[Q] Is the Acer A500 a decent tablet? - Acer Iconia A500

I'm going to be honest with you all; I am an experienced software developer, including applications for the android platform, but alas, I am a complete newbie to tablets. I was looking at the Iconia A500 wifi-only tablet at our local Walmart and it was on sale for about 350$. The specs looked pretty good, except for the battery life (which I can deal with). My question is, can anyone who owns this tablet recommend it? What are the pros and cons of the a500? Thanks!

UlvWolf said:
I'm going to be honest with you all; I am an experienced software developer, including applications for the android platform, but alas, I am a complete newbie to tablets. I was looking at the Iconia A500 wifi-only tablet at our local Walmart and it was on sale for about 350$. The specs looked pretty good, except for the battery life (which I can deal with). My question is, can anyone who owns this tablet recommend it? What are the pros and cons of the a500? Thanks!
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Click to collapse
If you are indeed going to purchase a tablet, and are merely asking if the A500 is the one to purchase, then I'll have to say that it's the best bang for the buck. Is it perfect? No, but there isn't an Android tablet out that is perfect, and if you're a DEV like you said, you'll have fun tweeking the h3ll out of it.

Thanks! I figured as much when reading the specs, but I just had to make double sure; there have been cases where I've had devices with great specs that preformed rather poorly, so I always want a real user to tell me their experience.
I was very attracted by the fact it was so inexpensive, and comes with a full-sized USB port.
Does it have a pretty active developer/hacker community compared to the Xoom or the Galaxy Tab?

I have no issues with my a500 specifically. As a device it met and exceeded my expectations in alot of regards. The audio quality is nice. The screen looks very good head on. FULL USB port!!!!!(best feature, imho, storage/3g modem/game controllers) The device is responsive and feels great to use. Very decent camera. Aluminum construction feels solid.
I haven't looked to much into the other tablet development communities but I would guess the Xoom's and Galaxy tab's are a considerably more active. Still there are a few good devs pushing out custom roms for the a500. However, never found one I like more than stock.

UlvWolf said:
Thanks! I figured as much when reading the specs, but I just had to make double sure; there have been cases where I've had devices with great specs that preformed rather poorly, so I always want a real user to tell me their experience.
I was very attracted by the fact it was so inexpensive, and comes with a full-sized USB port.
Does it have a pretty active developer/hacker community compared to the Xoom or the Galaxy Tab?
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Actually if you go into the DEV sections for the xoom and Galaxy tab 10, you'll find that there are more ROMs for this tab than the other two.
Just make sure you do NOT take any OTA updates when you first purchase it. If you take a 3.2 update it's more of a PITA to downgrade to attain root, as there currently is no root for 3.2.
Once you have root, and CWM, you can flash a stock pre-rooted 3.2 ROM, or one of the many custom ROMs available.
Read the DEV section of this forum as much as possible so you're aware of proper root, wipe, and flash procedures, and have fun with your new tab!

UlvWolf said:
I'm going to be honest with you all; I am an experienced software developer, including applications for the android platform, but alas, I am a complete newbie to tablets. I was looking at the Iconia A500 wifi-only tablet at our local Walmart and it was on sale for about 350$. The specs looked pretty good, except for the battery life (which I can deal with). My question is, can anyone who owns this tablet recommend it? What are the pros and cons of the a500? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Over the last 6 or 7 months I have test drove almost every tablet out (aren't 15/30/60/90 day return policies great?). Of all those tablets, I have only kept my Acer and my $100 Touchpad, and keeping the latter is for obvious reasons. Bar none, IMHO, the Acer is the best value in the market because of the connectivity and the wealth of "tweaks" available to it. Add to that the promise of ICS from Acer and I can't see that changing a whole lot even in the coming months. As an aside, I was able to get my 32gb a500 for $300 + tax with various offers and coupons. Don't know if that kind of deal is still available, but of course black Friday isn't too far away either. Bet you there are some killer deals then.

