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Anxiously waiting to get something similar in a Windows 8 tablet.

"The one disappointment about the Acer A700 is its size and weight. It comes in at 1.47 poundsâ€Â"just 0.01 more than the current iPad, and about 0.2 pounds heavier than some of the lighter Android tablets of the same screen size. And it's 0.06 inches thicker than the iPad."

You're kidding me, right!? In real-life practice no one would be able to tell, not even Chuck Norris.

Aside from that, great article. Unfortunately, the only way other tablet manufacturers will be able to compete with iPad is to offer more spec-wise at a significantly lower price point. Too many people assume that Apple is better and never take the time to do actual research on non-Apple products.

Android is a very impressive OS, especially for the mobile world. But I agree with Bibbit... I would like to see a monster tablet like this with Windows 8 too.

“Believe it or not, iOS 6 includes a few new features for â€Â" gasp! â€Â" the phone application on the iPhone as well. Now, when you receive a call and cannot take it you'll be given the option to reply to the number that called you via text message, or even have your phone remind you later that you missed the call.".....This was a quote from a "yahoo news" post

You mean the "Greatest, Most Innovated, Most Revolutionary Devices/Platform" are just now offering these features, 5years(or more) later? You have got to be Kidding me. I'm not an Android/Google, Symbian, Palm/HP, Windows Mobile or WP7, fan-boy but these companies should learn how to market/advertise their products & features........

Apple doesn't depend on Carriers for product/feature ads, that's their responsibility and are damn good at it. But the other's aforementioned, seem hell bent on relying on carrier ads or at least 90%.....

In the Tablet sector, I don't see an Acer Ad...I mean, I don't have "AllState insurance but I wonder if I'm "In Good Hands"

Think about it; If Google the Search/Ad giant, would take its own flagship device/platform(nexus/android) and market its best most used and "always-had-that" features to the millions of places Google already is, plus non-creepy or feel good ads., that, I think, would at least have long-ago shined a different light in the room

..... whatever comments you make in reply, at least be honest about this; that's unless you have not ever used any other device or platform

Calling something an iPad 'killer' is not a cliche, it's stupid. Given the VAST lead that Apple has nothing is going to 'kill' the iPad.

Acer should just focus on making a device as good as the iPad and not one that can 'kill' the iPad because trying to do that is like trying to kill a grizzly with a butter knife, all you will do is annoy it.

Now, having read the article I will say that on paper the Iconia Tab sounds like it is a worthy competitor for the iPad that hits all of my personal hot buttons, a microSD slot being at the top of that list with USB charging a close second.

Well done Acer. I look forward to an actual performance review.

This post has been edited by bankerdanny: 13 June 2012 - 07:52 AM

@REugene: I have absolutely no idea what point you were trying to make in that rambling semi-coherant post. Please try again, and see if you can relate it to the product from the article if possibe.

I'll take one.

bankerdanny, on 13 June 2012 - 07:20 AM, said:

@banker... true my post is a bit abstract especially when quotation marks are transcribed as doodles... In any case. I was just referring to the idea that companies are seemed to be focused on out doing a product that in many way for many years, they may have already achieved that. Its their lack of marketing prowess that is the real "Killer"

sigh, specs are for geeks. Ipad has application software that works. It has a safe environment for using the apps and it has a built in synchrony with iPhones and Macs.

bankerdanny, on 13 June 2012 - 07:14 AM, said:

I can't imagine saying "nothing" will the kill the iPad ... just because Apple has a running start doesn't mean that eventually another company will come out with a truly competitive product with a price/feature ratio that will drive many to it. Apple's largely been a fashion statement the last few years, but fashions have a way of dying off when the new cool thing comes along. All it really takes is for Apple in some way drop the ball, which I personally think is inevitable, and suddenly make a competitor seem that much more a better choice for consumers.

The specs on these tablets are a Beast and it has been proven over and over again great spec sales products, Android should continue to neglect bridging quality Tablet apps with great hardware, eventually the general public will figure out that it is better to have a great spec filled device rather than a good device with great apps that work.
Kappa

RobertShowalter, on 13 June 2012 - 10:17 AM, said:

One can always wish. If this is what the competitors are waiting for then they have a long wait. The problem in the industry is that everyone copies what's work and satisfy to make some money instead of being bold, they keep playing it safe. I don't think apple is going to make that mistake because they have killed 2 of their once best product, the ipod and now the touch. So many in this industry try to milk their blockbuster products and therefore stop innovating in fear of killing their cash cow. When that happens, that's when someone else comes along and give the customers what they want. Sony was in that position 10-12 years ago, we know how that turned out.

DonScurlockdh74, on 13 June 2012 - 10:36 AM, said:

" eventually the general public will figure out that it is better to have a great spec filled device rather than a good device with great apps that work.
Kappa"

Why? I rather have a device that works without problems than the mega monster of the block.

$450 is nowhere near enough to sell this one. This needs to be sold under $400 to make any waves.

$450 is nowhere near enough to sell this one. This needs to be sold under $400 to make any waves.

The challenge for Android users is the lack of a defined standard for HD.

With IOS you know what the Retina display is and what res your icons and text should be. After less than a month my iPad 3 had most of the apps in full Retina quality.

REugeneCrowne, on 13 June 2012 - 08:59 AM, said:

OK, that helps, thanks. If you copied and pasted your comment from another place that might have caused the formating issues.

Weak marketing is part of the problem. But mostly I think that the iPad is (for the moment) 'unkillable' because it has an enormous infrastructure of accessories plus a greater number of tablet specific apps. Most cars come with or offer radios that interface closely with the iPhone/iPad via cable or bluetooth, while only a handful offer even close to the same integration with Android. One would think that Ford's Microsoft based system would work seamlessly with WM7+ devices, but I don't believe that it does (although I would hope that would change very soon).

Want a docking cradle to output video to your TV and charge your tablet? There are a dozen for the iPad. Want a clock radio that can wake you up to music from your iPhone/iPad? There are probably 100. I think I have seen 2 that work with Android. Apple's choice to be the sole manufacturer of it's device and to use a proprietary port in a consistent location has paid huge dividends as accessory makers don't have to adapt to multiple port locations and styles found on the myriad of Android devices. Plus, devices with Apple 32 pin connectors won't work with other company's phones/tablets, so once you invest a few hundred $$ in iP accessories you will be very slow to switch to another device and make them useless.

This is why I say the iPhone/iPad are unkillable. They may eventually suffer a slow death, but no one device is going to suddenly make them obsolete the way the iPhone did to the Palm Treo and the handful of smartphones that existed when the original came out.

REugeneCrowne, on 13 June 2012 - 06:45 AM, said:

My only reply is what did you say? That is a bit tongue-in-cheek but you were all over the place leaving me to scratch my head in wonderment.

bankerdanny, on 13 June 2012 - 11:12 AM, said:

Your reasons are valid. I think you should have also added another. Confidence that you will receive a high level of support and upgrades.

I have to support a lot of varied equipment. Its been months and I am still waiting for a fractured screen to be repaired for a Galaxy tablet. We had to go to an independent as nobody else had replacement screens. As it turns out I don't think they did either. At this point I have almost written off the equipment.

We have an ASUS tablet that has failed. It hasn't been out for factory service for an overly long time but it is going on 3 weeks now. I contrast that to Apple where, for us, no device has taken over 2 weeks and notifications have kept us informed on their status. Once it was a 10 minutes for in store repair.

The real difficulty is overcoming Apple is you don't fight their products as much as you fight their whole environment. Your not competing head-to-head with the iPhone, your competing against iTunes, apps, support, integration with cars (as stated above), availability of accessories, other Apple products.