Monday, January 21, 2013

A Little Bit Smarter

(Please note, this is a post completely written on my own accord. Unfortunately I paid full price for my Nexus and was not at all compensated by Google. :o)
While I love technology, I don't always love the price tag that accompanies the latest techno gadgets. Mr. Cherry has a smart phone for work, but since we foot the bill for my own cell phone, I still have your basic "dumb phone." (Hey, until recently, I didn't have a full keyboard. I really have moved up in the world.)

Ever since the first tablets started to come out, I have had a serious case of techno envy. There is just something about the tablet convenience that appeals to me as a stay at home mom. If I need to look something up on the internet quickly, I could just grab my tablet. Up early in the morning with a crabby kid? With my trusty tablet at my side, I can wile away the early morning hours while rocking the babe.
I was sold on the tablet technology, but Mr. Cherry, not so much. Why would you want something as big as a laptop screen to hold on to? And that bulk doesn't come with extra computing capabilities. I have been trying to win him over to the tablet side for years now. Enter the Google Nexus. Leave it to a Google product to win both of us over. (While he will be the first to admit that Apple does what it does very, very well, that very, very large price tag is hard to swallow.)

When I started seeing ads pop up for the new Google mini-tablet, aka the Nexus 7, I was intrigued to say the least. I use many Google products everyday. Blogger, Gmail, You Tube, Google Reader. And a tablet that is meant to be used with wi-fi? Yes please. Our budget does not allow for a $100 data plan, thank you very much. I mentioned it to Mr. Cherry and he liked what he saw as well. The price, the Android base, and Google are were selling points along with the fact that it was of the mini variety.
After playing around with my father-in-law's Nexus over a weekend, we were both sold on the little device.
Now to wait and see what kind of deals would be offered for the tablet of my dreams. And, wait I did. I waited through Black Friday. I waited through after Christmas. I waited until this month to go out and purchase my Nexus. You see, it is such a nice starting price and there is such demand, that there really aren't that many deals out there. Essentially it is a good deal any old day. (In my humble, unbiased opinion.) So, out I went to Wal-Mart and picked up the toy I had been looking forward to owning for so many months.
You better believe that I bought a good case for my new toy, too. The Moko from Amazon seems to be working out well.Google Nexus 7 32GB Tablet NEXUS7ASUS- (Google Affiliate Ad)

And you know what? I love it. I am now the owner of a "smart" device and I do feel pretty smart. I use it for my calendar. I use it for meal planning and grocery shopping. I use it for reading, I even have a sample of the daily Bible that Mr. Cherry and I read from. I use it for email, Facebook, and Pinterest. I use it for working out and listening to music. In fact, I may use it a little too much. But it is so much fun to have the world of the internet at your fingertips. To have the latest book you are reading right there with you at all times.
Do I like my Google Nexus 7? Yes! Was it all that I thought it would be? Yes. Was it worth the wait? You bet! In the end is a tablet necessary? Nope. But it is a fun thing to add to my daily life.

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