Novo 7 Aurora II First impressions

[minstral]

Got my tab from GadgetFreakz yesterday. For a budget tab this is surprisingly good. HDMI and micro SD card are big things for me so the Nexus loses out.

Build quality is solid, buttons may have a bit of looseness to them but all in all I see it as a big smartphone. And how many of these are metal or aluminium?

I like the lightness. The only gripe is touchscreen could be better but this is firmware related. I like to mod with the rest of them so modding say a Nexus compared to this makes no difference to me. Once I get a good set up, I'm unlikely to jump to the next big thing (say Jellybean) so a somewhat future proof modding community isn't a huge thing for me.

If the Aurora II ends up dying on me, I think I'll spring for the Toshiba 7". From memory this has HDMI and micro SD

[iTwins]

I expected so. Various Nexus 7 reviews on the web did not mention of any OTG or similar functions, so I expect 3G or USB dongles won't work with it.

Anyways, i made my decision and pre-ordered a 16 GB version via a friend in Canada who will FedEx me when it arrives. While the Aurora II may be nice like most of you say but the inferior display resolution, slower processors and smaller battery make it unattractive. If a Nexus 7 sells for $249, the Aurora II can only be worth $125.

[drdoug]

I expected so. Various Nexus 7 reviews on the web did not mention of any OTG or similar functions, so I expect 3G or USB dongles won't work with it.

Anyways, i made my decision and pre-ordered a 16 GB version via a friend in Canada who will FedEx me when it arrives. While the Aurora II may be nice like most of you say but the inferior display resolution, slower processors and smaller battery make it unattractive. If a Nexus 7 sells for $249, the Aurora II can only be worth $125.

$249 plus Tax is what google told me when I asked why it was $50 dearer in Australia when both dollars are on par and the tablet comes from Tiawan. Plus will they add freight. It wont be as cheap as it first looks.

I agree the limitations of the Aurora II (not bluetooth or GPS) make it now worth a less, but still it has external sd (and 32gb, for those asking earlier, works fine)

The Nexus 7 will be faster on paper, but is likely only to be noticed in gaming, not something I do much.

There are rumours of a Nexus 10, but this one took so long to happen and ends up a dissapointment so I just ordered an IPAD2 64gb $522 delivered, arrives Friday via Fedex. I hate apple, but after much testing and soul searching, there is no 10" android that comes close. 16:9 is the only advantage in android, but the 4:3 screen is better for general Tablet use, I watch movies etc on big screens. When on holiday I take 7" tablet and WDTV to watch on hotel TV, it is light and allows me to copy files from 1 usb to another to back up holiday pics (it really sh..s ya if ya loose holiday snaps and sd cards do fail now and again,)

The thing I don't get is if I can use a 3g dongle on the Aurora II why not a bluetooth dongle?
Guys all it needs is bluetooth, an external GPS receiver is usually better anyway.
Hopefully when they release an Aurora III it will be quad core with bluetooth.

As to other 7" tabs, hopefully the Nexus 7 cause lots of price drops and new models to compete.

[Steven7]

i have some aurora II at cheap price. PM me if you want one.

[iTwins]

$249 plus Tax is what google told me when I asked why it was $50 dearer in Australia when both dollars are on par and the tablet comes from Tiawan. Plus will they add freight. It wont be as cheap as it first looks.

The shipping charges are just an excuse. It's probably because the American market is much bigger therefore they can offered cheaper. I used to live across the street to ATi's (display card manufacturer, now AMD's) headquarter in Toronto but graphic cards were 20-30% cheaper buying from the U.S. even after custom and shipping charges.

I agree the limitations of the Aurora II (not bluetooth or GPS) make it now worth a less, but still it has external sd (and 32gb, for those asking earlier, works fine)

The Nexus 7 will be faster on paper, but is likely only to be noticed in gaming, not something I do much.

unless what the Nexus 7 lacks Is what you are looking for, there is no reason to go Aurora II. If you see the Nexus 7 and the Aurora II side by side and almost at the same price, which one would you choose. I am sure 99% would choose the Nexus 7 eventhough all of its features are overkill. Who knows what the future may hold, so might as well buy for the future.

The thing I don't get is if I can use a 3g dongle on the Aurora II why not a bluetooth dongle?
Guys all it needs is bluetooth, an external GPS receiver is usually better anyway.
Hopefully when they release an Aurora III it will be quad core with bluetooth.

I think BT would require specialized drivers and UI. Even in Win7, some BT dongles require proprietary apps to work.

[drdoug]

The shipping charges are just an excuse. .

They actually said taxes. As Australia has no import duty on this item, just 10% GST on retail price it should be no more than $338 for the 16gb model presuming the US has no tax on it.

If you see the Nexus 7 and the Aurora II side by side and almost at the same price, which one would you choose.
.

The Nexus probably, but they are poles apart in price so the question is moot.
Nexus 7 16gb at US price is $249 plus delivery and I can get the Aurora II for $169 delivered.

As I want it all, both don't really cut it. I will just keep using my Aurora II until there is one that does what I want available. Sadly there isn't an android 7 or 10 yet that has what I want. Ipad doesn't either, but with a wifi hdd it has got me to part with some hard earned (ipad2 64gb)

We all look at it differently and want different things, nothing wrong with that. None of us is right or wrong it is all just personal preference.

[Steven7]

i have some brand new aurora 2. PM me for more details