As the popularity of Apple’s iPad continues to grow, we’re seeing more competitors jumping into the space with their versions, all with the hopes of duplicating or getting close to the tablet experience offered by the iPad. Over the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to test out three different tablet systems (two from Acer, one from Fujitsu). With different audiences aimed at (consumer, enterprise, education, etc.), each tablet has the opportunity to make their own impact into the new tablet market.
Tablet 1: Iconia A500, by Acer, about $450.
What is it? A 10.1-inch tablet that runs the Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS, the Iconia Tab A500 includes a 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual core processor,1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage space (support for 32GB on microSD card), a 5 megapixel rear-facing digital camera/camcorder, 2 megapixel front-facing camera, and 802.11b/g/n wireless (only 2.4GHz on 802.11n). Other PC-like features include Bluetooth 2.1, 2 USB 2.0 ports (one regular, one micro), docking station port, gyro-meter, compass and a three-cell lithium-polymer battery.
Unique features: Like other Android tablets I’ve seen, this one feels like an extension of an Android smartphone, yet with a larger screen. On the main screen the Acer Zones feature organizes apps by category, letting you switch between eReading, games, multimedia and social networking apps. Or you can just click the Apps button to get a listing of all the apps, or add ones that you download from the Android Marketplace to the home page. The Clear.fi app automatically connects all of the other devices on your network (smartphone, notebook, PC, home storage, etc.) and access the media files from those devices.
Compared to iPad: The Android OS probably comes closest to an iPad-like experience in terms of the touch-screen interface, tap-to-open apps and the ability to add new apps via the downloadable Android Market. Setting everything up is annoying – getting the device to work with my corporate Wi-Fi network was a pain, and I needed to update the Flash Player app via Android before I could watch Flash-enabled videos on a Web site (one of the major selling points of Android over Apple iOS).
At times the system seemed slower, but this could also be due to the choppy nature of the corporate Wi-Fi network. When I connected to my home network, updating apps and downloading new apps seemed to go much quicker.
Having PC-like additional ports on the device is interesting, but they seem to be t here only for the additional accessories that are sold separately (for example, the $80 charging dock, the $30 power adapter or the $40 protective case).
Bottom line: With an experience that mirrors the iPad in terms of apps available and user interface, the A500 is geared towards users who are either annoyed with Apple, are really big fans of Android, or those looking to say they have a tablet that’s not an iPad. Plus, you get all of the Angry Birds games (regular, Seasons and Rio) for free!
Tablet 2: Iconia W500, by Acer, about $550.
What is it? The W500 is a dual-purpose device – it can operate as a tablet/slate, or you can connect it to a keyboard that also doubles as a protective carrying case. It looks more like a notebook at first than a tablet. The device runs on Windows 7 (Home Premium or Professional), has a 10.1-inch multi-touch screen, AMD dual-core processor (1GHz) , 2GB of RAM, 32GB Solid State Drive, dual 1.3 megapixel cameras (front and rear), and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. The device is aimed at an education, health care and general business audience, Acer says.
Unique features: The keyboard attachment makes it easy to detach from the office and bring into a meeting, or for workers who need to be more mobile. When connected to the dock, it was nice to be able to work on the device as if it were a notebook, making text input a lot quicker and easier via keyboard than having to type something with my fingers on the screen. The attachment also has an Ethernet port, which was great for connecting to the Internet for application and OS updates – especially with Windows 7 updates, it’s nice having that Ethernet wire instead of having to hope for a good Wi-Fi connection. Like the other Iconia device, this one has the Clear.fi app for organizing and accessing multimedia stored on different devices within the same home network.
Bottom line: Windows 7 is not a particularly good tablet operating system, so comparing it to the iPad or an Android tablet could be seen as unfair. However, designing a tablet to look and feel like those devices could confuse users into thinking that Windows 7 should be compared to that – in reality, the W500 is more like a netbook or earlier slate/tablet device.
Tablet 3: Stylistic Q550, by Fujitsu, starting at $730
What is it? Keeping to the Windows 7 theme, the latest slate tablet from Fujitsu makes no claims about competing against the iPad and other Android tablets, but rather wants you to know that it’s a “business-class slate PC” aimed at business, health care, government and educational markets. With this in mind, the 1.7-lb. Q550 includes Windows 7, an Intel Atom processor (Z670), 10.1-inch backlit anti-glare display, removable battery (with up to 8 hours of life in its four-cell option), and military standard (810G tested) support for environmental conditions (drop, dust, shock and temperatures). On the security side, the Q550 includes a biometric fingerprint sensor, integrated SmartCard reader slot, full disk encryption and embedded Trusted Platform Module (TPM) support.
Unique features: The display supports a digital pen input (hey, a stylus on a tablet! I remember those!), as well as multi-touch – the device also includes handwriting recognition software, not seen since the pre-iPad days of tablets. The anti-glare screen is nice for workers who need to use a tablet outdoors. Beyond Wi-Fi connections, integrated 3G wireless will be supported in August, Fujitsu says.
Bottom line: The Q550 gives companies that are looking to provide tablets for their mobile workers (especially in the health care, education and field worker space) an option away from the iOS and Android tablets of the world, which are clearly aimed at consumer and entertainment purposes. The additional security features offered by the Q550 are nice, but I’m still a little wary of Windows 7 as a tablet operating system.
Shaw can be reached at kshaw@nww.com.
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