iPad Mini vs. Google Nexus 7

[Merlos]

Apple launched their new iPad Mini. Nexus 7 is now more powerful and popular. which is the bast:

1. Google Nexus 7
2. iPad Mini

[kornchild2002]

A few things:
1. The more powerful hardware inside of a tablet (and this includes the iPad 4) doesn't mean anything until developers start taking advantage of it and code for that specific configuration. Until then, the more powerful hardware will just run things a little smoother.

2. This one ties in with #1 in that specs on paper don't mean anything unless there is an app universe to back it all up.

3. Build quality should also be taken into consideration when looking at tablets.

All-in-all, the iPad mini is still the best iPad out there for people on a budget. It has a higher build quality, a lot more features (two cameras for starters), iOS runs smooth on its hardware, and it has full access to Apple's App Store. The App Store is a big one as no other platform has been able to match the size of tablets apps that Apple has (over 250,000). Not only that but most iOS apps tends to be better than their Android counterparts as developers will either perform a port Android port, take their smartphone version and simply scale it up, or port an iPhone version of their app over to Android and then scale it up.

The iPad mini should beat out the Nexus 7 on all fronts though (it does) as the mini is more expensive and geared towards a different audience. The Nexus 7 is a fine $200 tablet but it is targeted towards a completely different market. It is meant for people who are on the fence between an eBook reader and a tablet. It was made to go up against the Nook Color and Amazon Kindle, not the likes of the iPad (that is what the Nexus 10 is for). The iPad mini wasn't made to compete with eReaders or budget tablets either. There isn't a single $200 tablet on the market that can match the iPad mini's build quality, thats one of the reasons why it starts at $330 and not $200. The extra $130 buys a more well built tablet with better accessories (the smart cover sleep/wake function is still awesome) and access to more apps. The Nexus 7 is meant more as an eReader alternative.

[voice]

I have watched the video of ipad mini and nexus 7 drop testing. Glad that i choose the iPad mini.

[as400]

iPad mini, better quality, (My N7 headphone socked was loose) and of course ios is better than JB. Android JB is just too 'busy' a system, fiddly to edit script, and god all thos pop up adverts!...go away!..

[ethansamuel17]

I think iPad mini is better than nexus 7.

[crackhammer]

Frankly, it depends on what ecosystem you are already in and what you expect out of the tablet. I have iPad as well as Android tablet (I didn't wait for Nexus 7, have Xoom). Apart from the hardware, how the OS works and how much developers are interested in it also counts. If the hardware breaks, how easy and expensive it is to fix it?

Once upon a time, I was Apple fanboy but over the period of time, the restrictions enforced by Apple irked me. I moved away from Mac. Since purchase of my iPad, 1st gen, I spent more money on apps than the cost of iPad but I learned that I achieved the same thing for lot cheaper using Android. My son has special needs. Some refined apps are available for iPad (but cost is out of reach). Android apps are not as refined but do the job equally well. 30% commission that Apple takes on every app sale pinches your wallet slowly. Many a times, I noticed android apps are cheaper. Some apps are paid for iOS whereas free for Android. I found android community more adjusting than iOS fanboy community. A group of developers developed a small app for my child for free with a single request. I never got such response from iOS community.

As I said earlier, it boils down to what are you going to achieve out of your tablet? And how much would you like to spend for its maintenance (in terms of apps purchase, magazine purchase, movie rentals etc.) Both system are titans. Pick your bet. Personally, I love Apple machines, I really do and I really want to love but for time being I will stick to Android (and DS uses iPad, just because he is using it since age of 2 and his disability makes him difficult to change).

[dreamerdonkey]

Originally Posted by crackhammer

Frankly, it depends on what ecosystem you are already in and what you expect out of the tablet. I have iPad as well as Android tablet (I didn't wait for Nexus 7, have Xoom). Apart from the hardware, how the OS works and how much developers are interested in it also counts. If the hardware breaks, how easy and expensive it is to fix it?

Once upon a time, I was Apple fanboy but over the period of time, the restrictions enforced by Apple irked me. I moved away from Mac. Since purchase of my iPad, 1st gen, I spent more money on apps than the cost of iPad but I learned that I achieved the same thing for lot cheaper using Android. My son has special needs. Some refined apps are available for iPad (but cost is out of reach). Android apps are not as refined but do the job equally well. 30% commission that Apple takes on every app sale pinches your wallet slowly. Many a times, I noticed android apps are cheaper. Some apps are paid for iOS whereas free for Android. I found android community more adjusting than iOS fanboy community. A group of developers developed a small app for my child for free with a single request. I never got such response from iOS community.

As I said earlier, it boils down to what are you going to achieve out of your tablet? And how much would you like to spend for its maintenance (in terms of apps purchase, magazine purchase, movie rentals etc.) Both system are titans. Pick your bet. Personally, I love Apple machines, I really do and I really want to love but for time being I will stick to Android (and DS uses iPad, just because he is using it since age of 2 and his disability makes him difficult to change).

