While Apple has long reigned supreme in the tablet space with the iPad, demand for the Google Nexus 7 has taken the tablet world by storm. Christopher Herot, CEO of SBR Health and a connoisseur of tablets, can speak knowledgeably on the design, quality and function of today’s tablets by big name brands like Apple, Microsoft and Google. At SBR Health, tablets are an essential tool for communication among patients, providers and members of the care team, and Christopher makes evaluating the quality of video interaction on mobile and tablet devices a top priority. In this interview, Christopher shares his thoughts on the Google Nexus and its advantages over Apple’s iPad.

Why the Google Nexus?

The open question with all these things is how will Google deal with the huge lead in the tablet space that Apple established with the iPad. The iPhone got an early start with mobile but there are now more Google phones than Apple phones, so what’s the problem with tablets?

Google did the Nexus tablet because they were impatient with how fundamentally horrible the other tablets were. Some of them really aren’t that bad. Take the Motorola Xoom. It’s not bad for techies but when I have to decide which one to throw in my bag, the iPad is the more pleasant one to deal with. It’s brighter, sharper and has more apps.

What’s the Google experience?

I like my Google phone better than the iPhone. Google engineers felt they could do better so they worked with Samsung to build the Nexus. The Nexus brand is the more pure Google experience, and it’s pretty good. The other reason why I think it’s really interesting is that it’s at a size between the iPad and iPhone.

What are the advantages?

While some might say the Google tablet is an awkward size, I was pleasantly surprised that the screen is large enough to read but can also be used for video calls.

For our purposes, the Nexus is small enough to fit in the pocket of a doctor’s lab coat. Doctors laugh because their pockets are already jampacked. They could make room for a tablet the size of the Google Nexus. While an iPad is more convenient than a laptop, it still is big.

What are your predictions for adoption?

I expect the Nexus will become an unconscious carry device. These are things like a phone, wallet and watch that you carry everyday. You don’t think about these things. When I go on a trip, I bring a laptop. When I’m going to a conference or an event, I bring my tablet. The Google sized tablet is along the same line. There are places where the iPad is awkward.

In the clinical space, the Google tablet easily fits in the labcoat pocket.

There are a number of use cases where doctors may want to give devices to patients. When deciding between an iPad at $800 and the Nexus at $200, Google has an advantage. That price point makes it something they could give to people to accomplish a specific task. With the iPad, you have to justify the price.

What are the disadvantages?

The thing that’s missing from the Google tablet is a wide area network card. It doesn’t work on Verizon or Sprint. You have to tether through your phone or use the wireless LAN. That’s a bit of a limitation. I don’t think that will be a big deal at hospitals because most hospitals are putting up Wifi throughout.

The reason I still carry the iPad is that it has a lot of my favorite apps.

A question for the Google Nexus is will there be a killer app? It used to be that people bought a PC to use a spreadsheet and the Apple for desktop publishing. With the iPod, it was the iTunes store.

Wow Factor?

We can’t dictate to our customers what device to use and want to accommodate what they’re asking for. Right now, they’re all asking for the iPad. But everytime I pull the Google tablet out of my pocket, people go ‘Wow.’ I was at the Apple store buying my wife an iPhone for her birthday and impressed the guy at the Apple store when I pulled out my Google phone to get her account information. The Nexus wow factor is unbeatable.

News on the Nexus:

Fueled by Tablets, Telemedicine Market to Grow More Than 300% by 2018

Five reasons the Google Nexus beats the iPad

Nexus 7 Sales: Google Tablet Going Fast at Retail Chains

Google Nexus versus other tablets

Hospital networks take key role in healthcare as IT makes further clinical advances

Nexus 7 Sold Out: Google Halts 16GB Shipments, Surprised by Demand

Alexandra Drane goes by Alex, and she is graceful, elegant and full of passion.

In spite of today’s healthcare challenges, Alex is always the first to attack the elephant in the room. Problems big, small, personal, professional, Alex takes them all in stride and doesn’t stop working. In fact, she hasn’t stopped working, and her career is representative of her infinite tenacity. She got her start attending business meetings with her father at an early age and later went on to found several healthcare ventures and nonprofits, and is the current founder, Chief Visionary Officer and Chair of the Board of Eliza Corporation. A mother, daughter, wife, boss, mentor, friend, coach, leader, Alex is an exception to the male majority of healthcare executives. In this interview, Alex shares her motivations and passion for improving healthcare and changing the world.

When did you make the decision to focus on healthcare? 

Sometimes the universe serves something up for you. It just gives it to you and ultimately becomes the greatest gift.

I believe that you should do something everyday that you love, and I want to spend all my time helping people improve their lives. I realize that healthcare is at the core of what makes people healthy and happy.

What goals did you set, and how did you go about achieving them? 

I think there are so many different types of people in the world. There are those who plan and those who don’t. I’ve never been a planner. Wherever I am, I want to have made a very informed, heartfelt and conscious decision. Sometimes the greatest adventures happen in little steps that you build over time.

What are your shortcomings/challenges?

My biggest challenge in life and what keeps me from being successful that I’m incredibly inpatient and care enormously about what I’m doing and the outcomes. That obviously has wonderful benefits but can also be damaging because I bring everything to every moment. That can be overwhelming and dangerous. I work all the time to get myself to relax. Sometimes I do that successfully and sometimes I don’t.

I love getting older, and I’m about to turn 41 in one week and I can’t wait. I love being 40. Forty means I’m legit in that I’m carrying a lot of scars. You naturally become more tempered. If you bring your best foot forward everyday, this enables you to survive. Age doesn’t matter.

How do you define yourself?

I’d like to think that I’m defined by my genuine love for people. I find them fascinating. I want to know what makes them tick, what makes them happy and keeps them happy. What makes them feel good about their place in the world.

What’s on your roadmap of things to do/achieve?

I want to eat at a restaurant by myself. I think it would be bold and brave. All the things that I want to do, I’m doing now. I want the healthcare space to broaden the definition for the things it’s responsible for.

I consider a walk down the street an opportunity to interact. I think as humans we’re obligated to bring joy to others.

It tortures me to think that people are facing real problems that we’re not addressing.

Why are there so few women today in the healthcare space?

I think the right answer is to look at the projector. I think there are increasing numbers of women in the healthcare space, and I think this number will only increase. I believe that the things that kept women from being active in the workplace have changed so fundamentally. We’re only going to see more women in this role. There’s a new generation of women coming through. Women who have the confidence, are role models and have the fundamental belief that they can be successful. These numbers are going to be drastically different five years from now.

What would be your tips to women starting out in healthcare?

My first and fundamental advice is to know the things that make you who are and keep going.

Women have the ability to see the challenges impacting people and really talk to what’s there with grace and make a difference. I think you have to own your scars and share your experiences.

You’re going to have bad days.

Things are imperfect. I think the thing for all women to remind themselves is to find joy in the things you love.

*Note: This post was written to support this week’s XX in Health, which recognizes today’s accomplished women in healthcare. Visit XX in Health to learn more.