[Q] killed my A500 - Acer Iconia A500

I totally killed my Acer tablet. The extended warranty company is refunding my money as it would be cheaper than fixing it.
My question is, should I stay with Acer or go for the Xoom? The mic on the Acer sucked, and I use it for college. It would be great to be able to record and take notes. I did love my Acer with a standard USB slot, the Xoom has a micro USB.
Any recommendations?(besides ipad)

romagnus said:
I totally killed my Acer tablet. The extended warranty company is refunding my money as it would be cheaper than fixing it.
My question is, should I stay with Acer or go for the Xoom? The mic on the Acer sucked, and I use it for college. It would be great to be able to record and take notes. I did love my Acer with a standard USB slot, the Xoom has a micro USB.
Any recommendations?(besides ipad)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Nobody here @ XDA is going to tell you to get an iPad, I promise
2. Wait a couple weeks. If you have extra money to spend, the new Tegra 3 devices are coming out, mainly the Asus Transformer Prime and later some unnamed Acer devices. Otherwise, the price is going to drop on all current Tegra 2 devices starting with black Friday / cyber Monday sales.
3. From my research, the Xoom and Iconia have almost identical specs, but the Iconia has the USB. If the mic presents a big problem, use a wired one and take the USB, IMHO. Especially for college, plugging in an inexpensive USB keyboard should be very helpful.
I haven't personally had much time with a Xoom, but I can't imagine anything could make it excel in enough ways to replace a full size USB (for me at least).
Good luck with your decision, hope I helped a bit.

Thanks for the reply. I believe you are right, the zoom fails without a full USB. What kind of mic do I get? Is it a USB mic? I think I am going to stick with Acer. Its funny. The guys at the zoom forum dumped on the Acer. I reminded them they were the same specs. The full USB is awesome!
You have helped me see the light. I like Acer. Good laptops too.

I like the a500 enough that I bought one for my wife, now we have 2.
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk

romagnus said:
Thanks for the reply. I believe you are right, the zoom fails without a full USB. What kind of mic do I get? Is it a USB mic? I think I am going to stick with Acer. Its funny. The guys at the zoom forum dumped on the Acer. I reminded them they were the same specs. The full USB is awesome!
You have helped me see the light. I like Acer. Good laptops too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could help!
See my thread about the Iconia 3.5mm jack, turns out it doubles as a mic & speaker port, so you can buy a standard computer mic. Im looking at getting the mentioned splitter for a headset, but nor necessary for just a mic
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1324640

What is a good rom for this tablet?

This will depend on how "cooked" you want your rom.
For really cooked, you can try Taboonay or Honeyvillian. Both are good and used by many.
For a little less cooked, try Harkon or Lightspeed.
All of the afore mentioned have OC capability. You can also change out Kernels for a little better performance based on what you are looking for.
And for a really good one for the 500, goto www.tegraowners.com and try Thor's Roms or Kernels. Really sweet for the 500. He's the guy who put together the recovery for the 500/501, for without, we wouldn't have such an easy time flashing!!
Unfortunately, I run the 501, so mine has to have support for internal 3g, so choices are limited.

And for a really good one for the 500, goto www.tegraowners.com and try Thor's Roms or Kernels. Really sweet for the 500. He's the guy who put together the recovery for the 500/501, for without, we wouldn't have such an easy time flashing!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the link. That rom looks great. Now I need to go read how to flash a rom on my A500!

The Thinkpad tablet has a full size USB as well. Not sure about the keyboard but based on the Thinkpad track record, its likely better than the Acer one. If you want better bang for your buck though stick with the Iconia as it is quite a bit cheaper.

tgtoys said:
Glad I could help!
See my thread about the Iconia 3.5mm jack, turns out it doubles as a mic & speaker port, so you can buy a standard computer mic. Im looking at getting the mentioned splitter for a headset, but nor necessary for just a mic
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1324640
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hardslog said:
The Thinkpad tablet has a full size USB as well. Not sure about the keyboard but based on the Thinkpad track record, its likely better than the Acer one. If you want better bang for your buck though stick with the Iconia as it is quite a bit cheaper.
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Click to collapse
Does that digital pen work with the a500? I would love that for university!

romagnus said:
Does that digital pen work with the a500? I would love that for university!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doubtful, I just tried using a digital pen from my cousins Asus tablet and didn't work at all. Looks like we're stuck with crappy capacitive styli.

well I got the acer again. It came with 3.1 so I rooted it and am now running THOR's rom. Fantastic stuff, thanks for all the advice!

