We've witnessed 7-inch tablets before, however the type receives a producer new spin using the Acer Iconia Tab A100. Acer manages to pack in an extremely slew of ports and slots in an extremely well-designed, compact model. The A100 also arrives about getting the very first 7-inch tablet with Android 3.2, on top of that to the very first from the big producer to strike a sub-$350 retailing price — many thanks partly to commencing with just 8GB of storage.
The A100 arrives in different flavors. The 8GB models, dubbed A100-07u08u and A100-07u08w (sold in Walmart only), will retailing price $330, even although the 16GB A100-07u16u expenses $350. even although the minimal on-board storage space could be an problem to some, all types possess a microSD card slot, which means you can expand potential at will, by as a good offer as 32GB.
Acer A100: Specs and Design
Acer took its time to take the A100 to market, and that additional time exhibits by method of within of the sturdy pattern of the tablet, which, a good offer like Acer's bigger (10.1-inch display) Iconia Tab A500, was initially slated for just about any spring release.
But especially where the A500's pattern and hardware disappointed, the A100 does the opposite, delivering, inside the whole, a refreshingly good experience.
The A100's main specs possess a common ring to them: a 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra a few of processor, 1GB of memory, and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. But this could possibly be the very first Tegra a few of tablet using a 7-inch display. And it's the very first tablet, 7-inch or otherwise, with Android 3.2 Honeycomb. This most latest edition of Honeycomb have been optimized to help different display sizes, and also to create it simpler for developers to pattern for different display sizes. previous its multi-screen-size support, Honeycomb is largely unchanged from edition 3.1.
A amount of other pieces caught my eye. The electronic camera specs are beefier than what's on countless tablets: The A100 features a 5-megapixel rear-facing electronic camera with LED flash, as well as a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.
Most notable, though, is this tablet's amazing complement of ports and slots. Along the bottom borders (when holding the tablet in portrait orientation), you have an Micro-HDMI port, docking connector, and microUSB port, flanked with the tablet's stereo speakers. on the much most ideal bottom could possibly be the AC energy port. Just up along probably the most ideal borders within of the tablet (or top, if holding it in landscape orientation) could possibly be the sturdily developed slot include that safeguards the microSD card slot. (It also appears to possess an lodging in place for just about any SIM card for just about any lasting attached edition within of the tablet, but that slot was closed away on our evaluation unit.)
This connectivity is every one of the much more amazing even although you look at that Acer crams individuals ports to the A100 without any exceeding the actual dimension and pounds of competing 7-inch tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi on top of that to the HTC Flyer / Sprint Evo look at 4G.
The A100 actions half-an-inch thick, effectively the identical as Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi on top of that to the HTC Flyer, however the A100 features a lightly contoured pattern that offers it the effect of seeming slimmer compared to Tab. The Acer tablet is slightly lengthier compared to Galaxy Tab 7-inch, although the show dimension and resolution will be the identical (1024 by 600 resolution, 16:10 element ratio). Its dimensions log in at 7.7 by 4.6 inches, in comparison using the Galaxy Tab at 7.5 by 4.7 inches.
Its pounds is 0.92 pound, practically the identical since the HTC Flyer, and merely a little bit much over Samsung's 0.85 pound.
In extended use, I found out the A100 amazingly relaxing to hold, specifically in one-handed operation. The harmony of its inner components really produces it really feel as once the A100 is lighter than possibly Galaxy Tab or HTC Flyer — a pleasant shock offered anything else how the A100 packs in.
The energy key inside the best within of the equipment is well-defined and fast to press. The rotation lock, just above the total amount rocker along probably the most ideal side, is similarly as fast to proceed (not frequently the situation with lock switches, and yes, I'm looking at you, Apple). a terrific touch: the total amount rocker logically switches which key is “up” centered on how you're holding the tablet. toward probably the most ideal within of the energy key sits the headphone jack.
In fact, the only pattern guffaw was the inclusion of the capacitive-touch home button, centered below the display. That actual key is just not required with Honeycomb (which has an on-screen home button), and, even although I occasionally tapped it for convenience, I also found out its touch sensitivity developed it surprisingly fast to accidentally invoke the key even although casually holding the tablet.
I found out the A100's show getting a satisfaction to view. there is a minimal oxygen gap, so I found out the display a little bit simpler to read. Oddly, in spite within of the tighter gap between cyrstal glass and underlying LCD, the tablet's viewing angle was much lower than spectacular: I found out Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi simpler to research from off-center angles. I could see faint traces within of the touch overlay's grid lines, but they experienced been nowhere as overt or distracting as inside the A100's huge sibling, the A500.
Text onscreen generally arrived out crisp and fast to read. But I say mostly, since the come upon depended amazingly a good offer inside the app i experienced been in. For example, the Amazon Kindle for Tablets app didn't look to master uncover how to think about advantage within of the display real estate property in Honeycomb on the 7-inch display; and as such, text message looked smaller. The Kindle app hadn't been optimized for 3.2 at this writing, though, and that may maybe account to the app's baffled visual appeal (and crashes).
