Hello friends I am back. This time I am reviewing a 7” tablet which I feel is the correct size of tablet to own. There are many advantages and almost no disadvantages.
My budget was around the 8 K mark and so I had a look at the various tablets on the market. Some were more expensive whereas others were much cheaper too. However I was looking for something classy and fast to operate and I was also looking for that something extra.
Looks are important in every purchase but this is a subjective thing. Some like all black whereas others may prefer a dash of white. There are mixed combinations too. However at the back of my mind, I knew that function was a more important thing and if they compliment each other, then it is certainly the one for me.
For days on end, I was studying the technical aspects of various tablets, reading up reviews, viewing U-Tube videos as well to get a rounded and wide spectrum of views on the various 7” tablets which were available out there.
Finally I decided to take the plunge but found there were no retail outlets selling the one which I had chosen. What a gap between the electronic media and reality. However not willing to take no for an answer, I used certain search tools to narrow down some telephone nos and made the required calls.
I was told that there was a stockist who had the goods and I should get in touch with him.
On enquiring with him, he wanted to know the quantity of tablets I wanted. When I told him 1 to begin with he queried me as to where I come from and what is name of my shop.
I explained that I was just an individual who wanted a tablet for himself. He finally agreed and gave me the address and timings. I reached there and found myself in a decent cabin with row upon row of brown boxes stacked almost to the ceiling with laptops of every description. I put my money on the table and a brand new box bearing the tablet which I wanted was put in front of me.
With the paperwork done, I was merrily on my way home with my new purchase.
On reaching home, I opened the box to find the basic tablet and charger and nothing else. No headphone, no cable for the dongle, nothing else. Odd I though. How does one connect to the net. Everyone can’t possibly be having access to wireless all the time? I consoled myself that my mobile headphone is compatible with the tablet so why have an extra.
I rushed out and bought an adaptor cable for the dongle which I previously had. But alas the dongle would not even light up and neither were there any indications on the screen. Other tablets provide a sim card slot which doubles up as a data plan for the internet. They are also called calling tablets but nobody in their right mind uses them to make phone calls. The real purpose is cost efficient internet.
My tablet did not have that slot. So how do I go about getting on the net? I cannot afford to hang out at Starbucks just because they offer free wireless signal to their clients! Well. that is one way of doing it. I called up their technical support man and was informed that this tablet needed a wireless dongle. Now what in heaven was that?
Well…a little more research on U-Tube gave me the answer. It is a square device about the size of a pack of playing cards, into which the dongle plugs in. This device can run off the laptop for power or can be connected to a mains outlet. It also needs to be configured with the help of an Ethernet cable via your laptop and a small cd for introduction.
So… I went to a nearby big stationery shop and purchased this wireless device called TP LINK for Rs.1, 750/-. Any regular 2G or 3G dongle simply plugs into it and it will convert the signal to wireless. Brought it home and patiently worked out the details of how to enter the pin and set the password. When it was all done, I was ready to roll.
ACER ICONIA B1 is the name of my 320gm tablet which has some very well thought out features and on top of it all, it has very intuitive software which senses your needs and even gives you automatic updates. Very neat and tidy package with a blue piping running all around the circumference of the tablet. Otherwise black in colour with a little triangle shaped Iconia badge at the bottom left corner of the tablet.
Just behind the badge on the back side is a small speaker grill though which we can enjoy the sounds while gaming or simply any music which you choose to listen to. It is no hi-fi but gets the job done in a simple but effective manner. In fact sometimes I place the tablet on its screen carefully so that the entire back panel is left unimpeded to listen to the music. Then the entire back panel seems to resonate to the music.
It has no back camera but the front 0.3 pixel camera is good stuff. Not only does it do a good job, I even went ahead and made a small clip with a little experimentation.
An interesting icon on the menu is called "Currents" and is symbolized by a blue swirling circle. This has many interesting categories of common interest and one can read news and other articles even when offline. Google has truly developed the android platform to a level where it can pose a threat to the existing masters at Microsoft.
Only difference being that whereas Microsoft software is expensive, if you were to add just a little to that cost, you could buy a complete device(tablet) such as this one with free software which is just as good. All they ask in return is that you have a Google E-Mail I.D.
In our cost sensitive market, this is a big consideration and could well mean the difference between winning and loosing. The dual core CPU is faster than the single core tablets out there but slower than the quad core processors. It starts out any given task with a lot of enthusiasm but then makes you wait. At the end it always gets the job done. The 1026 x 800 display is colourful and truly enjoyable.
This tablet comes loaded with Jelly bean 4.1.2 straight out of the box. I feel this tablet is for the more mature user who has already used a few tablets before. Initially it feels like there are no frills but as time passes by I realize that this tablet is extremely well made and has a very responsive touch. Rarely would I have to touch anything twice. One touch is enough to get the job done. I cannot say the same for some of the other tablets out there.
Besides this, each and every icon has many thoughtful touches which simply shows that the manufacturer does care and wants to make your experience a pleasant one. One simply needs to explore and find out what the different options and symbols are meant for.
All in all friends I am very pleased with my purchase and can certainly recommend this tablet to others. If you value substance more that other gimmicks then you can rest assured that you are getting a very good deal. Provided of course that you can locate a retailer out there.
I even read that Acer with this tablet is challenging the Nexus 7 tablet which is supposed to be the best 7” tablet out there. At a fraction of the cost of that tablet, it is really saying much. This is a good deal just waiting to be discovered. What are you waiting for?