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Acer Iconia A500 16GB Tablet for $401 at OW (w/ 5% PriceMatch) or $422 at HN! [EXPIRED]

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My first post, so be kind.

I was at Harvey Norman Garden City yesterday and was looking at the Acer tablet which is selling at $527 on their website. HN is having 20% off storewide which means the price is dropped down to $422. Officeworks will match any competitor (including sale items) by 5%, making it as cheap as $400.9! However, since today is the last day of HN 20% storewide sale, you will have only today to buy this from Officework!

Btw, from what I have read, the Acer tablet is the ONLY tablet in the market with a USB host. That means you can connect a thumb drive, an ext HD and even a keyboard to it! Note that u would have to download a file browser app from MarketPlace in order to read contents from your thumb drive though.

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  • Good price :)

    • Sorry man, but the Kogan tablet (i.e. rebranded chinese, no R&D tablet) cannot be compared, in anyway to a legit $500 tablet!

      • +2

        acer is chinese too~~

        • +1

          Chinese is a broad category. Rather, its PRC vs ROC instead in a case of Kogan and Acer

        • Acer is Taiwan ….
          Taiwan is not China….Taiwan makes or designs better things…
          China copies things better though~~

        • +1

          hey lovepub, of cos Taiwan is not China, same as Tasmania is not Australia.

      • -1

        typing this post on asus ep121 with 2 usb ports
        asus transformer also has usb ports, get ur facts right op

    • Kogan is running Gingerbread not Honeycomb.

    • -3

      Yeah its like comparing a Huyundai Getz with a Commodore SV8…

      • -5

        My Bad, Getz is not the best example, please read Cherry J1 instead.

      • +3

        im not seeing any difference still???

      • +8

        One is rubbish, and the other is made in Korea :P

        • +1

          LOL that resulted in coffee all over the LCD hahaha nice one :)

        • LOL - nice one branko

          Not sure what are the negs for
          I guess they are all from the Kogan or Cherry owners (apologies to the Getz owners)

    • +1

      not trying to suggest you buy a Kogan, just pointing out it has USB, the OP said the acer was the only tablet with USB.

      Keeping to the car analogy, if you said the Holden SV6 was the only car with wheels, then comparing the Chery would ve completely valid.

      • +1

        hi Tim, it is too complicated for some big-headed axxxxxes to comprehend.

  • can you boot up on another system in the USB like the Millenium?

  • +5

    The price is ok if you are looking to buy a Honeycomb tablet right now.
    Considering this one is priced at 449USD.

    But this one has the relative small capacity battery of 3260mAh, compare to Galaxy Tab 4000mAh, Moto XOOM 6500mAh and Galaxy Tab 10.1v/10.1 6850mAh
    Typical battery time:
    Acer Iconia Tab A500
    6:55
    Apple iPad 2
    10:26
    Apple iPad
    9:33
    Motorola Xoom
    8:20
    T-Mobile G-Slate
    8:18
    Archos 101
    7:20
    RIM BlackBerry PlayBook
    7:01
    Samsung Galaxy Tab
    6:09
    Dell Streak 7
    3:26

    Note:poor 3G signal is a huge battery drainer, while great 3G signal (like Telstra) will give you a boost on battery, I have more than 10hrs with Galaxy Tab on Telstra instead of 6:09hrs doing heavy internet browsing.

    Heavy:730g WIFI only compared to same size 10.1' Galaxy Tab 10.1v(599g with 3G+WIFI) and Galaxy Tab 10.1 (595g with 3G+WIFI)
    Thick:13.3mm compared to the 10.9mm Galaxy Tab 10.1v, 8.6mm Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 11.98mm of Galaxy Tab 7'
    10.1v is on sale at Vodafone, 10.1 will be released in 6th June next week.

    • the comparison to the IPads, this one is 10.1' while all iPads are 8.9'
      iPad wifi 680g
      iPad wifi+3G 730g
      iPad 2 wifi 600g
      iPad 2 wifi+3G 610g
      Smart cover : roughly 120g?

    • +1

      In reality, the Iconia has the same battery as every other decent 10" tablet - ie it has TWO 3200+ batteries, giving it 10 hours or so, like the others.

