The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is a combination notebook and tablet that is one of the lower-priced tablet PCs
we reviewed. This relatively new competitor in the market is sleek
looking, boasts standalone tablet functionality and delivers good
performance. However, an overall poor and frustrating design keep this
otherwise good tablet PC from being a top contender.
Like many of the other tablet PCs we came across, the Iconia Tab W500 is surprisingly easy to use for a Windows tablet. Windows 7 wasn't designed for fingertip input, so using it on a tablet can sometimes be cumbersome. As such, Acer includes its own UI layer called TouchBrowser, which helps boost the usability of the device in tablet mode. The layer provides several custom one-touch apps that grant access to frequently used applications and functions.
The Iconia Tab W500 consists of a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a separate keyboard dock. This clever design allows you to conveniently detach the netbook-like screen to use as a standalone tablet or fold down over the keyboard. However, therein lies the device's most prominent drawbacks. Transitioning from one mode to another is not as seamless on this Iconia Tab as it is on competing tablet PCs. In fact, it's an awkward exercise that is cumbersome, time consuming and downright frustrating.
To close the system, you must pull the screen straight up, fully detach it from the keyboard and close a flap on the dock that covers the docking connection. Then you must place the screen facedown on top of the keyboard, where a small magnet (barely) holds it in place. Lastly, a physical latch on the front of the dock must be pushed into place. To convert the closed system back to a notebook, you must complete the same steps in reverse. If it's not done correctly, the two halves can easily dislodge and come apart.
While we like that you have the option to use a standalone tablet, the device's poor design completely countermands this convenient functionality. We'd prefer a rotating screen on a fixed hinge to such a cumbersome design.
Its design may utterly disappoint, but for those who can look past it, the Acer Iconia Tab W500 has decent technical specifications. Its AMD Dual-Core processor is low-power but still delivers good performance. You can watch videos and multitask with minimal stuttering.
The device is feature packed with an Ethernet port, a USB port, Bluetooth capability and a memory card reader. It also skips the standard VGA port and opts instead for an HDMI port. We also liked that the battery can last up to six hours.
Aside from its design flaws, the most disappointing thing about this tablet PC is its scrawny hard drive. With only 32GB, the hard drive is definitely all tablet and no laptop. Competing systems have much larger hard drives, and we'd like to see Acer amp up its offering in this department.
Like many of the other tablet PCs we came across, the Iconia Tab W500 is surprisingly easy to use for a Windows tablet. Windows 7 wasn't designed for fingertip input, so using it on a tablet can sometimes be cumbersome. As such, Acer includes its own UI layer called TouchBrowser, which helps boost the usability of the device in tablet mode. The layer provides several custom one-touch apps that grant access to frequently used applications and functions.
The Iconia Tab W500 consists of a 10.1-inch touchscreen and a separate keyboard dock. This clever design allows you to conveniently detach the netbook-like screen to use as a standalone tablet or fold down over the keyboard. However, therein lies the device's most prominent drawbacks. Transitioning from one mode to another is not as seamless on this Iconia Tab as it is on competing tablet PCs. In fact, it's an awkward exercise that is cumbersome, time consuming and downright frustrating.
To close the system, you must pull the screen straight up, fully detach it from the keyboard and close a flap on the dock that covers the docking connection. Then you must place the screen facedown on top of the keyboard, where a small magnet (barely) holds it in place. Lastly, a physical latch on the front of the dock must be pushed into place. To convert the closed system back to a notebook, you must complete the same steps in reverse. If it's not done correctly, the two halves can easily dislodge and come apart.
While we like that you have the option to use a standalone tablet, the device's poor design completely countermands this convenient functionality. We'd prefer a rotating screen on a fixed hinge to such a cumbersome design.
Its design may utterly disappoint, but for those who can look past it, the Acer Iconia Tab W500 has decent technical specifications. Its AMD Dual-Core processor is low-power but still delivers good performance. You can watch videos and multitask with minimal stuttering.
The device is feature packed with an Ethernet port, a USB port, Bluetooth capability and a memory card reader. It also skips the standard VGA port and opts instead for an HDMI port. We also liked that the battery can last up to six hours.
Aside from its design flaws, the most disappointing thing about this tablet PC is its scrawny hard drive. With only 32GB, the hard drive is definitely all tablet and no laptop. Competing systems have much larger hard drives, and we'd like to see Acer amp up its offering in this department.
The Acer Iconia Tab W500 comes with a standard one-year warranty and
all the support resources we expected, including telephone support and
an online knowledgebase. The Acer website also provides appropriate
driver software and FAQs for this particular product.
Summary:
Under the hood, the Acer Iconia Tab W500 is a decent
tablet PC that performs well. It has good technical specifications and
is easy to use. However, its inconvenient and cumbersome design leaves
much to be desired and there are more user-friendly and better-designed
convertible notebooks out there.
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