Acer Iconia Tab W500-BZ467 10.1-Inch Tablet (Silver) on sale

Danny K Say: Acer Iconia Tab W500-BZ467 10.1-Inch Tablet (Silver)
Better than I expected!!! (and I expected good its great), 2011-05-13
This review is for: Acer Iconia Tab W500-BZ467 10.1-Inch Tablet (Silver)
Before you read my review, I'd like to point out that you may see Acer pictures on Amazon that make it look like different machines with different prices. They are not. There are two models available the W500 (this model) has Windows home premium and W500P, has windows professional. Now on to my review of the W500:Received my Acer Iconia 32gb windows 7 W500 Tablet/ netbook from Amazon yesterday and immediately I unwrapped and fired it up mounted in the keyboard. After starting, I removed Adobe reader 9.1, Acer games, Ebay world, Skype4.1, and reloaded Skype 5.3, added Firefox with the grab and drag add on for easy tablet use, added sumatra pdf (takes no space compared to adobe9.1, removed live essentials and more. My previous computer was a Asus T91mt tablet/netbook, right away I noticed the following about this Acer, screen is much brighter and more detailed, audio is louder especially on earphones, installed my 32gb SD card from my old computer with all my files and I could easily transfer to various folders on the computer. I adjusted the stick mouse and found it easy to operate. (But I am a old IBM user so you may want to use a USB mouse while in the keyboard mount) I have read reviews that the screen is top heavy and could fall out of the keyboard. Not so. Although the screen is heavier than the keyboard, I found it sits attached to the keyboard very nicely, I even leaned the screen and keyboard way back and it still would not tip and in fact I'm typing this review on my lap now!!! (Leaning the screen forward toward you while in the keyboard it could come out since that's how you remove the screen) Haven't experimented with the tablet yet, but I can see it is well built! Very well built! As a test, I played a 1080 blu-ray movie (the Mask) from my SD Card on this unit and it played with out a glitch. This is a movie that would not play on any of my previous netbooks and I've owned 4 of them. I have read in other reviews that this computer handles everything thrown at it. I also read the match up of the INTEL dual core 550N against this AMD C-50 CPU/GPU and the AMD blew away the intel. It took AMD 5 years to develop this special processor, a blend of a Processor and a graphics chip on one die! Very Incredible. AMD calls it a APU. Goodbye CPU! I can do everything on this machine that I do on my desktop, connected to my home wireless N in seconds, connected to my wireless HP network printer in seconds. More to come! So far very happy! This unit blows away my former Asus T91mt tablet/netbook! I am so glad that I didn't get sucked into the hype of all the latest tablets with honeycomb 3. I'll keep my android software on my phone where it belongs! I must mention there is a review by Sticky on the other listed Acer W500 on Amazon that was very passionate and convinced me to purchase this computer and he was right on with his review!UPDATE:It has only been a few days later. I can't stop playing with this unit!! I skyped with my grand daughter 50 miles away and the incoming picture and audio was perfect. I was told my audio was noisy (I later found the microphone setting in windows was boosted to 30+) I adjusted that. I can't think of one item I don't like about this computer. Its so quiet! Tablet is bright, very detailed and easy to surf the web etc. The tablet has a nice border, which makes the unit easy to hold so you are not putting your fingers on the glass. Bought a Targus capacitive stylus. Perfect for drawing and writing and browsing on the tablet. This is a must have, especially if you use the Microsoft journal that comes with the netbook for writing or printing notes directly on he screen. (Plus it keeps the glass clean) Tablet is fantastic, it came from the factory with a clear very thin plastic screen cover. You can use the screen with the cover on or take it off. I peeled mine off, but I didn't notice a difference in response. Screen is very responsive. I haven't read all the gestures that can be performed, I know if you hold your finger or stylus on the screen it will act like a mouse right click. I like the windows button (which lights blue), which allows you to access the task bar and start menu with ease. My old Asus tablet had a problem accessing the task bar especially if you set it to hide position. Not with this unit! Still experimenting!UPDATE: (a week later)Love this machine. Purchased the Targus TSM148US mini bag. It is in my opinion the perfect bag for this machine, holds the keyboard and screen with plenty of room for your power supply and earphones , capacitive stylus and more etc. I also purchased the tablet holder by Arkon, it is a folding tablet stand and this solves the