Thors Kernels are the best!!!
As the Rom....

romagnus said:
well I got the acer again. It came with 3.1 so I rooted it and am now running THOR's rom. Fantastic stuff, thanks for all the advice!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good move! I'm running Thor as well, totally happy with it. He's working pretty hard on an ICS build right now, can't wait!

The ICS rom is actually running quite well, but, it's not a daily driver. But it looks ok for an ASOP alpha and runs stable.
The real meat, will come when Acer/Samsung/Asus releases some ICS source for their new tabs. Like the a701. Like HW acceleration and Gpu acceleration.
Things will definitely be rocking!!!
And I'm betting Thor, will have the first rom.

That's funny I liked my wife's a500 so much I bought one for me:}} Now my gtab is sitting in the closet soon to become a gift to one of my sons! Only issue is that I have not found a way to tether it to my unrooted droid x?? Any suggestions??

i hear so many good things about thor's rom but it doesn't bother anyone that the rotation lock and auto brightness don't work? maybe i'm just a stickler for perfection

strra said:
i hear so many good things about thor's rom but it doesn't bother anyone that the rotation lock and auto brightness don't work? maybe i'm just a stickler for perfection
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nobody uses auto brightness anymore. Uses too much battery
Rotation lock is only feasible if you're riding a roller coaster.

mgrankin said:
That's funny I liked my wife's a500 so much I bought one for me:}} Now my gtab is sitting in the closet soon to become a gift to one of my sons! Only issue is that I have not found a way to tether it to my unrooted droid x?? Any suggestions??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you needed to be running a custom ROM to connect to an ad hoc network, such as your phones hot spot. Not sure why/how, but I do remember reading that.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App

