Monday 26 October 2015

Acer Iconia A501 to be a 4G Tablet

The previously-revealed Acer Iconia tablet is getting a 4G boost thanks to AT&T, the wireless carrier announced at CTIA this week.
The Iconia A500 — which we got to spend some time with at PAX East earlier this month — will emerge as the A501 when it is on the AT&T network. The A501 will have the same specs as the currently unreleased A500, powered by an Nvidia Tegra 250 1 GHz dual-core processor while sporting a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a “high definition” front-facing camera for video chat.
The Iconia A501 will sport a 10.1-inch display and will run Google Android OS 3.0 (Honeycomb), complete with full access to the Android Market. It will also feature Flash 10.1 support, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and an HDMI port for 1080p video out.
Pricing information for the 4G tablet is currently unknown. It is, however, expected to launch in the second quarter, at which point AT&T said that specific distribution at pricing will be announced.

Acer Iconia One 7 Review


The Acer Iconia One 7 is a no-frills 7-inch Android tablet priced at just $130. It’s understandably a model aimed at someone on a budget, but would also work for those interested in picking up a secondary device intended for infrequent use. However, with underwhelming specs, mediocre performance, and a forgettable camera, this is not a power user’s tablet.

Build and Design

The Iconia One 7 doesn’t look like a $130 tablet at first glance, and its design is actually attractive for a budget-friendly model. It isn’t going to win any awards, and it won’t draw any attention ? negative or positive ? compared against other 7-inch tablets. It just blends in with the crowd, which is better than sticking out for looking cheap.
Acer Iconia One 7 ReviewThe model measures 4.72 x 7.79 x.35 inches and weighs just .71 pounds, which translates to a lightweight device that is easy to hold in one hand. The back is encased in a ribbed plastic that gives the tablet a comfortable feel, and the design etched into the plastic gives it a bit of traction. Still, its plastic build makes it feel like a cheap tablet in hand.
Display
The 7-inch display boasts a 1280 x 800 HD resolution, which works out to a below-average 215 dpi. It isn’t going to blow anyone away, but at a $130 price point, users can’t expect Retina display quality.
Looking at the home screen, it’s hard to tell that the display quality is lacking, but once users try to stream a show or watch a movie, the poor quality becomes apparent. TabletPCRreview found that the colors looked washed out, almost like the display had a beige filter over it, when streaming content on Netflix. Text looks sharper than images, so eBooks are easy enough to read for a long period of time.
When web browsing, color representation is mediocre, but the text is easy enough to read. Basically, the One 7’s screen is good enough for comfortable reading, but this isn’t a media tablet by any means.
Display brightness is also dull, with only a slight difference between the dimmest and brightest settings. Even in a dark room on the dimmest setting, the tablet was still a bit too bright, causing some eye strain.
Buttons and Ports
Acer Iconia One 7 Top and Right SideA black bezel frames the display, with an Acer logo at the bottom and a front-facing .3 megapixel camera above it. Users will find the power button, volume rocker, and microSD slot on the right side of the device.
There aren’t any ports on the bottom or the left side, while the headphone jack, microphone, and microUSB port are located on the top. The location of the microUSB port on top of the Iconia One 7, instead of the bottom, makes it easy to charge the device while using it without the cord getting in the way.
The back of this model features another Acer logo, a rear-facing 2MP camera in the upper left-hand corner, and two speakers near the bottom.
We’re just getting started; page 2 of this review covers the performance of the Acer Iconia One 7.

Acer C200 Series Tablet PC Review


During the show I sidled up to Robert Frost who was representing the company and managed to wangle a loan after the conference for review. Robert was true to his word and delivered the Acer after the conference for me to trial for a few days. I quickly tried it out, took some photos, screen shots and notes, returned the Acer and promptly left for a holiday where I had all intentions of writing this Acer review. As it happens…well it didn’t happen while away, so here I am home again putting it together.
The Acer site describes the C200 series as follows:
The Acer Travelmate C200 is an all-new series of convertible tablets with a patented sliding-track mechanism that allows you to move between notebook and tablet modes in one smooth motion.
The site shows these specifications:

