Acer Iconia tablet tablet. Review and testing of the Acer Iconia Tab A701 tablet

Not very expensive, but with full Windows 8

More and more Windows 8 tablets continue to enter the market. Moreover, almost all models are not just a tablet, but a hybrid of a tablet and a laptop. At the end of last year, we got acquainted with ASUS VivoTab, and now it’s our turn to look at a similar (in concept) Acer model - Iconia Tab W510.

Let us remind you that the Iconia Tab W510 is not the only Windows 8 model in the Acer catalog. In addition to it, the company released the Iconia Tab W700 - a tablet that, thanks to a stationary docking station, turns into a candy bar (we told you about this model and).

Before we begin a detailed study of the Iconia Tab W510, we will traditionally study the characteristics and compare them with the specifications of competitors. The main competitor of this model is, of course, the ASUS VivoTab TF810C. In addition to it, we included in the table the Sony tablet laptop on Windows 8, as well as the Acer Iconia Tab W700.

	Acer Iconia Tab W510	ASUS VivoTab TF810C	Acer Iconia W700	Sony VAIO Duo 11
Screen	10.1″, IPS, 1366×768 (155 ppi)	11.6″, Super IPS+, 1366×768 (135 ppi)		11.6″, IPS, 1920×1080 (190 ppi)
CPU		Intel Atom Z2760 @1.8 GHz (2 cores, HT and TB support)	Intel Core i3-2365M @1.4 GHz (2 cores, HT support) / Intel Core i5-3317U @1.7 GHz (2 cores, HT and TB support)	Intel Core i3-2365M @1.4 GHz (2 cores, HT support) / Intel Core i7-3517U @1.9 GHz (2 cores, HT and TB support)
GPU	Imagination SGX545	Imagination SGX545	Intel HD 3000/4000	Intel HD 3000/4000
Flash memory	32 or 64 GB	32 or 64 GB + 32 GB cloud storage (for 3 years)	64/128 GB SSD	128 / 256 SSD
Connectors	Micro-HDMI, 3.5mm headset jack, Micro-USB, USB 2.0 (on dock)	Micro-HDMI, 3.5 mm headset jack, two USB 2.0 (on dock)	Micro-HDMI (comes with an adapter to VGA), 3.5 mm headset jack, one USB 3.0 (on the tablet, not available when installed in the docking station) and three USB 3.0 (on the docking station)	HDMI, 3.5 mm headset jack, two USB 3.0, Ethernet, VGA
Memory card support	microSD/SDHC (up to 64 GB)	microSD/SDHC (up to 64 GB)	No	SD/SDHC (up to 64 GB)
RAM	2 GB	2 GB	4 GB	6/8 GB
Cameras		rear (8 MP) and front (2 MP)	rear (photo - 5 MP, video - 1080p) and front (photo - 0.9 MP, video - 720p)	rear (photo - 2.4 MP, video - 1920×1080), front (2.4 MP)
Internet	WiFi	WiFi	WiFi	Wi-Fi, Ethernet
operating system	Microsoft Windows 8	Microsoft Windows 8	Microsoft Windows 8	Microsoft Windows 8
Dimensions* (mm)	259×187×9.9	294×189×8.7	295×191×11.9	320×199×17.9
Weight without and with docking station (g)	567/1267	675/1340	940	1300

* - according to the manufacturer; in the case of ASUS and Acer devices, the thickness is indicated without the docking station.

As we can see, in most respects the Acer Iconia Tab W510 and ASUS VivoTab TF810C are twin brothers. The main difference between the Acer tablet is its smaller diagonal with the same screen resolution. As a result - a smaller mass of the device. In general, among all four models, the characteristics of which are listed in the table, the Acer Iconia Tab W510 is the most compact and affordable (its cost in Russian retail ranges around 24,500 rubles). However, unlike the Sony VAIO Duo 11 and Acer Iconia Tab W700, the W510 is closer to a portable netbook than a full-fledged work computer.

Packaging and equipment

The tablet arrived to us in a massive box that inspires respect for the product.

Inside it are located: the tablet itself, a keyboard dock, a charger, a Micro-USB - USB-host adapter, a cloth for cleaning the screen, as well as a number of user manuals and other paper products (both in the form of booklets and in the form of various leaflets).

For complete happiness, all that is missing is some kind of cover.

Design

Acer Iconia Tab W510 is a representative of the increasingly popular class of “transformable tablet” devices today. Like the ASUS Vivo Tab we recently reviewed, the Acer Iconia Tab W510 consists of two parts: the tablet itself and a keyboard dock equipped with a touchpad, additional connectors and a separate battery.

Let's look at these two components separately.

Tablet

The tablet is quite weighty, but it does not look massive (unlike the ASUS Vivo Tab - however, it has a larger screen diagonal). And when you take the device in your hands, you immediately notice that it has its own style.

Acer designers managed to do what many other manufacturers fail to do - create a tablet that looks quite original. True, for this we had to go against newfangled trends: the tablet body is not thinner towards the edges, and plastic was chosen as the material, not metal.

The back of the device is painted metallic silver. The front edge of the tablet is white. The Acer Iconia Tab W510's style is based on a combination of white and silver-metallic colors.

Most of the connectors are located on the right side of the device. These are Micro-HDMI, Micro-USB, a slot for microSD memory cards, a built-in microphone hole and a speaker grille. In addition, on the right side we see a volume rocker.

The second speaker is located on the left side. And on the top edge there is a Power button, a screen auto-rotate lock lever and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

The bottom edge is occupied by grooves for connecting to a keyboard dock. This includes a connector for connecting a charger.

Dock station

The design of the docking station harmonizes well with the design of the tablet. Its entire body is made of silver-metallic plastic, and the tablet cradle and keyboard buttons are white.

From the connectors on the docking station we see USB 2.0 (on the right) and a connector for connecting a charger.

The keyboard is netbook type. The keys are small - smaller than those of a laptop, and about the same as those of a netbook. There is a Windows button required for devices running Windows 8/RT, as well as a top row of auxiliary keys.

When you connect the tablet to the docking station, the distance between the bottom edge of the tablet and the main part of the docking station body catches your eye: it’s about half a centimeter. It’s a pity that the designers didn’t think of making the cradle transparent: then the effect would have been as if the tablet was floating above the keyboard. But the chosen option is not bad - at least in that it does not try to seem too similar to a regular netbook.

An important feature is the ability to tilt the tablet back (at an angle of 295 degrees) and install it so that the keyboard does not fall into view. In this form it can be used, for example, to watch movies.

Overall, the design of the Acer Iconia Tab W510 made a good impression on us. It cannot be said that the appearance of the device causes delight, but there is certainly no rejection. And the functionality is in order.

Screen

The tablet is equipped with a 10.1-inch diagonal screen with a resolution of 1366×768. As we remember, the ASUS VivoTab screen with the same resolution has a larger diagonal, and therefore a lower density of dots per inch. But how does Acer fare with other screen parameters?

A detailed examination of the screen using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his conclusion.

The tablet's screen is covered with a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface and, judging by the reflection of bright light sources in it, has a weak anti-glare filter. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) and quite effective coating, so fingerprints do not appear as quickly as with regular glass, but are removed more easily.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was 270 cd/m², minimum - 16 cd/m². The maximum brightness is not very high, so to use this tablet outdoors in bright daylight you will have to look for a well-shaded corner. The minimum brightness will allow you to comfortably work with the tablet even in complete darkness. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located in the upper right corner on the screen frame). In complete darkness, the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to a minimum of 120 cd/m² (too much), in an artificially lit office it sets the brightness to 200 cd/m² (acceptable), in a very bright environment it increases to a maximum of 270 cd/m² (as and necessary). At lower brightness, there is no flickering of the backlight.

This tablet uses an IPS matrix, as a result the screen has good viewing angles without inverting shades and without significant color shifts, even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen. True, when the black field deviates diagonally, it brightens greatly and acquires a noticeable purple tint. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field over most of the screen area is good, but in the corners and close to the edge, a local increase in the brightness of the black field is visible in several places. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 31 ms (18 ms on + 13 ms off). The transition between halftones 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 42 ms.