Related

Nook Owner thinking about buying SGT

I'm currently owning a Nook Color. I wanted it for reading books, reading pdfs (I can't find a lagfree Android pdf Reader!), browsing web and playing around.
I'm not happy with it. I'm from Germany, I payed about 300€ all in all for it with taxes and shipping costs.
I simply miss that I can't get any accessoires for it, that I don't have mobile Internet and the touchscreen makes problems.
I don't have a cellphone currently, I'm thinking about getting a case that let's me use my iPod as cellphone. But somehow I'd rather have a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, because I don't like it to have a device that wasn't ment to be an tablet and really is not a good tablet and together with the case for the iPod (70€) the SGT isn't a lot more expensive.
I think that I would still get about 200-250€ for my NC. I saw the Samsung Galaxy Tab for 350-400€on ebay.de.
What do you Samsung Galaxy Tab owners think, should I sell my NC to get a Samsung Galaxy Tab or should I stick with it?
PS: can one actually connect the tab to a TV with a video cable?
Well, I think you will get a lot more with the Galaxy Tab.
Overall I find it very usable and I enjoy it. Files in PDF can be read using Adobe reader and many others. I got Documents to Go and it gives me ability to read and edit MS format documents as well.
The Tab has everything that regular laptop has, plus GPS, compass, and cellular phone. You can get maps and navigation any time your need. GPS works better than on any phone because of the better antenna. Signal to noise ratio is more than 10 times higher. It should be noted that it supports Wifi at 5GHz in addition to 2.4GHz.
You can also make and receive phone calls while listening music through Bluetooth.
Overall Nook has a small fraction of the Tab's functionality.
Connecting the Tab to TV requires HDMI multimedia dock and HDMI cable with a small form factor connector on the dock side. You can also use Wifi streaming.
I would definitely vote for the Tab.
I'm in the DC area, i'm selling my galaxy tab for $350
Hi Diemex,
I use my galaxy tab in exactly the way you describe, I'm a postgrad student so I read ALOT of pdf files on my tab using Repligo to add comments to them and dropbox to sync with my desktop. I use Miren browser for 90% of my home web browsing and pulse reader for getting the news at Uni.
The tab is really stable on the modaco rom, but development isn't as fast as the NC, sometimes I wish there was more development, then I remind myself that functionality wise the tab has all the bases covered. When better kit comes along that the devs favour I will upgrade once the price falls. Until then the tab ticks all the boxes for me.
Edit: I'm waiting for an RCA cable to.arrive so that I can plug it into a T.V. via a scart adaptor.
The Tab is a good step up from the NC.
The rca cables are cool and allow me to stream movies and play games via the tab.
Protected movies like ones from the samsung movie site do not play through though
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
I should have waited
dannyxda said:
I'm in the DC area, i'm selling my galaxy tab for $350
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in the area too and wanted to get a T-Mobile one... And ended up paying a pretty penny.
To respond to thre OP--the size and hardware are its best attributes.
The software is a total nightmare. It is slow, no updates in sight, missed key presses ... I am annoyed. I am not even trying to do anything complicated with it! No rooting, no cooked roms, just stock device.
It's like they are pushing crap and once they sell the stock they move on to other versions.
Save your money. Samsung built this thing well but it is half-baked and the developent on it has just fizzled out on this site. I have very limited skills or I would be porting and helping.
Oh, the Nook Color thing. KEEP IT. It is much better quality and the development for it is still rockin. Hello, it has a Honeycomb port. The Tab is nowhere near that and again, devs have moved on it seems.
sbrownla said:
To respond to thre OP--the size and hardware are its best attributes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what I like about the NC too.
The software is a total nightmare. It is slow, no updates in sight, missed key presses ... I am annoyed. I am not even trying to do anything complicated with it! No rooting, no cooked roms, just stock device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't look to bad to me.
I did all the rooting, overclocking stuff with my NC and it simply didnt make the device better.
Save your money. Samsung built this thing well but it is half-baked and the developent on it has just fizzled out on this site.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The more limited a device it the more devs & hackers are interested in it....
For what should I wait - for Honeycomb Tegra 10.1 inch tablets?
I want a small versatile tablet for a good price
Oh, the Nook Color thing. KEEP IT. It is much better quality and the development for it is still rockin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also thought that that is a big plus. But it doesnt compensate for it lacking a lot of hardware. And the quality of it is definetely not better than the SGT. The case is creacky and I'm getting frequent qhost taps and times when the display isnt working at all.