      In actual use, rather than picking at a specs sheet, it's terrific. Especially if you got it for $400-$420, which quite a few people did.

      • it has TWO 3200+ batteries 0_O? I don't know this.
        This is from Acer's website http://www.acer.com.au/ac/en/AU/content/model/XE.H60AN.010
        Battery Information
        Number of Cells 2-cell
        Battery Chemistry Lithium Polymer (Li-Polymer)
        Battery Capacity 3260 mAh
        Battery Energy 24.10 Wh
        Maximum Battery Run Time 10 Hour

        the 6:55hrs testing result from Engadget makes me want to buy something else.

        • +1

          Yeah, Acer know the site is unclear (have for months) and haven't changed it. Bizarro. (3260 is right, but it's TWO cells, so you get double that. It kinda says it, but it's stupidly misleading.)

          Also, Engadget hate it because it's not Apple. As they do with everything that's not Apple.

          It's not perfect, but it's great in actual use. Much prefer it to my wife's (work) iPad2.

        • from the 24.10Wh, it should be something 6000mAh or 2 3260mAh. (like the Xoom 2x3300mAh).
          So Acer is trying to make people don't buy it by misleading.

        • @ Mic Cullen

          Really? Because Engadget has just given very positive reviews for recent Android phones and tablets. Engadget is not Gizmodo.

          If a tablet is sub-par in certain respects, it's marked as such. 6/10 for this tablet sounds about right, compared to the likes of the Xoom, Tab 10.1, Transformer.

        • engadget are hopeless at battery testing, actually reviews in general. better reviews should be looked elsewhere.

      • "from the 24.10Wh, it should be something 6000mAh or 2 3260mAh."
        How do you calculate that ?
        I thought 3260mAh x around 6V what they run on = 24Wh
        That would mean it only has 3260mAh NOT x2

        • +1

          I guess each battery is 3.7V, and two makes it 7.4V like you said?
          so 3.26A x 7.4V ~=24.124Wh
          I'm not good at this, correct me if I'm wrong.

          Max battery run time 10hrs, so the system is typically consuming 2.4W, by switch all wireless off and idle?

    • poor 3G signal is a huge battery drainer, while great 3G signal (like Telstra) will give you a boost on battery

      does this have 3g?

      • No. Bug has GPS built in if I remember correctly.
        The upcoming Acer Iconia A501 should have 3G

  • So, is this good or not?

  • +5

    Good price but I rather wait for the Asus Eee Pad Transformer to go down in price. It can be had at Amazon UK for ~$584.50 and you can buy it with the docking station/kb and trackpad for $663.22 which turns it into a powerful netbook. Hence getting the best of two worlds.

    • You can use bluetooth or usb keyboards with ths iconia. Mouse support is coming in June with the 3.1 update. Not as good as a dock but still very handy, especially using the hdmi out to tv and being able to sit on the couch with a wireless keyboard.

    • waiting on that too!

    • +1

      Have checked out the specs and reviews on the Asus Eee Pad, at $400 the Iconia is best bang for your buck at the moment, remember there's also a $100 eGift voucher promo that you get from Acer by buying the Iconia.

      • +2

        $100 to use for eBooks or Music:
        http://www.shopacer.com.au/ecprod/ACA/Projects/CashBack/Load…

        Not a check like with Acer computers and monitors :(

      • +4

        Having just purchased the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer 32Gb with dock last Friday, I can confirm that it has a much sharper and clearer display than the Acer Iconia and the wider viewing angles allow two or three people to view the screen at the same time. No doubt this is due to the IPS screen being employed. For that alone, I'd be prepared to pay a price premium. The battery on the tablet itself lasted 8 hours after 2 full charging cycles and may improve with more cycles. Unfortunately, the docking station just died and I'll have to get it replaced. Hence, there's a question mark over its quality. I'm very pleased with the tablet though - it's a real delight to use. With this I don't see why all the excitement over the iPad2, which doesn't run Adobe flash, has no USB, HDMI or SDHC connection, and is locked into Apple's suffocating grip.

        • listen to this man and support the innovators (asus) not market saturators (acer)

  • do we need the HN receipt to get the price match from OW?

