Related
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.
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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?
Of these 3 latest tabs, I think we have the best deal owning the Acer. I been trying to keep up on both Asus' and Xoom forums. Looks like the Acer has the least amount of bugs.
Both Xoom and Transformer continue to have bugs even after many updates. The only known bug that I think is real problem for Acer is the wake on sleep but that should be fixed with the update.
Im here in Cali and never got the update, but I don't have that problem
Thanks Acer
If knew "for sure" the update would fix the sleep issue, I would buy one again now (for the third time). Since I do not even trust myself, I will wait and see.
I keep recommending the Acer to people in other forums who are looking for a honeycomb tablet, but they all crow about Acer having a bad track record and the fact that it's not the thinnest and lightest device on the market. I'd much rather have USB host support and no bugs vs. thinnest and lightest with glitches, personally.
That's the problem with spec-sheet monkeys...
Oo oO
That all said, the sleep mode issue is a pretty dag-burn big bug and glitch. If it really gets fixed, cool- I will buy another, since I agree it's the best total cost alternative for features and function.
I actually prefer waiting longer for a fully functioning 3.1 update. That Xoom is a mess and looks to be worse after their 3.1 update.
Transformer has had numerous Asus updates that tend to maybe make things worse for it. I think the only thing it has going for it is the IPS screen, but really, are you going to be viewing your Acer at 178 degrees? no. Our screen is fine, especiallly when you get some awesome wallpaper going on there.
But, yes, I know it sounds like this is another "I love my Acer Thread".
I just want people to notice that our Acer is by far, no where near as buggy as the Transformer and Xoom, other than the standard Honeycomb issues.
The reason why I think it might fix the sleep issue, from another forum:
"some info for you:
Below are the most important product improvements listed being covered by this update, which will further enrich the overall user experience;
1. Bluetooth Keyboard support added (currently for English language mapping only)
1. Touch panel performance improvement
1. G-sensor calibration
1. Fix for A500 turning off and on in sleep mode (Screen turning off and on when asleep?)
Firmware version change after FOTA update:
1.016.05_EMEA_GEN1 --> 1.139.05_EMEA_GEN1
Countries covered by EMEA_GEN1:
UK / France / Italy / Spain
This update will also become available for the other countries soon, but as the exact release schedule is not fully available yet we are not able to provide you with any reliable release date at this moment."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
chay03 said:
I actually prefer waiting longer for a fully functioning 3.1 update. That Xoom is a mess and looks to be worse after their 3.1 update.
Transformer has had numerous Asus updates that tend to maybe make things worse for it. I think the only thing it has going for it is the IPS screen, but really, are you going to be viewing your Acer at 178 degrees? no. Our screen is fine, especiallly when you get some awesome wallpaper going on there.
But, yes, I know it sounds like this is another "I love my Acer Thread".
I just want people to notice that our Acer is by far, no where near as buggy as the Transformer and Xoom, other than the standard Honeycomb issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I agree in principle, I've never owned a Transformer or Xoom so couldn't say from experience. But having poked my head into both forums over the last month or so, I do feel confident in having gone with the Iconia in that, it seems to me, there are far more 'troubled' users on the other forums than this one.
The lack of head-to-head Transformer vs Iconia reviews (that are granular and don't grant value to specs alone) are few and far between - and of those there are, they focus too much on specs and first impressions, not on enough on the full experience.
The Iconia would most certainly take the crown. But the Iconia is the less popular option, however, due mostly to misinformation and whatever hang-ups people have against the brand itself. I can't deny it's a solid user experience, with what I would refer to as 'basic' functions that all tablets should have for a price point that sets the bar - above and beyond.
chay03 said:
Of these 3 latest tabs, I think we have the best deal owning the Acer. I been trying to keep up on both Asus' and Xoom forums. Looks like the Acer has the least amount of bugs.
Both Xoom and Transformer continue to have bugs even after many updates. The only known bug that I think is real problem for Acer is the wake on sleep but that should be fixed with the update.