TravelMate C200 – Mainstream Convertible Tablet PC with Intel Centrino Mobile Technology – TMC204TMi 
  • Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
  • Intel Pentium M Processor 760 (2MB L2 cache, 2.0GHz, 533MHz FSB)
  • 1GB (512/512) DDR2 533 SDRAM
  • 100GB hard drive; modular DVD-Dual drive (DVD+/-RW)
  • 4-in-1 card reader
  • 12.1″XGA (1024 x 768) TFT display
  • NVIDIA GeForce Go 6200 graphics
  • two lithium ion batteries
  • fingerprint ID
  • 802.11b/g WLAN, Bluetooth , gigabit LAN, V.92 modem
The unit I had seemed to be to spec and had the standard 512Mb RAM SYSTEM

Now, none of that really concerns me directly and in no way was I remotely interested in reviewing the Acer for what it has under the hood. The sole reason I was so wanting to get hold of one of these was the form factor and the way everything was laid out. Particularly the fact that a) the keyboard was right at the front most edge of the unit and b) somewhat consequently, there was no touch-pad for navigation.

Now, if you’re reading this without seeing my review of the Sahara Tablet, please stop now and read that to seewhy these two things are so important to me.

In short, for me, operating a computer as I do with a disability layout
and positioning is everything, well the absolute first priority
overriding all other considerations anyway. If I can’t reach it with my
mouthstick, leave it in the box! So the Acer really grabbed my attention.

I also liked the way it was put together and it seemed to have solid construction. I was pleased with the positioning of the buttons to turn the Bluetooth and Wireless networking on/off on the front edge too. Although it had the same Wacom style screen requiring a special pen, I found the Pen smaller and lighter which helped with stick manoeuvrability.

Not to say it was perfect. I found the F-keys too close to the bottom of the screen, especially with my mouthstick-pen combo – often the pointer would activate when typing top keys. This of course would be rectified with a resistive screen. Also, angles still prove to be critical for me and getting the angle of the keyboard right where I could reach the screen and have it operate correctly with the pen proved problematic. The fixed angle screen might be fine with a hand reaching out but again, like the slate review, I found using the top of the screen an issue. 
Given that I’d need assistance to move the screen between keyboard and tablet mode I found myself questioning if having a touch’ screen actually added anything to my experience of user the Acer and if in fact it was just the compact and alternate design I liked. In fact would I be less frustrated if I just had a slate.
It was then I found something interesting in the way I was operating the Acer. The lack of trackball/easy way move cursor meant often resorted to keyboard shortcuts that I normally wouldn’t do. As moving the cursor with the Trackpoint’ device was possible I found it a bit hard on my teeth and would, when possible (that is, in reach) drag stuff on the screen or tap’ the screen rather than stretch back to click the mouse button.
Double-click was difficult for the same reasons. So I often found myself doing strange combinations between screen/keyboard, like tap screen’- hit enter key’ to open things. And drag screen’- scroll wheel’ to move up-down a page. Odd combinations as a work around for not being able to reach everywhere easily — I was Lifekludging on the Acer.
So the experience reminded me of a definition of accessibility I read from him years ago by Joe Clark which has driven much of what I do — it goes something like “Accessibility is about accommodating characteristics a person cannot change by providing options”. And so I found myself using the options a touch’ screen provides to get around accessing the Acer. The screen adds another option for input.
On the subject of input, and turning my focus to Tablet mode, I was unable to get another feature that is important for me — audio feedback of the onscreen keyboard. It was one of the first things I found I needed when using the Sahara Tablet previously and so I went looking in the Control Panel for it….but couldn’t find it anywhere.

While I couldn’t find a click sound, the Acer tablet settings has many other customisable options. Double-tapping’ proved hard for me to get right using my stick as the fine control is not as good as with a hand. I tried tweaking the settings for area to be seen as a double-tap and other various settings but never managed to get a experience that worked as good as the Sahara did. Why this is I don’t know, maybe it was the speed of the system or something, it all felt very finicky.
One aspect of the settings I thought was good and complemented the design and button layout well was the way you could program the buttons around the screen and system to perform different functions in different modes — like with screen in portrait or landscape. This provided more customisable options for input and the control panel was easy to understand.

I never seem to get these loan computers long enough to see what living with one would be like.
I managed to have a quick try of some other Tablet applications I hadn’t before. One was the snipping tool which seemed very handy in the time I had to use it.

