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There are few bad things to say about the Nexus 10—maybe one or two. The rest is good. Very good. It’s plain and fast and nice and doesn’t weigh too much. And now you and your roommates and mom can share it. Lovely.
On the Nexus 10, Android 4.2 gives you multi-user login. Like any full computer, you’ll have an admin user who can then create as many separate accounts as you want, with their own customised settings, apps, and inboxes. This might sound small, but think about it! This tablet, out next month, is expensive (16GB for £319; 32GB for £389). But if you’ve got roommates or a family, you can split that cost and share the thing. Or, if you’re flying solo, this obviates the need for any Uhh well I guess you can use my tablet if you really need to check your email moments of social tech suspicion. Just set up a guest account and let anyone do their thing, as long as they don’t steal the tablet.
This aside, the Nexus 10 is unremarkable, other than it’s terrific cleanliness. Android 4.2 has no stupid skins. It’s pure, refined Android, and if you want an Android tablet, you’ll get the most Android Android tablet there is. This is nice.
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Since when is £319 expensive for a 10″ tablet? There’s nothing within this market, at this quality, that sells at this price range.
That said, I can definitely vouch for the benefit of the multi-user accounts (finally) in terms of splitting the cost. Not only because of the cost, but because having a 10″ tablet knocking around the house – especially when I already own the Nexus 7 – is hard to fully justify its use to a single person. Having it as a ‘household’ tablet for general media consumption, though, is an invaluable concept. It’s this feature that will help justify the Nexus 10′s existence alongside the Nexus 7. Personal tablets for at home and away, and the big tablet at home to share amongst the whole family.
Not convinced about the design of the tablet, though. The rubbery back of the Nexus 7 looks very sleek and cool – but the Nexus 10 seems a bit Fisher Price from the images I’ve seen so far. I’d give it a pass if that snap-cover is easily available/reasonably priced – but I don’t think either of those things will be true. We’re still waiting for the official Nexus 7 cases over here – never mind the long-promised dock…
Came here to say the same thing about the price, the 16GB version is £10 CHEAPER than the 16GB iPad 2 and the 32GB version is £90 cheaper than the equivalent iPad 3.
Really don’t understand how this tablet is expensive…
I think this is brilliant just like the rest of the nexus range, I think I’ll be switching from iOS soon, with these prices it’s hard not too!
The difference with tablet are that they are primarily designed to be used by one user due to how apps work. Think about how differently you access emails from a PC and a tablet. From a PC you go online, log in, do your stuff and log out. But with a tablet, you have an app (baked in or otherwise) which is permanently logged in, so there’s no way of ensuring others can’t see your emails without looking over their shoulder as they use your device.
Shit! Damn, sorry Mark that comment wasn’t directed at you! Really should sit nearer the screen!
I’m not sure that’s entirely true; Yes on a pc you CAN log out of your email, but for me it’s constanty logged in, and I switch to my gmail tab to look at email just as I’d open the app on my Android phone. Maybe that’s not very close. But this is; In Ubuntu (I don’t know if there’s anything the same in Windows and Mac OSX, presumaby there is), my account details are stored, and I am constantly logged in exactly as in Android, and I have an icon (applet type thing I guess) in my tool bar which tells me when there’s new messages. Clciking this will show me a list of all new emails, folders, and can also be configured to work the same way with many other messaging/social media platforms. So this is very much the same sort of use as a phone/tablet.
12.10 say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!!?!?!!?!!?1/!!
as you were… >_>
So both Windows 8 and Android tablets have multiuser access.
iOS needs an update.
I don’t think multi user access is that big a deal. Most families I know have PCs, and don’t use multi user access on those.
But don’t you think a tablet is a more social, and therefore customizable device? Besides, we’ve used multi user access on our computers in the past. I think it’s a necessary option.
The difference with tablet are that they are primarily designed to be used by one user due to how apps work. Think about how differently you access emails from a PC and a tablet. From a PC you go online, log in, do your stuff and log out. But with a tablet, you have an app (baked in or otherwise) which is permanently logged in, so there’s no way of ensuring others can’t see your emails without looking over their shoulder as they use your device.
“The difference with tablet are that they are primarily designed to be used by one user”
I personally disagree with this. Given their portability, I expect my tablet (whichever I decide to purchase at Xmas) to be passed around the sofa from person to person. In fact, this is the main reason I am buying one, for me to casually browse and to bring internet to older members of the family who feel intimidated by full blown laptops with keyboards and trackpads and who may prefer touch interfaces. I wager this is the case for many.
You password protect your accounts just like you would on a pc…
It’s the one thing I wish we had in my house.
I’ve been saying for ages that Apple have been missing a trick by not allowing multiple user accounts on a single iPad/iThing.
I may actually replace my iPad with a Nexus 10 purely for this feature alone – it’s a vital option, imo.
Now that Windows Surface and Android allow multiple users, I’m sure iOS will too. Unless of course they completely ignore the need for such a thing. You should email Jony Ive.