Im here in Cali and never got the update, but I don't have that problem
Thanks Acer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What xoom bugs are you referring to? I've owned both at the same time for several days all the xoom bugs I experienced were also apparent with the Iconia.
Sent from Desire HD or Inspire 4G or whatever this thing is called via premium XDA app.
chay03 said:
I actually prefer waiting longer for a fully functioning 3.1 update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I assume everyone has already seen this? (Acer getting 3.1 in June)
http://tech2.in.com/news/tablets/asus-and-acer-tablets-to-get-android-31-update-in-june/219952
chay03 said:
The reason why I think it might fix the sleep issue, from another forum:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not seeing "US" or "NA" anywhere though....
Thanks, none the less. Where is the source for the info?
Thanks!
lrs421 said:
What xoom bugs are you referring to? I've owned both at the same time for several days all the xoom bugs I experienced were also apparent with the Iconia.
Sent from Desire HD or Inspire 4G or whatever this thing is called via premium XDA app.
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Click to collapse
I can't say exactly. Im just gathering my info from lurking in the other forums. Honeycomb on 10" tablets to compare within the forums.
I have only had my Acer. I played with the Transformer in Frys but my thought was that the transitions scrolling was noticeably slower than Acer. A coworker had the Xoom and took it back to BB within 4 hours. In his case, I think it was more Android related than the hardware itself. He walked out with the Ipad2.
Some of us don't have the time or maybe even the extra cash to make side-by-side comparisons. im just saying, in my opinion from what i read, It seems the others are more problematic than the Acer. Yes, the Acer has its own issues, but for the most part, I think our issues are more bareable than lets say, the Transformer dock not charging, or the Xoom Sd slot not recoginizing.
I almost took back my Acer to get the Transformer (being cheap to save$50). I am thankful I didn't.
chay03 said:
I can't say exactly. Im just gathering my info from lurking in the other forums. Honeycomb on 10" tablets to compare within the forums.
I have only had my Acer. I played with the Transformer in Frys but my thought was that the transitions scrolling was noticeably slower than Acer. A coworker had the Xoom and took it back to BB within 4 hours. In his case, I think it was more Android related than the hardware itself. He walked out with the Ipad2.
Some of us don't have the time or maybe even the extra cash to make side-by-side comparisons. im just saying, in my opinion from what i read, It seems the others are more problematic than the Acer. Yes, the Acer has its own issues, but for the most part, I think our issues are more bareable than lets say, the Transformer dock not charging, or the Xoom Sd slot not recoginizing.
I almost took back my Acer to get the Transformer (being cheap to save$50). I am thankful I didn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand where you’re coming from and I do think the Acer is great too but these threads tend to be a little one sided (it is in the Acer forum afterall ). While I’m not accusing you of doing this many people in threads like this are just simply trying to justify their purchases. When I purchased my Gtablet a few weeks ago I was trying to convince myself upgrading to anything else would be a waste of money, I did the same when I purchased the Acer (I still feel as if they’re great in their price range). I don’t have lots of excess cash either but I was fortunate enough to play with the Gtablet, Acer and Xoom side by side for several days. I too watched all the forums closely and saw the dev frustration with the Acer and one who returned his after bricking it. In the end I chose the Xoom and decided the $150.00 premium was worth it for these reasons:
1) Working recovery. If you brick the Acer right now you have no way to return to US factory stock without sending it to Acer.
2) Dev support, while this may have to do with time in the market place the Xoom forum offered more possibilities right now, I realize this may change.
3) Accessories. This may seem trivial but it was important to me. Googling the word “Xoom” brought back a myriad of custom accessories like docks, car chargers and multiple cases.
4) Proven manufacturer support. When the Moto got 3.1 on launch that showed me that both Google and Moto were committed to keeping this product up to date. The jury is still out on what Acer is going to do beyond 3.1. I’m certain the Xoom will live on (well atleast for 18 months ).
5) The screen, don’t get me wrong, the Xoom screen isn’t stellar but the grid lines on the Acer drove me nuts, damn OCD!!