The contrast is typical for IPS matrices - about 750:1. The gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal any blockage in either highlights or shadows, and the approximating power function index is 1.76, which is less than the standard value of 2.2, so images on the screen of this device will generally look a little lighter, in compared to screens that have a standard gamma curve. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates somewhat from the power-law dependence:

Color gamut narrower than sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix’s light filters mix the components with each other. The spectra confirm this:

This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen with the same energy consumption for backlighting. The color temperature balance is good - shades of gray have a color temperature close to 6500 K. The deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) is less than 10 units, which is very good for a consumer device, in addition, delta E changes little over the entire significant part of the scale gray (dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the measurement error at low brightness is large):

In summary, the screen has a good color balance, but this is where its advantages end, since the maximum brightness is not very high, the gamma curve differs from the standard one, the color gamut is narrow and the stability of black in relation to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen is low.

Hardware Configuration Features

The Acer Iconia W510 is based on the same Intel Atom Z2760 chip that we saw in our recent review of the ASUS VivoTab tablet. So it is possible and necessary to compare these devices in terms of implementation details. As you remember, this 32-nanometer chip is not just a processor, but a full-fledged single-chip platform for creating compact and low-power devices with relatively low (for x86 solutions) performance. On the one hand, it has a fully x86-compatible architecture, but on the other hand, it is significantly limited in terms of peripheral buses and controllers, which has a noticeable impact on the products created on its basis.

The Z2760 has two cores and Hyper-Threading support, resulting in four threads. The cores have a dynamic operating frequency - from 600 MHz when there is no load, to 1.8 GHz (Intel Burst mode) when there are resource-intensive tasks. Let us remind you that there is no support for 64-bit extensions and virtualization in this processor model. The tablet's RAM capacity is 2 GB, which is the maximum for this platform. In this model, when loading the operating system without any applications, about 1400 MB remains free, which is probably not bad. However, it’s probably not worth considering the solution to be similar to entry-level desktop systems in terms of performance.

The graphics core is interesting, first of all, because it supports decoding modern video formats and the ability to use a second monitor connected via Micro-HDMI (in modes up to 1080p60). The disadvantages of the core include the lack of support for a frame frequency of 23.976 Hz on the external output, like other Intel processors. When working with an external display via HDMI, you can output digital audio. According to the Windows control panel, this output does not support HDCP and is not capable of outputting multi-channel audio tracks, but stereo is quite functional. For presentations and other mobile applications this will be enough.

From the point of view of 3D graphics, this core should not be taken seriously, although it does support DirectX 9.3, OpenGLES 2.0 and OpenGL 2.1 interfaces. Let us remind you that the chip also has a built-in special unit for working with cameras. The modules installed in the tablet support 8 MP for the rear camera and 2 MP for the front camera. Video recording can be done in FullHD format on any camera (camera tests will be below).

The version of the tablet in question uses a 64 GB eMMC drive as the main system storage. At the same time, it also has a hidden partition for restoring the OS. Taking into account the operating system and the software installed in the basic package, the user is left with about 26 GB. If necessary, you can create a USB disk to restore the OS and delete the corresponding partition (about 11 GB) from the built-in drive. Please note that this tablet has certain restrictions for loading from external drives. Firstly, only UEFI mode is supported, and secondly, “Secure Boot” mode is enabled by default. So it will be more difficult to just take your favorite universal bootable USB flash drive off the shelf and, for example, make a backup copy of the system disk or restore the system after a failure. The speed of the system drive, according to the CrystalDiskMark test, is about 80 MB/s for reading and 20 MB/s for writing. Interestingly, the competitor’s write speed was noticeably higher - about 30 MB/s.

The Acer Iconia W510 also has a microSDHC memory card slot, which allows you to expand the user's data storage capacity. However, the speed of working with cards is not very high - we got figures of 23/12 MB/s for read/write with a SanDisk Ultra 32 GB card. This is another example of the compromise that Intel engineers had to make.

To connect peripheral devices, the SoC has a built-in USB bus controller with two ports. The tablet itself does not have a standard output, only microUSB with OTG support. But the docking station has a regular USB 2.0 port. More precisely, a USB hub is used, to which the keyboard, touchpad and this port are connected. The speed of working with external drives is lower than on a modern PC with an Intel chipset - 25/22 MB/s for reading and writing versus 35/31 MB/s.

The audio system has basic capabilities for working with sound and nothing special can be said about it. The tablet is equipped with two speakers, a built-in microphone on the right side and the ability to connect a headset.

The wireless connection is provided by a Broadcom chip with an SDIO interface, similar to that used in the previously tested tablet. However, in the Acer Iconia W510 it is capable of operating in two bands - both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, which can certainly be considered an advantage of the device. Unfortunately, the speed characteristics remained the same and the maximum that can be obtained from it is a connection of 65 Mbit/s and a real speed of up to 35 Mbit/s with a good relationship between the tablet and the router (ASUS RT-N66U was used in the test). So let us once again complain that for such a high-performance device, the wireless controller is clearly downright weak. The same chip implements a Bluetooth 4.0 controller.

The tablet model in question has a built-in NFC controller on the I2S bus, which is based on a Broadcom chip. There is also a TPM 1.2 module.

In general, in terms of configuration, we see that there are practically no differences from the previously discussed model. It seems that Intel has provided its partners with a basic platform for developing their models and the first devices will be very similar to each other. However, some points are worth paying attention to. Firstly, there is a USB port on the tablet itself. True, it is made in Micro-USB format and requires an additional cable to connect devices. In our opinion, it was still worth trying and installing a “regular” USB. The thickness of the case allows this quite well. Secondly, there is a modification of the device with a built-in 3G module, which can be considered an advantage among similar models. Thirdly, the device’s wireless controller is capable of operating at a frequency of 5 GHz. But let’s not forget about other differences - the screen of the Acer W510 is smaller, it has a “regular” touch module (ASUS has a Wacom with support for a stylus with pressure control), and in addition, the tablet does not have a GPS module.

Performance

Today, tablets with Windows 8 on specially designed SoCs are just beginning to appear, so it is still difficult to assess the prospects of this class of solutions and find competitors for them. In our opinion, the main reason for choosing this option will be the use of “familiar” Windows, and not any speed characteristics. On the other hand, if we try to exclude the OS factor from consideration (although this is almost impossible with complete solutions for end consumers), then we can already try to compare products on some popular tasks for tablets.

Considering that, in terms of its technical characteristics, the Acer W510 can be considered another representative of the basic platform, its performance should not differ much from the previously reviewed ASUS VivoTab TF810C. In particular, the GeekBench 2 multi-platform processor and RAM test on this tablet showed a result of 1387 points (Integer 1560, Floating Point 1392, Memory 1149, Stream 1245). This is slightly lower than the ASUS VivoTab. Unfortunately, the latter was not available to us to double-check the figures, so it is not possible to accurately determine the reasons for this behavior. Options include updated drivers or other settings for the processor frequency control system. As we remember from ultrabooks, to estimate the speed it is not enough to know the name of the processor model, since manufacturers configure its operating modes depending on their implementation of the cooling system and power consumption parameters. So, according to this test, the device is similar to nettops and loses in the overall standings to the best representatives on Android and iOS. In the first case, this is due to the quad-core nature of top-end ARM devices, and in the second, to the significantly higher speed of working with floating point numbers and memory on the Apple A6X.

Testing at SunSpider confirmed that among the “tablet” platforms, the Intel Atom Z2760 looks great. The result at 700 ms is the best among them. But Peacekeeper still gives preference to other solutions - the Z2760 gets only 422 points in it.

The PCMark 7 and 3DMark06 tests (in a resolution of 1280×720), traditional for the Windows/x86 platform, showed results of 1303 and 455 points on the Acer Iconia W510. The first figure practically coincides with that obtained for ASUS VivoTab TF810C, but the second is noticeably higher. In this case, we could again encounter platform optimization or driver updates. Let us remember that these results are at the level of nettops with other Intel Atom models, and ultrabooks in these tests have several times higher performance.

