Nexus 7: How I'm using it.

So it's been a few weeks now and it turns out, I am using my Nexus 7 tablet exactly how I thought I'd use it, and then some.  This is verbatim what I had written down in my priority list's reasoning column, three months ago: "Reading digital magazines and building codes.  Useful for design presentations or demonstrations, for clients."

Three examples of how I've used it professionally:

• So the other weekend, my brother-in-law and sister were up here, to go over graphics that they wanted me to do for their company.  Having done several prototypes, I was able to use the tablet to let them browse through each version.  When they selected one and as we talked about it, it became evident that they needed to see how it would look with color combination changes, and some other permutations.  I popped out my laptop and worked on revisions in Illustrator, then saved back the new images to Dropbox.  Almost instantly, those images would show up on my tablet, and they could explore the variants.  It shortened the decision process and proved useful, without having to show them printed documents.
• A few days before that, during an on-site visit, I pulled up an AutoCAD drawing of a floor plan to discuss prospective tenant areas, and the accuracy of the CAD drawings themselves.  Using Autodesk's AutoCAD WS on my tablet with offline capabilities enabled, I download drawing files from Dropbox, then open it up with AutoCAD WS, which -- this is where it gets a tad convoluted -- uploads it to Autodesk's cloud, then downloads it to the tablet into a folder that Autodesk's software uses, to access files offline.
• Today, while helping a friend think about how to create an infill display object inside of a narrow interstitial space between storefront windows and a wall, I used my phone's camera to photograph her scribbled floor plan sketch.  I then opened up Autodesk's Sketchbook Express (the tablet version), imported the image file that was automatically uploaded to my Google Picasa album, then drew on the image while explaining my thoughts on how to design the infill object -- no need for rolls of trace paper.

Some side notes:

• Adobe's PDF reader is just plain horrid; it struggles at times to render text and images.  I scream, "Everything else but Adobe's PDF, please!"
• It's a lot easier to draw everything on Draw Something on a tablet.  It's a lot easier to draw everything, period.
• Editing Google Docs Spreadsheets is the same on a tablet as it is on a phone, which is to say, you have to select the line you want to edit, then edit it...a chore.  Word documents are a little easier to handle, though not nearly as fast as typing on a regular keyboard with a larger screen.  Somehow I think I'll have to carry my netbook with my tablet, on trips.
• I tried (Microsoft) SkyDrive's Word and Excel, and let's just say it's not a fun experience on a 7" screen with a screen keyboard.
• Not having a rear camera does convolute the process of taking a photo that you can then draw on, especially if you have to do it when you're not in range of WiFi.  The no-WiFi workaround is using Bluetooth, by linking up your phone to your tablet.  Takes a good minute the first time around.
• After updating my GS-II phone via Samsung's KIES to ICS 4.0.3, I can affirm that all that bloatware from T-Mobile has made my phone a lot more unstable than my tablet -- and believe me, they added MORE bloat than before, to make it especially unstable.  As a result, I've been using my tablet far more frequently to do things I'd previously done with my phone.  A giant BOOOOOOO for T-Mobile.  Which also means that it all likelihood, from now on I'm buying Nexus phones without crap on them.  Nexus 4 ever.