There are a few things I miss about the Acer, fully functional USB support being one of them. After owning virtually all of these devices though I have come to the conclusion that the perfect tab doesn’t exist. I really thought I was going to keep the Acer long term but in end the end I chose otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, I still believe that the Acer has lots of potential and will be a tough tab to beat once/if the source is released and we get a working recovery. I may be back if they do.
One more thing, the Xoom issues I mostly experienced were and are honeycomb issues. Running a customer kernel makes the xoom an absolute monster (IMO). You’ll read about more problems simply because more people have it and it’s been rooted and torn apart which opens the door to other stuff….
points well taken.
You wanted something more and paid the premium. I couldn't pay that much more as I would not want to root mine. I was in the market for a glorified Internet tablet and this is good enough. I too had the G-Tablet and sold it the next day.
Bottom line, Xoom works great for you, Acer works great for me.
chay03 said:
Bottom line, Xoom works great for you, Acer works great for me.
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Click to collapse
Couldn't have said it better my self
having just looked at all 3, watching quite a few reviews, and lurking the same 3 forums for the past week, i finally bought one of them.
the transformer.
reasoning is, i've seen less complaints from them, the complaints that are there in general are more niggles about little things. also, it seems that asus' support is more involved in getting things updated. they've already received 4+ OTAs to update software, fix bugs, and remedy general problems.
granted, it does have its share of problems, but i spoke with my money, and bought the one that i felt was the best all around and grabbed the asus.
own the Acer and the transformer. Am on the second transformer and both suffer build quality issues.
Light bleed is noticeable when viewiong in the dark even at lowest brightness settigns. Also there is some flex or creak in the case.
The quality of the screen however is much richer.
The annoying alignment grid pattern of the pixels on the iconia bothers me because I usually view with it about 1 foot away and for them to not be noticeable to my eye s I need to hold the tablet more like 18 inches away.
Transformer is warmer and sharper without the grid appearance even at 6 inches away. Also off axis viewing is nicer on the transformer and I love the dock concept for extra battery life and more productivity etc while giving the adde dports for when I need them.
My Acer has been solid with only software glitches and 1 tiny dust spec under the screen but seems built more solid.
It ios thicker and heavier though and battery life is apparently a bit shorter but have not made a comparison myself.
Decisions decisions.....if i had no lightbleed hands down the transformer is better tablet for me but the iconia seems built better. I don't need a usb port on the tab if I have a keyboard dock. sure I i want access to an external HD on my tablet the usb port is ice, but chances are if I did I would want access to the dock anyway for the added battery life or the keyboard for creation work
lrs421 said:
One more thing, the Xoom issues I mostly experienced were and are honeycomb issues. Running a customer kernel makes the xoom an absolute monster (IMO). You’ll read about more problems simply because more people have it and it’s been rooted and torn apart which opens the door to other stuff….
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My primary buying point isn't how customizable the tablet is (it's a factor sure, but a tiny one). No, the most important factor for me is the Out Of the Box experience. I still haven't made my choice yet, but I've been into the store several times and spent time playing with each of the Xoom, Transformer, and Iconia, and so far for me, the Iconia has the better OOB experience.
From outset, it just does MORE than the other two can do and that's an important factor because 95% of people who buy a tablet will not be rooting it.
FloatingFatMan said:
My primary buying point isn't how customizable the tablet is (it's a factor sure, but a tiny one). No, the most important factor for me is the Out Of the Box experience. I still haven't made my choice yet, but I've been into the store several times and spent time playing with each of the Xoom, Transformer, and Iconia, and so far for me, the Iconia has the better OOB experience.
From outset, it just does MORE than the other two can do and that's an important factor because 95% of people who buy a tablet will not be rooting it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure I agree with you about oob experience. The Acer and moto were pretty even in that regard, the grid lines were pretty bad IMO. Without tweaking though the edge goes to the iconia because of cost. 95% of the general public won't consider rooting but 95% of xda'rs will.
Sent from Desire HD or Inspire 4G or whatever this thing is called via premium XDA app.