Related

From heaven to Hell in 5 weeks

Two months ago, I was getting ready for my vacation (first one in six years) and a trip to US (Going next week). I spent several days checking forums, sites, magazines, everything that would help me choose the best tablet, and Xoom looked like the best option.
I never liked Apple and Ipad. To 'restricted' I’m my opinion. It's like a fine car that doesn't allow you to change the gear, break, accelerate or even steering. Basically the only think you can do is to insert address in the GPS and horn!
I have a Samsung galaxy S and so fat it’s the best phone I have ever had. I already had HTC, Kaiser, Blackberry, Motorola, LG, Nokia, etc and this is, by far, the best one. At first it was terrible: slow, too may Samsung bloatware, terrible battery live, but after flashing few cooked roms it transformed itself to a new device. It was Clark and now became Superman.
Back to the Tablets, when I was looking for the best tablet for me I checked other tablets as well: Samsung didn't had micro SD slot, no HDMI output and it also had almost the same weight as Xoom. Rim Tablet was too "Blackberry alike", and with an unknown OS. LG didn't have all the option as the Motorola Xoom and Ipad is… Ipad. So Xoom looked like the best option available. I decided to pre-order the Wi-Fi version to be delivered to the hotel address because I was afraid of a possible shortage. I have only one shot and I couldn`t miss it. Also this way I would be able to use it as my main computer during the trip. The Xoom is already waiting me on the hotel front desk…
….But I wish it wasn’t. In few weeks Xoom changed from the best available option to the worst option in the new Android market.
First, Motorola wasn’t able to keep up with other companies. Samsung did a major strategic movement and decided to re-design their table. Samsung created a tablet that weight just like an Ipad, and almost 30% less than the Xoom with almost the same specs as the Xoom. Samsung included a MicroSD slot, a much better screen (Super IPS) and HDMI while keeping same price as an Ipad 2. I can get the 16gb version for 100 less than the Xoom and I will still able to buy three or more 16gb MicroSD. Looking at the Samsung tablet make you feel like Motorola isn’t even trying. Bulkier, heavier an more expensive (ok 32gb is the same price, but they didn’t include a 16gb version which is cheaper if you think that you can get a 16gb MicroSD for 30 now.)
In the meantime Motorola is fighting itself: news that they will drop the production of Xoom, e-mails sent to Xda to remove .dump file, locket bootloader on the atrix and droid phones. It looks like Motorola is attacking the only thing that could save the Xoom: The community that could help support the device by making customs rom and other improvements.
In my opinion, it looks like Motorola is working hard to prevent customs Roms to the Xoom
So I keep asking myself if I should keep the Xoom, and the short answer is: No. I shouldn’t
I will be needing a tablet during my trip and I still haven`t decided if I should keep my Xoom until I can get a Samsung Tab or if I should send it back to Amazon and get a Asus Transformer. I am afraid that keeping the Xoom for too much time I won`t be able sell it in the future. I`m feeling like I am with a time bomb on my lap and if I doesn`t sell it fast enough it will blow.
And I have no doubt that it will be much easier to sell an Asus Transformer or an Acer A 500 than sell the Xoom in the near future. Hey, the transformer have a different strategy (that it can also be used as a netbook) so I may ending keeping it (but I still like Samsung Tab 10.1 best).
For now, Xoom is just better than nothing because there are no other android devices available. From April 24th (Acer A500 launch) it will face the competition of Acer. After that Asus and Samsung. The truth is that I haven`t even open the Xoom box, but I’m already with bitter taste in my mouth.
Some people talk about Xoom having the premium price. You paid more because you wanted to have the first Android device in the market ahead from everyone. OK, but would you pay this “premium price” if you knew that it would only last four weeks? That after 4 weeks you would have 4 new and better options (cheaper ones) available? Also, how much “premium price” you’ll have to pay? You already paying it in dollars, but you already paying it in the fact that the OS have bugs (like Mem space bug), that the SD card doesn’t work, that the screen is worst than every other device. How much you’ll have to pay as premium price?
Now I just need to know how can I return an unopened Xoom to Amazon and have a refund to purchase and Acer or and Asus for 200 bucks less.
It’s sad when you haven’t event received a new gadget but you already have give up on it, but it is worst when you realized that even the manufacture have already give up on the device.
isnt the galaxy tab shipping with FROYO? with Samsung's track record, I doubt it'll get honeycomb in 2011, gingerbread is a more realistic goal, maybe near christmas?
Xoom is a great tablet and I'm sorry that you've decided to return it without even using it.
This same thread has been posted too many times, and needs to be added to a forum FAQ or something. "Should I buy x if y is coming out soon?" turns into "Should I buy y if z is coming out soon?". At some point you just have to make a purchase and accept that no technology is going to be "the best" for very long
Wait, you haven't even opened the box and we get this long rant?
Use the device, let your experience guide your choices. The simple fact is that the Xoom is a powerful and beautiful slate, if you are one of us who love it out of the box.
We have root, we have overclock and regardless of the Xoom platform Honeycomb will have a strong community support even if because it is Android.
I for one am a power user and love my Xoom, it's attractive and does it's job well for my tastes.
Regardless, you need to experience the thing in your environment before you decide it isn't worth your time. Normally the hurdle would be the purchase, but you've already passed that one. Take the time to configure and play, then decide!
Dubar said:
isnt the galaxy tab shipping with FROYO? with Samsung's track record, I doubt it'll get honeycomb in 2011, gingerbread is a more realistic goal, maybe near christmas?
Xoom is a great tablet and I'm sorry that you've decided to return it without even using it.
This same thread has been posted too many times, and needs to be added to a forum FAQ or something. "Should I buy x if y is coming out soon?" turns into "Should I buy y if z is coming out soon?". At some point you just have to make a purchase and accept that no technology is going to be "the best" for very long
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Galaxy Tab 10 is not shipping with 2.2. Launching with 3.0.
LordLugard said:
Galaxy Tab 10 is not shipping with 2.2. Launching with 3.0.
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Click to collapse
my bad, must be thinking of the older one; I feel sorry for anyone who bought that oversized phone that doesnt make calls