Hello, it has a Honeycomb port. The Tab is nowhere near that and again, devs have moved on it seems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great a Honeycomb port, have you ever tried that port out? It's completely useless. I've been changing firmwares and kernels and all that stuff for the last 2 weeks and still ended up with froyo being the best.
I take my NC with me everywhere nearly, but it just has not enough functionality, and I'm thinking of leaving it simply at home to read books.
Personally, I am totally in love with my SGT. I have rooted and have overcome ROM 1.2.1 with the new overcome 2.0.1 kernel, and it is just awesome Although I liked it beforehand, and it was certainly well usable, the ROM/kernel made it a lot better.
I take mine absolutely everywhere, and it does everything for me.
Yeah, I have seen some of those Honeycomb ports, not the nook one but other SDK ports on other devices.... to be honest, personally, I would rather wait for the source to be released and a proper port to be done. These SDK "Ports" are just horrible. (Not trying to hijack at all, but really guys? You all really want a nearly totally non-functional port? First thing everyone will do is ***** that things don't work, but I digress)
In the meantime, my tab works Great I would definitely recommend one, especially if you like the portability a 7" device offers. From what I understand the screen is similar to, if not better than, the NC for book reading, and that is one thing my tab is used for a lot.
It is also my phone, portable media player (plays pretty much every format I've thrown at it, and plays 720p and 1080p stuff quite smooth, obviously scaled down for the screen res but still), portable Internet, and all round mate impresser
I don't think that there will be any affordable 7 inch tablet coming out this year (for me^^).
Also if they have better hardware and stuff like that - it would be simply like putting a porsche motor in a opel corsa (or some other car).
The companies try to make the customers believe that when one has a device with a better/great hardware, that one can automatically do more with it, or that it runs better.
With all the great tablet-apps that support dualcore processors that will definetely be the case this year. (sarcasm).
I can't think of a better 7'inch tablet for this prize (~350€)
At this time I can see only one future contender in the same 7inch category: HTC Flyer.
It promises scripting capability using bluetooth stylus that might be very useful.
I had a quite a few Palms and used scripting a lot. Also I had two HTC Android phones and built quality was very good.
the only thing that makes it better is that "magical" pen, but it's going to be 699$ and it's not out yet.
dannyxda said:
I'm in the DC area, i'm selling my galaxy tab for $350
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So am i! same place and price. its the vzw version
{Diemex} said:
the only thing that makes it better is that "magical" pen, but it's going to be 699$ and it's not out yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually i'd say that the fact that HTC have stated that it will get Honeycomb is more interesting than the "pen" IMO.
Regards,
Dave
SGT will also get honeycomb, if not from samsung, then definetely from the devs or hackers.
I've got both and the tab is definatly a better choice.
@op by reading your remarks I can tell you are a pretty smary consumer. go with your inner voice and get the tab.
Unless ofcourse you just want to wait and see what coming but I doubt it will be much different in the near future.
Galaxy Tabs.....Worth every penny!!
Just picked up a SGT from VZW for $170 w/2yr contract.
Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk
Nice,
Just went back to stock,
pdfviewing works great and fluent, I think stock is the best choice for standard consumer.
But still I'm quite sure that I'm going to buy the tab, it's going to last longer, or I think I will use it longer.
I looked at it at a local Shop,
put in my sdcard with apk's and pdfs, I was just messing around, trying out everything, the tab could even open my 350mb 250 pages fallout 3 game guide, nook takes for ever to load it.
It simply looked like the perfect all in one device that I was actually looking for, somehow got the Nook to try the tablet thing out, now it's time to upgrade my tablet.
rob61280 said:
Hi Diemex,
I use my galaxy tab in exactly the way you describe, I'm a postgrad student so I read ALOT of pdf files on my tab using Repligo to add comments to them and dropbox to sync with my desktop. I use Miren browser for 90% of my home web browsing and pulse reader for getting the news at Uni.
The tab is really stable on the modaco rom, but development isn't as fast as the NC, sometimes I wish there was more development, then I remind myself that functionality wise the tab has all the bases covered. When better kit comes along that the devs favour I will upgrade once the price falls. Until then the tab ticks all the boxes for me.
Edit: I'm waiting for an RCA cable to.arrive so that I can plug it into a T.V. via a scart adaptor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well your wait has finished:
www.expansys.it/samsung-galaxy-tab-cavo-tv-out-204239/
Note that this way the tablet works with its own battery when tv connected differently from the powered hdmi dock
I was bitter yesterday. Very bitter.
I wish I still had my Nook Color sometimes, but I am coming to realize exactly how much potential the Galaxy Tab really has.
I just need to learn to be more patient.
Ommmmmmmm.