Out of the box the asus was the best. It has dlna and cloud storage. It has built in remote desktop functionalityand it has the best office suite available.
For those that prefer produtivity the dock with keyboard is a definite plus.
I think of these three as a spectrum. Xoom is best built but screen is so so and it is most costly.
Iconia offers all the xoom does in a more affordable package. So i see no reason to get a xoom unless you want knowledge that google will always be supporting and updating its reference tablet.
Asus offers best value and modular configuratioon giving laptop ornetbook functionality. It has the nicest screen so far on a honeycomb tablet as well. Its only drawbackright now is lack of supply and some build quality issues which might be related.
Samsung sounds like it wants to be the ipad of android tablets. For those that dont carle about expansion it will be lightest and thinnest design. But it will carry xoom pricing for the wifi model.
For the masses it will likely be the most populari option as i suspect most tablet buyers want an ipad but dont want to be tied to apple and itunes and want flash in their browsers.
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.
Asus got out of the blocks really fast supporting the TF with bug fixes and updates, but seem to have gone very quiet now. Whilst their response is still leagues ahead of the likes of Samsung, I'm starting to feel a little lingering disappointment that issues most of us are experiencing haven't been addressed as yet, namely Flash acceleration and dock battery drain in my particular case, given how proactive Asus seemed to be just 6 weeks ago.
Specifically, where we seemed to have Asus staff contacting XDA users directly a few weeks ago, I'm not hearing of this any more.
If I *knew* that all our issues were being worked on as part of an update to 3.2, I'd be a lot happier, but if they are Asus could do themselves a massive favour by communicating this to their user base.
So Asus, if you are reading this, a little extra "official" communication can go a very long way! I don't expect miracles, and I understand how long it can take to fix bugs, provide updates, and QA them for release, but the comfort of knowing they are coming is important to the consumer.
Regards,
Dave
foxmeister said:
So Asus, if you are reading this, a little extra "official" communication can go a very long way! I don't expect miracles, and I understand how long it can take to fix bugs, provide updates, and QA them for release, but the comfort of knowing they are coming is important to the consumer.
Regards,
Dave
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Click to collapse
Coudn't agree more, mate. A little official communication from Asus would go a long way at this point.
Cheers,
Rich
it never seems to be enough, is it?
we're miles ahead in terms of updates compared to other honeycomb tablets
yet, we still wanted more... (even though u knew they're gonna come out with 3.2 soon)
what's next, asking jerry shen to officially confirms every updates?
oh well
really sorry if i offend any, cheers
philsuf said:
it never seems to be enough, is it?
we're miles ahead in terms of updates compared to other honeycomb tablets
yet, we still wanted more... (even though u knew they're gonna come out with 3.2 soon)
what's next, asking jerry shen to officially confirms every updates?
oh well
really sorry if i offend any, cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think if people were complaining about minor issues then you may have a point but I think the flash playback is a big problem that needs to be addressed.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
Sad thing is, their so called support which gets "escalated" after 24 hours.. no reply after 1 whole week.
Daley87 said:
I think if people were complaining about minor issues then you may have a point but I think the flash playback is a big problem that needs to be addressed.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thing is, it's basic human nature to believe one's own problems to be big, and the other problems to be minor. Fact of the matter is, Asus has been about the most forthcoming and prompt with fixes of any tablet manufacturer out there, but they can't define Google's release schedule.
I'd hate to penalize Asus for having the most functional and updated Honeycomb tablet simply because they've slowed down in the last few weeks. The bottom line is, although we have some issues, only the 720p Flash issue is comparable to other tablet vendors. The keyboard dock charging issue is a bummer, but it's still unique functionality that nobody else has come close to providing.
Consider that the Xoom still doesn't have microSD card support, and here we are with full host mode support on the dock, both microSD and SD slots supported, two full-size USB ports supporting a wide range of devices (including my Logitech mouse, which is cool). I'd say that's pretty impressive support so far.
My hope is that Asus is working diligently on a killer update to coincide with 3.2, and that will resolve all of the major issues we're currently experiencing. If that comes out by the end of July, or even in early August, then I think Asus is doing a marvelous job of supporting this thing.
