iPad 2 is the best selling tablet till now and has completely changed the way we have looked at tablets. Earlier this year, Acer released Iconia Tab A500 which has just started to hit the market shelves. This tablet sports a bigger display packing more pixels; has more built in RAM and comes with a much more powerful processor. Storage capacity is same as entry level iPad but retails at a cheaper price. So, which one should you choose? Read on to find out!
Our friends at pcwatch were lucky enough to get hold of Acer A500 Tab and have posted a detailed review in Japanese.
So let us see how it compares with the iPad 2.
Processor: iPad 2 comes with a dual core Apple A5 processor and the A500 features the dual core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor that is capable of handling full 1080p video out of the box.
Screen Size: The screen of iPad 2 (9.7) is little smaller than Iconia Tab A500 (10.1 inch).
Screen Resolution: iPad 2 has 1024 x 768 pixel display. However, the Acer tablet can show more data at a time as it packs 1280 x 800 pixels.
Wireless Radios: Apple offers both 3G and Wi-Fi only versions of iPad 2. Right now, Acer is offering only Wi-Fi version which makes it less ideal for doing web browsing on the move.
Camera: While camera on the iPad 2 (0.7 mega pixel) is mediocre compared to the 5 mega pixel camera of A500, there are tons of great iPad 2 camera apps that add a lot of fun into how you play with pictures.
Expandable Storage: While in theory, it is not possible to expand storage of iPad, certain ways like using Wi-drive can be used to easily increase its storage capacity. That said, it is still much easier to expand A500 storage, thanks to the presence of micro SD card slot on the unit.
USB, HDMI: iPad comes with none. A500 comes with a USB port that lets you plugin in card readers, mouse and keyboard. However, iPad 2 does allow you to connect to HDTV using Apple iPad HDMI cable. A500 comes with HDMI port too.
Battery Life: Acer A500 yielded a massive 8 hours of runtime, which is the best battery runtime in the android tablet world. iPad also offers similar runtimes (in real world). So, it is a tie here.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the OS you like and prefer. While Android 3.0 is great, it is still a new player in the game. Most of the Android 2.3 (and earlier) apps are incompatible with the the new OS. While iPhone apps looks like poop on the iPad’s display, there are, atleast no compatibility issues. I have tried to be as unbiased here. via (Japanese)
Also check out our iPad 2 vs Chromebook comparison, if you love cloud computing. If Windows is your ‘thing’, read our detailed iPad vs MSI tablet (110w) comparison and if you are a cheapstake (I am, sometimes!), find out more about the 300 dollar ZTE Light Plus tablet.
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