The device copes with “tablet” hits such as Angry Bidrs or Cut the Rope without any problems. The 3D boat racing game Hydro Thunder Hurricane, like the previous model, has obvious performance issues, in addition to low frames per second, sometimes the entire system freezes for a split second. But in Reckless Racing and Riptide GP there were no such situations and the picture can be considered ideal.

Let us remind you that the graphics core supports a maximum of DirectX 9.3, so games that require version 10 or 11 cannot be run on it. To evaluate speed in games, we tested a couple of older projects. Need for Speed: Underground (2003) at 1024x768 at standard settings produces about 20 fps, but sometimes the speed drops to 13-15 fps, and Worms 3D (also 2003) shows about 40 fps in matrix resolution.

As for video playback, the standard Windows 8 player can work with H.264 in hardware, which allows the processor to reduce the frequency to 1 GHz in this scenario, but for some reason it cannot handle VC-1 and MPEG2 (this applies to both Windows Media Player , and the player for the Metro interface). At the same time, MPC-HC easily copes with the “acceleration” of these two formats (up to 25% load at 1.4 GHz), but produces a “broken” picture on H.264. So a user who requires versatility will have to spend time selecting and configuring players. Although this of course does not apply to the tablet in question, but to the current version of the platform.

Concluding this section, let's summarize the testing results. The Acer Iconia W510 tablet is comparable in performance to nettops and other devices based on Intel Atom chips. You can use a wide range of x86 Windows programs on it, but you still need to take into account the limited resources of the device. So the Internet, office, casual games - all this is quite workable. However, for professional photo processing, computing tasks, modern 3D games and other resource-intensive programs, it is better to look at more powerful devices.

Comparing the model with tablets on other software platforms is quite difficult. But in general, we see that the W510 is clearly no worse than the best representatives of the world of Android and iOS, and it implements typical scenarios for using a tablet in terms of performance very well.

Operating system and applications

The tablet has the Windows 8 operating system installed. We told you in detail our impressions of this OS in the ASUS VivoTab TF810C review, so we won’t repeat it. We only note that all claims remain valid. Windows 8 still gives the impression of a largely experimental OS - primarily due to the meager selection of applications in the Store, as well as the imperfections of the pre-installed applications. For example, there are practically no settings in the Video application. Moreover, it does not support MKV files.

And the problem with games is still the same: in the four months since the announcement of Windows 8, Microsoft has not been able to ensure that any serious number of really cool gaming hits are available in the Store. And it’s unlikely that it will be very comfortable to play regular games for Windows 7 on a configuration like the Acer Iconia Tab W510.

As a plus, we note that Acer, firstly, designed the OS desktop in its corporate style, and secondly, pre-installed the Acer Explorer application, which is designed to help manage other applications. It also contains a user manual and a list of recommended applications. In general, the presence of Acer Explorer should make it easier for its owner, who is encountering Windows 8 for the first time, to get acquainted with the new device.

Autonomous operation

As we remember, ASUS VivoTab turned out to be a real record holder for battery life. The Acer Iconia Tab W510 doesn't break any records, but it demonstrates a very decent level of autonomy. Let us remind you that this tablet has two batteries: one in the tablet itself, the second in the keyboard dock. The battery in the tablet itself is about twice as capacious as in the docking station. Its charge is enough for about 7 hours of playing YouTube videos through the Internet Explorer browser - at maximum screen brightness. Connecting the dock with a fully charged battery will provide approximately three and a half more hours of video playback. Thus, in total the tablet will last about 10.5 hours, which is very good.

True, the main “battery eater” is the screen. Therefore, even if you just leave the tablet turned on (of course, automatic screen shutdown when inactive should be disabled) and don’t run anything on it, the battery life will not increase very much: you can count on a maximum of 11 and a half hours. If you reduce the brightness to a medium value, then the tablet with a keyboard dock can last up to 14 hours.

The remaining battery life is indicated in the lower right corner, and there is both information separately for each battery and the overall percentage of charge.

Camera

As befits a top-end tablet, the new product is equipped with two cameras. The front one is designed for video communication and has a resolution of 2 megapixels. The rear camera - with a resolution of 8 megapixels - is designed for taking photos and videos. Let's look at examples of photographs taken by her.

In the smaller version, the photo looks very decent, the colors are natural, and the clarity is sufficient.

However, if you look at the original in 100% form, you will have to admit that clarity is still lost in the background. This is clearly visible in the fragment presented above.

The tablet coped with shooting a page of text under daylight - text and numbers are visible everywhere, although we have seen much better results from cameras of similar resolution.

The rear camera shoots video with Full HD resolution and very decent, almost flawless (for devices of this type) quality. The 31-second video, shot on the rear camera of the Acer iconia Tab W510, can be downloaded (MP4 format, size 57.7 MB).

Note that by default the video is shot at 720p resolution, so to get Full HD, you need to go to the application settings in advance. It’s the same with photos (they are taken by default with a ridiculous resolution of 0.9 megapixels).

conclusions

Acer Iconia Tab W510 is a nice hybrid tablet and netbook based on Windows 8, the main competitor of the ASUS VivoTab TF810C. Moreover, despite the significantly lower cost (less than 20 thousand rubles for a model with 32 GB of memory and a docking station included), it cannot be said that the Acer Iconia Tab W510 is fundamentally worse than the ASUS model. Yes, it has shorter battery life and a smaller screen, but the screen resolution is the same (which means the dots per inch density is higher), and the built-in Wi-Fi modem can operate at 5 GHz, unlike ASUS. As for the hardware platform, here both devices are on par.

Of course, ASUS VivoTab is more aimed at professionals: this is evidenced not only by a more capacious battery and O The device has a larger diagonal, but also such a specific feature as support for Wacom pen input technology, which makes this device interesting for designers, artists, and architects. The Acer tablet is more focused on mobile and non-professional use: it is lighter, more compact, and more affordable.

At the same time, we still note that Windows 8 still requires some work in terms of applications for the new tiled interface. But on the other hand, you can safely use the usual programs for Windows 7, work in Microsoft Office (which, however, is not included in the package) and do other things that people used to do on netbooks.

I conia Tab W series are multimedia tablets that perform a variety of tasks. They have everything that will help the user in work and at leisure. The Acer Iconia Tab W500 will handle office applications perfectly. In your free time, you can use your tablet to watch videos or play. In general, such a device has important advantages - the ability to connect a keyboard and the proprietary Acer Ring application, which will help simplify your work.

Specifications

CPU:	AMD Dual-Core C50 1000 MHz
RAM:	2 GB DDR3
Data storage:	32 GB SSD storage
Display:	10.1 "1280x800 WXGA LED capacitive, multi-touch
Video card:	AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6250M
Wireless connection:	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0+HS
Interfaces:	4xUSB2.0, connectors for flash and SIM cards, HDMI, card reader for SD/MMC cards
Additionally:	front and rear 1.3 MP webcam, sound with support for Dolby Advanced Audio v2
Battery:	lithium-ion 3260 mAh
Dimensions, weight:	280x210x16 mm, 970 g (without docking station)
Operating system:	Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit

Design

The tablet is made of plastic. Yes, exactly from it, and not from metal, as it might seem at first glance. Whatever one may say, the texture of the surfaces is very similar to polished aluminum. However, this in no way detracts from the advantages of the tablet - it is durable and reliable. The plastic has a nice steel color.

But what’s most surprising is the tablet’s ability to easily transform into a full-fledged 10-inch laptop using a docking station.

Accordingly, although the tablet looks similar to its counterparts, it is still more suitable for convertible laptops. In order for the transformation into a laptop to take place, you do not have to perform any complex operations. It will be enough to attach a docking station to the tablet. This is possible due to a special holder.

The front part of the Acer Iconia Tab W500 is the screen itself. It is edged with a black frame and distinguishes several simultaneous touches.

Display and sound

The Acer Iconia Tab W500 laptop tablet is equipped with a small 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. It is worth adding that the WXGA LCD capacitive screen has an aspect ratio of 16:10 and LED backlighting. Consequently, it will be possible to work comfortably and view videos and photos, both in landscape mode and in portrait mode with a sufficient brightness level (326 nits).