After using honeycomb, 2.x just doesnt make sense on a tablet
edit: I cant wait for all these new tablets to come out so people can start to differentiate between problems with the xoom and problems with honeycomb.
It's amazing how you've managed to out dumb every single other post in xoom general with this ridiculous pointless rant.
You've not even opened the box and you're complaining about the xoom.
The xoom is the most unlocked device moto has ever produced, it won't ever be locked.
You have nothing to backup your claims at all. There is nothing about the new tablets coming out that will reduce your enjoyment of the xoom. If you keep worrying about the next tablet and then the next tablet you will never have a tablet, and never be happy.
The xoom is a wonderful device with a lot going for it and nothing samsung or acer does will change that for me.
Honestly its your fault for ordering something so far ahead of time, especially a device like this that had almost no chance of selling out.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
I'm sure that the description "From Heaven to Hell" seems a bit dramatic to most readers, but if thats the way you feel, you will probably never be happy with the Xoom even after the upgrades & updates.
The more I read the more I realize the Xoom really is only going to one of the best tablets after it's hacked, overclocked and running a high quality custom ROM. This is the way I always intended to use the Xoom, though I am learning that I really am in the minority of users. Those consumers having no intention of hacking the tablet are likely to be disappointed when comparing it to a more "finished" product.
I add my experience to this post only to help illustrate the importance of considering the intended use of the product by the individual giving his opinion of it. Critics of users who are dissatisfied with the Xoom seem to overlook that relevance and chastise them unjustly. Inevitably, every thread that includes negative opinions of the Xoom turns to **** as a polarized pissing contest ensues.
The ironic good part of this usual course of behavior is that waiting for these updates will give everyone a chance to get this crap out of their system so that by that time we can get busy talking about nothing but development, improvements and ROMs. Won't THAT be great?!
Sorry if you think that what I wrote is 'ridiculous pointless rant', but what a wrote is just what I am feeling so I am probably feeling ridiculous pointless right now.
About pre-ordering, yes it was a bad call. But I was in the US last thanksgiving and I spent two weeks trying to get a Xbox Kinect with no luck. I just didn`t want that to happened again. I also pre order a 3DS in the same way as the Xoom.
I agree that there is nothing from the new tables that would keep me from enjoying the Xoom, but that's not so simple. It's human nature to search for the best, and have the best. So I can say that except for some users that actually try several devices in order to choose the right one, most of the consumers will just choose the ones that looks the best. And between too devices, one 30% lighter and with the same specs, most of the users will go for the lighter even without testing.
I know that I am responsible for what happened but I think that what you should realize is that this will be the most typical scenario for the Xoom in the next weeks. Do you think that most of the consumers will act as XDA user and will do their homework (even then some XDA users will return theirs Xoom) or they will make their decisions like I did, in an impulse purchase?
Just look how many people stood on the line to purchase an Ipad 2 in the first day. None of these people were able to fully try Ipad before buying it. They just went for the one that looked the best.
And so this will probably happens with Android devices too. Most of people will go for the one with better specs or, in a secondary decision path, for the cheaper one. Very few people will go for the `right one for me`.
I just don't think that Motorola will hold on the Xoom if they start getting low sales numbers and high return rates. Motorola hasn't show that it will support Xoom if it fails in sale, and that's, combined to a POSSIBLE decision to prevent custom rooms (like they did in some Droid and Atrix phones) will turn out to be doom fall to Xoom users.
Psychokitty said:
I'm sure that the description "From Heaven to Hell" seems a bit dramatic to most readers, but if thats the way you feel, you will probably never be happy with the Xoom even after the upgrades & updates.
The more I read the more I realize the Xoom really is only going to one of the best tablets after it's hacked, overclocked and running a high quality custom ROM. This is the way I always intended to use the Xoom, though I am learning that I really am in the minority of users. Those consumers having no intention of hacking the tablet are likely to be disappointed when comparing it to a more "finished" product.
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I agree with the fact that Xoom will be a much better device after hacked and with custom Rom. I just don`t know if that will happen. Just look at the Atrix forum and the petition to have an unlocked bootloader. If I`m wrong please let me know but we are not sure, at this time, that there will be custom roms avaiable to the Xoom.
If I may throw my 2 cents into the can...
Yes, it looks like cheaper, and slimmer or lighter tablets are coming around the corner. Acer and Asus have it right in the price. Samsung built a thinner mouse trap, if you will, with redesigning the 8.9 and 10.1 Tabs.
Here's why the Xoom is my pick to date: Stock Android Device. Yes, all these tablets will have Honeycomb, but the OEM's are placing UI's on top. Granted, They don't appear to be too obtrusive to the Honeycomb experience (thank you Samsung for figuring that out) it will still be an issue when updates are released. I learned my lesson on the phone side and bought the Nexus S, and am so, so glad I did. Now, I don't want to get into a discussion of who the updates will be coming from, but it's obvious that a stock operating system will get the updates much, much faster than any devices with custom UI's. Samsung will have one, Asus will have one, hell HTC wants to put frigging Sense on their tablets. Yes people, you HTC tablet owners will get to stare at that stupid clock widget all day long on a bigger screen.
Look, I understand that the Xoom is way too expensive, I look at my Best Buy account and cringe, but I'm glad I pulled the trigger and bout the Xoom. It may not be a "Nexus" device per say, but for the joy of having the "pure Google experience" I'm all about the Xoom.
Dandarebr said:
I agree with the fact that Xoom will be a much better device after hacked and with custom Rom. I just don`t know if that will happen. Just look at the Atrix forum and the petition to have an unlocked bootloader. If I`m wrong please let me know but we are not sure, at this time, that there will be custom roms avaiable to the Xoom.
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Click to collapse
