Despite not being famous, awesome
performance…
When people talk about tablets, you
generally hear two names more than any others: Apple and Samsung. The
prevalence of the iPad and Galaxy devices are not dissuading other
manufacturers, though. We’ve actually reviewed more tablets from other
manufacturers that Apple and Samsung combined here at Gladget. And we’re about
to add another to that list.
Acer are well known for their portable
computing devices, at least in the form of the Aspire notebooks that they
produce. They’re also known, to a slightly lesser degree, for other computing
bits and bobs, like monitors. But they’re not really reputed for their tablet
devices. Their experience in mobility shows, however, in the Iconia Tab. And it
gives other, more prominent tab brands a run for their money.
Acer
Iconia Tab
At the core of the device is an Nvidia
Tegra dual core GPU that chugs along at 1GHz. Nvidia aren’t really well known
for anything other than their GPU devices, but this CPU does the job admirably.
Supporting that is 1GB of RAM, as well as 32GB of internal storage. Thus far,
it sounds good, but nothing there necessarily sets this 10.1 inch tablet apart
from the competition. The most noticeable difference is that it is a bit
bulkier and slightly heavier than other devices.
But this bulk and weight comes with perks.
Not many tablets can boast the level of connectivity that this Android device
offers. Ports, for example, include a mini-HDMI output, as well as a USB port,
in addition to the expected inputs and outputs. The device is also mini-SD
compatible, so it offers expandable memory. Even down to the rotation lock
switch (an extremely handy feature, let me tell you) the Iconia offers the user
a lot.
And it is obviously fully supported by the
Android App service, which makes a lot of sense in South Africa (where Apple
offerings are still a little lacklustre in those terms.)
The device powers on and off very quickly,
and the screen is extremely responsive, in addition to being very clear.
Connectivity comes by way of Blue Tooth,
WiFi and multiple cellular bands, including HSDPA, Edge and GPRS. The device is
even GPS ready (meaning that is has GPS support, which will kick in provided
you have access).
It may not have specs that match up to the
latest competitive offerings, but you could do far worse than the Iconia. Its
responsiveness is excellent, and the expandable memory (not to mention added
connectivity in physical terms) provide things that many competitors do not.
Yes, it may be a bit harder to carry around, but the added bulk and weight are
not that great as to make it an unviable option. In fact, it’s a very decent
option indeed.
At a
glance
Summary
It may be a bit bigger and heavier, but the performance and
versatility it offers make up for that
Tech Specs:
§
1 GHz CPU
§
1GB RAM
§
32GB storage
§
HSDPA/ EDGE/ GPRS
§
10.1 inch
§
Micro-SD compatible
Manufacturer: Acer
RRP: Approx. $918
Pros: Very responsive, Lots of
connection, Options, Expandable storage
Cons: Bigger, Heavier
Score: 88
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