the app I was in but rather Google’s “cards,” which while neat, I would really like to turn off save a home screen widget.