Android tablet or ipad?

[galley.ak]

I got an Acer Inconia Tab A500 yesterday and so far I have spent pretty much every waking moment (and I didn't actually go to bed las night!!) trying to get it to do anything the sales person said it would do. Every time I asked him a question his answer was 'oh there's an app for that'...... and silly me believed him! So far I have not been able to do anything that I want!

I'm thinking of taking it back tomorrow morning and getting an iPad instead.... thoughts on this? I do have a MAC computer, so it might make life easier? Are there any plus sides to the andriod over the iPad? And yes, I know I'm on an android forum... I WANT you to tell me why they are better than iPad.

My major issue with this android is that I can't get movies or music onto the tablet and everything just seems too hard.

 

[schwartzkm]

I use google music and sync itunes content with the music manager application you can download from google. Easy and now my, music of available everywhere not just my, pc and ipod because out, lives, in the cloud.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

 

[whitegoose]

Are you crazy? Getting music or movies onto the a500 is infintitely easier than on an ipad.... you can just copy the files on! Download the,, purchase them, whatever.... then just connect to your PC or use a USB stick and copy them on?

But anyway, if you tell us specifically what you are having trouble doing we can tell you how to do it.

 

[f1ddy]

usb support,flash,console controller there just a few things that ipad cant do

 

[galley.ak]

I have a MAC computer and the 2 just don't like each other. It's not as easy as drop and drag (which is what I thought it should have been). I did install dropbox - but that has its limitations. I can't find how to just download a movie (or anything) directly onto the tablet from the internet without a computer - a computer shouldn't have to be involved in something simple like that. I also found the touch screen is not collaborated very well and it's a bit slow. I can't use word/excel documents and everything just seems not quite right.

But it was the movies that tipped me over the edge. It should be an easy one or 2 step thing and take minimal time!

 

[frnkws]

How many movies do you expect to put on the Iconia?
Just put your movies on a micro SD and pop it in.
I have about 50 to 60 movies on a portable 2.5 inch drive and I hook it up USB and watch whatever I want.
But if you own a MAC then why didn't you purchase an IPAD to begin with?
I thought it was a sin for MAC owners to purchase anything else.
Whatever you do, have fun and enjoy.

 

[f1ddy]

i just use a usb mem stick to transfer movies etc

 

[Fuerte]

I have both A500 and iPad2 and I mostly use A500 because apps like Angry Birds are free. A500 also has better multimedia support. iPad has better battery life. I got iPad for free. iPad is more reliable, no crashes. iPad requires iTunes which is painful.

 

[glarior]

IMO, if you have a mac go get the ipad2. Statistics have shown most people with mac choose iPad and PC users go for android. I have both a500 and ipad 2 64gb... Ipad2 collects dust and I think its a POS. My a500 with android beats it hands down in every category.
I found it really easy to put videos and music on my tablet. There are multiple ways to do it. First is add a secondary micro SD card which you can load the videos and install in the tablet. 2nd way is to use a USB drive. 3rd USB it to a computer and copy/paste. If you do either of those download the app ES File Explorer, install, open then click the SD icon top left of screen, open folder called mnt, and you will be able to access the external SD card and/or USB. Also, RockPlayer (free) will let you play a lot of videos. However, if its some format that is proprietary to mac... that might be a problem. I also have a 160gb SSD I use on the tablet which a iPad can never do.

 

[StoneKy]

galley.ak - I agree it can be frustrating to us first time Android users. I've had my a500 for two weeks and finding things much easier. The first day or two I was like huh?? but then it started making sense and i'm loving my tablet.

How long do you have left to return for a full refund? Not suggesting that you keep and not go with an iPad but just give your a500 a little more time and keep posting questions. Many great people trying to help here!

 

[Icebike]

Go with what you know.

If you run an iPhone and a Mac, then get the iPad, and enjoy the battery life.
If you run an Android phone and understand the market and apps and the freedom then get an Android.