Another application was the Ink Art tool. This was used to draw the picture you see at the top of this article. I only had a very short time to use this and it looks a powerful creative tool. I found the interface easy to understand and its basics.
Not being able to use my hands for over 20 years this seemed something I’d love to get into to express my lost creative side. Not being tied into some fixed mode of input is to be empowered to go beyond what is accepted as the norm’. Digital ink’ gives me the impression of depth’ — that there’s more to it than cuteness’, or even options — that it has the potential to free’ us from the technological boxes’ we’ve fit ourselves in to use technology.
I haven’t commented on input of text using the input bar as this was covered in my previous review and I was able to work it in much the same way. I did find though that, like the double-tap’, input seemed very sensitive and a little unforgiving’.
I have found in my short jaunts with Tablet that I love being able to drag things around the screen with the pen. If nothing else it saves me having to do many actions with trackball and locking mouse buttons. But really it is just feels so natural.
I really do need time to explore write anywhere though. As I use a PDA a lot I am not stuck in an input bar. Also on my PDA I use the onscreen keyboard that uses gestures for shifted characters and space et al. On the Acer in tablet mode I kept doing gestures for Backspace, Caps and Enter (tap drag-up; tap drag-left; tap drag-down-left, respectively) on the onscreen keyboard, which, of course, didn’t work. So I’d like to see this kind of onscreen keyboard layout as an option on a Tablet (If it isn’t already, like I say, I don’t get chance to research these things while I have the pc, so if it is there, all well and good). 
Summary:
If had to get a laptop tomorrow that runs windows, I’d buy this Acer, no question, on layout alone. There is no other notebook (with a keyboard) on the market that gives an alternative layout from the common big palm rest with keyboard at back’ and touch-pad’ design. Alternatively I’d seriously consider a Slate option with no keyboard, provided it had built-in CD.
It’s not my ideal though. That would be the same machine with a Resistive touch’ screen with adjustable angle, Tablet features….and OSX….dream on.

Acer Iconia A200 Review: ICS On The Cheap, But Not Too Cheap

If you’re looking to get a tablet on the cheap, your options are basically limited to $200, entry-level devices like the Kindle Fire. After that, price points generally take a leap up into the $400 zone, which is somehow still considered a decent deal these days. Acer seeks to bridge that gap with a slightly higher-end tablet that falls in the $300 range, the Iconia A200.
The Iconia A200 is Acer’s attempt at creating a budget tablet without sacrificing too many features or power under the hood. So while it doesn’t have a price tag as low as something like the Kindle Fire ($200), the Android-powered A200 is still affordable at a starting price of $329. For a few extra bucks, Acer has created a device that’s more respectable — though certainly not bleeding-edge — instead of something that’s underpowered just to keep the price point low. Let’s take a look at how Acer fared with its happy-medium approach.
Build & DesignThe A200 is not a particularly svelte tablet by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, at half an inch thick and weighing in at 1.6 pounds, it’s actually quite bulky. Holding it with one hand is almost akin to holding a netbook one-handed; you’re better off propping it against a surface if you’re going to be using it for long periods of time. Making the A200 somewhat more comfortable to handle, however, is the rubberized material covering the entire backside of the device.
Acer Iconia A200 Top Edge
When holding it in landscape orientation, the left side of the tablet is where most of the action is, including its power/standby button, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro USB port, a full-sized USB 2.0 port (which is very welcome), and a microSD card slot and the hard reset button, both of which are hidden behind a panel. The top edge of the device plays host to a volume rocker — which makes a satisfying click when depressed and features a different number of bumps on each end to differentiate up and down — and an orientation lock, while the AC charging port is found on the right side.
Screen and SpeakersThe 10.1-inch LCD display on the A200 was actually surprisingly good for something of a budget tablet, sporting a solid WXGA (1280 x 800) resolution and a comfortably wide viewing angle. Not only did images and colors look crisp, the screen, despite its glossiness, was not a total fingerprint magnet. That’s not to say that it was devoid of grease after many hours of usage, but it was far from the worst that I’ve ever seen.
Acer Iconia A200 Back SideWhile the speakers of the A200 were plenty loud — but not of very good quality, as tablet speakers almost never are — I was a little disappointed to see that they were rear-firing. This is relatively standard practice, so it’s not like Acer made a total gaffe here or anything. But I just can’t help but wonder why more companies don’t bother putting speakers on the front of their devices so the sound comes toward the user rather than away from them. At least Acer had enough sense to put the two speakers down at the very bottom of the tablet’s backside, minimizing the likelihood that users will cover them by accident with their hands when using it.
Specs
  • Android Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) with Acer UI
  • 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 WXGA display
  • 1 GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor
  • 1GB DDR2 SDRAM
  • 8GB, 16GB of storage, expandable to 32GB via microSD
  • Front-facing 2.0 megapixel webcam
  • 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi
  • microSD card slot, AC charging input, 3.5mm audio input
  • 10.2 x 6.9 x 0.5-inches
  • 1.6 pounds
  • Price at launch: $329 (8GB), $349 (16GB)