    • Shouldn't need to. Last time i got a pricematch from OW, the manager there called up UMart (a computer store in Brisbane) and confirmed that there are stock available. But best to call up your OW to confirm first b4 heading down.

    • No they call up HN.

  • does it mean iPad2 on sale as well?

    • Apple is excluded from the sale and a few other name brands.

  • Was able to pick one up yesterday from OW North Ryde, price matched to Harvey Norman, sales person rang Harvey Norman to check stock and price, was actually told a higher price but was quickly corrected by pointing them to Harvey Norman website that clearly states the price of $527.

    Charged it to full charge, and was able to use it from 4PM to about midnight browsing and testing different apps and there was still 35% left on the battery, if this is anything like my previous Android devices (HTC Desire, Samsung Galaxy Tab) the battery life will increase after things settle down in a few days.

    *** For those who bought one, remember to fill out the electronic form from Acer's website for the eGift $100 voucher ***

  • +2

    I got one on the weekend, got it from DSE which gave me the QF FF Points, as well as 14 day moneyback guarantee, as well as the $50 off from AmEx. so essentially $371 :D

    • Good idea to get from DSE. If you don't like it return it within 14 days and get your money back.

  • Can anyone explain to me why I can access the internet in this tablet at any stores? I tried JB, Myer, and Dicksmith, none of them are connected to a wireless network. There's an iPad that's connected to a wireless network next to it for crying out loud… Why can't they just put in the same password? I want to play around with flash!

    • I suppose you mean 'why I can't access the internet'?
      Well just ask the stuff to connect it.
      The one I tried at OW is connected, also having the notebook stand, bluetooth keyboard setup, which works great and quite impressive on how a 10.1' Tegra 2 honeycomb tablet can do.

  • $371 is an excellent price for a tablet of that Magnitude.
    Currently playing around with a Zenithink ZT-180 V2 Android 2.2 Tablet, to see if it is worth to spend more (like $300+) on a tablet. Quite impressed with what it does. But as mentioned, when turning the WiFi on, the battery drains very quickly.

  • This is a great price. Would have bought it but I recently bought the Viewsonic GTab for around $300 delivered from Amazon US.

    The Gtab is a great tablet (after flashing with Veganrom). Also has an USB input that can be used for USB Thumb drives and Keyboards. It just doesn't have honeycomb… yet :)

    • gTablet doesn't have honeycomb, so not comparable to A500 at this moment.
      And I think gTablet doesn't have GPS builtin, only 512MB RAM.
      It's a good tablet still.

  • Harvey Norman is the man who tried to put GST on online purchases FYI. Even if he sold it for $10 I wouldn't support his store.
    PS I imported my Xoom from USA. $600 32gb,microSD add an additional 32gb, 10hrs battery life and you can attach usb with a cheap micro to usb adapter or just bluetooth. HDMI as well.

    • Not quite - You mean Gerry Harvey, and he was part of a consortium that wanted the GST to be applied on imported goods if the shipment was under $1000. FWIW, you already pay GST on online puchses, just not ones from OS.

      • I agree it was a consortium and not him alone but he was a lead advocate.
        I do my shopping overseas because it's cheaper, even with shipping, and I can't manage to get any customer service in Australia. Customer service to me is worth the markup but until this occurs my money is going overseas.
        If anyone is interested in a Xoom.
        http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

  • officeworks has a 20% staff discount, then thats another $80 off "$320" bargain.

  • HN near my home do not accept website price minus 20% off. Was planning to buy a NEX-3 camera with 20% off, which is listed as $738 on HN website, but the saleman refused as they have a instore price tag of $849 RRP and he insist 20% off only apply on that price. Finally gave up haggling. Is this considered as price mark up during sales?

    • +4

      I just went to the HN at Fortitude Valley and they wouldn't give me 20% off the online price ($527) even though i told them that the HN at Garden City would. That's what i hate about HN, they don't all work under the same pricing model.

      • Yes, I know some HN did that price, but it wouldn't bother my local HN as they know the closest one is 50km away.

      • I was at the FV HN store too and they wouldn't do it either.
        I then rang up the city store and they said no problem, just come in and see anyone in the computer dept. Got it for $421.60.