problem for people that complained that the screen doesn't fold while attached to the keyboard. Works like it was built for this tablet! I am also using my android phone with PdaNet app to get internet on the train via blue-tooth. Very cool! I'm easily getting 6 hrs of battery life browsing the web, even more with the wifi off and reading my Ebooks using kindle, my skype sessions with my grand daughter are incredible! The video and audio are perfect! Also I like Internet explorer 9 as a touch browser. This Acer is better than any previous netbook I have owned. This machine is a keeper. Brightest screen I have owned in a netbook, great screen detail, with windows 7 I can do everything I need in a computer! I could go on and on.UPDATE (1 month later)All the above still stands, this is to date the best netbook/pc I have ever owned. It is super quiet, bright screen and nice clean resolution. There is a new bios update at the Acer site. I ran it and upgraded my bios to 1.08 This is truly a very well built tablet and after a month of use, I'm enjoying it more and more. I just played a HD Movie file that was 1920 x 1080 with not even a glitch. My dual-core 2.5ghz desktop at work can't play this file with out glitches/pauses. This machine is incredible! One last point, I don't remember if I mentioned it in the past but this computer has been reported to accept SDXC cards. Why is this important? SDXC are the newest SD cards and they can go up to 2 terabytes!! Of course at this time a 2 terabyte card would cost you 5k, but you can purchase a 64gb sdxc card for about $115 dollars and this means this computer unlike many other tablets will always have the room for your future programs!UPDATE (2 months later)Everything above still stands. In fact, my main laptop was a HP 14 inch dual core machine. I gave it to my brother, this Acer is my main laptop, Netbook, Tablet, what ever you wish to call it. Bright screen and very quiet. BTW, I stopped using pdanet and switched to the virgin mobile 2200 mifi to get internet on the train. It is a fantastic product. No contract, buy from wally and you will get a free 1gb upgrade of data per month.UPDATE (March 2012)For those that will question a use of a windows tablet. There is no doubt that if you want a tablet, a windows tablet has many more functions then a android tablet. From my experience to date this is the best windows tablet for the money. If you feel you need a keyboard with a tablet, then my recommendations would be to purchase the new Acer AO722-0828 or similar model. It has the latest AMD C60 APU with a 133ghz booster and is noticeably faster then the C50 processor in this model. I purchased this unit and will give a review on this after I have fully reviewed at that models site.

swyzlstyx Say: Acer Iconia Tab W500-BZ467 10.1-Inch Tablet (Silver)
A full Windows PC in a form that's actually mobile...unlike a laptop!, 2011-07-25
This review is for: Acer Iconia Tab W500-BZ467 10.1-Inch Tablet (Silver)
First off, I'll say my review is based on the fact I bought the W500 to replace an Acer laptop, which I use almost entirely for running my small business. Aside from my monster PC used for editing videos, I run my business and personal stuff pretty much entirely with Google Apps, and OpenOffice for editing/creating MS Office compatible work. So I don't need a big hard drive, 6-core processor, or automatic features that let me tell all my pretend friends on Facebook how much I need a cup of coffee.I don't play games...at all...on the computer.I work from home, so I don't need 4G in my computer. I have a wireless router. I use Google Voice for telephone service, and Google Video Chat for videoconferencing, both of which are completely free. Both work exceptionally well on the W500, using my wireless router and cable internet.I didn't want my tablet PC to be a phone...no 4G needed...no Android or iPhone junk. I don't need "apps". The only "apps" I use are Google Apps, which I use to run my small home-based business, through the Google Chrome browser. Email, Calendar, Documents, Blogger (my website), Youtube for video hosting, telephone service, video conferencing, and more, all free and work exceptionally well on the W500 using my wireless router and cable internet. When I do need a cellphone, I use a cheap prepaid that cost me about $30 a year for all the "minutes" I need.For even better sound quality, I picked up the affordable Logitech USB Headset H360 (Black) headset, which makes voice/video calls sound amazing.I find the 32gb hard drive plenty big. About the only thing I have loaded besides Windows 7 is OpenOffice, Kindle for PC, and Google Chrome/Voice/Video. The drive is less than half full! All of my docs, pictures, and videos are hosted on the web.I deleted the mounds of crap the W500 came loaded with, and removed/turned off a bunch of the Windows 7 garbage. Acer has some sort of "social jogger" application which I deleted