Sorry for a potentially stupid post

I'm tablet shopping.
I have 500 bucks to spend. I don't know much about the Iconia other than the reviews being good. Are the problems I've read about honeycomb on the Xoom present here as well? Is 3.1 coming any time soon?
I don't want to buy another iPad
Dammit I thought I was in General Mods please move.
If they're OS related (aka Honeycomb's), then yes, all tablets running Honeycomb have them. Compared to Xoom though, the Iconia is sexier (my opinion), and has a working microSD card slot.
On the other hand it has other problems, e.g. the screen turns on by itself from time to time, and there is (apparently) battery drain from Cell standby (divided opinions on this one).
The thing that got me hooked though was the USB port. At the moment you can attach a keyboard or USB storage, and it works, and it seems with a 3.1 update it will be able to do even more.
Re: 3.1, I've seen a post around here somewhere from a user who contacted support about a problem with the browser, and they stated that the problem would be fixed in the 3.1 update sometime in June. Don't have any additional info.
gunnyman said:
I'm tablet shopping.
I have 500 bucks to spend. I don't know much about the Iconia other than the reviews being good. Are the problems I've read about honeycomb on the Xoom present here as well? Is 3.1 coming any time soon?
I don't want to buy another iPad
Dammit I thought I was in General Mods please move.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy it - you'll love it. The combination of features can't be beat. I just tried out this morning the USB mouse (there's an apk floating around this forum somewhere - I just don't remember where it is).
Also, I might point out it's quite sturdy, Gorilla glass screen and, at least for me, I have not had any sudden screen on/off behavior, no hardware issue whatsoever, and excellent battery life. I have WiFi set to turn off when the screen is off and I only lose a few % of battery overnight.
All in all, it's a lot of fun to use
adancau said:
If they're OS related (aka Honeycomb's), then yes, all tablets running Honeycomb have them. Compared to Xoom though, the Iconia is sexier (my opinion), and has a working microSD card slot.
On the other hand it has other problems, e.g. the screen turns on by itself from time to time, and there is (apparently) battery drain from Cell standby (divided opinions on this one).
The thing that got me hooked though was the USB port. At the moment you can attach a keyboard or USB storage, and it works, and it seems with a 3.1 update it will be able to do even more.
Re: 3.1, I've seen a post around here somewhere from a user who contacted support about a problem with the browser, and they stated that the problem would be fixed in the 3.1 update sometime in June. Don't have any additional info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The xoom has a working microSD card as well via custom kernel. The Iconia is a great tablet but the lack of recovery is what ultimately led me to the xoom. The two are actually very similar. No word on 3.1 yet Gunny, the jurory is still out on what Acers support will look like, another reason I chose the xoom in the end. I enjoyed my time with the Acer. The Acer has lots of potential but it's a tough nut to crack. Even with running stock I didn't like the idea of not being able to complete recover without sending it into Acer.
Although you can kind of recovery by flashing the Chinese update.zip, I would have felt better with a stock US image. Good luck my friend.
Sent from Desire HD or Inspire 4G or whatever this thing is called via premium XDA app.
Im in the same boat. I have the iconia, and am loving it. But I think when my fourteen days comes due I'm going to bring it back, and get the galazy 10.1 and try it. Which ever I like more, I'm keeping.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
I took the plunge today. So far so good.
Seagullbeagle said:
Im in the same boat. I have the iconia, and am loving it. But I think when my fourteen days comes due I'm going to bring it back, and get the galazy 10.1 and try it. Which ever I like more, I'm keeping.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tomorrow is my 14th day.. I'm pretty sure I'm going to return it and wait for the 10.1 tab. There are some quirks that are really bothering me about the tab
Screen on and off
Laggy text input while typing.
Sometimes laggy browser.
Considerable lag w/ live wallpaper.
The battery rocks, I've already reset to stock and re-rooted. I also have the ntfs support enabled. I have an external 32gb sd which was a pain to get working. I am bothered that Acer didn't include a file manager. (I know there are plenty out there).
Just my thoughts.
If your looking for another reason to keep your Iconia, take a look at this review:
http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/03/the-five-minor-differences-between-the-motorola-xoom-and-acer-iconia-tab/
I think this review by TechCrunch really breaks down some of the more obvious differences and puts it into perspective as to why the Iconia is a better purchase.
Don't worry about Honeycomb 3.1 ... it'll be out soon enough for the Iconia and someone will ALWAYS hack the system so if your ever worried about being locked out... also give it some time.
lanisan said:
Tomorrow is my 14th day.. I'm pretty sure I'm going to return it and wait for the 10.1 tab. There are some quirks that are really bothering me about the tab
Screen on and off
Laggy text input while typing.
Sometimes laggy browser.
Considerable lag w/ live wallpaper.
The battery rocks, I've already reset to stock and re-rooted. I also have the ntfs support enabled. I have an external 32gb sd which was a pain to get working. I am bothered that Acer didn't include a file manager. (I know there are plenty out there).
Just my thoughts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of the stuff you pointed out can be fixed via a software update.
The Samsung tab losses a lot of input ports to attain its thinness.
No USB, no HDMI, & who knows what else.
mr.r9 said:
All of the stuff you pointed out can be fixed via a software update.
The Samsung tab losses a lot of input ports to attain its thinness.
No USB, no HDMI, & who knows what else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I chose the Iconia over the Xoom or Tab 10.1, updates can fix the laggy stuff, you cant add a usb/hdmi port(unless your a serious modder or computer engineer). Ive only had my Iconia for 3 days but so far I havent had any issues anyone else is talking about.(Screen or Wifi issue).
I think engadget also raised the possibility of the iconia having ddr3 memory, although from what I read on the Nvidia white papers, it only supports ddr2 memory.
Anyone see any breakdowns that identify the memory modules, and if they are truly different from other tabs?