It is worth adding that the display has optimal viewing angles. They cannot be called wide, but they are relatively stable and if the image dims when tilting the display, it is only a little. To be honest, the image clarity in fairly bright lighting is not enough. Most likely, this occurs due to the glossy surface and thick protective “glass”. In principle, this problem can be solved. You need to adjust the brightness yourself rather than rely on the light sensor. But the contrast is simply stunning. At 881:1 you will be able to see natural colors.

But not only this will attract attention, but the ability of the touch display to instantly respond to the slightest touch. The screen supports multi-touch technology, but, unfortunately, removing or zooming in on an image does not happen smoothly, but in jerks.

On the display frame, as well as on the back side, there is a built-in 1.3-megapixel Acer Crystal Eye webcam.

The front camera is designed for video calls, the rear one is for photos and videos.

The acoustic system consists of two stereo speakers combined with Dolby Advanced Audio v2 technology to create quite high-quality sound. The sound volume is enough even for a small room.

Keyboard and touchpad

Essentially, the Acer Iconia Tab W500 tablet does not have a physical keyboard. But by connecting a docking station that has a QWERTY keyboard, you can type freely.

This keyboard is built on the island principle. All buttons are located at the optimal distance from each other, so hitting adjacent keys will be rare. In operation, the buttons are practically inaudible, despite the fairly clear feedback. Moreover, there is no flex in the keyboard area.

In addition to the physical keyboard, you can display a virtual one. It will be convenient to work. By the way, the keyboard size can be increased or decreased.

As for positioning, the miniature Acer FineTrack point stick will cope with this task perfectly. It is located in the center of the keyboard and will help control the cursor. The mini-joystick buttons are located almost on the front end, so you will need to get used to using them. Moreover, they are pressed with noticeable force.

There is no touchpad as such. There wasn't enough room for him.

Processor and equipment

The tablet comes with a pre-installed 32-bit Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. True, most users will be surprised, since such a mobile system is not typical for most such devices. Be that as it may, Home Premium has excellent functionality, and its interface is clear and accessible.

Acer Iconia Tab W500 is built on the basis of an energy-efficient AMD Dual-Core C50 processor with a clock frequency of 1 GHz. This CPU, although not very fast or powerful, can still handle most complex tasks. The Radeon HD 6250 graphics accelerator helps him in this.

The processor is complemented by 2 GB of DDR3 RAM, which will provide good performance when solving everyday office tasks.

Data can be stored on a solid-state SSD drive. It has a sufficient capacity of 32 GB to accommodate the required data. By the way, SSD is characterized by increased durability and performance.

The graphics system of the Acer Iconia Tab W500 is represented by an AMD Mobility Radeon HD 6250M video card. It uses 256 MB of dynamic memory and has good performance in working with office applications. For games, the video core is rather weak, but it is possible that you can play games such as FIFA 11, Sims 3 at medium settings.

Ports and communications

The interfaces in the device are located both on the tablet itself and on the docking station.

On the left side of the tablet there is a built-in card reader for SD/MMC cards and a digital HDMI port, with which you can transmit a signal to an external monitor. Also on the left you can see the power button and a headphone jack.
There are two USB 2.0 ports at the bottom of the device.

The docking station itself makes it possible to connect peripheral equipment via two USB 2.0 interfaces. In addition, there is an RJ-45 network controller connector. There are connectors for flash and SIM cards; they are hidden and located behind plastic plugs.

On the right side of the tablet there is only a charging socket.

Communications in the laptop are represented not only by a Wi-Fi wireless adapter standard 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0+HS. It is possible to work on the Internet using 3G broadband (UMTS). True, for now as an option.

I would like to note one more feature of the tablet. It comes pre-installed with a special data exchange system, Acer clear.fi. Using this technology, you can share media content within your home network.

Battery

The tablet comes with a 3-section rechargeable battery with a capacity of 3260 mAh. With its help, the Iconia Tab W500 will work without recharging for about three and a half hours at maximum load. The battery charge will last for an hour and a half more when working in reading mode. Provided that in addition to working with office documents, the browser will work and the owner will view websites, the battery will last for 4 hours.

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Conclusion

To summarize, I would like to note that a laptop-tablet is a pretty good solution. It has an excellent display that not only responds to touch, but is also quite bright and contrasty. A set of ports will expand the functionality of the Acer Iconia Tab W500. If you need to work, you can quickly and easily connect a docking station that houses a standard keyboard.

It is worth noting that the subnotebook is perfect for work and leisure. Considering that the tablet is no larger than a regular magazine, you can use the Acer Iconia Tab W500 on trips. In general, be always in touch.

There is a tablet computer in almost every home, just as once upon a time in every home you could find a system unit with a monitor. Tablets managed to win over a large part of the market, since no one needs large and noisy machines when the bulk of their needs are met by much more compact devices.

At the same time, like computers, tablets quickly lost popularity; they no longer inspire delight and are bought as bedside gadgets (to watch a movie in the evening or let a child play with). In this regard, expensive and advanced devices like the iPad are gradually loosening their grip. Most budget devices are enough. One of these tablets will be discussed in this review - Acer Iconia Tab A1 811.

Equipment

In the box from the device, in addition to the gadget itself, there is a small brochure. In fact, instructions that are suitable only for those who have never used such gadgets at all, and even then they are unlikely to be useful.

Also included are: a charger (a unit for connecting to the mains) and a USB cable (for charging and synchronizing with a computer).

Unfortunately, the box did not contain any cases, headphones, or other accessories.

Fortunately, all this stuff is easy to find on the Internet. The tablet was quite popular in its time, and the hardworking Chinese riveted a lot of accessories suitable specifically for it. Cases, protective films, all kinds of stands, styluses - in general, everything your heart desires.

Device design

Dimensions: 209 x 147 x 11 millimeters.

The Acer Iconia Tab A1 811 tablet has a classic design. The body is made of ordinary “soft-touch” plastic. The case is not very strong, prone to contamination, and slightly loose.

The gadget turned out to be quite thick, almost 12 millimeters, and its weight is 430 grams, which is not bad for a device of this size. The frames around the display are a little disappointing; they are too massive compared to what users of modern devices are used to seeing. The same iPad mini looks much more compact. At the same time, the frames save you from accidental clicks and have a positive effect on your grip, thanks to them the tablet lies in your hands more confidently.

Device display

On the front panel of the Acer Iconia Tab A1 811 tablet there is a 7.9-inch diagonal display panel. The display is not of high quality, despite the fact that it uses an IPS matrix. The picture is not calibrated, color rendition suffers greatly, and the resolution is not impressive, only 1024 x 768 pixels (dots per inch - 160).

The display is covered with glossy glass, which is in no way protected from glare (on a bright sunny day, seeing anything on the device will be an almost impossible task, not to mention direct sunlight).

The touchscreen of the 811 cannot be called “wooden,” but at the same time it often confuses positioning, responds with a delay or does not respond at all, which is especially noticeable when typing and playing games. It is designed to reduce smudges on the display panel and make it easy to remove fingerprints from it.

Device performance and memory

The heart of the device is the famous Chinese chip from MediaTek - MT8389. The processor operates with four cores, two of which are high-performance, used in games and complex programs, and the remaining two are energy-efficient, used in light applications and in standby mode. The processor clock speed reaches acceleration up to 1200 Megahertz.

Also hidden under the cover of the gadget are 1 gigabyte of RAM and 8 gigabytes of main memory (in the Acer Iconia Tab A1 811 8gb version). Most of the main memory is occupied by the operating system, fortunately the situation is smoothed out by the presence of support for MicroSDHC memory cards up to 32 gigabytes. It is important to note that in Android version 4, work with memory cards has not yet been established, so you can only store documents, photos, music on it, but you cannot install software.

Graphics processing is handled by the PowerVR SGX554, which has proven itself in premium devices such as the iPhone.

Performance should generally be sufficient for most simple tasks. You should not try to play complex games on this tablet; they will either not start at all, or will run with extremely low frame rates and frequent freezes. Such a small amount of RAM greatly contributes to the unloading of programs, which means that they will be launched anew each time (this process takes time, therefore, the tablet will work very slowly).