Acer Iconia A501 Review: A Great 4G Android Tablet Value


Not too long ago, TabletPCReview spent some time with the Acer Iconia A500 tablet, and we were more or less pleased with the device. Despite a couple of minor drawbacks, we deemed it a solid Honeycomb tablet. Now, it’s getting an upgrade in the form of the new Iconia A501, which sports AT&T 4G connectivity. The A501 is internally exactly the same as the A500 with the exception of the data connection (and the only storage option is 32GB, no 16GB option) – so for a new take on the same tablet, just with a new form of connectivity, read our review.
BUILD & DESIGN
The Iconia A501 has a sleek, simplistic design that I can really get on board with. The reviewer who spent some time with the A500 (which has an identical design) did not care for its build; he found it to be a little too big, but I don’t feel the same way. It’s relatively thin — though not quite as thin as the industry standard, the iPad — and, at 1.69 pounds, is light enough to be held comfortably with one hand.
All of the buttons and ports are placed in comfortable locations, perhaps with the exception of the front-facing webcam. I found its placement to be a little odd, seeing as it was not centered on either the long or short side of the tablet. Instead, it’s found on the short side and off to one side, putting it closer to the corner. This means that if you have the tablet centered and held right in front of you, the picture that the front-facing camera picks up has your face off to one side and sometimes even cut off.
Everything else is fine in terms of placement, though; if you’re holding the tablet horizontally, the power/standby button, headphone jack, and micro HDMI port are all located on the left side while the reset button, full sized and micro USB ports, and charging port are located on the right. The volume rocker and orientation lock switch are found on the top edge, with the proprietary pin connector on the bottom.
The addition of the SIM card slot for the A501’s 4G connectivity is also found on the top edge right next to the orientation lock, beneath a panel that also houses the microSD card slot.

I really appreciate both the stereo speakers found on the A501, as well as their location. They are found on the back of the tablet on towards the bottom, therefore minimizing the chances that you will accidentally cover them up with your hands. The rear-facing camera is also back here, up and in the right-hand corner, complete with a flash. All in all, it’s a comfortable and intelligent design.
Specs
  • Android Honeycomb (3.0)
  • 10.1-inch diagonal widescreen 1280 x 800 multi-touch LED backlit touchscreen
  • NVIDIA Dual Core Tegra 2, 1 GHz
  • 1GB RAM
  • 32GB internal memory
  • Front-facing 2-megapixel, rear-facing 5-megapixel webcams
  • 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1
  • Full-size USB 2.0, micro USB 2.0, micro HDMI, microSD card slot, SIM card slot, 3.5 mm audio jack, proprietary pin connector
  • 3260 mAh lithium polymer battery (24.10 Wh)
  • 10.2 x 7 x 0.5 inches
  • 1.69 pounds
  • Ships with AC adapter, micro USB to USB cable
  • Price at launch: $479.99 unsubsidized, $329.99 with two year contract
Display and SpeakersThe HD screen on the A501 is excellent, providing vibrant colors and crisp images. It also has a wide viewing angle so you don’t have to worry about holding the tablet in the exact right position to make sure you can see things clearly. My only issue with the display is that it collects fingerprints and smudges like it’s going out of style, and its excessive glossiness results in some really bad glare issues. It’s nearly impossible to use in areas that are heavy on natural light like, say, the outdoors.
As I already mentioned, I love the placement of the speakers and the fact that there are two of them, providing stereo sound. They’re capable of making plenty of noise as they’re pretty powerful to boot, but obviously their quality is lacking. I doubt that anybody expects to get super high quality audio out of their tablet speakers, so it kind of goes without saying that while they are capable of playing music loudly, the sound is tinny and flat.

Acer TravelMate C210 Tablet PC with Core 2 Duo Arrives! (pics, specs)


Acer has been quick to the draw in the race for the release of a Core 2 Duo Tablet PC with its C210 refresh. The popular TravelMate C200 Tablet PC series has been boosted with a blazing fast Core 2 Duo CPU and can be configured with a 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 graphics card. To sweeten the deal even further, this powerhouse supports a whopping 4 GB of RAM! Tablet PC power users are certain to be in heaven.


