I Really Like My Nexus 7 But I LOVE My iPad.

Just over two years ago, I was completely against the idea of 'tablets.'  I was not alone in questioning the value of a super-sized smartphone when we all have laptops.  But like everyone else in the universe, after playing around with an iPad, I had to have one.  Now I have the iPad 3 (I grabbed one the day it was released) and I couldn't be happier.  So when I heard all the hype about the Google Nexus 7, I was intrigued.  For the first time, I saw a viable iPad alternative in the Android sphere of influence. Every website and reviewer praised this as an inexpensive, powerful and sexy device.  So I used the excuse of Christmas to procure one, and I could be happier.

I wanted to ween myself off iPad dependence by giving the Nexus 7 my full attention for 3 weeks while I was visiting friends in Boston post-Christmas.  That's exactly what I did. And when I returned home, I rushed for my iPad.  There are several reasons for this. Let me explain each in turn.

Screen

The Nexus 7 has a very colorful display with 1280x800 pixels, but the screen is not nearly as bright as on the iPad.  It's difficult to compare the Retina Display to the Nexus high definition display, but Retina wins.  There is an extra level of sharpness that hard to see, but easy to feel (if that makes sense).  The only exception is with YouTube. Although there is an official YouTube application for the iPad, the built in YouTube app for the Nexus 7 displays videos with just a little more clarity that may be difficult to notice, but easy to feel (again, not sure about feeling versus seeing).

Size

I thought I would find a place in my life for a 7 inch tablet, but now I realize the only way I would travel with Nexus 7 would be with a 3G enabled version (and I'm not paying for that).  The value of storing this device in my coat or back pocket is drastically decreased without a good source of wifi.  If I'm traveling and need to research something or answer an email, I'm fine doing so on my iPhone 5. Three inches less, but infinitely more useful.

Speed

I haven't had much experience with Android devices before the Nexus 7, but I can see why everyone is impressed by Jelly Bean and Project Butter. It's fast, smooth and fluid...but not as much as the iOS 6.

I find myself needing to swipe across the screen fairly forcefully to move between screens on the Nexus 7. My iPad is significantly faster in navigating.  And I have experienced more crashes and unsuccessful downloads in three weeks with the Nexus 7 then any three week period with my iPad.

Apps and Integration

Everyone and their uncle has commented on the application selection deficiencies of Android, particularly with tablet dedicated apps. I won't say anything more than to agree that Apple has more high quality applications that are tailored for the iPad.

On the integration front, the tandem of an iPad and an iPhone is tough to beat.  I love being able to have my pictures, documents, texts, calendar appointments and reminders automatically synced to both devices. To my knowledge (which is minimal on this front), Samsung does not have such deep integration between the Galaxy tablets and the Galaxy phones and neither does Google with its Nexus devices.

Finally, Operating Systems

Call me a simpleton, but too much customization can befuddle me.  The vast majority of anyone's time on a smartphone or tablet is dedicated to using the apps, not customizing the app screen, widgets and background.  Apple makes the presentation of applications on screen simple and we reap the benefits.

Has anyone considered the reason iPhone is more popular than Android in the US is because of the simplicity? I believe the majority of Americans want the simple interface offered by iOS.  There is a strong minority that need the 'freedom' of Android, including many online reviewers, but they are still the minority.

I consider myself a man of the people, not the technology experts, and so I choose iOS.