Device autonomy

The Acer Iconia Tab A1 811 3g is equipped with a rather modest battery. The battery capacity was only 4960 milliampere/hour, which can provide no more than 7 hours of operation (at average load).

The operating time depends entirely on how the gadget is used, on network coverage (if a cellular module is used), on running applications, and the use of geolocation services (GPS).

Image quality

The camera is far from the most important aspect of a tablet computer, and it is pointless to hope for luxurious photos with it. The Acer Iconia Tab A1 811 has two cameras. The main (rear) with a resolution of 5 megapixels and the secondary (front) with a resolution of 0.3 megapixels. Both cameras perform rather a utilitarian function.

Using the main camera, you can take a photo for your notebook or scan a document. The front camera is suitable for video calls (selfie fans have nothing to do with it). No autofocus. For some reason, the developers decided not to add such a function, which significantly aggravates the situation and greatly spoils the impression of using the camera.

operating system

The entire line, including the Acer Iconia Tab 811 and others, runs on the 4th generation Android, named after KitKat chocolate bars. Today the platform is outdated and significantly inferior to more modern versions. Some applications (both standard and sold in the Play Store) are not supported, but supported versions can be downloaded on the Internet and from other repositories.

This version of the software has made a serious leap in terms of performance, which allows the tablet to work quite smoothly and quickly, despite the not-so-powerful hardware under the hood. Another important point is the adaptation of the interface to large displays. This version also significantly reduces power consumption, which has a positive effect on the operating time of the device.

The system has a set of pre-installed “software” from Google, as well as from partners. The first one cannot but rejoice, since the software from Google is of good quality and pleases with its functionality. The second is very disappointing, since third-party, pre-installed “software” only takes up space and rarely turns out to be useful (considering that most of it is demo versions of low-grade games).

Wireless and wired interfaces

The device has a number of standard wireless interfaces. These include: Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth version 4.0, as well as support for 3G mobile networks. Unfortunately, the tablet does not work with 4th generation networks (LTE), which for many may be a decisive factor due to the large difference in speed between 3rd and 4th generation networks.

Another important feature of the device is support for microHDMI, which significantly expands the multimedia capabilities for the subject of this review. It is possible to seamlessly transfer images from the tablet to a TV or display with HDMI support.

If you have an OTG cable, you can connect all kinds of peripherals to the tablet. For example, if you like to type on a full-size physical keyboard, you can easily connect it to this tablet. The same goes for gamepads; they also work great with this model.

Acer Iconia Tab A1 811: reviews

The main advantage of the device is the price. Users evaluate a tablet based on its cost, which makes the evaluation less objective.

One of the advantages of the device is a properly functioning GPS, since many users purchase such gadgets as a replacement for navigation ones.

Many people like to use their tablet as a phone. It can actually receive calls and send SMS, which makes it even more functional.

They also speak positively about the battery, which can withstand a full working day (of course, it all depends on the individual user, but the fact remains a fact).

The gadget also had unexpected shortcomings, such as a very weak Wi-Fi signal and mobile networks. Compared to similar devices, the Acer Iconia Tab A1 811 maintains a connection much worse, often losing it altogether.

Well, the common problem for everyone is a weak camera, incapable of creating more or less decent photographs.

Another serious problem is the existing batch of tablets with broken power controllers that can destroy the battery (discharge it to zero, without the ability to charge it on its own).

Some users were able to connect a USB modem with a SIM card to the tablet.

Interestingly, for this device, it is not at all difficult to find spare parts, including the display. In the event of a breakdown, most of the spare parts can be easily purchased on the Internet and replaced yourself (such work should only be carried out with full confidence in your competence, otherwise you should turn to professionals).

Prices

The gadget belongs to the category of budget devices, therefore it pleases with its price. The tablet can be purchased for less than 8 thousand rubles. The latest price in the Svyaznoy store for Acer Iconia Tab A1 811 8gb 3G stopped at 6,250 rubles.

Instead of a conclusion

This product from Acer seems completely nondescript and rather boring, but a good home tablet is a tool for solving life's problems and should not be too colorful. The company focused on user experience for the largest possible audience and accessibility of the device.

Essentially, this is an ideal device for those who want to own a tablet computer, use it for work or school, but have a modest budget.

The tablet arrived to us in a huge, dense, light gray package, the dimensions of which (440x235x125 mm) would make many shoe boxes jealous. But before I tell you what is included in the complete kit, it is necessary to explain what options and specifications there are.

The most affordable version of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 will cost 25,000 rubles. For this money you buy a tablet with an Intel Core i3 processor and a 64 GB SSD drive, and you get a cover as a gift. A complete tablet with a Core i3+64 GB SSD will cost 28,000 rubles, and for 35,000 a tablet version with a Core i5+128 GB SSD and a complete set is available.

The complete set includes:

• Tablet
• AC charger
• HDMI-VGA adapter
• Docking station with stand
• Bluetooth keyboard
• Case
• Several DVDs (!?) for system recovery

Each item is neatly packed into cardboard compartments. However, after unpacking the entire box, I could not find a place for the leg from the docking station, since it has a curved shape and therefore practically does not fit anywhere with ease. Memories surfaced: as a child, I disassembled the telescope, but could not put it back together correctly. I think everyone has had such situations :)

Positioning

After the release of the eighth version of Microsoft Windows, almost all companies related to the production of tablets and laptops rushed to release their devices on this operating system. It seems to me that this is absolutely the right step, since there are more and more gadgets with touch screens: laptops are gradually being replaced by ultrabooks, and those, in turn, by tablets, on which “Win8” looks more logical than on desktops and non-touch “laptops”. Using Windows on tablets has become much more comfortable, since you can’t miss the huge and bright tiles, and to close the application, you no longer have to be a sniper, hitting a tiny cross.

Unfortunately, it is still difficult to determine the audience that will benefit from a tablet computer: Android or iOS tablets are suitable for home use - they are lighter in weight, smaller in size, practically do not heat up and do not make noise. You won’t be able to play on the “Win-tablet” either – the fillings are still very weak. Offices typically have desktop computers. As an option, use a Windows 8 tablet while traveling to perform specific tasks. Or, for example, for students who do not need to edit documents frequently, but would prefer to have applications such as AutoCAD, MathCAD and other unique programs compatible only with Microsoft OS. However, the question arises of the cost of such “pills”. Students need something cheap and cheerful, and for most students in universities, 25–35 thousand rubles is a lot of money.

In general, I think that currently the positioning of such gadgets is somewhat blurred.

Design, dimensions, control elements

Network adapter. It consists of a cable with a plug (length - 100 mm, diameter - 6.5 mm) and an adapter itself (dimensions 88x65x21 mm) with a one and a half meter cable (diameter 3.5 mm) for connecting to the device. Input – 100-240 V, 1.6 A, output – 19 V, 3.42 A. Model: PA-1650-80.

Keyboard. Made from silver painted plastic. Dimensions – 286x130x7 mm (at the thickest point – 16 mm). There are only 66 keys. Made of white plastic. Each size is 9x9x2 mm. They are spaced 3 mm apart. They have a clear click and a short stroke. Together with batteries, the device weighs about 400 grams.

On the top of the front panel there are two indicators: battery charge and operation. A little to the right is a mechanical on/off switch. On the back side there are four black rubberized feet, a “Connect” button (used to reconnect the keyboard) and a compartment for two AAA batteries.

Function buttons F1, F2, F3 ..., F12 are called by the combinations FN+Q, FN+W, FN+E..., FN+“]”.

Dock station. It is a plastic box with dimensions 300x270x30 mm. The model is called V1JV1. The inside and back are white, the front side is silver. On the left inside there are special connectors for power and USB. Additionally, there are three USB ports. At the bottom there are two cutouts for speakers. The tablet is inserted from right to left until it locks into place. To ensure a stable position of the docking station on a horizontal surface, you must insert a plastic foot at the back.