I agree with crackhammer. Today buying a tab is similar to buying a car. When you are going to buy a car you have to think about not only how much its cost or how fast it go, you also have to think about its fuel consumption. Similarly when you are going to buy a tab don't just think about only its durability you also have to think about which device provide less restriction and cheap app. If you think about durability and dependability go for apple, otherwise think about nexus. Because google is not hypocrite like apple. They share there wealth(android os). As a result number of there apps are five time larger than apple. And there apps are also cheap.

[kornchild2002]

I'm sorry but Google does not "share there wealth." They are a corporation just like Apple who have a single goal of turning a profit. They too take a commission from each app sold in their Play Store, they charge companies a fee for using their OS, and they even sell hardware made by others with their own Google labeling (again, for a profit).

The main difference in app selection between Android on tablets (do we really need to shorten that word to "tab"?) and iOS is that iOS has a far larger collection of apps and most are higher quality. There aren't nearly as many Android apps made for tablets as there are iOS iPad apps. Not only that but many of those Android tablet apps are sloppy ports over from iOS providing a subpar experience, either that or they take the Android smartphone version of the app and simply make it bigger. There are some AAA Android tablet apps but they are few and far between compared to iOS.

More apps are offered for free on Android but they include intrusive ads. More developers have started releasing those on iOS as well. However, many people would gladly play the $1-2 to buy the app and not see stupid ads that pop up and ruin the experience. Yeah, how dare Apple and developers try to make money off of their products! Google gives them all away and its not like they are generating millions of ad revenue dollars by doing that. Developers link to those ads for fun, nothings better than playing a game of Angry Birds only to have an ad pop up for the next dozen Angry Birds titles coming out in a few months.

[Code Monkey]

Originally Posted by kornchild2002

I'm sorry but Google does not "share there wealth." They charge companies a fee for using their OS

Absolutely false.

Google and Apple developed their OSs from the same open source base. Apple stole it, pure and simple. Getting, literally, billions of man hours worth of labor for free, locking it behind their lawyers, and never sharing again.

Google gives is ALL away free, period. The OS is provided free of charge, most code is available publicly at all times, the remaining code released publicly once a newer version is released.

Their only requirement is if you want to use the Android trademark that you meet a very minimal set of standards, that's it. No license fees, no approval process, nothing.

As for the rest of it, Apple has approved just north of 1 million apps, Android has around 700,000. Google takes nothing for things sold outside of the Google Play store, and there they only take the same commission as Apple.

Having actually done things like read forums where devs hang out, I find a lot of your other "facts" rather laughable. Most devs develop for both platforms initially and then concentrate on the platform that is bringing in the most money. I've seen many top shelf projects shift their focus to Android because they are making more money there leaving, by your terms, the iOS versions sloppy Android ports

You come across very, very fanboyish with these factually challenged, unsupported bits of Android bashing.

[dreamerdonkey]

Originally Posted by kornchild2002

I'm sorry but Google does not "share there wealth." They are a corporation just like Apple who have a single goal of turning a profit. They too take a commission from each app sold in their Play Store, they charge companies a fee for using their OS, and they even sell hardware made by others with their own Google labeling (again, for a profit).

The main difference in app selection between Android on tablets (do we really need to shorten that word to "tab"?) and iOS is that iOS has a far larger collection of apps and most are higher quality. There aren't nearly as many Android apps made for tablets as there are iOS iPad apps. Not only that but many of those Android tablet apps are sloppy ports over from iOS providing a subpar experience, either that or they take the Android smartphone version of the app and simply make it bigger. There are some AAA Android tablet apps but they are few and far between compared to iOS.

More apps are offered for free on Android but they include intrusive ads. More developers have started releasing those on iOS as well. However, many people would gladly play the $1-2 to buy the app and not see stupid ads that pop up and ruin the experience. Yeah, how dare Apple and developers try to make money off of their products! Google gives them all away and its not like they are generating millions of ad revenue dollars by doing that. Developers link to those ads for fun, nothings better than playing a game of Angry Birds only to have an ad pop up for the next dozen Angry Birds titles coming out in a few months.

I understand you are a die hard apple fan. Let me ask you a question. Do you see apple IOS in any devices rather than there own devices????? Answer that and than you will understand why I call them hypocrite.

[kornchild2002]

Originally Posted by dreamerdonkey

I understand you are a die hard apple fan. Let me ask you a question. Do you see apple IOS in any devices rather than there own devices????? Answer that and than you will understand why I call them hypocrite.

What does that have to do with it? Apple's operating systems have only ever run on their hardware. Mac OS, OS X, Newton OS, iOS, the various firmwares for their iPods, etc. That is how Apple has worked ever since they first started. You have to buy their hardware to use their software, the only example where that isn't true is with iTunes but that has become more of a service at this point no different than the Amazon mp3 store or Google Music Play Store. So how does Google giving out their OS for free not make them hypocritical? They are still making millions of dollars every year from ad revenue (some of which is on Android, Apple is doing it too with iAds), they are still taking a cut from every app sold on the Play Store (or making ad revenue from the free ones, either way they are still making money), and they are definitely out to monopolize the industry by getting their OS on every phone out there (similar to Microsoft getting their OS on every PC). Every company is trying to monopolize the industry in their favor. Google is taking more of an MS approach with their mobile software. The Play Store still doesn't offer the shear volume of tablet developed apps of the same quality as ones released for iOS. The Play Store only offers a handful of apps for Google's flagship tablet: the Nexus 10.