        The problem is, I never planned on buying this tablet… it was just too hard to resist! $421 with $50 amex cashback = $371. Bargain!

  • -3

    arrghhh… this makes the $299 Samsung Galaxy Tab 7" look like a rip off.

    • -1

      I wouldnt have thought that! i mean it is an Acer

    • +5

      Why? The galxy tab has 3g, which usually makes tablets more expensive and I think more useful.

    • That it does, but you couldn't tell people at the time - all they looked at was the current price v the initial price and they lost it.

      • No it doesn't, they are completely different products. Many people prefer the convenience of 3G access and the smaller 7" form factor. $299 for the GT is still a great price!

        IMHO, 10" makes for a very unwieldy tablet; TBH, so does 8.9"; and being tethered to wifi only is very limiting when you're on the move.

        • 10" is great for reading on. WIFI hotspotting takes care of being connected when you're on the move, and it means one less payment for another plan.

          $400 for a dual-core Honeycomb tablet v $300 for an OLD 7" is no contest. If you want a 7", fine, but that's not the issue here.

        • That's right, the issue here is an utter lack of 3G; thus changing the entire landscape of the debate.

          You can't rely on hotspots everywhere you go with your tablet; and as I've said below, carrying another device to provide 3G connectivity is simply another unnecessary layer of redundancy IMHO!

          Oh, and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this isn't a bargain for some; but your initial comparison to the GT was specious at best! ;)

        • +1

          But Stewie you always have your phone on you anyway, one click on the phone and BAM, instant wifi hotspot, without having to have another plan.

          I mean would you really flop your 10"er out, ever, without also having your phone on you? Its not like you can just whip it out quick draw style, so the additional few seconds to grab your phone and click a widget won't make much difference.

        • +1

          Normally I'd say yes Stumo, but now I have the GT I don't bother carrying both; just one or the other! :)

          I mostly use my BT headset with the phone anyway, so no point carrying two devices when I'm out on the road with the Tab!

          That's just my preference though, I don't presume to speak for everybody…after all, I wouldn't wanna scare the ladies when I whip my 7"er out! ;)

        • Ahh ok, yeah the 7"er is a wee bit different, but still a massive step up from a phone. You must have deep pockets lol.

        • Yep, deep pockets & short arms I'm told! ;)

        • +1

          this is another apple vs orange comparison.

          i've used phone tethering on wifi ipad for a year now - its simply not as good, as having integrated 3g on the ipad.

          this is the cheaper option, but you cant deny it gets annoying at times, with the short phone battery life, having to switch the phone internet on and off etc.

          my next tablet, probably ip3, will be 3g for sure. whatever the tablet, having integrated 3g is better and more expensive than tethering end of story.

        • +1

          That's what she said!

      • Galaxy Tab,
        Pro: 1. 3G
        2. Perfect for Car navi/entertainment
        3. Easy to carry
        4. Lots of accessories
        Con: 1. Gingerbread not honeycomb
        2. 7" instead of 10.1"

    • Doesn't have 3G. effectively this is just a netbook without the keyboard. Galaxy tab is smaller and its purpose is different.

      • +2

        My suggestion is phone tethering when your out and wifi when at home. It works out cheaper for you on a per month basis but its personal choice :)

        • +1

          The problem with that is we're back to carrying two devices to do the job of one! :/

          Regardless of what device you buy, if it leaves the house/office with you make sure you get something with 3G! ;)

        • +1

          Except you aren't - the 3G tablets won't make calls (see XOOM), and the phones aren't tablet-sized, so they can't do the same job.

          WIFI hotspotting to the phone is incredibly simple, and if the phoen hasn't got 3G coverage the tablet (obviously) wouldn't have either, so 3G tablet no advantage there.

        • the 3G tablets won't make calls

          Huh, WTF…are you serious??? I've got a GT I make calls on all the time, oddly enough sometimes to people with ZTE V9's (actually, the mic/speaker on the ZTE is crystal clear)! You also really need to learn how to use a bluetooth headset bro! :p

        • Nice partial quote.

        • Feel free to put it in context then…what exactly did you mean?