Tablet. Frankly speaking, I didn’t expect that Acer could make such a cool and stylish case for an ordinary tablet. It is made almost entirely of unpainted aluminum with a slightly rough matte surface. The feeling is very pleasant. The shape is familiar - a rectangle with slightly rounded edges. On the back there is a milky plastic insert. Behind it, apparently, there are antennas for wireless interfaces.

Since the body design is monolithic (“unibody”), there are no complaints about the assembly: nothing plays, does not creak, and even with strong twisting it does not crunch. After using the W700 for a month, only a few shallow scratches appeared on its surface. The screen is protected by durable glass (according to some information – Gorilla Glass 2). By the way, there is a thin black rubberized strip running along the edge of the display. As far as I understand, it has two important functions: first, since it is slightly raised, it protects the front side from damage; the second is shock-absorbing properties, i.e. when hitting the body, it reduces the impact of contact between metal and glass. Fingerprints remain on the screen and are difficult to erase, and due to the fact that the surface is mirrored, the marks are very noticeable.

The dimensions of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 tablet are 295 x 192 x 12 mm, and the weight is 940 grams. That is, you need to understand that the device is not small and not at all light, you can’t just read books or documents on the subway, and after 10-15 minutes your hand gets tired. The W700 cannot be called a bedside device either: personally, in such a situation, I find it more convenient to use a 650 g “tablet” from Apple or some even lighter plastic Samsung.

On the front panel there is a peephole for the front camera and a small indicator of its operation, at the bottom there is a mechanical “Start” button (dimensions 20x6x1mm). It is quite tight, so you have to press hard. Designed to return to the start screen or launch the previous application.

On the bottom edge there are two speakers, hidden under six holes on each side and covered with a red metal grille. In the center is a hardware reset button for the device.

Standard 3.5 mm audio output for headphones, volume rocker key and power button with indicator. They rise slightly above the body, are easy to feel with your fingers, and the movement is small.

On the top edge there are two grilles for removing warm air (active cooling system) and a non-fixed (moves to the side and returns to its original position) mechanical screen orientation lock.

The power socket, full-size USB port, microHDMI and a second microphone are on the left side.

On the back side on the left there is a camera eye and a small LED indicating its operation.

Overall, the Acer W700 has a very nice ergonomic design, presentable appearance and classy body materials.

Acer W700 and Samsung Note II

Display

The display diagonal of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 tablet is 11.6 inches. Its physical size is 256x144 mm, aspect ratio is 16x9, the resolution is quite high for such a diagonal - 1920x1080 pixels, while the density is 189 pixels per inch. It uses a high-quality CineCrystal IPS matrix. The sensitivity and accuracy of calibration are at a high level, the touch layer handles up to 10 simultaneous touches.

The viewing angles are maximum, the picture is not distorted at all, the brightness remains almost unchanged even at significant tilts of the screen. Brightness is adjustable over a wide range: from approximately 30 cd/m2 to 340 cd/m2. Naturally, there is a light sensor that adjusts the brightness quite smoothly and quickly. The contrast is approximately 950:1.

All screen settings are familiar to Windows.

Acer W700 display viewing angles

Battery

The tablet has a 3-cell lithium polymer (Li-Pol) battery with a capacity of 4850 mAh. Maximum power supply – 65 W. The developer does not provide any data on autonomy. I used the tablet in different modes with different screen brightness. On average, the tablet “lived” for about 10 hours: brightness at 50%, synchronization of mail and Twitter turned on, every hour I browsed websites for 20-30 minutes, used the menu, launched office documents. In Internet surfing mode, the device worked for about 8 hours - this is approximately 40% of the screen brightness, and all synchronization was turned on. If you want to watch a movie (HD 720p, sound output to headphones), then count on 5 hours at maximum brightness and about two hours if you are stuck with not the most resource-intensive toys. However, I tested the W700 on Need For Speed ​​Most Wanted. With NFS, the battery died after 1.5 hours (maximum brightness, sound output to speakers).

The most interesting thing is that the W700 stayed in “sleep” mode for about two weeks and did not discharge one percent.

I can’t say that the figures are amazing, but almost all Android tablets often have shorter battery life. I would compare the autonomy of the Acer Iconia Tab W700 with the Apple iPad 4, of course, if you don’t “strain” the first one 100%.

Communication capabilities

The device is equipped with wireless technologies Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4 / 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0. Both controllers operate on a Qualcomm Atheros chip (AR5BMD222) with a PCIe x1 interface.

During testing, no glitches were observed: the Internet via Wi-Fi reliably reached the tablet, and the keyboard via Bluetooth functioned without problems.

Memory

Unfortunately, the Acer W700 is not equipped with a card reader, and there is only one USB input. Those. Having connected a USB flash drive, you will have to wait with other devices.

The storage device is a high-speed 128 GB SSD from Toshiba. The model is called THNSNS128GMCP. 24-nanometer flash memory is used, interface SATA-III 6 Gbit/s, consumption – 3.9 W. Brief technical characteristics:

• Maximum read speed: just over 400 MB/s
• Maximum write speed: just over 230 MB/s

Crystal Disk Mark test

HD Tune Pro test

The device has 4 GB of RAM (dual-channel DDR3 SDRAM, 1333 MHz).

Camera

The device was equipped with two camera modules: the main one is 5 MP, the front one is 0.9 MP. The maximum photo resolution is 2592x1944 pixels, video is 1920x1080 pixels at 10 frames per second.

The photo quality is mediocre, comparable to budget phones. There is automatic focusing and there is manual focusing. The minimum distance to the object is 30 mm. The W700 does not record video any better: it zooms in a lot, the number of frames is only 10, the sound is gurgling and like coming from a barrel.

But I liked the front camera. It is quite suitable for communication on Skype.

There are few camera settings:

• Permission
• Stabilization
• Brightness
• Contrast
• Focus (auto, manual)
• Exposition

Video camera settings:

• Resolution (from 240p to 1080p)
• Stabilization
• Brightness
• Contrast
• Focus (auto, manual)
• Exposition

Video file characteristics:

• File Format: 3GP
• Video codec: AVC, 10 Mbit/s
• Resolution: 1920x1080, 10 fps
• Audio codec: AAC, 132 Kbps
• Channels: 2 channel, 44 kHz

Number of Cores	2
Number of threads	4
Clock frequency	1.7 GHz
Maximum clock speed with Turbo Boost technology	2.6 GHz
Intel® Smart Cache Technology	3 MB
Core to Bus Ratio	17
DMI	5 GT/s
Command set	64-bit
Command Set Extensions	AVX
Available options for embedded systems	No
Lithography	22 nm
Max. calc. power	17 W

The performance index gives the device 5.4 points, the minimum value, which, naturally, is scored by the graphics accelerator. The processor is rated at 6.9 points, memory - 5.9, graphics in games - 6.3, and hard drive - 8.1.

CPU-Z data

The graphics accelerator is also the familiar integrated graphics of the Ivy Bridge processor line - Intel HD Graphics 4000. Compared to the Intel HD Graphics 3000, the HD4000 has been redesigned and offers DirectX 11 capabilities. Theoretically, it can show performance 60% higher than the HD3000.

I think that neither the processor nor the video card really needs a wide introduction. For those who are interested, the following data: the game Mass Effect 3 (low quality) at a resolution of 1366x768 produces 23 - 33 frames per second, Dirt 3 (low quality) - 22 - 28 frames per second, Deus EX HR - 19 - 31 fps , Battlefield 3 – about 25 fps. In general, you can play the game, in principle, but at minimum settings and low resolution.

There are no problems when decoding FullHD video: videos are played back smoothly without the slightest lag.

As for noise, frankly speaking, even in the heaviest applications the coolers were not overclocked enough to be audible. Well, yes, there was a warm breeze.

Performance Test CPU

Performance Test 2D

Performance Test 3D

Performance Test Memory

Performance Test SSD

PCMark 7 test

Software platform

The Acer Iconia Tab W700 tablet runs on the Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit operating system. I will not express my impression of the OS, since this is a purely subjective opinion. Overall, pretty and nimble, but not always intuitive and logical.

