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Journalism of Courage
Acers new tablet range tries to be different
Never one to miss out on an opportunity to tighten its grip on the computer market,Acer recently launched a handful of tablets under the Iconia series,led by the10-inch A500,running on the new Android Honeycomb 3.0,and the Windows-based W500. So are the new operating systems any good for tablets?
Iconia A500
Though the same size as the iPad,the A500 is a bit bulkier. There is a power button on the side,but there is no home button on the bezel something you get used to after some time with an iPad. When the screen is on,the home button is always there at the bottom,flanked by back and tab buttons. The tab button is really good. It shows the applications you have just opened or are working in the background.
Like the Motorola Xoom,the A500 sports the Honeycomb 3.0,the first Android version built primarily for tablets. And the OS is a welcome relief. For it does not look anything like the Android devices we have been dabbling with for the past couple of years. The Honeycomb is much more fluid and doesnt let apps take over all the real estate. Since the icons are smaller,the homescreens look much neater.
The A500 runs on the NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core 1.0 GHz processor and can play HD video files without any problem. The sound is real good,for this is the first tablet to have Dolby Mobile audio built in,handy if you wish to use it for watching movies or playing games.
The 5MP camera on the rear is supported by a dial-like interface that lets you easily alter settings and implement tweaks. The front camera is just 2MP,but is good enough for video chats.
Though we are yet to see the 3G version,browsing is one of the pluses of A500 as it supports Flash 10.1,something the iPad just refuses to do. Its other USP is the input options. It has a microSD slot along with USB and micro USB which no other tablet will give you. Though the tablet recognises and plays content from the microSD card,it can read content only from a pen drive using the USB port. Seems the next software update will fix this.
Though NemoPlayer and other apps make it easy to browse through tons of content,I found there was no way you could delete files from the tablet,which was quite frustrating. The tablet also unnecessarily retains thumbnails of all content loaded to it,unless you clear the memory from settings.
The battery on the A500 cant give the iPads 10 hours,but is good enough for six to eight hours,depending on what you are using it for. The 16GB A500 sells for Rs 27,990.
W500
The W500 is a surprise package all the way. The first surprise,a good one,is when you open the box to find a netbook-size keyboard bundled with the tablet. This slot-locked keyboard is definitely a welcome addition for those who get easily frustrated with the touch interface.
The next surprise was not that good. I was expecting my first encounter with a Windows tablet to be a new experience. Instead,I was staring at Windows 7,which just responded to touch. So there is nothing for me to write about the OS,weve all seen Windows 7.
But on the flip side,those used to Windows will have no trouble using this tablet. The only new thing here is the neat handwriting recognition software which augments the regular touchpad. And take my word,it works really well. Since this is a Windows tablet,there is a Windows button on the frame which opens up the programme menu. In addition to the power and volume buttons on the side,there is an orientation lock button,which I suggest you keep on for most of the time as the tablet takes its own sweet time to switch from horizontal to vertical.
There is no micro USB,but the W500 can read content from a USB and micro SD card slot. There is an HDMI port too. The good thing here is that being a Windows device,you dont have to bother about software or compatibility. You can directly plug in any USB device and play content. And for once,I didnt have to depend on Wi-Fi with a tablet,for I could run the internet using Tata Photon without any trouble.
I have used many tablets,but never before have I watched a full movie on one. Even I am surprised that I finally achieved this with a Windows tablet,maybe it was the familiarity quotient that let me do it,along with the excellent sound and video. There is a small irritant though. Every time you touch the screen,a small circle,or star,appears to show where you have made contact its the Acers unique UI at work.
For those of you still thinking of buying a netbook,I suggest you give the W500 some serious thought. Here is a full-function netbook that can become a handy tablet if you want it to be. Hope you are okay with the Rs 32,499 price tag.