the only thing stopping the development of custom roms right now is the lack of HC source code, so if the xoom never gets custom roms then no 3.x device will
chrisharmful said:
If I may throw my 2 cents into the can...
Yes, it looks like cheaper, and slimmer or lighter tablets are coming around the corner. Acer and Asus have it right in the price. Samsung built a thinner mouse trap, if you will, with redesigning the 8.9 and 10.1 Tabs.
Here's why the Xoom is my pick to date: Stock Android Device. Yes, all these tablets will have Honeycomb, but the OEM's are placing UI's on top. Granted, They don't appear to be too obtrusive to the Honeycomb experience (thank you Samsung for figuring that out) it will still be an issue when updates are released. I learned my lesson on the phone side and bought the Nexus S, and am so, so glad I did. Now, I don't want to get into a discussion of who the updates will be coming from, but it's obvious that a stock operating system will get the updates much, much faster than any devices with custom UI's. Samsung will have one, Asus will have one, hell HTC wants to put frigging Sense on their tablets. Yes people, you HTC tablet owners will get to stare at that stupid clock widget all day long on a bigger screen.
Look, I understand that the Xoom is way too expensive, I look at my Best Buy account and cringe, but I'm glad I pulled the trigger and bout the Xoom. It may not be a "Nexus" device per say, but for the joy of having the "pure Google experience" I'm all about the Xoom.
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I agree with most everything you said however, where is the microSD card support on Xoom? These new tablets are releasing with functional slots. For a flagship device for Honeycomb, I am a bit disappointed. I have had my Xoom since day 1 and being as patient as possible with this but seeing other honeycomb tablets release with microSD support is a slap in the face.
dandearebr,
notice this...
regarding development of android device you must have development device, until now the development device supported by google are : G1 (legacy, not supported anymore), Nexus One, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom... the last three have unlock bootoloader officially, not by doing a hack, G1 Dev are coming unlocked from the first day of release (except G1 T Mob)..
so now, are you sure the next coming HC tablets have official unlock bootloader? "fastboot oem unlock"
Droid, Desire, Xperia etc, they are not development device, so is Atrix and others..the only way to put custom android to that product is hacking the bootloader..
Atrix have a good bootloader lock, afaik until now, no one have succes unlock milestone bootloader..so atrix will do the same..
now, one million dollars question for u, are u sure u want to buy next tablet that we dont know about their bootloader? u love custom rom right?
Dear Dandearebr
You will never get "perfect" tablet because there is no definition of such. There are expectations that are constantly changing, also they are very personal and subjective.
Your opinion is based on reviews and vocal complainers baseless in most of cases.
Xoom is very solid tablet capable of replacing of laptop. I am sure that it will get updates and will be useful for a least a year, year and a half. Then it will be a picture frame.
BTW, it has amazingly powerful sound. Listening online radio is very enjoyable.
My opinion is based on experience using Android since 2009, starting with HTC G1, then MyTouch, Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7". Xoom is a different animal because of Honeycomb and it is a big step forward.
Personally I prefer 7" tab with phone capability and pocketable size.
Classic buyer's remorse. We've all been there. My suggestion is to follow through and return it. You will never likely be happy with it, regardless of how well it functions for you.
Happily typing from my unlocked, rooted, overclocked Xoom.
Please return it so that real users don't have to clean up after you and kiss your boo-boos. Sheesh, you don't need a Xoom, you need a mom!
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
So have you actually used the device?
God, return it.
Then when the XYZ tablet you want comes out you will go cry to those forums that ZYS v2.0 tablet is coming out.
I don't get why a lot of you are getting all defensive and starts attacking a fellow member, just because he's having a much better look at the future than us early adopters. I mean, be honest guys! A lot of us here are all wishful thinking about the opposite of what the OP has said! Yeah, we all might be happy for now, as the Motorola Xoom is the only tablet available that's actually competing with iPadLock2. But a few days, weeks from now, with all these tablets coming out and (hopefully not) the chance of Xoom reaching it's end of life/production. Along with threats of locked bootloader and a chance of not getting any update support from Motorola (FACT: XOOM is NOT the developer TAB from Google), we might just end up flooding this forum with threads just like the OP's.. Let's face it, no one knows about Xoom's future.. Heck I don't even know if Jha even knows the Xooms future at this point.. But the fact that Xoom's sale wasn't really that good, due to motorola's marketing strategy and price, with the iPad 2's overwhelming, and the upcoming flooding of Honeycomb tablets with better specs and/or pricing, our Xoom tablet could very well just end up as a very expensive paperweight.. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with my Xoom! It meets my daily needs but the fact that it hasn't yet reached it's full potential due to Honeycomb's infancy, the FC's and limited apps worries me. I mean, we all know how these companies are.. If their product doesn't sell, they stop the production and support/updates. Add to that the threat on the XDA community regarding the Dump files and chances of the Bootloader getting locked, helps me understand the OP's sentiments/rants.. Let's face it, this is not the Developer's TAB like what we all hoped it would be when we bought it. Without the support from Motorola and the XDA community, this product we're defending would actually just end up like what the OP has said on the title of this thread. So let's just get along and stop bashing the OP just because he still has a chance to change his mind. Me, I would advice the OP to just return/sell the Xoom and wait for a few the upcoming tablets before it's too late. Because if he does, he would have a much better look at the future of the Xoom. Who knows, he might even see Motorola getting crazy coming up with a 16GB version, with better pricing and unlocked bootloader! Now that would be a win/win situation for the OP and us early adopters!! My fingers are crossed..........
Perfect! There really is no more to debate on this, and just no reason to bash the OP. Nobody knows anything for sure yet. I'm in it for the long haul, but only because I intend to be an end user of custom ROMs. I WILL be disappointed with how much I spent on the Xoom if that doesn't ever happen.