I am an eternal pessimist. *IF* they fix Flash video playback. Wifi channels 12-13 in the UK, keyboard lag in the browser, video playback in general (Get rid of judder on video with sound) and possibly better battery performance I will be so much happier. But sadly I don't have that much faith. If they all get fixed in a single update I will eat my hat.
wynand32 said:
I'd hate to penalize Asus for having the most functional and updated Honeycomb tablet simply because they've slowed down in the last few weeks. The bottom line is, although we have some issues, only the 720p Flash issue is comparable to other tablet vendors. The keyboard dock charging issue is a bummer, but it's still unique functionality that nobody else has come close to providing.
Consider that the Xoom still doesn't have microSD card support, and here we are with full host mode support on the dock, both microSD and SD slots supported, two full-size USB ports supporting a wide range of devices (including my Logitech mouse, which is cool). I'd say that's pretty impressive support so far.
My hope is that Asus is working diligently on a killer update to coincide with 3.2, and that will resolve all of the major issues we're currently experiencing. If that comes out by the end of July, or even in early August, then I think Asus is doing a marvelous job of supporting this thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't agree more, when the Xoom has a non-functioning SD slot and the Tab doesn't have one at all I give Asus credit there. Some of the issues are inherent to HC in general, don't have a dock so not aware of a charging issue there except you aren't supposed to charge them together.
Asus hit the floor running with the TF and I couldn't be happier, the Thrive being released will lead them to only step it up even more now.
This is the only thing keeping me hoping. That other tablets being released means they need to fix the problems pronto or lose sales!
Have to agree.
Had the asus pad for 2 days and i am not to happy about it.
I seems a a very beta sw, heavy lag in ui. Tried all the custom roms and no real improvement.
720P movies stutters a lot, even with high oc. (tried a number od players and 720p movies.
Tegra 2 and honeycomb is not up to it.
decepticon said:
Some of the issues are inherent to HC in general, don't have a dock so not aware of a charging issue there except you aren't supposed to charge them together.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine are charging together just fine. Since you don't have a dock, did I miss this in the manual that came with my dock?
syntrix said:
Mine are charging together just fine. Since you don't have a dock, did I miss this in the manual that came with my dock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I don't think that's true. I believe it's designed to charge the tablet first when docked, and then the dock. I suppose you'd not want to charge them together if your objective is to fully charge the dock as quickly as possible...
syntrix said:
Mine are charging together just fine. Since you don't have a dock, did I miss this in the manual that came with my dock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recall reading somewhere that Asus doesn't recommend it. If it works then great, one more benefit to when I get a dock.
wynand32 said:
Yes, I don't think that's true. I believe it's designed to charge the tablet first when docked, and then the dock. I suppose you'd not want to charge them together if your objective is to fully charge the dock as quickly as possible...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems logical to me. What I noticed is that when docked together and plugged in it solely charges the tablet first. Then at around 90% it charges the tablet a lot slower then focuses on charging the dock.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
Had mine 5 weeks, only charge mine via the dock, and use the pad and dock seperate and combined, never had any problems.
As to the constant winging on this forum, its starting to get on my tits. I have been using this site since 2005 under one name or another, it has always been an excellent resource for help and troubleshooting. There is no perfect device, not by Apple or by any manufacturer using android.
This is the first true version of android for tablets, early android phones where terrible but addictive, now they are fast stable and amazing. The fact is) at the moment on an arm based system, the TF is pretty dam good. it is lightening fast compared to non SSD drive devices.
These android devices are not meant to replace PC,s or Macs at this time, maybe win 8 will do that with their tablet versions on arm.
At the moment for a Linux based system device, it pisses all over systems like Ubuntu mainly due to the vast array of possibilities and apps.
Things can only get better. As an early adopter and fan of android, I also have to admit that the I pad is amazing, but I have not touched mine in 5 weeks, the wow factor had me with the I pad, but the eee pad does what I want, couch browsing, news reader, bit of gaming, a little bit of work and wireless printing, and all for me without a glitch or stutter.