Colors looked good, too, with much better detail and saturation than inside the HTC Flyer, but pictures even now weren't as sharp as they are inside the 7-inch Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi, and flesh tones lacked the cozy browns which they ought have had. Furthermore, pictures with text message arrived out to endure inside the A100: On our Web-page screenshot, text message was fuzzy and never as crisp since it absolutely was on Android 2.2 inside the Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi.
We'll have much more to say concerning the show the instant we finish off operating the A100 by method of our gauntlet of tests.
On the lab tests we've completed, the earlier returns are generally promising. The A100 was between our best performers in its Web-page fill times, also it finished our SunSpider 0.9.1 JavaScript Benchmark evaluate in 2.1 seconds, producing it between the quickest tablets we've attempted (only the Iconia Tab A500 scored better, at 1.9 seconds). it absolutely was also between the quickest at booting up from the chilly start, requiring just 23.9 seconds to go from dim to an Android screen. however it absolutely was between the pokiest tablets on GLBenchmark 2.0.3 (and there, it only finished one of our two tests).
Acer says the tablet will last as a good offer as 4.5 several hours all through 720p film playback; we'll update this evaluation with battery lifestyle tests, and much more from PCWorld Labs, when we have our complete results.
One much more phase worth noting concerning the A100 is its reasonably awesome audio tracks output. offered its small size, I didn't have considerable expectations to the built-in speakers, even although I count the stereo speakers inside the similarly sized RIM BlackBerry PlayBook tablet between one of probably the most beneficial on any tablet today. The A100 didn't can be found near toward the fullness within of the PlayBook, however it absolutely was even now surprisingly awesome on my evaluate tracks. audio tracks piped by method of basic earbud headphones sounded even much better — well-balanced, with awesome midtones. Acer incorporates Dolby cellular into its A100, just since it do using the A500. The Dolby cellular audio tracks choice arrives enabled by default, and Acer says the engineering will require to extend bass response and improve considerable frequencies.
Software, Android 3.2, on top of that to the A100
Really, Android 3.2 appears and feels like Android 3.0 and 3.1. There's not really a whole great offer that's obviously different inside the outside. Google's apps usually behave similarly in an extremely 7-inch display as in an extremely 10.1-inch screen. Honeycomb undoubtedly produces sense, even on the scaled-down tablet; native apps like Mail and Gmail can really consider much better advantage within of the display, as in comparison using the not-ready-for-tablet Android 2.2, found out inside the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab Wi-Fi.
But I also observed that Android 3.x Honeycomb's common structure, and specifically its navigation soft-keys, experienced been much more bothersome inside the scaled-down display. since the navigational buttons are frequently present on screen, they in turn rob images, for example, of useful display real estate; pictures are resized in an extremely way especially where they don't consider up the whole show — a specific thing that arrives about on bigger Honeycomb tablets, too, but is every one of the much more painfully apparent on the 7-inch display than on the 10.1-inch screen. This may maybe account for why text message pictures looked so poorly, for instance.
Rather than rework the Android interface, Acer instead offers handy apps to aggregate like apps. Preinstalled inside the tablet are apps for: eReading, Games, Social, and Multimedia; within of every app may maybe be considered a bookshelf metaphor, for coordinating apps you choose to add.
Acer also resources several other apps: SocialJogger, which means you can sustain keep track of of Facebook and Twitter in one place; Acer's individual Planner calendaring app; a advertising Server app; Clear.fi, for DLNA streaming; Nemo Player, for film and stills; MusicA, for identifying what's playing; HW Solitaire SE; Astro document manager; docs to Go, for viewing ms Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe pdf file files; and Adobe Flash 10.3.
As pointed out earlier, Amazon's Kindle app for tablets gave me grief. however it wasn't the only app on Android 3.2 that crashed on my unit: It's worth noting that within of the 5 randomly selected tablet-optimized apps I loaded, only one didn't give me one of Android's fabled "Force Close" errors. This, coupled with my come upon using the Kindle app, produces me wonder about Android 3.2's stability, and whether or not the troubles lie using the working method itself, or with apps that should be retested and tweaked for operating on Android 3.2. offered that there's so small time previous to this fall's start within of the much-anticipated unified working method for tablets and phones, Android's Ice lotion Sandwich, it's amazingly very likely that app developers may maybe punt on optimizing for tablets for now, knowing that the different founded of methods should certainly be coming at them shortly enough for Ice lotion Sandwich.
Accessories
As is common with tablet releases, Acer strategies to provide different accessories, which consists of a form-fit wallet-style situation with an adjustable kickstand for $30, a full-size wireless keyboard for $70, and an IR dock with an exterior speaker relationship for $80.
Bottom Line
The Acer Iconia Tab A100 forges new soil for innovation in an extremely 7-inch tablet. With its feature-laden, however useful pattern and compact size, the A100 has the products to provide a modestly sized choice toward the 10-inch type of tablets. Android 3.2 appears to possess some tough spots, though, and app compatibility may maybe be an problem right up until app makers and search engines like google can problem the ideal firmware updates.
Acer laptop battery
Acer Aspire AS1410-2954 battery
Acer Aspire Timeline AS1810T-352G25n battery
