Almost one year with the awesome Acer Iconia Tab A500!

[Overmind One]

Okay, I spent $599 on the Acer Iconia Tab when it first came out last year. I believe I shared it with the forum. My first choice was the Asus Transformer, but after only one day of use I returned it for the Acer Iconia Tab. The main reason I purchased it was because of the (unique?) FULL SIZED usb port, in addition to the mini usb port. Here is somebody's review from last year, but the new update makes it almost a new tablet!


I love this tablet. With the Ice Cream Sandwich update and the GoLauncher installed, I have successfully replaced my laptop with it. I have an easel case and bluetooth keyboard and mouse to use with it, which makes it equally as useful as any laptop. Need Windows instead of Android? No problem if you have access to your remote desktop. With WYSE Pocket Clod, you get a seamless experience with your desktop, including sound and full graphics. With Documents To Go and Google Docs, you have your word processing, spreadsheets and Powerpoint to use on the go. Widgets from GoLauncher sync with your Google account so that they are updated when you make changes or new entries...across ALL of your devices.

I would love to do a video review for this thing. Its great!

 

[Joelist]

I have been considering trading in my IdeaPad for either the ThinkPad tablet or the ASUS Transformer Prime.

 

[Overmind One]

I have been considering trading in my IdeaPad for either the ThinkPad tablet or the ASUS Transformer Prime.

If it is between those two, go with the ASUS. The main reason is that Lenovo adds modifications to the ThinkPad which sort of hobble it. You can count on the ASUS to deliver top quality performance. I think also you should consider adding the awesome Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to your short list. If I could do it again, I would have chosen the Samsung over my Acer Iconia. But The Iconia is a great tablet!

 

[Joelist]

Good points. I think Lenovo is the gold standard for laptops but on tablets it feels like they are still getting their sea legs under them so to speak. The IdeaPad is VERY well built but a little too heavy for its purpose.

I have to admit I have also considered waiting for Windows for ARM which will be out in Q4 because the OS has a full featured Office suite (Office 2012 Small Business Edition I think) that is customized for touch embedded in it for free.

 

[Overmind One]

Good points. I think Lenovo is the gold standard for laptops but on tablets it feels like they are still getting their sea legs under them so to speak. The IdeaPad is VERY well built but a little too heavy for its purpose.

I have to admit I have also considered waiting for Windows for ARM which will be out in Q4 because the OS has a full featured Office suite (Office 2012 Small Business Edition I think) that is customized for touch embedded in it for free.

I must admit, Windows is a much more useful platform for tablet operations than Android when it comes to user experience. I have found myself configuring my screens to closely match the usability of Windows. Then again, with WYSE Pocket Cloud, my remote experience to my home Windows 7 Enterprise machine is seamless and feels like it lives right on the tablet. All touch capability is available from the tablet. Using Pocket Cloud, you can actually connect to Virtual machines living on a server, each one having a different operating system, each one available with full touch integration on your tablet. You cant get that with VNC or RDP.

 

[Overmind One]

Here it is, more two and a half years after the original post, and my Acer Iconia A500 is still going strong. I checked XDA Developers to see if I could upgrade it to Jelly Bean, and I can! You can pick up one of these excellent tablets on Amazon for cheap now:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-list...8&condition=refurbished&qid=1373170365&sr=8-1

For that, you get a 10.1" screen, a full sized USB port, a mini USB port, great speakers, SDcard slot, a bunch of goodies. I think the best quality of this tablet is the build. It has been a solid performer for me since day one, and with new apps like Splashtop, I can use it like a Windows 8 tablet because it is connected to my Windows 8 machine. When connected to my Virtual machine server's Windows 8 copy, I have an independent Windows 8 instance. Or, with Android itself I can connect to my home XBMC servers and watch stuff from there. Read books, etc. If you want something more than a Kindle or Xoom, but dont have the money for an Asus Transformer Prime (excellent tablet as well, but more expensive).

http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/acer-iconia-tab-a500/4507-3126_7-34644168.html

The point is, you can buy great tablet hardware and not need to upgrade anything except the operating system. Unlike Apple products which will become incompatible with their later OS versions, the Android hardware will still be able to be upgraded.

So, I am going to connect the gizmo and begin upgrading the Ice Cream Sandwich version running on my A500 to Jelly Bean 4.2. Wish me luck!

 

[Overmind One]

Okay, Im doing this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1930672 Making the downloads necessary...

 

[Joelist]

Looks cool.

Sadly I am temporarily using an LTE equipped iPad mini as my Nexus 7 was lost (and remote wiped). Once I have the $$$ ready I will get another tablet, possibly another Nexus or (if the Haswell ones are out) a Surface.

 

[Overmind One]

Looks cool.

Sadly I am temporarily using an LTE equipped iPad mini as my Nexus 7 was lost (and remote wiped). Once I have the $$$ ready I will get another tablet, possibly another Nexus or (if the Haswell ones are out) a Surface.

The Surface Pro is actually an ultrabook...a full fledged computer. The RT is okay, but the apps store for Windows rather sucks. Get the Nexus...how do you like your iPad Mini?