        • +1

          I meant exactly what I said before you took it completely out of context - equivalent tablets (as discussed earlier, and referenced in the part youjust happened to discard and pretend didn't exist) don't do phone calls, so your argument is null and void.

          This is a thread about a current tablet, not an outdated no-longer-available tablet.

          You do know how easy WIFI-hotspotting to a phone is, don't you?

        • "the 3G tablets won't make calls"

          The Galaxy Tab makes calls.. Choosing one form factor over another is fine, but don't simply make up facts to cheapen the position of the opposing camp.

        • -1

          Another who can't read. No surprises here, I guess.

        • -1

          Ok, let's break this down shall we, and remember YOU were talking about the Samsung Galaxy Tab:

          Except you aren't: Referring to my comment that you would be carrying two devices…wrong, you admit that you are ipso facto by tethering to the phone!

          the 3G tablets won't make calls (see XOOM): Seems pretty clear to me, you reckon you can't make a phone call on a 3G tab…news flash, you can! ;)

          and the phones aren't tablet-sized, so they can't do the same job: Irrelevant!

          No misquotes there, just misguided statements by you mate!

          Seriously Mic, give up while you're ahead…you're just embarrassing yourself! :)

        • +1

          Nope. Look at your comments, you go straight from dismissing the Galaxy Tab 7 to this.

          If you were simply referring to some arbitrary 'modern' tablets, then you should preface that. Or failing that, put enough disclaimers so people don't assume it's a continuation of your earlier train of thought.

          The ease of tethering is another issue, because while it may be useful for you, you now make the assumption that everyone else is like yourself, and ignore the fact there are scenarios where this might not be advantageous.

        • You're not even making sense. I give up, so your persistence has paid off.

          Honestly, this place is stupider than WP on a bad day, which is saying something.

          I get it - the othet tablet is better because it was $100 less. That's the the entire ethos of this place, quality, usability, etc is irrelevant. It's entirely about price.

          No idea why people bother to try and help others here.

        • Seriously Mic, you weren't trying to help anyone out; you were talking smack about something you clearly don't fully understand & got caught out making it up as you went along.

          Feel free to take you bat & ball and go home then! [edit] LOL, and a neg for the road I see…champion! :p

        • +1

          People have issue with the fact that you go straight from dismissing one device, then saying something that's supposedly false. If it's a misunderstanding and thus unintentionally misleading, then acknowledge it because evidently people ARE taking issue with it.

          And no, don't simply take the position where only you can possibly be right and everyone else must be stupid and wrong, because it's closed-minded for one, and presumptuous for another. If nothing else, understand why your wording is flawed, if not your opinion on tablets.

          Right now, I'm wishing it was Engadget because then I'd have grounds to delete your comment.

        • +3

          Mic it's probably best that you stop commenting on things that you don't understand, or simply acknowledge that you're wrong when you're wrong. I've read you're comment and agree with Stewballs and Strand. If people are having problems understanding what you're saying, it's more fair to rephrase it in a way that makes it more understandable rather than insult the person seeking clarification or correcting you.

          FYI you should also drop the pretentious attitude. Also, your inferred insult of OzBargainers only being interested in cheapest prices is wrong and unfounded. Here we also consider quality, functionality, and just as importantly, value for money and fit for purpose. It's great that you post comments to help other people, of which we are grateful and you should continue to do so, but do so in friendly manner. Perhaps you're just having a bad day or perhaps its because of the cold or rainy weather. Let's leave it at that.

        • +1

          Mic are you really Gandalf?

  • Can't see it on the website anymore.

    Does anyone know of a HN store in North Brisbane area which did it for that price?

  • anyone actually gotten this from OW yet? I find it hard to believe OW would sell this for 400 today…

    • yep, got it got 400.58

    • got one from Browns Plains store for $400.9 thx OP :)

  • +1

    For 3G, I would recommend those portable wifi units from Telstra (and others probably have them too). We have one and I prefer it over the 3G sticks as you can run 5 devices off it which is useful for us on holiday too as there are a number of us using different devices to access the internet.

  • GONE!

  • Decent price for this tablet, but I'd wait for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 or 8.9

  • -1

    My first post, so be kind.

    EPIC FAIL

    • Awww… Where is he. /Huggles

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