Thinking of getting an a500.

I was wondering how the scene is on the a500. I'm interested in one, but I know nothing about them to reallu distinguish what's what yet. Its pretty much between this, an xoom or the HP touchpad.
Sure this could be biased but I hope someone can offer me good advice based on knowledge not fan boys.
Can Netflix be played on all of those? Any other issues? I'd want to root whatever I get. I know HP TP isn't android.....yet
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
Well the HP is out of the question as it's been discontinued. The Xoom is more expensive and offers nothing the Acer doesn't; yet the Acer has Standard & Micro usb and better sound. There are others reasons but really with the choices you provided the choice is clear.
Well, my opinion, and I had the HP TouchPad, and now the Iconia, is to go with the Iconia. The HP fiasco has messed up webOS enough that everything done to it will be from the after market so to speak. Plus to get Android on it will take a long time. I had it for a month and just was not happy with it.
Now I have the Iconia and love it compared to any other tablet mainly because of all the accessory ports. Development with the Iconia is a little difficult as there are many versions because of the world distribution. But the Roms seem to be multilanguage.
I don't now much about the Zoom but I have read complaints about it. Mainly expandability.
Short opinion, but hope it helps somewhat.
Yeah I have a 3.41 fw jailbroke ps3 that I'm looking to trade. They guy with the Acer said he rather get money than trade. I have someone offering a 32gb HP TP. So yeaH. Supposedly they are close to getting cm on the TP.
Sent from a miui HTC evo.