An additional interesting feature was the proprietary original graphic design for viewing photos, videos, documents and managing wireless interfaces. In order to launch this interface, you need to touch the screen with all fingers of one hand.

I would rate the volume of the built-in speakers as 4 out of 5: at a distance of two meters you can hear well, you don’t have to strain your ears. The quality is adequate, considering that this is a tablet.

Conclusion

Regular bulky laptops are gradually being replaced by lightweight ultrabooks with the same hardware, and over time they will be replaced by even lighter tablets. I love the current trend of making mobile devices easier to use, and touchscreens have played a big role in this. However, now a turning point has come when we already have powerful tablet computers, but they are still relatively large for comfortable use in any situation. Therefore, I believe that such devices are difficult to classify and clearly define the circle of consumers.

I liked the Acer Iconia Tab W700 gadget, first of all, for its appearance, body materials and high-quality screen. There are probably no negative aspects. If you think otherwise, please leave a comment, I’ll be happy to read it.

Specifications
Operating system
Operating system	Windows 8
Processor and chipset
CPU Manufacturer	Intel
Processor type	Core i5
Processor model	i5-3317U
CPU frequency	1.70 GHz
CPU core	Dual core (2 cores)
Cache	3 MB
64-bit processing	Yes
Hyper-Threading	Yes
Chipset Manufacturer	Intel
Chipset model	HM77 Express
Memory
Standard memory	4 GB
Memory module technology	DDR3 SDRAM
Memory card reader	No
Data storage
SSD Capacity	128 GB
SSD Interface	SATA/300
Optical drive type	No
Screen and graphics adapter
Screen type	Active Matrix TFT Color LCD Screen
Screen technology	CineCrystal
Screen Format	16:9
Screen mode	Full HD
Screen resolution	1920 x 1080
Matrix backlight technology	LED
Touch screen	Yes
Multi-touch screen	Yes
Graphics controller manufacturer	Intel
Graphics controller model	HD 4000
Graphics memory technology	DDR3 SDRAM
Graphics memory availability	General
TV card	No
Network and communications
WiFi	Yes
Wi-Fi adapter manufacturer	Atheros
Wi-Fi standard	IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth	Yes
Interfaces/ports
HDMI	Yes
Input Devices
Keyboard type	Touch keyboard
Keyboard	Yes
Positioning device type	TouchPad
Embedded devices
Microphone	Yes
Fingerprint reader	No
Software
operating system	Windows 8
Operating system architecture	64-bit
Battery information
Number of sections	3-section
Battery chemistry	Lithium-Polymer
Battery capacity	4850 mAh
Power supply
Maximum supply voltage	65 W
physical characteristics
Form factor	Hybrid tablet
Height	11.9 mm
Width	295.0 mm
Depth	191.0 mm

Roman Belykh (

Last year, Acer became one of the first manufacturers to enter the market with a tablet running Android Honeycomb, and it was very successful right away (unlike Motorola). The Iconia Tab A500, thanks to its functional design and low price, became one of the hits of 2011. In the fall, Acer strengthened its position by releasing a 3G version of this model (A501), as well as a seven-inch tablet, but also with Android Honeycomb (A100).

In 2012, Acer continues the same strategy (which could be roughly called “faster and cheaper”) and releases the first tablet on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich - the Iconia Tab A200. Today we will meet him.

But first, our already traditional plate with the characteristics of the hero of the article and its closest competitors. In addition to the two most attractive tablets of the new year - Apple iPad and ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime - we decided to include Acer's future flagship - Iconia Tab A510 in the table. It has already gone on sale in North America, and is about to be released here.

	Acer Iconia Tab A200	ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime	The New iPad	Acer Iconia Tab A510
Screen	10.1″, *VA, 1280×800	10.1″, Super IPS+, 1280×800	IPS, 9.7″, 2048×1536	10.1″; 1280×800
SoC (processor)	NVIDIA Tegra 2 @1 GHz (2 cores, ARM Cortex-A9		Apple A5X @1 GHz (2 cores, ARM Cortex-A9)	NVIDIA Tegra 3 @1.4 GHz (4 cores + 1 auxiliary, ARM Cortex-A9
GPU	GeForce GPU	GeForce ULP	PowerVR SGX543MP4	GeForce ULP
Flash memory	from 8 to 32 GB	32 or 64 GB	from 16 to 64 GB	32 GB
Connectors	USB (host), Micro-USB, 3.5 mm headphone jack	Micro-HDMI, Dock Connector, 3.5mm Headphone Jack	dock connector, 3.5 mm headphone jack	Micro-USB, Micro-HDMI, 3.5 mm headphone jack
Memory card support	microSD (up to 32 GB)	microSD (up to 32 GB)	No	microSD (up to 32 GB)
RAM	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB
Cameras	front (2 MP)	front (8 MP) and rear (2 MP)	rear (5 MP; video shooting - 1920×1080), front (0.3 MP)	front (1 MP)
Internet	WiFi	WiFi	Wi-Fi (optional - 3G and 4G LTE)	WiFi
operating system	Google Android 4.0	Google Android 3.2 (upgrade to Android 4.0 available)	Apple iOS 5.1	Google Android 4.0
Dimensions (mm)*	260×175×12.4	263×180.8×8.3	241.2×185.7×9.4	259×175×10.5
Weight (g)	703	586	652	698*
Price**	N/A(0)	N/A(0)	$599 (US)	17990 rubles

* - according to the manufacturer
** - for Acer Iconia Tab A200 tablets (maximum amount of flash memory) and ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime (32 GB of flash memory) the current average price in Moscow is indicated (dynamically updated); The New iPad (32GB storage capacity) and Acer Iconia Tab A510 are listed at MSRP.

Well, several conclusions can be drawn from comparing the characteristics. Firstly, it is obvious that the Iconia Tab A200 belongs to a lower price segment than the flagship models from ASUS and Apple. Secondly, it's certainly less attractive than the Iconia Tab A510 (due to the fact that it runs on Tegra 2 rather than Tegra 3, and also because it lacks an HDMI output). But this must be compensated by the price.

Thirdly, the Iconia Tab A200 retains the main features of the A500, but there are some differences. The main positive difference is Android 4.0 instead of Android 3.0. And the main negatives are the lack of an HDMI output and a rear camera. Well, we’ll find out the details upon closer examination of the device, which is what we’ll proceed to.

Packaging and equipment

Acer loves big boxes. In this case, the packaging really impresses with its size.

Inside we find the tablet itself, a fold-out (card-like) user manual, a charger, a Micro-USB - USB cable, an international device passport (for travelers), as well as booklets about safety precautions and warranty conditions.

Design

The tablet is massive and heavy. This is, without a doubt, a “male” model. And although it is a little lighter than the Acer Iconia Tab A500, the first thought when you pick up the A200 is still “it’s heavy!” Although, objectively speaking, it is not that much heavier than its competitors (the same The New iPad).

The general contours and main design elements are clearly taken from the Iconia Tab A500: rounded corners, tapering top and bottom edges, speakers at the bottom of the back cover.

However, the case material is different from that of the A500. This is rubberized soft-touch plastic, very pleasant to the touch, and in addition, does not collect fingerprints and micro-scratches.

The placement of the connectors is different from the A500. The charger connector is located on the right side.

There are no connectors on the bottom and top edges, but on top there is a volume rocker and a screen lock lever.

The main set of connectors and slots is located on the left side. This is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a full-fledged USB-host for connecting peripherals and external drives, Micro-USB for connecting the tablet to a computer. In addition, on the left side we see the Power button and a lid, under which there is a slot for a microSD memory card and a Reset hole.

Please note that the lid is very difficult to open. Even if you pry it with your fingernail, you won’t be able to open it - you need to use improvised means such as a knife, paper clip, etc.

It is worth noting that the tablet does not have a dock connector (which was present in the A500) and an HDMI output. The last one is really sad.

Screen

The actual size of the sides of the usable screen area is 21.7 cm and 13.6 cm. The diagonal is 25.6 cm (10 inches).

A detailed examination of the screen using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his conclusion.

The tablet's screen is covered with a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, and, judging by the reflection of bright light sources in it, it does not have an anti-glare filter. There is no special oleophobic coating on the outer surface of the screen, so fingerprints are relatively difficult to remove.

