If you’re already familiar with Windows 7, and would like some continuity in your choice of tablet, then the Acer Iconia is the only feasible choice on the market today. But aside from the fact that it runs on the Windows operating system, is this really the tablet you should spend your hard earned cash on?
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Key Specs For The Acer Iconia
* Costs $449
* Released in 2011
* Runs on Windows 7
* 7.48 x 10.83 x 0.63 inches in size
* Weighs 2.14 lb. / 0.97 kg
* 10.1 inch screen
* 1024 x 768 resolution
* 32GB storage space
* AMD C-50 1 GHz processor
* Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity
* 1.3 MP cameras
* 6 hour battery
What’s Great About The Acer Iconia?
Screen: The Acer Iconia looks and feels surprisingly good, with bold colors. Although it’s not an HD screen, HD videos look great. You do have to make sure your finger touches are very precise, however, which could take a little getting used to.
Sound: As far as tablets go, the Iconia features a good set of speakers. That said, no tablet speakers are designed for perfect sound quality, so you’ll want a good quality set of earphones if you want to enjoy your music or movies in all their glory.
Ease of Use: The screen works well to get to where you want to go, and many users will be happy that a more high-end tablet finally features Windows 7. If you’re used to using Windows 7 and its applications then you’ll be glad to find a tablet that provides some continuity between tablet and your standard computer.
Keyboard Attachment: One of the real benefits of the Iconia comes from the add-on that’ll turn your tablet into a small laptop. It attaches to the base of the device and makes it extremely easy to type on your keyboard. Perfect for anyone who’d like to work on their tablet like a laptop computer, typing emails or documents with ease (though bear in mind that the accessory will cost you more money).
SD Slot: Having a full-sized SD slot is a great addition for many. Most of the tablets that do feature a slot choose to include a micro-SD slot instead. Although the latter is good for adding external memory, it’s not compatible with most camera memory cards. Having a full SD card slot means you can transfer photos from your camera directly (and you can purchase an adapter if you’d like the ability to use micro-SD cards, too).
USB 2.0: There are two USB 2.0 ports on the Acer Iconia, which is useful for connecting external peripherals or storage (this is especially important for users with a lot of files – see below).
What’s Not So Great About The Acer Iconia?
On Screen Keyboard: Although no on-screen keyboard is perfect, and it’s always easier to type on a physical version, there have been many complaints about the Iconia’s virtual keyboard. This is bad news for people who can’t afford the extra keyboard attachment!
Storage Space: 32GB is by no means a bad option for hard disk size, but you need to know that Windows 7 takes up a lot of space on the tablet – far more than Google Android or Apple iOS. You’ll only really be left with just over 19GB of space for your own files!
19GB will be enough for some music and a lot of apps, but if you like to store movies or have a particularly big music library you’ll probably find this very limiting (especially as there are no higher storage options available to buy). The good news is that you can expand the storage space with an SD card, or by plugging in a USB storage device.
Cameras: The camera quality isn’t the best on this device, with both the front and the rear-facing cameras coming in at 1.3 megapixels. This is unusual since most tablets go for a higher quality camera at the back.
Battery Life: Unfortunately, the battery life isn’t great on the Iconia and it simply can’t compete with the best competitors on the market. The advertised six hours still means you can get a lot of out of the device, but many testers have confirmed that it usually lasts for more like four hours.
Size/ Weight: This really isn’t a lightweight tablet, and there’s no getting around it. There are far lighter and slimmer tablets on the market. As such, this doesn’t feel as comfortable in your hands. Again, this is another situation where the added keyboard dock is going to make the tablet a lot easier to use.
Conclusion
The best thing that this tablet has going for it is that it’s a relatively high-end Windows 7 tablet – the only one available. If you’re looking for other Windows tablets, you’re going to find it difficult to find many decent options. Unfortunately, there are some big disadvantages to the Acer Iconia. If you’re looking for something more user friendly and still good value for money then you might consider an Android tablet, such as the Xoom or Galaxy Tab, instead.