Specs
  • Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 (Windows Vista Capable)
  • Intel Core 2 Duo processor with Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology
  • Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
  • NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300 with up to 256 MB TurboCache
  • Up to 4 GB DDR2 RAM (533/667 MHz dual-channel)
  • 1 x IrDA Fast Infrared
  • 3 x USB 2.0
  • 1 x Docking
  • 1 x DC Power Input
  • 1 x RJ-11 Modem
  • 1 x RJ-45 Network
  • 1 x VGA
  • 1 x Microphone
  • 1 x Headphone(s)
  • 1 x i.Link IEEE 1394 FireWire
  • Gigabit Ethernet 10/100/1000Mbps
  • 12.1″ XGA Active Matrix TFT Color LCD
  • 1 x Flash Memory Card, 1 x CardBus Type II



Acer Iconia Tab A500 Review


According to technical specifications, the Acer Iconia Tab A500 rivals other 10-inch Honeycomb tablets. It ships with Android OS 3.0 (Honeycomb) with several proprietary apps, along with a 1GHz dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, GeForce GPU, 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
Acer Iconia Tab A500The Iconia Tab A500 is well stocked with additional features, including GPS, a 5-megapixel back-facing camera with an LED flash, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, microSD card slot to expand the memory capacity, headphone jack, as well as micro-HDMI, USB and micro-USB ports. A version with a SIM card slot should be available on the market soon.
The feature set is impressive, making the Iconia Tab A500 equal to the other Honeycomb tablets on the market, including the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. However, it is somewhat heavier and bigger than those two, making its size its biggest flaw.
Acer Iconia A500 specs:
  • Android Honeycomb (3.0)
  • 10.1-inch diagonal  capacitive touchscreen (1280 x 800)
  • 1GHz Dual-Core NVIDIA Tegra 250
  • NVIDIA GeForce Graphics
  • 1GB DDR2
  • 16GB internal memory, MicroSD expandable
  • Front-facing 2.0 megapixel webcam, rear 5.0 megapixel camera with flash
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
  • MicroSD card reader, USB 2.0, micro USB, HDMI, 3.5 mm headset
  • 10.2 x 7.0 x .52 inches (HxWxD)
  • 1.7 pounds
  • Price at Launch: $450
BUILD & DESIGN
Acer Iconia Tab A500The Acer Iconia Tab A500 build is part plastic and part metal alloy, which undoubtedly add to its weight. It weighs significantly more than the svelt iPad 2 and even the relatively bulky Motorola Xoom. Ultimately, the Acer tablet becomes too heavy and hard to hold in hand after a while.
The device’s design is not the least bit modern, so, in addition to being bigger, the Iconia Tab A500 is not nearly as slick as Motorola or Samsung’s devices. Still, it?s a serious and impressive device, just one that happens to be heavier and larger than the competition.
Fortunately, Acer has taken advantage of its tablet’s size and added functional and practical ports. The front is buttonless, which is common with Honeycomb tablets, while the back is rounded on the left and right edge, and includes a back-facing camera with flash and a cover for the microSD card slot. This cover also encompasses the right edge of the tablet, which also includes the volume control keys and a screen orientation lock switch.
Acer Iconia Tab A500Acer Iconia Tab A500
The left edge sports an accessory connector slot, while the upper side houses the micro-HDMI port, a headphones jack and the power button. There is also a charge indicator light.
Acer Iconia Tab A500Acer Iconia Tab A500
The lower edge has a reset key, both a full-sized and a micro USB port and a charger port. It is a shame that the Iconia Tab A500 cannot be charged directly via USB.
Acer Iconia Tab A500
DisplayAcer Iconia Tab A500Identical to the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Acer Iconia Tab A500 comes with a 10-inch, 1280 x 800, capacitive screen. This is a slightly bigger resolution than what the iPad has, but almost identical when it comes to pixel density, given the slightly smaller screen diagonal of the Apple tablet. The surface of Acer’s display is exceptionally glossy, and fingerprints can quickly build up.
On the other hand, the screen features decent image quality. It offers excellent brightness and lively colors. It?s great for watching movies and viewing pictures. The touchscreen’s responsiveness is spot-on and smooth.
The on-screen keyboard also impresses. It is large and supports multi-touch for special characters (Shift +).
Compared to the iPad, Honeycomb tablets have different display ratios. They are narrower and longer. This is a good thing for multimedia playback when the tablet is held in the landscape position, however things are more limited in portrait mode due to the thinner design.