I just don't think offline maps are ready for prime time.  I wanted to run the Torque app & have offline maps available for GPS navigation.  It looks like it's a no-go.  if I toggle out of Torque, I can't go back to it without a new startup.  That means taking my attention off the road, or stopping. Ugh.  At least Torque never puts the N7 to sleep.  Maps does.

If I stay in offline maps, I have to take my attention from driving to move the map to follow my gps icon.  And if I don't do that, the N7 goes to sleep.  The maximum no-sleep display setting is 30 minutes, so I'm hosed.  I guess I'm keeping my GPS navi system, after all.

http://support.google.com/googleplay/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1067233#/answer/1067233

I have an astronomy app that lets me replace my star charts.  I can also point it at any area of the sky, and it shows me the stars, constellations, and deep sky targets in that part of the sky.

My N7 also replaces my birding field identification guides.  I can pull up side-by-side illustrations of two similar species, look at their range maps, read about their behavior, and play their songs, to identify the one I'm looking at.

I was hoping to replace my gps navigation device with an offline maps application, but I don't think any of them are up to the task yet.

Last, I use Ultra-Gauge and Scangauge for hypermiling.  The Android Torque app replaces them handily, with prettier, larger displays.

Web browsing has been something of a disappointment, because screen displays are small, and typing on the touch screen is a PITA.  The N7's voice recognition may end up saving me some time if I dictate posts, instead of typing them.

It's in the Google Play store in Books.  Here's the page I saw about multiple accounts.

**retitled merged post originally titled: N7/Android newbie first impression: it's a kludge** -admin


Well, I've had my Nexus 7 for 2 days now.  Its my first Android device.  I have a lengthy computer background, dating back to writing BASIC programs for my TRS-80 Model I in 1978,  I ran my own BBS in the early '80s, was de facto DEC PDP 11-750 and MicroVAX-II SYSOP for my district office, and a national computer expert for a 10,000 person federal agency.

My first impression of Android is it's a designed-by-committee kludge.  I bought it to save money, but I'm learning that I'll pay for it in time.  Take a couple of simple tasks, like sending a photo to my tablet, and using that photo as my wallpaper.  Then get a screen capture of my N7 with the new wallpaper, and post it to a forum in 600 pixel maximum resolution.



I can't hook up a memory card reader to the mini-USB port of the N7.  Unlike some other Android tablets, it doesn't have a micro SD card slot, and its mini-USB port doesn't support OTG USB hosting.

So, I have to download my picture from the Internet, or send it as an attachment to my tablet, where it resides in my (invisible) download directory.  I can't make that photo my N7's wallpaper until I move it to my Gallery, and I can't do that until I install software (ES File Explorer) allowing me to do this.

I could also send files directly to my N7's wallpaper directory using another file transfer program (WiFi File Transfer) that I had to download and install.

One other way to get a photo into my N7's Gallery is to change my Google + account's profile photo from my laptop or desktop computer.  That puts the profile photo into my N7 the first time I log into Google +.

OK.  Once I get the photo into my Gallery, I touch the screen, and (in Android 4.1) a message pops up letting me choose wallpaper from three icons - Gallery, Live Wallpaper, and Wallpaper.  I choose Wallpaper, choose my photo, and get a framing box.  If my photo is too large or too small, or low resolution to fit in the framing box, I have to get a different photo into my Gallery.  Repeat as necessary.

The next step is to get a screen capture.  I look up screen capture apps, and discover most are specific to a specific family of devices, using specific Android OSes. Great if you're using a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, or a rooted tablet, but not so great if your N7 just hit the market with a new 4.1 OS.  I found an app that claimed compatibility with my N7.  When I tried to run it, it stopped with an "incompatible" pop-up window.

All was not lost.  I learned Android 4.1 has a screen capture feature that's activated by pressing the power and volume down buttons simultaneously.

I succeeded in capturing my screen with new wallpaper, and tried to post it as an attachment.  It didn't work, because Android 4.1, hereafter referred to as Jelly Bean, or JB, only lets me choose attachments from my Gallery.  I had to move my screen capture file from the download directory to my Gallery.

I decided to move the screen capture file to my laptop using WiFi File Transfer.  I posted it to the forum from my laptop.  The file size was the original 1280X800 pixel size, in png format.

I'd have to download yet another Android app to resize the screen capture photo to 600X375 pixel resolution.  I did it on my laptop.  It was easier that way.

I wasn't very clear, either.  I meant that I can change my Google Plus profile photo on my home computer, and it automatically appears in my N7's Gallery.  From there, it can be chosen as your wallpaper.

It looks like the Kies air app might be a simple way to transfer files wirelessly, but the Google Plus profile photo does it without app bloat.

Sorry, but I'm a slow learner.  Is there a message or indication when I've successfully done a screen capture?  Does the image show up in the Gallery or elsewhere?  And, anticipating problems all the way along, how do I attach it if it's not available in the Gallery?