Iconia vs transformer

I'm torn right now any thoughts? I like full usb of iconia and the screen of the transformer. The plastic case on the asus worries me but I hear its fine and sturdy...
Thanks
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
There's a couple-page thread comparing the two a page back in the forum
In general, ASUS has slightly better screen (but possibly a higher incidence of light bleed from backlight), better accessories, faster updates and an unlocked bootloader, while Acer has the on-board USB host (ASUS requires the dock), LED flash for rear camera, better sound (incl. Dolby) and better build quality.
It's amazing how post-purchase critical the USB host has become to me, causing a serious /boggle when I saw that the otherwise /drool Samsung Galaxy 10.1 has no USB host port (along with no memory card) ... had to give up something for the smaller size but I think those're going to be painful differentiators
Vereynn said:
... when I saw that the otherwise /drool Samsung Galaxy 10.1 has no USB host port (along with no memory card) ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To me, the reported lack of a memory card on the Samsung is the larger issue (though I have used the Acer USB port to connect a keyboard and a flash drive). I wouldn't buy a tablet without a memory card slot.
yeah, the presence of a full-size SD card slot (vs micro) plus TWO USB slots on the upcoming Toshiba is making me feel better about their pricing.
I recently sold my Transformer + Dock and got an Acer Iconia A500, mainly because of the build quality and the fact that the dock just wasn't for me. Anyways, received my Iconia A500 today and damn, I love it, its just way better for my needs (mostly for games) I love how it has the haptic(force feedback) its great for games, how come no one mentioned the Acer has this while the Asus does not? Speakers on the Acer is also light years ahead of the Asus. Great tablet, I just hope they unlock the bootloader.
eviltuna said:
I recently sold my Transformer + Dock and got an Acer Iconia A500, mainly because of the build quality and the fact that the dock just wasn't for me. Anyways, received my Iconia A500 today and damn, I love it, its just way better for my needs (mostly for games) I love how it has the haptic(force feedback) its great for games, how come no one mentioned the Acer has this while the Asus does not? Speakers on the Acer is also light years ahead of the Asus. Great tablet, I just hope they unlock the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well now I'm even MORE happy with my purchase. I wasn't aware that the Asus had no haptic feedback.
Thanks guys I'm going 2 be picking an acer up tomorrow hopefully, any suggestions for the first things I should do to make the tablet run its best?
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
Ehmmm full battery charge?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
garbagecanman said:
Thanks guys I'm going 2 be picking an acer up tomorrow hopefully, any suggestions for the first things I should do to make the tablet run its best?
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, do a full battery charge when you get it, before use, allow about 4 hours 'til the light goes off, then another 1/2 hour.
Use the tablet, let the battery go down to about 10% or so, then full charge + 1/2 hour again.
You should be right for a good 5-8 hours use now.

Is this a good tablet?