A500 ....they call me mister popularity

Just a small paragraph to say I'm pretty pleased with this tablet and honeycomb development.
As an early buyer of this tablet ( from the first day in Best Buy in NYC) and having sort the problems of 3.0, 3.1 and 3.2 releases, I'm happy with the way this is working out.
Acer Iconia is a great tablet and it has been selled by far over Acer expectations. Now it is getting ATT selling it on contract.
As I see this in a very optimistic way, the more the merrier as Acer should respond to their clients and provide updates and improvements for us.
That's all for now...just a happy dude with his happy tablet ( by the way, my notebook has become a real dust buster as I have no longer use for it at home)
As a suggestion for the elder....please install mame emulator, download some roms, plug in your Xbox controller and have an excellent time!
Bye
Enviado desde mi A500 usando XDA Premium App
Yep. I'm a very happy owner too and thankfully didn't have any of the issues that others did off and on. This was my first Acer product, but it won't be my last.
Being an apple fanboy I was presented with the dillema of the Acer a500 or an ipad2. Having owned every iPhone from day one it made this choice much more diffifuclt than I originally thought. I spent about a week just reading comparison reviews and alot of them had many complaints about the Acer and not many complaints about the I pad. I've messed around with the ipad2 and I am extremely efficient/familiar with the ios system. Having worked as a regional manager for a T-Mobile dealer I was one of the first people to own the T-Mobile G1 and even had the very first review on the front page of wired and androidcommunity (Google kaziko android g1 wired). This had me familiar with android and so when it came down to choosing between the two, it was about hardware. After realizing the potential of the Acer a500's hardware ESP the full size USB port that is fully functional and the 100% mirrored HDMI out built in, I decided on the Acer. I must say its one of the best decisions I have made in the past years as far as technology. I have only been disappointed by the lack of apps in the market that are fully compatible with my tablet, but this is a problem that is temporary and not really a reflection of the device itself. This tablet is fast, responsive, fully featured and IMO it is an iPad1,2 killer. I also saved myself about $300 which I can use for other things now which is always a plus. If anyone is considering an ipad1,2 over this device, I advise you to take a deeper look. At half the cost and twice the capability its a no brainer that the Acer Iconia A500 is simply the better choice and will continue to prove itself as Honeycomb devlops and developers increase the amount of honeycomb compatible apps in the market
Sent from my A500 using xda premium
Being stuck in a country where the tech is very limited. I made my decision on impulse and availability. I am happy that I did however, very happy with it. Only tiniest issue is the weight. It does get to feel heavy after long periods of use but with the price and the ports, it more than makes up for it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I just picked up a 16gb acer Iconia today and I've gotta say it has blown me away, it does everything I hope a tablet could as well as a usb port "yesss"
I did some serious looking around before picking it up, it's main competitor was the Galaxy tab and Transformer but those tablets lack in the port department which was my main deciding factor.
Acer does not disappoint.
For $299 it was a no brainer for me. I like Android and the full size usb was a nice addition to an already nice tablet. I too would like more tablet apps for honeycomb but as the market picks up for honeycomb I am sure we will see more just like Android.

