Acer releases second-gen Android tablet
Pledges Ice Cream Sarnie update next month
Updated Acer has taken the wraps off its next-gen Android tablet, the 10.1in Iconia Tab A200, oddly numbered successor to the Iconia Tab A500.
Announced in Taiwan today, the A200 will initially come with Android 3.2 Honeycomb pre-installed, but will gain Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich in January 2012, Acer promised.
However, the A200 will not present the standard Android UI. Acer has overlayed the Google OS with Ring, a circular interface similar to UI widgets Acer has released on its notebooks in the past.
The 720g tablet runs on the back of a 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 chip and packs a choice of 8GB or 16GB of Flash storage, expandable with Micro SD cards.
Acer's Ring
There's a 2Mp webcam on the front and 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi for internet connectivity.
Acer didn't say what it'll charge for the A200, nor which territories will get it first. It did say the A200 is now shipping in "select countries". ®
Update
Acer UK tells us the A200 will be out here "mid Q1". Pricing TBA.
COMMENTS
Same specs.. seriously?
So, Acer, just like Motorolla with the Xoom 2, is releasing almost an identical device as what they already have out now, calling it "new" and slapping a few minor improvements? See.. this might work with an iPad.. everyone wants one. But Acer, Xoom and the likes all have an uphill battle right now trying to get people to buy them, especially at the $400+ price point they are coming in at. I'd be shocked if this thing sells, 10,000 units. It seems to me it's just a way to milk the decent original Acer tablet.
Meanwhile, you have Asus Transformer 2 coming out in 2 weeks with quad-core, brighter display and can still be docked for more storage/battery life and connections. Why would anyone buy the Acer 200 or xoom 2 with the Transformer 2 at the same price with so much more to offer?
I wonder how many are going to be fired at Acer for thinking this makes sense. Did Asus get some sort of special deal with nVidia to be the only Tegra 3 quad-core released or something? If I were Acer and Motorolla, I'd push back their devices until they can release quad-cores with more improvements.
I've seen a number of Android tablets that look good but I am hoding out till Google impliment the one critical feature missing from a tablet OS; Multiuser support.
Unlike a phone which is a very personal device a tablet in the home stands a good chance of being shared and each user should be able to have their own docs, app settings and stored cookies and passwords, etc.
I've also thought that one of the best places for a tablet is the kitchen so you can have music while you cook, recipe books or read the news with your breakfast. It would be good to find a tablet that can stand up to that environment (steam, and splash resistance)
Non standard GUI is a turn off
If Acer are slapping a layer on top of Android that increases the time between a new Android version and the time Acer actually supports it. It also decreases the frequency and liklihood they'll bother releasing updates at all.
I hope for Acer's sake the device is rootable for peace of mind for people who don't relish this prospect.
Re: kitchen
You want a small laptop for the kitchen. You'll have *no* hands free to hold the damn thing if you're doing anything else, so you want a screen that can be tilted to face you rather than the ceiling. Portability is not an issue, so it could even be plugged into the mains most of the time, but cost is an issue, particularly if there is a "small chance of a big accident".