PaulGG said:
Had mine 5 weeks, only charge mine via the dock, and use the pad and dock seperate and combined, never had any problems.
As to the constant winging on this forum, its starting to get on my tits. I have been using this site since 2005 under one name or another, it has always been an excellent resource for help and troubleshooting. There is no perfect device, not by Apple or by any manufacturer using android.
This is the first true version of android for tablets, early android phones where terrible but addictive, now they are fast stable and amazing. The fact is) at the moment on an arm based system, the TF is pretty dam good. it is lightening fast compared to non SSD drive devices.
These android devices are not meant to replace PC,s or Macs at this time, maybe win 8 will do that with their tablet versions on arm.
At the moment for a Linux based system device, it pisses all over systems like Ubuntu mainly due to the vast array of possibilities and apps.
Things can only get better. As an early adopter and fan of android, I also have to admit that the I pad is amazing, but I have not touched mine in 5 weeks, the wow factor had me with the I pad, but the eee pad does what I want, couch browsing, news reader, bit of gaming, a little bit of work and wireless printing, and all for me without a glitch or stutter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what we are trying to say is that there is a price to pay for being an early adopter of any new technology and that any bugs will be smoothed out with future android and firmware updates.
Sounds about right to me lets all enjoy what we have got and cross our fingers for everything else.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
I was one of the ones contacted by Asus and am going through the RMA process they offered to do for my tablet and dock. I mailed mine out to them on the 5th using the overnight prepaid code they provided (not usually provided for RMAs) and got a message back on the 7th saying my replacement tablet and dock were on the way to me. Expected delivery to the east coast from California is the 14th. No other info as to if the returned tablet/dock have been tested and problems/solutions found.
wynand32 said:
Yes, I don't think that's true. I believe it's designed to charge the tablet first when docked, and then the dock. I suppose you'd not want to charge them together if your objective is to fully charge the dock as quickly as possible...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could care less about what charges faster while I'm sleeping. Just make sure they are both charged when I wake up.
todders said:
So what we are trying to say is that there is a price to pay for being an early adopter of any new technology and that any bugs will be smoothed out with future android and firmware updates.
Sounds about right to me lets all enjoy what we have got and cross our fingers for everything else.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IOS owners are still testing after all these years, too
So, I currently have a Dell Streak 7. I'm considering moving my tablet business to Asus, because Dell does not seem to be doing anything good right about now. I just got hired at a new job, and hopefully by the end of the month, a Tranformer with a Keyboard will be within reach. I have a few questions.
Firstly, I know there is an Ubuntu build that can be flashed, but to dual-boot it with Android, you need an NVFlashable ROM. Is there an NVFlash of the original ROM, so I can run official Honeycomb and dual-boot with Ubuntu?
Secondly, how good is the build quality of the tablet and keyboard, and how well do they work together? Is the hardware up to spec with the software? If I am spending $600 to run Honeycomb and Ubuntu, I want to make sure that the hardware won't die on me.
Third, I am hoping the performance is good. Considering the keyboard and Ubuntu support, I am planning on using this not just as an Android tablet, but a Linux laptop. Is the performance while running Linux acceptable for daily use, and are there any bugs?
bluesy_92 said:
So, I currently have a Dell Streak 7. I'm considering moving my tablet business to Asus, because Dell does not seem to be doing anything good right about now. I just got hired at a new job, and hopefully by the end of the month, a Tranformer with a Keyboard will be within reach. I have a few questions.
Firstly, I know there is an Ubuntu build that can be flashed, but to dual-boot it with Android, you need an NVFlashable ROM. Is there an NVFlash of the original ROM, so I can run official Honeycomb and dual-boot with Ubuntu?
Secondly, how good is the build quality of the tablet and keyboard, and how well do they work together? Is the hardware up to spec with the software? If I am spending $600 to run Honeycomb and Ubuntu, I want to make sure that the hardware won't die on me.