Otherwise every frustration you face will be because of "how crappy Android is compared to IOS".


I don't believe in pushing someone into any system they don't actively want to learn and pursue, because it
just makes them unhappy, and I end up acquiring all blame. If someone prefers Apple, let them buy Apple.

I'll personally never own another Apple product as long as I live, but others may not feel that way.

 

[jrizal]

We have recently purchased a 16GB iPad 2 and somehow I am still drooling over the Iconia 32GB model which $100 less than the iPad plus case at Costco. As mentioned by the other posters, the iPad is somewhat limiting as you have to go through iTunes. (iOS 5 may change things). But Android has more flexibility and I still use my $100 Android "cheapware". Plus points for the iPad with its battery which is second to none and its slim profile (the slimmest actually). Also, the iPad can run Netflix without rooting/jailbreaking. And Flipboard is a plus. But for me, I can still do more with Android. I'm just saving for the Iconia to be honest. (Can't return the iPad without a loss from Best Buy and besides, my wife and son are using it having simple usage requirement themselves.)

 

[danielg5]

Hello,

If movies and music are your main concern, I can't see how the iPad could have any advantage over the Iconia Tab. Can you connect your tablet to your Mac? If so, can you see the file system from your Mac? If you can see the Iconia file system, just select the folder you want the media to be in and transfer the files directly. It's that simple. I have a PC with Windows 7 and was able to connect and view files even without loading the Acer USB driver. I don't know what kind of drivers are needed with the Mac in order to open and view the file system on the Iconia.

Certain types of files may give you some difficulties listening or viewing, but I would imagine that is the same for iPad. In general, if you have the correct file types, loading and playing videos and music should be totally easy.

In addition to the ease of loading data directly to the Iconia, you don't need a program like iTunes to manage it. This is a big plus in my book, but again, I have Windows PCs. And sometimes Apple software doesn't like windows environments.

Other advantages over iPad:

Web browsing is full web - you don't need a separate app to get the full ESPN experience or any other site that utilizes Adobe Flash. You can also set the browser in the Iconia to "desktop" which defaults to full websites rather than mobile sites.

HD video - You can watch 720p video on the HD screen, and you can now output full 1080p video via the hdmi port
Ports!!! - The iconia has USB, HDMI, Micro SD, Micro USB.
-These enable the Iconia to be expandable by mutliple media (Micro SD card, memory stick, USB hard drive)
-USB port allows connection of other devices (mouse, keyboard, camera, .mp3 player, to name a few)
-HDMI allows output of video/screen image to larger screen/TV

You can use a mouse (USB or bluetooth) with the Iconia if you want a hands-(and smear)-free experience. I don't know if you can use a mouse on the iPad.

File System - Ability to Manage file system and all data on tablet. As far as I can tell, even a jail-broken, unlocked iPad has limited PC-like functionality.

Documents - The Iconia tab came with DocumentsToGo viewer, so you should be able to open any text, spreadsheet, or slideshow document with that application. In order to edit Office documents and spreadsheets, you need to purchase the full version. I would recommend QuickOffice Pro HD as a better alternative. I have that on another tablet, and the functionality seems just a little better.

Navigation - The Google maps combined with Google Navigation on the Android system is great! I don't think Google Navigation is available on Apple devices. I had my Iconia Tab in the UK earlier in the summer and travelled to various places. Before leaving for my next destination I used the hotel wifi to map out my trip then took the tab in the car for step-by-step voice directions. No need for a separate GPS. I was so glad that I hadn't purchased the UK map for our Garmin for an extra $100!! I have used it around the DC area too. Works great!

I have heard many people say that the primary disadvantage of the Android tablets is "apps". Well, the android doesn't need as many apps because of the versatile functionality of the tablet and operating system. Many apps for the iphone and ipad are created because of the limitations that are inherent in those devices (i.e. ESPN). If you want a tablet to be a portable device for communication, entertainment, and basic data management, the Iconia is much more suited for those things than the iPad.