first. I think Facebook is pretty silly, and don't need to tell a girl I sat next to in 3rd grade that I had tacos for dinner. After deleting all that junk, turning off a bunch of services, and letting Windows spend the day updating itself, the W500 is lean and runs fast. I think it boots up in like 15-20 seconds. Yes, updating a new install of Windows is a PITA...it always is. Just buy a case of beer, and spend the day getting them all installed so it will quit bugging you and let your computer perform like it should.I think the battery life is awesome. Checking email throughout the day, browsing Amazon, checking my bank accounts, and finding a place to eat, the battery will last almost all day! Then again, I'm not comparing this to a cellphone...it's not a cellphone...it's a tablet PC. My Acer laptop doesn't last a couple of hours...with a NEW battery. And then the batteries die after a few months, at which time you have to replace them. My Acer laptop pretty much had to stay tethered to the AC power cord, which defeated the purpose of having a mobile PC.Plus, a laptop is so heavy, it's not like you can carry it when running errands/grocery shopping. I maintain my shopping list in Google Docs, print it to a PDF onto the W500 desktop before I leave the house, and drop the W500 into my small messenger bag. No more printing paper shopping lists. Wanna browse the internet in the local coffee shop/bar? No need to clear a table and setup a whole office with a laptop...just pull out the W500.I'm not sure what all the negative comments are about the keyboard are either. It's ingenious, and works great. No, the screen angle isn't adjustable...but it's already at a perfect angle for me. I leave the keyboard in my den, along with a wireless mouse and mousepad, to use the W500 when I'm out of my office. Then I just pop the tablet off the keyboard when I go down to the bottom floor to the kitchen. It's totally mobile...unlike a heavy/cumbersome laptop. Wanna take the keyboard with you? It doesn't take a bunch of difficult steps, like some suggest. The tab pulls straight up off...no catches/releases to press. Then you just lay it face down on the keyboard. one side is automatically locked with two magnetic pins that pop out, and the other end has a manual lock, to keep it from being accidentally pried apart. The whole process takes about 2 seconds...it couldn't be any easier. If you're using the keyboard on your lap...then you probably should buy a "laptop" instead. Yes, it will obviously be top heavy when on your lap...why wouldn't it be?The software keyboard works great, especially with a stylus. I got one of these, that also has a regular pen in it. Works perfectly: TouchTec® II Capacitive iPad Stylus and Ball Point Pen for Apple iPad 2, iPhone 4 and Droid Phones - 7mm (Black)It has a full sized SDHC card reader, which is awesome for uploading photos/video straight to my photo/video host website from anywhere with a wi-fi connection. I put a Transcend 32 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card (TS32GSDHC10) in there "just in case", but haven't put anything on it yet. I may use the card to store my library of CD's, which I have converted to MP3. (Yes, I still buy all of my music on CD, convert to MP3, then store the CD for safekeeping. I'm old, I guess!)The full sized HDMI connection is also really cool. I plugged it right into my big flat panel TV, and the picture was absolutely amazing! It would probably be really cool to use for video conferencing from my den, on the big TV.Yeah, both of the USB ports are on the bottom...which are blocked when the keyboard is attached...but the keyboard has two USB ports on it. I only use my USB mouse and USB headset when I'm using the keyboard anyways, so that works fine for me.The touchscreen works great for me. For better accuracy than my fat fingers can produce, I use the stylus.Screen flip/rotation works great. Most importantly, it has a manual locking switch on the bottom, so the screen isn't flipping all around when carrying the tablet in my hand. I only need it to be oriented one direction at a time! ;) Also, when you have it locked in portrait position, it will automatically go back to landscape when attached to the keypad.This thing has been a great investment for my home based business. I can run my business on it from any room of the three-story loft, and reply to emails from potential clients instantly, which is VERY important in landing jobs. If you actually have a personal life (or pretend one on FB) and a real day job away from the house, and want all the fun and games "apps" can bring, a cellphone tablet running Android and a battery that lasts for days might be a better option. If you need a full blown Windows 7 personal computer to take care of your professional and household operations, that you can carry with you anywhere in a small pouch, I don't know of a better option out there. I love mine!