Third, I am hoping the performance is good. Considering the keyboard and Ubuntu support, I am planning on using this not just as an Android tablet, but a Linux laptop. Is the performance while running Linux acceptable for daily use, and are there any bugs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm wondering this as well.
I was contemplating the same thing before I got mine 1.5 months ago. I planned on replacing my aging eeePC 1005HA with the TF101 + dock, but I currently don't have enough money to buy the dock.
I've used Linux for years and currently use it as my main OS on my desktop, so I love the fact that you can run Ubuntu on the TF (which I haven't tried yet). I was following the dev of it for a little while and unless they changed the process, having a flashable ROM doesn't matter as Ubuntu replaces the recovery partiton (which houses the stock recovery or Clockwork) and not the system partiton (which houses Android). From what I've seen Ubuntu isn't 100% working yet and isn't ready for everyday usage. Prime 1.4 (which is essentially a slightly tweaked honeycomb build) has a flashable blob file, they're currently up to Prime 1.7 although IDK if any blobs exist for it.
The build quality of the TF is generally good, but there are some problems. The bezel may be loose in certain areas (about a 1" section on my top left corner is squeaky), your unit may have minimal or massive lightbleed due to the way IPS screens are backlit (any device with an IPS screen has lightbleed, take a look at the iPad2) someone on here did a poll about lightbleed and 75% of users reported that they had some form of lightbleed, and some users have noticed dust trapped under their glass screen. After 5 weeks of usage I just had to RMA my TF because it didn't want to charge the battery anymore.
The hardware on the TF is great and when coupled with great software it works extremely well, the problem is that Honeycomb is still crappy in some areas. There aren't many apps that truly support tablets and some things just don't perform well (across all Honeycomb devices, not just the TF). The TF has typing lag when using both the virtual and physical keyboard, but that seems to be more of a HC problem. 3.2 fixed a lot of things but Honeycomb isn't perfect by far.
Don't let all of this deter you from getting one though, it's a great device. All of the software problems should be fixed in the coming months when Ice Cream Sandwich is released and hopefully newer batches of the TF will fix some of the quality problems. Even though I had to send it back to get it fixed when it was only 5 weeks old, I still love the damn thing and miss it already!
I love mine. I've had a couple of tablets before, and I think this is the best by far. I'm one of the lucky ones who has no lightbleed(none at all) and no squeaks in the case, but even if I wasn't that lucky, I'd still love it. It's the highest build quality of any of my tablets, and it's super stable(for me at least). The only time I ever have to reboot is to update the firmware, and it lasts in standby for an entire week, with the wifi on(not in power-saver) the entire time. Also, Honeycomb in general is verrrrry nice, compared to my froyo/gingerbread tablets, and I think Asus has made a very good build of it.
I plan to dual boot Ubuntu when they get the touchscreen figured out, but AFAIK, there is no CWM method when dual-booting yet, so NVflash is the way to go. The stock firmware is available in NVflash form, but I think dual-boot will still break the OTA updates.
Alright, now another question. How well does Ubuntu work with the hardware? Will the USB port on the keyboard and external memory on the tablet be recognized? Will the built-in cam be recognized by Ubuntu as a webcam, or made useless? Is there anything else I should know before buying?
bluesy_92 said:
Alright, now another question. How well does Ubuntu work with the hardware? Will the USB port on the keyboard and external memory on the tablet be recognized? Will the built-in cam be recognized by Ubuntu as a webcam, or made useless? Is there anything else I should know before buying?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope that your unit doesnt have locked bootloader (new key) and thus cant root or anything!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1198510
I've been seriously wondering if I should buy an Asus Transformer now that it has been out for a little while.
I don't know if I am too bothered with the 3G model that is to be released soon, as I do not mind just using my mobile phone as a wireless hotspot if I needed to use the internet and I would mainly be in places using this tablet where there is WiFi anyway.
We have a few sitting in the stock room at work and it's so incredibly tempting to get one as I've become smitten with all of the videos and the threads in this forum about it but I'm wondering if I should wait for something better that might come out.
