Thursday, December 06, 2012

More than one Nexus 7 - first impressions.


Update: just discovered how to add users under settings,  which is different from accounts...  Mmmmmm confusion now cleared. 

Disclaimer: I'm a recent convert to android. Don't know where I have been all this time !!

Managed to Grab a Nexus7+ 32GB + HSPA device. As I already had a standard 16GB Nexus 7 , I was looking forward to seeing how google would handle my account across two nexus 7 devices. Suffice to say I was surprised.

After unboxing, things that raised my eyebrows :

- poor printed manual. Diagrams which did not match the actual device. It was as if the manual was for ASUSs' own tablet and they just dumped the leaflet/manual into the box of the Nexus 7. That's pretty lazy.

- a paper clip type device to help you "pop" open the sim card holder !! nice addition and it works well and it saves you hassle. Lost count of how much time I have lost trying to pop open sim card caddies in mobile phones, over the years. I didn't have a uSIM to hand, so never interested a uSIM card.

After charging the device and powering it on, I followed the setup process using my google account details. Once initial setup was done, the device proceeded to download ALL the apps I had installed on my other device. This is what surprised me, this included all the paid for apps too !! gobsmacked !! I was expecting some form of DRM control to say to me I cant use "this" app as I paid for it and already installed it on some other device. So this was nice.

Half the apps failed to install, automatically, this was a pain. It would have been nice if  the system installed the system update software BEFORE any app installation. Anyways I updated to Jelly Belly , and then manually installed all the failed apps.

Next what I wanted to check is the multi-user account feature. So I added another google account to the device.  What did this result in ? Well it meant if I opened up a google app like gmail / reader / google+  , I would be asked to select the google account I wanted to use with the app.

I have mixed feelings about this. It means you can manage multiple google accounts for the services on the device. BUT if the accounts are related to different people using the same device, then there is no privacy as the user can just pick any account from the list. Not sure if there is an app to manage multiple user accounts on one device and compartmentalise between them or if I have missed an options settings. If you have an element of trust in your household, then multiple google accounts on the same device and everyone being able to access all the accounts should be ok !! :-)

Also, It will be interesting to see if the build quality has improved. The original Nexus 7 had issues with the  LCD popping out and the headphone jack socket giving audio in one channel only as it seems to have come away from the main board and you have wiggle the headphone jack!! lets see.....

regards,
user