PKSmart Say: Acer Iconia Tab W500-BZ467 10.1-Inch Tablet (Silver)
It works for me!, 2011-09-04
This review is for: Acer Iconia Tab W500-BZ467 10.1-Inch Tablet (Silver)
I got this Acer W500 2 weeks ago - And LOVE it! It will take some tweaks to get this machine up to speed, but well worth it.First off let me say that I looked at getting a Xoom or Ipad I have a droid phone and love all the things it can do, but it did not meet my requirements for working with the programs I use extensively like Photoshop, OneNote and Outlook. After searching for many months this machine seemed to do everything I need to keep my business going.This tablet was shipped quickly and includes almost everything you need to use: The tablet (screen), keyboard, power cord and recovery DVD's. I would recommend purchasing an SD card and external DVD player, as well as a case to carry it.First thing I did was remove all applications I did not need. I hate bloatware and would rather have a clean machine to begin with. Removing the bloat, updating windows, and updating the BIOS took a good day's work. One thing I kept on the machine was the Acer backup manager. After all my work, I made an image of my machine and can always go back to my `clean state' whenever I need. As with all my PC's, I will reload every 9 to 12 months. Although I made an image, I have not tested this as a restore yet. I have never been a fan of Windows Backup and it has failed me in the past.I removed the following to make this customized for the way I work:* Acer games (had to delete the folder after uninstall)* Bing Bar* Ebay worldwide* Clear.fi* Clear.fi client* Office 2010 (had to delete the folder after uninstall)* Social jogger (had to delete the folder after uninstall)* Times reader* Virtual earth 3d* Nook for PC* MS Touch Pack* Acer VCM (will need a reboot)* McAfee (will need a reboot)* Acer screen saver* Acer touch application Suite* Acer welcome center* Acer registration (I registered first)* Acer Device Control* Auepo* Bluetooth suite* Acer device controlI also deleted the Netfix folder and the Skype folder. These were not installed and I would rather make sure I have installed the latest and greatest instead of what was current at the time of shipment.Then I changed windows folders to single-click instead of the double click that I am used to with a mouse. This makes touching the screen so much easier! It's kinda funny that when I go to my other laptop, I am touching the screen expecting it to act like this tablet. This is how fast it is to get used to the touch.I also turned off windows features:* Games (I don't play games on this machine)* IE8 - Chrome is much better and I can sync folders* Internet printing* DVD maker* GadgetI then installed and mounted a 32 GB SD card. Mounting the card allows me to install applications to the SD card instead of the c:\ drive.I installed the following to my mounted SD Card:* AVG Free* Chrome - and set up to sync* Photoshop* Dreamweaver* Dropbox* Turbolister* Mastercook* Office 2007* Quicken* Adobe Acrobat* Picasa* Canon PrinterI do notice that running these programs are a bit slower than my other PC, but the difference is not making me pull my hair out.I love the fact that I can take this anywhere. I purchased the Belkin Top-loading Messenger bag (for laptops up to 10.2") which holds the screen, keyboard and power. Its small lightweight and has 2 padded compartments - I put the screen in one compartment, the keyboard in the other.Overall, this is a work machine, not a toy. I am very pleased with my purchase.