It is a lovely little device though and I am sure I'd be happy to have one. I think I could compare my same situation to choosing my HTC Desire over a HTC Desire HD, although that came down to which telephone network I was using. Vodafone in Australia weren't doing so well (and still aren't as far as I know) and the Desire HD was exclusive to their network but I was convinced to go with the better telephone network and I love my HTC Desire even though it was around a year old after it came out.
Perhaps I just answered my own questions as to whether or not I should get an Asus EEEPad Transformer but I feel as if I need some more convincing from users here and not just Youtube reviews! It seems like a wonderful unit of technology, Bluesy and I am sure that you would be very happy with it. The devs here seem to be working very hard on creating a strong support in relations to customisation for this device so it will only get better. The Ubuntu support for it already astounds me! Haha.
lathanub, I was in the same situation last week, and pondered and wondered what to do. Finally at friday I ordered one myself! There just isnt any other device in same price range to compete with TF and it has all the latest technology in it.
TF 2 will be released Q1/2012 earliest imo, and so much can go wrong on it too with new chip inside. I see no use of 2 extra cores in near future for basic tablet usage, unless you wanna run the latest and greatest 3D games on it etc (I think tablets aint good for serious gaming, casual is ok for me)...
3G is probably coming in months time, but for me constant 3G connection just eats battery for nothing when using WIFI. And I own a MiFi device, that is so small to carry around, when Im not in area with WIFI. 3G is so much slower than any WIFI anyways, so I happily use it instead.
Ofc its finally about you, if you find the tablet useful now. For me, having handy device is priceless atm:
- read email
- twitter
- IM
- surf the net for some minor things
- watch youtube when bored
- watch movies/series when on the road (or waiting in airport like usually)
- read books
etc...
I dont think I need to boot my desktop at home anymore, unless I do serious work. Having ultra fast PC on 24/7 just for email/IM is bit too much....
Guys, do yourself a favor and look for the correct version of dock. B50 docks are horrible! The battery drain on them is at 5% an hour and it defeats the purpose of the dock totally.
Look for a B70 dock and for tablet, look for a no light bleed version but one that is not B70 if you want root - it is a BIG problem with these tablets right now. Rest all are great though. Ubuntu support is good as long as you don't put it on a MicroSD card.
Regarding the hardware issues - buy it at Staples or Best Buy if you are serious about using them for a while and exchange if you get bad batches. I bought online and RMA/Returns are greatly delayed and you have to pay shipping!
kkiran said:
Guys, do yourself a favor and look for the correct version of dock. B50 docks are horrible! The battery drain on them is at 5% an hour and it defeats the purpose of the dock totally.
Look for a B70 dock and for tablet, look for a no light bleed version but one that is not B70 if you want root - it is a BIG problem with these tablets right now. Rest all are great though. Ubuntu support is good as long as you don't put it on a MicroSD card.
Regarding the hardware issues - buy it at Staples or Best Buy if you are serious about using them for a while and exchange if you get bad batches. I bought online and RMA/Returns are greatly delayed and you have to pay shipping!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't call it a "big problem" with the B70s just yet. I have counted about 15 people on the forum and IRC that have successfully NVflashed a B70, and only one person who hasn't, and it hasn't been confirmed that it's due to a different SBK yet. It's something to be aware of, but there's alot of fear-mongering going on too.
My only advice is that, dont compare this to a laptop becuase it's just a *bit* below laptop level. It's great for what it does and not much else. If you're content with that, then you'll definitely love the Transformer.
I can't put the transformer down. Once I found Thumb Keyboard and SwiftKeyX for tablets, it is a dream. I'm out of town for 2 weeks for business and this thing is great. Emails, office doc's, Facebook, twitter, gTalk Video chat, games, Netflix, notes, etc.
My laptop is only on for wifi adhoc connection.
Asus Transformer 3.1 pwnd
www.MiiWiiChat.com
www.SnapSiteAdmins.com
I'm picking one up on Friday. Which store you guys recommend I purchase it from?
Vandam500 said:
I'm picking one up on Friday. Which store you guys recommend I purchase it from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best Buy so you can take it back easily if you want.