Lack of development

I'm disappointed that there isn't much development going on for the Thrive. I'm also curious as to why? I bought one after doing major comparison between all the tablets available and I chose this one because of the specs, size and of course, capabilities. My friends have other tablets, such as the Acer 500 and I rooted it last night for him and it's nowhere near the speed of my Thrive.
I guess I'll just have to wait it out but damn, I want a new ROM on this already. Just having it rooted isn't enough to take advantage of even a fraction of the capabilities this thing has.
Regards,
rast4man
rast4man said:
I'm disappointed that there isn't much development going on for the Thrive. I'm also curious as to why? I bought one after doing major comparison between all the tablets available and I chose this one because of the specs, size and of course, capabilities. My friends have other tablets, such as the Acer 500 and I rooted it last night for him and it's nowhere near the speed of my Thrive.
I guess I'll just have to wait it out but damn, I want a new ROM on this already. Just having it rooted isn't enough to take advantage of even a fraction of the capabilities this thing has.
Regards,
rast4man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think a lot of it has to do with the lack of developers having the device. I think if I had one I would probably be putting something together - but I have the Transformer - and no time at the present.
There has been ROM development, just not here.
Google thrive forums to see.
xciton said:
There has been ROM development, just not here.
Google thrive forums to see.
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Click to collapse
I did and not too impressed with what I've seen. I think there are what, 3 ROMS available? I'm going to keep this but get the Acer A500 I think since it has tons of development right now.
Thanks for the replies!
Regards,
rast4man
I was in the same boat so to say my first choice was the thrive I happily bought it after much consideration of other tablets on the market at the time .. once I got home I enjoyed the speed and the thrives native apps but I went to XDA to se what was popping and nothing lol a dead tablet on the development front.so I tried the Asus liked the screen but didn't want to pat $160 u.s. for USB and extra battery life so i bought my Iconia and ill tell ya what I freaking love it besides some problems with Gameloft apps but usb HDMI micro SD I'm happy and amazing veiwing angles!
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk
Well I have the thrive and it is rooted and has a OC Kernel and Dalepl's stock rom, am I sorry that it does not have some great rom on it, NO it is quite functional and is twice the tablet of any Acer Iconia, and just to be clear I HAVE HAD a Acer Iconia, Motorola Xoom and the Almighty Samsung and all lasted less than a week before returning them, have had my thrive since release and could not be more pleased, and all of the substandard tabs are gone!!!!
I waited in line on black Friday for the Asus transformer because it has a large development scene, but they ran out and I ended up with the Toshiba for $30 more. I've got to day, for what I paid, the Toshiba is cool, but I wish I could get some cyanogen on here.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
same here. Love the size and Honeycomb. Have a Samsung galaxy tab 7" and wanted something bigger and newer. Made the mistake of upgrading to 3.2.1 and was hoping the great minds of XDA have figured out how to downgrade to root. Kind of disappointed on the development but maybe we weren't the only ones who went to buy the Transformer and ended up with the thrive. Only time will tell.
Don't know why this thing isn't more popular. Just got mine the other day. So far I love the fact that I can plug in the dongle from my computers wireless keyboard and an hdmi cable to my big screen tv, pair it to a wii remote and have at it. Absolutely awesome!
Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk
There is a lot more for it but not on this Forum, I would just say Google the thrive and the other forum will come up in search results and yes there is plenty of Development going on. I cannot put the forum's name here because they will just delete the name if not my complete post.
Yeah, I'm a recovering rom-flasher myself, and I was initially kind of bummed out at the fact that there are not dozens of choices for ROMs, but then I got to asking myself "Why?"
I have Cyanogen 7 on my HTC LEO, and I can flash a new version every week if I want, or if I get tired of that, there are many other ROMS I can choose from. But for the Tablet, I'm looking for a stable portable platform to read forums, e-books, maybe play a few games. The Thrive fills that bill, and the hardware is more versatile than most other tablets out there. I rooted the stock 3.1 ROM so I could use Titanium Backup and nmap, and I don't think I'll upgrade until Ice Cream Sandwich comes out, if then. 3.2 seems to be mostly for 7" tablets so it doesn't interest me much.
I see that there are other ROMS on those "unmetnionable" forums, but I've learned over the years to trust the developers and forums at XDA so I don't really want to take a chance elsewhere.
That's my two cents' worth and if you don't agree, I applaud you - enjoy flashing whatever you can find - it's a lot of fun, and I will continue to do so on my HTC phone, but not on my tablet. Just my opinion.
Walt
I wish you had one
jerdog said:
I think a lot of it has to do with the lack of developers having the device. I think if I had one I would probably be putting something together - but I have the Transformer - and no time at the present.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish you had one jerdog. If I could I'd buy you one myself. I just picked one up online for $307 shipped out the door. It's a 16gb model.
Charles
I think it will be picking up speed soon. Compared to other tablets on the market right now, spec wise, the Thrive is pure ownage! I still have mine and use it frequently. I'm cool with just having it rooted for now so we'll see what happens in the future for development.
Regards,
rast4man
ceabbott2 said:
I wish you had one jerdog. If I could I'd buy you one myself. I just picked one up online for $307 shipped out the door. It's a 16gb model.
Charles
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL - if I had the money I would buy one myself too!
jerdog said:
LOL - if I had the money I would buy one myself too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dropped mine last night and cracked the screen on the bottom. It still works perfect and the crack doesn't even get in the way when using it. Wanna' buy it cheap?
Regards,
rast4man
rast4man said:
I dropped mine last night and cracked the screen on the bottom. It still works perfect and the crack doesn't even get in the way when using it. Wanna' buy it cheap?
Regards,
rast4man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL - nope. Thanks though!
walts said:
Yeah, I'm a recovering rom-flasher myself, and I was initially kind of bummed out at the fact that there are not dozens of choices for ROMs, but then I got to asking myself "Why?"
I have Cyanogen 7 on my HTC LEO, and I can flash a new version every week if I want, or if I get tired of that, there are many other ROMS I can choose from. But for the Tablet, I'm looking for a stable portable platform to read forums, e-books, maybe play a few games. The Thrive fills that bill, and the hardware is more versatile than most other tablets out there. I rooted the stock 3.1 ROM so I could use Titanium Backup and nmap, and I don't think I'll upgrade until Ice Cream Sandwich comes out, if then. 3.2 seems to be mostly for 7" tablets so it doesn't interest me much.
I see that there are other ROMS on those "unmetnionable" forums, but I've learned over the years to trust the developers and forums at XDA so I don't really want to take a chance elsewhere.
That's my two cents' worth and if you don't agree, I applaud you - enjoy flashing whatever you can find - it's a lot of fun, and I will continue to do so on my HTC phone, but not on my tablet. Just my opinion.
Walt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then you will lose out because the Thrive on XDA will soon be dead and those of us on the other forum will have everything we want on our tablets and thank god that crap cyanogen is not on the thrive!!!!
Performance! But....
I have purchased two of these devices.... One 16G and one 8G. Both ate verymooth and perform very nicely.
Even though Im enjoying the units, I still believe that there should become level of focus on these units. Toshiba now has these units up to V3.3 and have things locked down tightly. Though I believe they did a nice job on the stock ROM, I still believe there should be a root option to admonisyer my personal device. I also believe that the collective brain trust of XDA could produce a ROM that shows the true capability of this hardware platform.
One of the coolest features of the 10.1 inch units is that it has a user replacable battery! How cool is that??
Im not a programmer and barely qualify as a script kiddie in this day of age. So like others on this forum, I have to wait for those with the knowledge and motivation to provide the future path and direction.
dalepl said:
Anyway, glad another developer is on line. I think this is the best overall tablet around. So lets make sure it is. I hope you will be doing custom work, we need someone to do that for individuals that like custom ROMs. Take care.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree! This tablet rocks. I've have had the Kindle Fire, Acer A100, Nook Tablet, and now this and I love it. I will be doing some custom work.
Great! Custom work is what we need to round off this thing. Do you do kernel work by chance?
I have the Thrive 10.1" and Thrive 7" and if you have looked at my work, I mainly keep it stock. That is what I like and I have a lot of people who like that. If you need base ROMs, feel free to download and use mine.
By the way, sorry if you thought you affended me. Was not wanting you to think that. Just wanted you to know why I do what I do and where. Cheers

