Three months later: My Nexus 10 Review

So my usual disclaimer - I'm by no means a professional reviewer, nor am I particularly knowledgeable about tablets. That said, I really love my Nexus 10 and have no complaints about it. The screen size and resolution are marvelous. This is my first tablet and my first "second screen" of any kind, so I'll admit to a lack of ready comparisons, so take my raving with a grain of salt.

I now find myself watching television or playing games while cozy underneath warm blankets in bed, which is an incredible luxury. As a result, I tend to go to bed earlier than I used to, since its easier to shut down and go to sleep when all you have to do is roll over and shut your eyes.

I haven't yet used it for reading anything other than the web. It sucks to try and type long messages on it since I'm a touch typist with a really high wpm on a traditional keyboard; feels like its taking forever. The voice recognition software is surprisingly better than I expected, though it does require a certain cadence of speaking in order to not get confused, and even then certain words are nearly impossible for it to recognize.

My favorite use for the Nexus 10 is tied between using it as a second screen while I'm watching TV (looking up details or having my confusion cleared up mid-way through an episode of Downton Abbey is pretty handy) and using the tablet as a portal gaming device. I love PC games and enjoy them way more than I do the offerings of a DS or PSP, but my gaming laptop is heavy and bulky and has a huge recharger block... so plugging it in and using it on a train (or god forbid, a plane) is pretty much never worth the effort. The tablet on the other hand - perfection. It is a divine portable gaming device!

My favorite game so far? Rebuild. (Technically this is Rebuild 2 but I guess the developer didn't want to be confusing.) After the zombie-apocalypse, you have to defend your bastion, reclaim city blocks while scavenging for food and weapons, and provide a safe haven long enough for the survivors to - what else? Rebuild civilization! This is a really fun way to kill some time, and a marvelous game-play concept. I am very much looking forward to the sequel that's currently in development.

Back to my Nexus 10: I haven't had any crashes or lockups, but I have noticed the internet connectivity will sometimes stop working if I've not turned the tablet off for a few days. I did update to Jellybean 4.2.2 and haven't noticed any issues. Other than that, I haven't rooted it or otherwise tinkered with changing anything substantial.

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OK, with that said, every good tablet should be protected with a good case, right?

I bought this case about 45 days ago, and love it. I read lots of case reviews before deciding on this one, mainly because a lot of the other "good" cases were reported to come with a strong scent that lingered for months and were considerably more expensive.

The Blurex ultra slim case fits my Nexus 10 snugly, but isn't bothersome to remove. It folds very easily into three different angles for a self-supported viewing platform. This was a huge issue for me prior to getting a case, since I had a really hard time with propping my tablet up when I wanted to watch some Netflix from bed. (Parks and Rec is my new favorite show!)

This case protects the tablet fairly substantially without covering up any ports or buttons, nor either camera. It feels nice to the touch and overall I'm impressed with it; this feels like a case that should have cost me a lot more than it did.

The one complaint I have is that the little handhold strap is awkward as its placed so I never use it. If it was rotated 90 degrees then it would be much more useful. That said, this case is some pretty amazing bang for your buck compared to what else is out there!

"Brief" is such a relative term...

Well, I can't say that I'm ready to resume regular posting, but I figured the occasional post would be a good way to keep in practice.

Around the middle of next month, I should be getting on a plane and moving to Japan. (Again.) I am so pumped! I have really missed Osaka, which may just be my favorite city in the world. It will be a trip to move there a second time, (no pun intended,) and I'm really looking forward to the weird experience of new and old, things forgotten and things I never knew.

About three months ago, once I had fully committed myself to returning, I was shocked to find my Japanese already coming back! I had forgotten so much of it but apparently my brain was ready for deep recall once it realized I was returning. Cool stuff.

I've written several drafts, including one finished story that's not very good and one vignette for NPR's 10th Three Minute Fiction contest. Here's hoping I get featured so that I'll have some resume fodder!

Life's been in the slow lane, but this has been exactly what I needed, and I've been loving my journey through learning how to write well. Turns out that the late James Oliver Rigney (Junior) didn't start writing until he was 29... an auspicious example, if ever there was one!

In the mean-time, I'm packing and sorting and writing and relaxing, and loving every second of this calm before Operation: Tachinomiya Storm!

(Maybe my next post will have to be about Tachinomiya's?)