Hi,
I was looking at get the Acer iconia for university to take notes and play with.
Would you guys recommend it as a tablet? Are there any performance or screen issues at all?
The reviews I read were quite positive, but I find forums are always best place to get real opinions.
Thanks in advance
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
For me one of the main defects is the quality of the microphone, then once try, if it is possible before buying!
I haven't found anything wrong with the tablet itself, it's sturdy, looks good and works like a dream. I haven't tried the mic though, I don't have any use for such.
I've had mine for a month now and I can say, hand on heart, it's an excellent device. I believe that Android has some way to go before it can be described as a fully matured platform for tablets but it's streets ahead of anything Microsoft offer and in the useability stakes is not that far behind the iPad.
Its a good device - but the AC adapter just sucks (short cable, bulky, no power cable as we know it from notebooks)
PhilDsT said:
Its a good device - but the AC adapter just sucks (short cable, bulky, no power cable as we know it from notebooks)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On that note the tablet recharges really fast, though. I have no experience with other manufacturers' ones, but it takes only like an hour - hour and a half to charge it to full and then it lasts the whole day again.
Thanks for the replies. I'm personally not too fussed about the mic as I probably wont use it.
Based on the replies I will probably get it soon. At first I was a bit worried about the vibration during charging from a thread somewhere here, but it didn't seem like it affected many users.
Thanks again for all your help
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
kylec said:
Thanks for the replies. I'm personally not too fussed about the mic as I probably wont use it.
Based on the replies I will probably get it soon. At first I was a bit worried about the vibration during charging from a thread somewhere here, but it didn't seem like it affected many users.
Thanks again for all your help
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And with tue full USB on the device any cheap USB keyboard should work
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
BrianDigital said:
And with tue full USB on the device any cheap USB keyboard should work
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA Premium App
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Not to worry about the vibration I had it on one exchanged it haven't looked back. This is my first tablet so did a LOT of research chose this one & love it. Sure it has some faults but mostly because because of Google. Most of it should be resolved when 3.1 comes out in the next week or two. One thing I would suggest you do is read as much as you can on forums especially this one & don't be afraid to ask questions (not to me , I don't know enough yet).
Good luck & don't be a stranger.
wrong place
wrong place
The key issues seem to be screen-ons, weakish wifi and GPS radios.
Best to try the device out and see if you notice these issues. If not, the A500 rocks. I had two A500s with screen-on issues and they would not turn off the display unless the power button was pressed.
Suggest buying one and try it out. No issues, no problem. Were it not for the screen staying on and coming on unprovoked, I would have kept one of the two I had. Waiting for the issue to be fixed, or will get something else later.
added:
The only similar featured tablet in the near future is the Toshiba Thrive. A few of the hands-on previews suggest the display is washed out and soft, but no comparison to other devices to confirm if true.
Ive had mine for about a month now, and i was considering returning it, but im glad i didnt. Ive gone 4 days with out charging it, and when i do charge it, it charges in like an hour. The power adapter sucks, and it sucks that it doesn't charge by usb, but the sacrifice is worth it for the full size usb port. Hell, ive use the stupid thing as a back up charger for my cell phone (a Vibrant that has effing terrible battery!)
The only real complaints would be towards the software. It does like to hang every once in a while, and does still have the sleep death issue, but those things happen very rarely.
I am glad you are happy. I have spent a few hours looking at reviews and seeing what people were saying about this. I have to say this, in two days I will have some money and I am picking it up.
pros
The ports- buying factor for acer vs asus( tablet only)
Built quality- love the aluminium
Speakers- can party with them lol
Cons
Weight- a liiiiiiitlllle heavier than galaxy 10.1
Mic- gotta say its not the best but not that awful for me
Short cable for adapter- yes this really threw me off
I dont wnna talk bout bugs, all products have em. Asus gets the bleeding screens and 720p playback curse, samsung gets the bezel tearing and ipads lack a lot of things. Hope my opinion helps.
Thanks everyone for the additional comments. The pros all seem to outweigh the cons, so i will definitely get one. Thanks for all the input again.
I'll use the thanks button when i can get to my computer
Sent from my X10 TripNMiUI-IRIS using XDA App
tbor1277 said:
pros
The ports- buying factor for acer vs asus( tablet only)
Built quality- love the aluminium
Speakers- can party with them lol
Cons
Weight- a liiiiiiitlllle heavier than galaxy 10.1
Mic- gotta say its not the best but not that awful for me
Short cable for adapter- yes this really threw me off
I dont wnna talk bout bugs, all products have em. Asus gets the bleeding screens and 720p playback curse, samsung gets the bezel tearing and ipads lack a lot of things. Hope my opinion helps.
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All good points to consider and very true! I'll be keeping my A500 and returning the asus unopened.
Rob
I can not get
a answer can you tell me? Is your tablet rooted? I see instructions and have downloaded the file. But step one setting to debug or what ever. How do you do that please??
thanks
WereCatf said:
On that note the tablet recharges really fast, though. I have no experience with other manufacturers' ones, but it takes only like an hour - hour and a half to charge it to full and then it lasts the whole day again.
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skycop51 said:
a answer can you tell me? Is your tablet rooted? I see instructions and have downloaded the file. But step one setting to debug or what ever. How do you do that please??
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Settings -> Applications -> Development -> USB debugging.
I think A500 is a very good product... I own an A500 and an Asus Transformer and I have to say I do prefer the Acer. In my opinion the screen is better, more bright, more responsive and above all it get way less dirt than the Asus. The USB port is another plus, not talking about the led flash for the front camera. The only negative point is the weight as the Asus is lighter and has a wonderful grip.
Both of them have microphone problems but the audio of Acer is way more powerful.
To make it short, if I had to choose one of them I would buy the Acer... no question.
Max
kylec said:
Thanks everyone for the additional comments. The pros all seem to outweigh the cons, so i will definitely get one. Thanks for all the input again.
I'll use the thanks button when i can get to my computer
Sent from my X10 TripNMiUI-IRIS using XDA App
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Hey....also something to consider....the Transformer has a DOCK turning it into a netbook.
AFAIK.....the Iconia A500 does not have this at all. The W500 does however.