 

[Joelist]

It works for what I needed at the moment - basically an eReader with light tablet functions. iOS may be limited but is also pretty smooth.

 

[Overmind One]

It works for what I needed at the moment - basically an eReader with light tablet functions. iOS may be limited but is also pretty smooth.

Yes it is. But no smoother than Jelly Bean. So, its a 7" screen?

 

[Joelist]

I've had even Jelly Bean still be a little choppy. But it is worlds better than earlier Android.

Screen is 7.9". Which actually makes it work a bit better for reading as the screen is a little wider than a Kindle or Nexus or other such.

 

[Overmind One]

I've had even Jelly Bean still be a little choppy. But it is worlds better than earlier Android.

Screen is 7.9". Which actually makes it work a bit better for reading as the screen is a little wider than a Kindle or Nexus or other such.

My Jelly Bean experience on my Galaxy S4 is so smooth as to be hyper-smooth. So much so that with the NextLauncher installed, everything is so fast that it is ridiculous. I can turn on the fancy transitions just to make it less...instant.

 

[Overmind One]

My attempt to install Jelly Bean has not gone as expected....I cant get the ROM onto my mini SD card. For some reason, it stalls mid-copy. I will have to use a card reader to make the transfer, then I have to use Clockwork Mod to install it. Ill have to try again later.

 

[Backstep]

I love the features of the Kindle Fire HD, but do not want one. When will other Tab makers include dual-band wifi and no contract 4G?

 

[Bluce Ree]

I love the features of the Kindle Fire HD, but do not want one. When will other Tab makers include dual-band wifi and no contract 4G?

T-Mobile is the only carrier that offers their entire menu of plans on prepay, including unlimited 4G. I'm on one.


Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Overmind One]

I just picked up another Acer Iconia A500 on Amazon (used, in new condition) for only$130.00! This is such a great tablet...I ordered the bumper soft case for both the old one and the new one.

 

[YJ02]

Okay, I spent $599 on the Acer Iconia Tab when it first came out last year. I believe I shared it with the forum. My first choice was the Asus Transformer, but after only one day of use I returned it for the Acer Iconia Tab. The main reason I purchased it was because of the (unique?) FULL SIZED usb port, in addition to the mini usb port. Here is somebody's review from last year, but the new update makes it almost a new tablet!


I love this tablet. With the Ice Cream Sandwich update and the GoLauncher installed, I have successfully replaced my laptop with it. I have an easel case and bluetooth keyboard and mouse to use with it, which makes it equally as useful as any laptop. Need Windows instead of Android? No problem if you have access to your remote desktop. With WYSE Pocket Clod, you get a seamless experience with your desktop, including sound and full graphics. With Documents To Go and Google Docs, you have your word processing, spreadsheets and Powerpoint to use on the go. Widgets from GoLauncher sync with your Google account so that they are updated when you make changes or new entries...across ALL of your devices.

I would love to do a video review for this thing. Its great!

Ok, nothing specific to this product, but don't you just love how some "trash" brands gain silent popularity? I remember when Acer was seen as the Sparkomatic of computers (remember Sparkomatic car stereo's? Most of their stuff was trash but their 'top o the line' model was awesome--their flagship so to speak, they built their new brand around it. then cd's came....)

 

[Overmind One]

Ok, nothing specific to this product, but don't you just love how some "trash" brands gain silent popularity? I remember when Acer was seen as the Sparkomatic of computers (remember Sparkomatic car stereo's? Most of their stuff was trash but their 'top o the line' model was awesome--their flagship so to speak, they built their new brand around it. then cd's came....)

Yes, I remember. Now, they are rated at number one, two or three consistently...where HP and Compaq used to be. This tablet was a sort of "look at me!" device for them. When it was released (and even now), it is one of the few tablets which has a FULL SIZED usb port as well as a micro USB and micro HDMI, expandable SD card and an aluminum housing. The construction of this thing rivals Apple. And hardly anyone knows about it! But now, people have discovered it and they are being snapped up left and right. I snagged one from Amazon two days ago for only $130.00, and if I see more of them I will get yet another one for work. People do not realize that with VM View or Splashtop 2 Desktop, you can run a computer which serves virtual machines of Windows 8, and connect to them and have Windows 8 on the tablet as though it were running natively. All touch functions enabled. Tablets may have not yet seen their future...as THIN CLIENTS. They are perfect for this. Just the same way PADDs are used on Star Trek, where the processor and data storage is on the Main Computer and not on the PADD. The PADD is merely a thin client which accesses the data/media from another main device.

 

[Joelist]

To be honest, Acer has some good low to mid range tablets but their laptops and desktops still are not very good quality. Right now for example in the world of laptops the two highest quality OEMs are Apple (spit) and Lenovo. Apple looks slick and I love the metal unibody construction but OSX is crap. Lenovo has a plainer look but they are solid as a rock and (especially the ThinkPads) really "get" what a keyboard on a laptop should do.

In the past Lenovo tablets were rather meh but their latest lineup looks like they may be getting it now (especially the Helix).