My only query with this is how is the memory allocated to each user and are apps shared at all? I can see it being a problem with any of the models but especially a 16gb.
perhaps a flexible partition can be used whereby it can be changed by the ‘admin’ user. However these issues are addressed it will be a compromise and I can see a few arguments in households being caused over it.
It does seem like a complicated thing to bolt on to an established system doesn’t it? Would every app have to be reworked? Will each user instead have their own ‘skin’? I don’t know, I’m not a developer.
I think you’ll find that Android sets up a different sandbox for each user, so the apps won’t need any changes, to them it will just look like it currently does, Android will do the magic in the background to point to different user configs.
The admin user can set disk quotas.
Seems like the only way to do it really. Seems to me like it’d be good to have a small partition for secondary users of your own tablet so they can’t read your private messages and mess up settings etc. Having a 50/50 split on a small capacity device would get annoying for me.
Is it just me or have Biddle’s reviews of these Nexus devices been sub Gizmodo standard.
Does seem both light on content and at the same begrudging of google stepping up and making an attempt. words like “underemakable”, “its fine” “no shock” and “just any full computer”.
“just like any full computer”
they are all “hands-on”s, not full blown reviews. it’s meant to be just a first impression of the device as presented (most likely) in a demo.
They’re rushed hands ons because it’s what is hot right now and Giz needs to be in the loop to generate traffic.
There are far more extensive write-ups on other tech sites along with videos so I don’t see why everyone is complaining.
Biddle’s love of all things Apple is so strong he hates anything not Apple.
I’m interested to see how this is implemented; a nice feature would be to have multiple admin accounts and the ability to fast-switch them. Imagine having personal & business oriented accounts and being able to set them up just how you want it.
“The Nexus 10 is your standard Samsung Black Rectangle Thing. That’s fine. It shouldn’t bother anyone anymore. Samsung lost the trial to Apple, let’s all move on”
Somehow managed to work in that court case huh? And it’s not a “standard” Samsung rectangle since we’ve all remarked that it looks funny.
It’s a black rectangle with the minimum of styling. For the price, would you expect anything more? The HTC 8S looks lovely but cannot match the Nexus for specs. Compromises will always have to be made at this price point.
I was only pointing out that us lot have noted that the Nexus 10 odd/”fisher price” ie not a standard samsung design therefore there is no reason to mention the Apple Samsung case.
Biddle clearly has been forced to write good things about the new Nexuses but is undermining them at very opportunity.
I guess bloggers aren’t journalists so should really do as they’re told!
When Biddle said he was shitting so hard it gave him a fever, did he say which end it was coming out of?
You’re the doctor, you’re going to have to reach up there and find out.
Me thinks Sam doesn’t like Android very much …
On another point – when will the Nexus 7 get 4.2?
about a week after the Nexus 4 launch going by previous upgrades, but maybe, like 4.1 on the GNex, on the same day.
Oh cock off, Biddle. Go and do something with your time other than writing these vacuous piles of shite you call reviews.
Firstly, starting a review with such an inflammatory line as “Samsung lost the trial to Apple, let’s all move on” is poor writing, and about as impartial as Mitt Romney. Secondly, you make no mention of build quality, no real comments on user experience (you seem to have obsessed about multi user accounts, which is obviously important, but to take up half your “review” with it is completely pointless). Thirdly, having read your few paragraphs, I am left with the impression that you used it for probably all of five minutes. Is that enough for a review? Really?
If you did in fact use it for a meaningful period of time, you should have been able to write something a bit more wholesome than this bag of tripe.
I think Biddle is a Apple Fanboy. His Nexus 4 comments seemed a little sour.
Very sour, and much like the comments on this.
NB: I am aware that this is a “hands on” rather than a full review, but I could have written something a lot more comprehensive than this by just holding the thing for ten seconds.
Well put. +1
http://tinyurl.com/cv3efzg
If I knew how to reliably change my avatar, this would be it
Presumably you have a gravitar account, just change it there.
Avatar change incoming in 5… 4…
Damn it, Gravatar is being slow.
How’s this?
Shexy
Couldn’t agree more, Biddle is not a journalist he’s an extension of apple’s marketing division.
To be fair though, bloggers are not journalists and don’t need to even pretend to have journalistic integrity. A blog is by its very nature a series of opinion pieces without most of the editorial dictates that a “real” publication might have. Sometimes we get lucky and read something interesting, sometimes we get Diaz and his Ctrl+V keys.
Maybe the editor should crack the whip a little, maybe Biddle just likes free Apple stuff. Either way his obvious bias detracts from Gizmodo’s standard of acceptability.
Also, he has a face like a smug spanked arse.
Hello folks,
I’m going to visit london in next few days, and I would like to find retail store where Nexus 10 are sale.
anyone knows where I can find it ? (except google store, of course)
Greetings.
Jmorais