With manual brightness control, its maximum value was 222 cd/m2, minimum - 27 cd/m2. As a result, at maximum brightness in bright daylight it will be possible to see something on the screen, but not without some strain, and minimum brightness will allow you to comfortably use the tablet even in complete darkness. There is no automatic brightness adjustment. The brightness is changed using pulse-width modulation with a high frequency of 990 Hz, so the flickering of the backlight is not visible at reduced brightness.

This tablet uses a *VA type matrix, as a result the screen has very good viewing angles without inverting shades, even with large deviations of the view from perpendicular to the screen. True, there is a color shift; for example, with a not very large deviation, pure red color becomes noticeably closer to orange. When deviated diagonally, the black field is lightened slightly and does not acquire a noticeable color tint. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is very good. Due to the fact that even at maximum brightness the backlight is modulated, it is not possible to accurately determine the response time. The gamma curve constructed using 32 points did not reveal a significant roll in either the highlights or the shadows, and the index of the approximating power function turned out to be 2.32, which is quite close to the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve coincides well with the power function addiction.

The contrast is very high - 1600:1. The color gamut is noticeably narrower than sRGB:

The spectra confirm this:

Apparently, the matrix filters slightly mix the components with each other. This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen with the same energy consumption for backlighting. The balance in color temperature is not outstanding - shades of gray have a color temperature above 6500 K, which also changes noticeably when moving from white to dark shades of gray. However, the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) is relatively small.

The screen is not very bright, which may prevent you from using the tablet outdoors during the day, but the tablet is perfect for watching movies, since the type of matrix used differs from any, even the most advanced IPS, in that it has a slight diagonal highlighting of the black field and high contrast.

We also note that the screen sometimes reacts quite strangely to touch. In particular, it was very difficult to play Shadowgun: you click to shoot, but for some reason the camera position changes... or you make some touches, but the tablet does not react... Perhaps this is a software problem, but maybe it’s the screen not very responsive.

Platform

The tablet runs on the good old NVIDIA Tegra 2. In principle, the performance and functionality of this system on a chip is well known to us. But, nevertheless, we will perform a set of our standard tests.

In Quadrant Standard, the tablet demonstrated a normal “average” result - 1974 points. At the same time, we note that many Tegra 2 tablets were left a little behind (for example, Sony Tablet S and Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet).

The result in SunSpider 0.9.1 is also without any surprises: 2160 ms.

* Here and below for ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime are the test results on the latest firmware version (the operating system has been updated to Android ICS). The results of this tablet in SunSpider 0.9.1 on the original firmware with Android 3.2 were better.

In the processor test, the Super Pi performed better than the ASUS Eee Pad Slider on the same SoC, but it is still far from the Tegra 3 results.

The table below shows the results of all three tablets, rounded to the nearest 1 second.

In the comprehensive AnTuTu Benchmark 2.7.3, the tablet scored 4927 points, which is close to the results of other Tegra 2 tablets.

The result in the multi-platform GeekBench, which measures CPU and RAM performance, is again predictable.

And finally, the results of the graphics subsystem performance in NenaMark2 (v2.2).

Of course, at the moment the performance of Tegra 2 seems to be insufficient. In particular, this tablet, even with hardware acceleration enabled (in Dice Player), was unable to play a 720p MKV file without stuttering. But, however, this is quite enough for the smooth operation of the Android 4.0 interface, as well as for games of last year.

Operating system and applications

The tablet comes with Android 4.0 OS pre-installed. However, Acer made its own shell. More precisely, not even a full-fledged shell, but additional widgets.

Firstly, it is a widget that shows time, date and weather. Secondly, a special widget called by the round yellow-green button in the center of the bottom bar. The widget is a translucent ball, on the right side of which thumbnails of sites added to favorites are displayed, and on the left side there is a volume control scale. In the center of the circle itself there is a button that causes a search on the tablet, and next to it there are icons for taking a screenshot, Gallery, Settings and Browser.

Apparently, this set of icons cannot be changed. As for this widget as a whole, I would not call it very useful, although some users may think otherwise.

Of the pre-installed programs, Astro is worth noting. It includes a file manager, a backup tool, and a task killer.

There is also a SoundHound service for streaming music, Internet radio AUPEO!, HW Solitaire SE (Solitaire game), LumiRead reader, McAfee VirusScan Mobile antivirus and Acer's proprietary utility for organizing media files - clear.fi. There is also an office suite called Documents To Go, but, alas, only in a trial version (more precisely, a free version that only allows you to view, but not create and edit documents). And here we saved...

The general impression of the software is this: they paid attention to this, tried to make it convenient for the user, but did not provide anything really valuable (such as a full-featured office suite).

Autonomous operation

Unfortunately, AnTuTu Tester was not installed on the tablet (for some reason it does not work on tablets with Android 4), so there will be no synthetic tests of battery life. But there will be practical tests.

First, video playback. True, again, not quite according to our method, since the 720p video that we have been using lately was very slow on the tablet. Therefore, I had to put the video at 480p. With the screen brightness set to maximum (the only comfortable mode, in our opinion) and the sound volume sufficient to watch a movie with headphones, the tablet worked for about 7 hours. Wi-Fi was turned off. The result is not bad, but not outstanding either.

As for games, you can play Angry Birds Space (the screen brightness is again at maximum, but Wi-Fi is on and the sound is off) for about four and a half hours - five hours. Not brilliant either, although quite acceptable.

Camera

Unlike its predecessor - the Iconia Tab A500 - the new product has only one camera: the front one. There is no rear camera.

The front camera has a resolution of 2 megapixels and is designed for video communication.

conclusions

Acer Iconia Tab A200 is a solid, but slightly outdated tablet. Even the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS doesn't save you from the feeling that this device should have come out last year. True, last year there wouldn’t have been much sense from the A200, because if not for Android 4, this A200 could have been called just a slightly tuned version of the Iconia Tab A500. Although... even with Android 4.0 it is still a slightly tuned A500, not functionally superior to it in any way, since A500 owners have already had the opportunity to upgrade to Android 4.0.

In all the main parameters, we have a typical average: a system on the NVIDIA Tegra 2 chip (no longer a leader, but not a complete outsider), average battery life, average screen (not IPS, but not TN, with good viewing angles, but with not the most saturated colors and not the highest resolution). I liked the design, which differs from the A500, although it is also not for everyone: the tablet is heavy (by today's standards) and not at all thin.

Perhaps, if such a tablet had been released by a lesser-known company, it would have been completely lost against the background of more ambitious competitors. But Acer has a name and reputation, including in the young tablet market - the company performed very well last year. Therefore, the successor to the popular A500 will certainly not go unnoticed. But in order for people not only to look at it, but also to buy it, the main thing is required: an adequate price. The price declared by the manufacturer of 14,990 rubles for the 16 GB model seems to us too high and not conducive to good sales. Let me explain why. The Acer Iconia Tab A500 had the same price at launch (later it even dropped a little). But at that time, Tegra 2 and a 10-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x800 were the top level. In addition, it was the first tablet to run Android 3.0. Therefore, this price looked extremely attractive. Today Tegra 2 and a resolution of 1280x800 are by no means a top level. Therefore, asking for the same money for a middling model as for a flagship a year ago is at least strange. However, something tells us that this price will soon drop significantly, since the Acer Iconia Tab A510 will go on sale. Let us remind you that it will have three significant advantages: firstly, Tegra 3 instead of Tegra 2, secondly, an HDMI output, and thirdly, a significantly larger battery (9800 mAh instead of 3260 mAh). At the same time, the recommended price for the version with 32 GB of flash memory will be only 2,000 rubles higher than for the A200 with the same amount of memory. We will definitely test this model, and we cannot yet evaluate it, but judging by the characteristics, with a price difference of 2000 rubles, I would definitely recommend the A510. Most likely, Acer understands this, so with a high probability we can predict that immediately after the release of the A510, the price of the A200 will be reduced so that the difference with the A510 is at least 5-6 thousand. And then this model will really be attractive.