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Until early July there was one tablet that all other tablets were compared against, many falling far short. That tablet is the iPad, and from its release in 2010 has seen few competitors, until now. The competitor is Google’s new tablet, the Nexus 7. While the Nexus 7 is a competitor of the iPad, the question posed by many small business owners is: does it really stack up?
Here is a comparison between the new iPad (iPad 3) and the Google Nexus 7 (N7).
On the outside
The iPad is 9.5 inches long and 7.31 inches wide, with a viewable area of 9.7 inches from the top-left to the bottom-right of the screen. The Nexus 7 is smaller at 7.81 inches long by 4.72 inches wide, with a viewable area of 7 inches. The iPad weighs around 1.4 pounds while the Nexus 7 weighs .75 pounds. Due to its size, the Nexus 7 is more portable and due to a rubber backing it’s easier to hold.
Displays
The display is one of the most important features to take into account when buying any device. The iPad uses Apple’s Retina display, a super high resolution display that produces by far the best images. The resolution of the iPad is 2048 X 1536 while the Nexus 7’s display is 1280 X 800 – the higher the number generally means the better the display. With a higher resolution, the iPad’s display is the best, however, the Nexus 7’s display is a close second in terms of image quality and viewability.
Build Quality
Small business owners or managers that spend a lot of time on the road need devices that can keep up with the rigorous demands of travel. Apple is well-known for high quality devices, the main weakness of the iPad is a slightly fragile screen which is prone to cracking with even the slightest impact. The Nexus 7 is untested, but from drop and dunk tests, it looks like the Nexus 7 is the more durable device without a case. Add a protective case and the iPad is just as durable.
OS and Apps
Any Apple device will run an Apple OS, in this case, the iPad runs the iOS which is an extremely user friendly environment. Turn on your iPad for the first time, enter your information and away you go. As the iPad has been out for a couple of years, a number of developers have made iPad specific apps, which means the iPad has a ton of useful business oriented apps.
The Nexus 7 runs on the Android OS and is the first device to have Google’s new version, Jelly Bean. The new OS goes a long ways in making devices easier to use, but it still can’t compete with the iPad in terms of ease of use. There are a large number of apps on Google Play – Google’s app store – but the number of tablet optimized apps is lacking.
Security
Android devices like the Nexus 7 are built on an open-source OS – Anyone can download the OS and make changes – which means that it is less secure, as has been proven by an increase in the number of malware and viruses that target Android devices. The iPad, while not immune to viruses and malware, is a more secure environment.
Price
There is a stark difference in the price of the two tablets. A basic iPad starts at US$499 and can run up to US$829. At the same time, the Nexus 7 starts at US$199 and costs up to US$250 if you chose to go with more storage.
Which one should small businesses buy?
When businesses owners ask which tablet should they buy, we strongly recommend that they look at their needs and current environment. If you’re buying a tablet to take the office with you, or mobilize your office, you need to ensure that there are apps available for your device that will allow you to do this and that your current system is compatible. In general, companies will release apps for the iOS environment first, with Android apps coming later, sometimes up to a year later.
Which tablet do you use, or would you consider using in your business? Let us know below. If you’ve made your mind up and would like to know more about integrating the tablet into your operations, please contact us.