Originally Posted by Code Monkey

Absolutely false.

Yes, I was incorrect. However, Google still charges a developer registration fee to get their apps on Google Play. It isn't nearly as much as Apple but they still charge a fee and take a piece of the sales pie for all apps sold through the Play Store. So I don't really see how that is any different than Apple's setup aside from Apple charging more people to get their developer SDK. Both companies are out to make money, how does that make Apple a hypocrite and Google this great savior?

Originally Posted by Code Monkey

You come across very, very fanboyish with these factually challenged, unsupported bits of Android bashing.

My statements regarding the apps are true though. Developers are finally stepping around and getting Android tablet specific apps up to par with their iOS counterparts but there are still many versions that fall behind. This is likely due to the one year jump start Apple had with the iPad and the initial sales numbers (i.e. it was the more popular platform at the time) but still. Android may have surpassed the 700,000 app marker but, just like the App Store, not all of those are formatted for tablet use. There are over 100,000 iPad optimized apps in the App Store yet the Google Play Store is still hovering around 20-30k. Not only that but very, very, very, very few of those are actually optimized for high resolution Android tablets such as the Google Nexus 10.

Hence why iOS still offers a better tablet ecosystem for consuming apps. The whole purpose behind tablets revolve around consuming and using apps. iOS still offers a better environment for that. I would be saying the same thing about Android if Google was able to pull off what Apple did with the iPad.

[Flyboybob]

At the end of every discussion of this kind the bottom line is value. Only the person buying can make that determination. One of the great values of Apple products is that the hardware and the software all play together seamlessly. Apple's hardware is more expensive in part because it's made from very high quality parts and they stand behind the products. I have walked into my local Apple store with a broken iPod and they just gave me a new one, no questions asked, while it was under warrantee. Also, their hardware just lasts a long time. My daughter is still using my first generation iPod Nano, her first generation iPad and my two year old iMac just keep on ticking without any maintenance.

To me having a product that just works and lasts a long time is value. The fact that it is great industrial design comes for free.

[dreamerdonkey]

Originally Posted by kornchild2002

What does that have to do with it? Apple's operating systems have only ever run on their hardware. Mac OS, OS X, Newton OS, iOS, the various firmwares for their iPods, etc. That is how Apple has worked ever since they first started. You have to buy their hardware to use their software, the only example where that isn't true is with iTunes but that has become more of a service at this point no different than the Amazon mp3 store or Google Music Play Store. So how does Google giving out their OS for free not make them hypocritical?

You don't understand what is I am actually telling about. If I am hurting your fillings then I am sorry. My point of view is Apple is too much conservative. They don't allow to use their iOS by any other device. I know they have right to do that. That is there policy. But google allow other to use their OS. In exchange they cost money. But the good thing is average people are able to use latest technology. They making the technology cheap (you know how much an apple product cost us). That's why I say google share there wealth. But obviously they just don't give away their product for free.

[kornchild2002]

Still, I don't get it... Yes, their Android OS is available on more hardware but that doesn't mean that it allows people to use the latest technology. The iPhone 5 is one of the best smartphones released this year packing in more technology than the average Android smartphone. Android handsets are less expensive, for the most part, but the ones that come in at $100 or less are often older and don't run the latest version of Android. Unless you buy a Galaxy SIII, Note II, or something else along those lines during a holiday sale, you are going to pay the same $199 as for an iPhone 5. In fact, many stores (Radio Shack, Best Buy, and even Walmart) had the 16GB iPhone 5 for $150 and even included gift cards. Radio Shack was running a promotion making the 16GB iPhone 5 $140 and it came with a $60 Radio Shack e-card.

Android smartphones have also had higher starting prices. The Samsung Galaxy Note II is back up to $299 from Verizon's website. That is one of the best Android smartphones out there and it carries a $300 price tag. How is that any different than the various price levels Apple charges for the iPhone 5? The Droid DNA and Galaxy SIII are all back up to the same $199 price as the 16GB iPhone 5. Again, what's the difference? Those $50/free Android handsets definitely aren't running the latest hardware and are stuck either at Android 2.x.x or maybe up to Android 4.0, not Jelly Bean.

Besides, we are not discussing Android smartphones vs. iPhones. This thread was created to discuss the Nexus 7, a very nice 7" Android tablet, and how it compares to the iPad mini. The Android ecosystem just isn't quite as robust for tablets as it is for smartphones. iOS offers far more apps made specifically for the iPad.

[semaphore.v]

iPad Mini Features:

Dual-core A5 chipset with dual-core graphics processor offering the same performance as the iPad 2

Compatible with all iPad and iPhone apps

Siri and Voice Dictation