If you want to play games designed for the iPad, then you should go with the iPad. But remember that you will lose most of the functionality of the Iconia that give it a real advantage over the iPad. Also, (please note, I don't have an iPad) I believe that iphone apps don't work on the iPad, so the iPad needs custom apps for it, right. An important thing to note about that is that many android apps designed for smaller devices work very well on android tablets. I have quite a few on my Iconia that work very well.

Finally, this forum is great for finding answers and solutions to your questions and problems. I have gained a ton of knowledge from the participants. Most seem to be very enthusiastic about the subject and want to help make the Iconia the best, most useful tool for all of us. Give specifics, and you will get the answer to help you solve your problem.

 

[bbarlow26]

you should try rental places first that what i did it was easy for me my girlfriend had an ipad and i rented a a500 and the a500 is a whole lot better picture is about the same but everything else is way better and if you root the thing forget about it i bought one two weeks later . my desk top and labtop just sit there doing nothing poor thing things but yeah acer a500 is a great buy for anyone who is looking for an ultimate tablet.

 

[matt92617]

here is an advice from someone who used to have iPad 1 and gave it to his gf:

iPad 1 ONLY pros:
- build quality: all aluminium, no bleeding, nothing glued so no parts sticking out, etc
iPad 2 However:
- long list of build quality problems: just go to Mac Forums or iPad forums and you will see: yellow screen issues, parts of the ipad 2 coming apart, and so on
iPad 1/2 Pros:
- IPS screen - really nice (assuming you don't get defective one) and has better viewing angles and color saturation than Acer.

iPad iOS
Pros:
- an idiot can learn how to use it in 5 minutes
- superior media experience with Netflix, Skype working out of the box.
- lots of professional high quality apps for annotate PDFs, drawing, painting, etc.
- in general many more apps and games
Cons:
- Apple assumes you are an idiot so they don't let you do anything on it except for watching movies and playing games and of course buying more apps
a) you cannot download attachment from an email unless you buy an app
b) once you do get an app and download the picture, you cannot put it into your default picture viewing app or into a microsoft word document or into any other app. you can bypass this by being constantly connected to the internet and using dropbox - but it sucks to have to upload and download huge 1gb files - just because there is no such thing as common movie, picture, or documents folder.
c) overpriced apps, lots of overpriced apps and very few quality free apps

Acer Android Os - WARNING! - had been using it for only 1 week
Pros
- screen quality best for non IPS screen I have ever seen
- build quality okay for the price - feels plasticy, not perfectly glued but nearly perfectly glued together
- ability to share files between different apps. i can finally save files to my SSD and open it up in 10 different apps
- much faster and snappier than iOS
- better multitasking
- lots of options to customize the OS
- much more modern OS theme. iOS feels like Windows 95 while Android more like Windows 7

Cons
- battery life is only 6 hours as opposed to 10 hours on iPad - that means you will not be taking it for long plane trips
- much bigger than the iPad, both thickness and length wise. A500 is not a portable tablet IMO. I rarely took iPad outside but I don't think I will go many places with my A500 - I think for portability you need a 7 inch - probably A100 would do it.
- short 1 ... okay maybe 1.5 foot long charging cable so you have to buy a big A$$ extension cord and carry it everywhere with you and look like an idiot
- very few high quality professional apps, very few high quality media apps. iOS has many more media/music high quality organizers as opposed to Android.
- much harder to find apps in Android store than iOS store

Personally, if Android doesn't improve with its netflix, skype and in general media experiance my next purchase will be an iPad and I will get something like a 7 inch A100 for portability. Tablets are generally used for playing moves, going on the internet and skype. iPad did it in general better than Acer however I got sick and tired of the lock down and went this time with Android - no regrets for me, I wanted to try something new.