What should I get this A500 or transformer?

I have got some bestbuy giftcards and now I want a honeycomb tab that is $399 so which of the two would you get or would you have picked the transformer over your Acer?
Thanks guys
I think ill get the a500 because I like the Cam and flash
Sent from my LG-P925 using Tapatalk
It boiled down to the USB port for me. I knew I wouldn't buy the Asus dock, so for me the Transformer didn't cut it. It's ultimately personal preference, as I think they're both great value compared to the competition.
I love the weight of the a500, its solid construction. The full usb did it for me also. But it is a fully loaded Hog. Love it, Went to best buy and felt up all of there tabs. Good luck with your choice, they all work really good. My choice goes to the a500 and soon the a100.
I have had excelent service and proformance from acer products over the years.
Here is my story. I knew nothing of Android tablet. First I drove to 5 different stores, but all out of HP TouchPad. Then I got:
1. Acer Iconia A100: Promptly returned it even with my lack of experience: poor screen, horrid WiFi signal (couldn't detect my router 35-40ft away).
2. Asus Transformer: Excellent device, liked everything about it. Then I found out about the Toshiba Thrive with full size USB, full size SD (+ SDXC support), full size HDMI. Returned Asus.
3. Toshiba Thrive: Excellent device, liked everything about it, good screen quality despite not IPS. Poor camera quality, no LED Flash, so far slower community development than other tablets.
4. Acer A500: Poked about this forum and found out how advance the commnunity development of the Acer A500 is. And the fact it has all the necessary ports including full USB and nicer looking than the Thrive. Sold. Much better WiFi signal than A100, on par with the Asus. It looks like I'm settled with this one.
Personally I would get the A500 over Transformer, due to its full size USB, which open up lots of features, such as connecting mouse, keyboard, game controller, flash drives, 3G dongles(?). I prefer the Acer microHDMI over the Asus miniHDMI, since my phone also uses micro. They both have good WiFi detection and same weight. The performance are basically the same. The Asus has a nicer IPS screen. I can't confirm it, but base on reviews, the Asus will have longer battery life.
Personally, I can never understand these questions, which have been asked ad nausium... You are asking in the A500 forum....we have A500's!!! We chose A500's. We did not chose transformers. It's like asking transformer owners which they would choose, in the transformer forum. Sheeesh. Sorry....just sick of the question.
i actually enjoyed reading the opinions because up until two days ago i was going to buy the transformer....or wait for the tf2, but decided on the Acer Iconia A500 because i can plug in any standard usb device without a dock. That and because i know they are all essentially the same device with minor differences.
Thanks alot for the replies peeps I actually choose the thrive because of the ports on it I travel alot and it was basicly free, because I had buy back on the Droid incredible so thanks I really wanted the a500 but best buy was sold out . Good thing I never looked into the thrive. Plus I was already running late for a flight so thanks alot guys! And to the guy with a stick up his bum yea I asked in this forum because I figured I might get a person that had the a500 and wish or bought something else.
The thrive all in all is a great choice for me as it has up to 130gb SD slot, HDMI not micro, mini USB, and standard USB, yes its a big tab but the rubber grin is really important for me lol sweaty hands and giving its as heavy as first Gen ipad I like that I don't want to break my new toy. And please I'm not saying this to be mean or anything I just wanted to share my thought since you all were nice -1 to share yours!
Thank you again,
Brett
PS sorry for horrid grammar and all I have my 11month old on my lap
Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk
dincdoes.me said:
the guy with a stick up his bum
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Oh brother.
The fact is, if you had just done a little searching, you would have found many threads giving the exact "advise" you were looking for.
TFordham said:
Oh brother.
The fact is, if you had just done a little searching, you would have found many threads giving the exact "advise" you were looking for.
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Please stop. Your post was decidedly negative. You contributed nothing other than to say "omg you suck for asking a question". If you dont like something you should just move on. I sometimes suck at it myself.
If you plan on doing alot of video chatting with the tablet, the A500 is kind of a pain because the FFC is off to the side. You have to hold the tablet at an ackward angle for the other person to have a good view of you.
The Transformer seems to have its FFC in a much better place - almost dead in the middle.

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