Xoom tablet VS Other tablet discussion

I am making this sticky thread to allow discussion of all other tablets and theie comparison to the Xoom. Feel free to discuss thoughts on upgrading, specs, and value of swapping. Please respect other members and their opinions. Flaming is against forum rules so again please be respectful.
Thanks
FNM
well as i just ordered my Xoom yesterday and it should be at my house this afternoon, and since it is my first tablet, i will say that i did a lot of research (no hands on though) on a few tablets before i decided to get the Xoom.
what i like about it is its history as being the first tablet with Honeycomb and one of the first to get ICS. And now will be one of the first to get JB so a big plus is the support for the device. Couple that with Google's purchase of Motorola and it seems like a match made in heaven
i know there are smaller, thinner, lighter tablets out there, but for the price and specs, its more than i need and i am sure i will be very happy with it
I'll take this opportunity to say that imho, the OG Xoom on team EOS ROM is still the best tablet currently available. It will be even better once it has been updated to Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) later in July.
I have been hankering for a new toy and have been looking at the Nexus 7, in part because I know that team EOS is going to be developing for it. But I'm wondering if I'll really be happy with it, seeing as it is missing some important features (especially no sdcard slot). 7 inch form factor is really nice for reading and gaming. It's easy to carry around too, but I have no problems carrying my Xoom in my backpack. I'm not sure about getting it yet, but no matter, it certainly won't replace my Xoom.
I am kind of interested in the Transformer Infinity when it comes out, again because Team EOS may develop for it, but it's not a nexus tablet... Then, there may be a 10 inch nexus tablet coming out later in the year. What to do?
I think the XOOM is one hell of an excellent device that would last me for a few more years. Has great people backing it up and making this tablet one of the best for the long run. To be exactly honest I was never in the tablet market, but by chance I had $400 AUD left over from my HTPC build so I decided to spend it on the XOOM. Probably one of the best choices I had done, but also another problem I don't use my tablet all that often, since there is no need. I'm always in front of a computer or laptop so my tablet just sits there. But I'm trying to use it for other things, such as reading eBooks and mangas. Though I just do all of that on my phone, but on the tablet is a lot more nicer with the big HD screen. In short, I have no need for another tablet even if I got it for free it be sitting right next to my XOOM collecting dust, and I rather use the XOOM since it has a tough feel to it. The Australian MZ601 is very well built!
Xoom is KING!
I've had the Xoom since it was first announced. (I was one of the lucky ones with a 25% off coupon, which they quickly ended) Since then I have bought and returned an Acer, an Asus, an iPad2, a Toshiba and have bought and kept an Archos 80 and a new iPad.
Having had and used various tablets I still prefer the Xoom for most uses. I have the Archos as a cheap backup if the Xoom goes down and I have the new iPad and use sometimes. The display is better than the Xoom but most other features are less useful than the Xoom.
I recently dropped the Xoom face down on the floor from my lap. I was sure I would have a broken screen. Apparently no worse for the wear. It Is Built Like A Tank.
ICS made the Xoom even more functional and if it should get JB then that would be even more reason to use and enjoy the zoom.
The new Google tablet sounds good but no micro sd card and no HDMI cripples it considerably.
Unless the Xoom gets broken or is stolen, I see no reason to update and there are no tablets on the horizon that interest me.
Mine arrives Monday, cancelled my nexus 7 for it. As soon as it arrives in going to flash the US Rom to make it a Google device....thanks to XDA
I've yet to see a tablet that is as good as the XOOM. Period.
yosterwp said:
I've yet to see a tablet that is as good as the XOOM. Period.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I love my Xoom (first tablet and it's done a great job of making my netbook pretty much pointless) I wouldn't say that it's better than anything else out there. IMO the screen on the Xoom leaves a lot to be desired contrast wise especially compared to the Tab 2.
I also just picked up a Xoom. I've been in the market for a tablet over the last few weeks and considered a bunch. While the Ipad does offer a lot app wise, the additional tablet apps just didnt interest me. So ios was a non starter.
I use a Gnex and love it to death. I figure I'll stick with the google ecosystem. As soon as I found out the Xoom was getting Jellybean my mind was all but made up. I have a jellybean rom running on my nexus and it seriously does perform at another level. It just made me realize that I didnt need the latest quad core processor to run like a beast. So with that In mind I didnt go out searching for the latest tegra 3 android tablet. I've tried other android phones that werent stock android and I never enjoyed them.
Here's what I love about the Xoom:
- built like a tank, some say its too big...I love quality feel it has
- micro sd slot, thanks
- hdmi out, wicked
- in line for Jellybean in a few weeks
- everything works like it should...wifi, gps, cameras
Its not the flashiest tablet...doesnt have a cutting edge processor.....no next gen display....it just does the job for me.
as long as the next full size (read: 10.1/8.9) Nexus/GED has a good processor (1.5+) and has decent screen to go along with vanilla jb, ill be on board.
Ill be on board faster if google is selling it w/ the same strategy as the Nexus 7.
063_XOBX said:
While I love my Xoom (first tablet and it's done a great job of making my netbook pretty much pointless) I wouldn't say that it's better than anything else out there. IMO the screen on the Xoom leaves a lot to be desired contrast wise especially compared to the Tab 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I agree that hardware-wise, the Xoom is no longer bleeding edge, but software-wise, there is nothing really out there on ICS to touch it, and with Jelly bean custom roms that will come, this thing is going to scream. Right now, everything just works (on the configuration in my signature, at least), and that's more than some android tablets can claim. Transformer Prime, I'm talking about you, lol...
One thing I really hate is the disrespect the Xoom gets outside of the Xoom community, and it's started to resurface again now that the Nexus 7 is being called the 1st "nexus" tablet, when we know that that was actually the OG Xoom. I'm still torn about whether I want to add a Nexus 7 to my stable of Android devices, or wait for something more satisfying.
I too have been itching for an upgrade to my release day Xoom but once I loaded the JB ROM I realized what a waste of $200 the Nexus 7 would be. The Xoom on JB will satisfy me until the next version of Android which I will bet the Xoom will get though unofficially. It has been an up and down past year-and-a-half for the Xoom but one I don't regret and look forward to another year at least.
063_XOBX said:
While I love my Xoom (first tablet and it's done a great job of making my netbook pretty much pointless) I wouldn't say that it's better than anything else out there. IMO the screen on the Xoom leaves a lot to be desired contrast wise especially compared to the Tab 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always felt that what the xoom lacks in hardware, it makes up in software. I completely agree about the screen. But with the xoom, that same screen is going to be showing jelly bean officially. Speaking of Jelly Bean I can't wait for it to drop on our xooms!
I guess its fair to say that the xoom does have some shortcomings, but so does all other tablets. But with the xoom, there is a good amount of support from Google and Motorola, being a GED at least in the U.S. That fuels development even more and it's a great thing when an awesome community backs the xoom too! In a way, it makes up for some of them.
But I completely understand what you were saying. Good point
Putting some thoughts here
I've owned many tablets in the past, ranging from Apple to Android. One thing for sure that made me love my xoom on top of many other tables is that Team EOS roms are great and their efforts developing customization are the one thing that makes me stick to the xoom.
When rooted, you feel like you have the power on top of your device to do anything you like. if you brick your device, it is still recoverable due to the amazing community support for it.
Price wise- it is affordable.
ROM size it a bit small compared to phones but ROM Images (system) are designed to fit just ok.
Screen: very responsive especially with ICS better than HC.
Charge time: very fast.
Speaking of JB, I don't have a single doubt that Team EOS would make it for us.
Ghost-of-the-Sun said:
You're telling me that Samsung, HTC, Sony and Google itself with Nexus devices have magical powers that gives them the ability to update their devices while the little Motorola can't do anything?
Think before posting, please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each his own, i love my little motorola, xoom first to get HC, ICS and soon to be JB, all of google (TM) product will get jb first, I wonder what samsung htc and sony will do for an OS when google stop releasing the source code, Motorola will be one step ahead of your samsung, htc and sony,..
tumpy said:
To each his own, i love my little motorola, xoom first to get HC, ICS and soon to be JB, all of google (TM) product will get jb first, I wonder what samsung htc and sony will do for an OS when google stop releasing the source code, Motorola will be one step ahead of your samsung, htc and sony,..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since several threads were merged, this conversation has taken a bit of a turn, but to back-up your point, my Samsung GS2 E4GT phone still has not received the official upgrade to ICS, probably more due to Sprint than Sammy, but we are running custom roms based on leaked builds. They work fine but it's been quite a long time to wait for OTA and source.
The OG US Wifi Xoom has gotten every official upgrade just as fast as possible, and our devs get them to us even faster and much improved!
---------- Post added at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 PM ----------
Mandelbrot.Benoit said:
I too have been itching for an upgrade to my release day Xoom but once I loaded the JB ROM I realized what a waste of $200 the Nexus 7 would be. The Xoom on JB will satisfy me until the next version of Android which I will bet the Xoom will get though unofficially. It has been an up and down past year-and-a-half for the Xoom but one I don't regret and look forward to another year at least.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you use it as a daily driver, or are you just test-driving right now until the full version comes along?
I will admit that I'm tempted to try it, but nightly 114 is already so smooth and lag-free that I'm at least pretty satisfied for daily use.
okantomi said:
Can you use it as a daily driver, or are you just test-driving right now until the full version comes along?
I will admit that I'm tempted to try it, but nightly 114 is already so smooth and lag-free that I'm at least pretty satisfied for daily use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sacrificing a lot test driving the JB preview. BT, sound, data isn't working but enough is working to at least show the smoothness and lag free experience we should expect with JB. I was getting tired of the lag when hitting the "recents" button, home screen scrolling etc. Much more responsive on JB but in hindsight I have lost more than I gained and it may not be worth it for most.
My Xoom
I'm running a stock Xoom M604 Xoom. It's running ICS, which was slow to rollout here in Canada, but it came all the same. The updating of the OS is one of /the reasons I chose Xoom. I use it for most day to day things, as well as using it to control a friends DLNA amp. The "variety" of apps available for Android and iOS are moot, as there are so many redundant and useless apps for both platforms. I like not being locked in by the manufacturers whim, which is why I won't consider an iPad or iPhone. Only complaint I have with my Xoom is scrolling between the desktops. Which is a minor complaint vs iOS, because we actually have desktops I love the stock keyboard. It's large enough that I can still impress people with typing speed in Teamview sessions. I'm not a bleeding edge type, so thus far my Xoom has all the horsepower I need.
Mandelbrot.Benoit said:
I am sacrificing a lot test driving the JB preview. BT, sound, data isn't working but enough is working to at least show the smoothness and lag free experience we should expect with JB. I was getting tired of the lag when hitting the "recents" button, home screen scrolling etc. Much more responsive on JB but in hindsight I have lost more than I gained and it may not be worth it for most.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG! EOS Jelly Bean! That's all I can say.
okantomi said:
OMG! EOS Jelly Bean! That's all I can say.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree and cannot wait another second for it.
I haven't personally tried any quad core tablet, however there's no comparison between my xoom and my old advent vega (which was good, but the viewing angles were terrible) and with my dad's galaxy tab 10". they're all terribly sluggish.

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