Sony HDR-CX455 HANDYCAM Review

I own several of Sony's previous video cameras, and have been happy with their performance over the years.  My only complaint now has been the 8mm tape and battery standards used then.

My more modern photo cameras, and even my phone can shoot video. Their form factors, internal microphones, and the ergonomics of holding them steady makes them less than ideal (in my opinion) for shooting more than a quick casual video. Rarely do phones or photo cameras come with built-in image stabilization.

A student of mine mentioned that his current digital camera could connect via wifi to his phone for transferring photos he'd shot. This intrigued me to research this current connectivity trend.


Enter the Sony HDR-CX455 Video camera:

This camera is much smaller and lighter than my previous Analog and Digital-8 cameras from Sony, The CX455 weighs 8.55oz with battery and media card installed.  My Digital-8 camera weighs 34.2oz with tape and battery installed. The CX455 is 1/4 the weight of the older Digital-8! The CX455 has a larger/better view screen, runs longer on a battery charge, has better optics, and has many modern features that weren't conceived of 10 years ago.

I can control the CX455 over WiFi from the touch screen on my Sony Tablet. Many other phones and tablets are also supported.  I can see on my tablet what the camera lens sees.  I can zoom in and out from the tablet. I can start and stop video recording from the tablet, and I can take digital photos of what the camera sees.  Anything the camera records will transfer to the tablet.  Although as far as I can tell the tablet application is limited to those controls, the camera itself has many more features.

For those wanting the technical details, these specs are straight from Sony:

• 3.0" LCD (Touch panel), Wi-Fi/NFC, 8GB memory internal memory, Dual Video Format Recording
• ZEISS Lens (26.8mm), 30x optical zoom, 60x Clear Image Zoom

• Full HD with XAVC-S, 9.2MP, Exmor R sensor, Optical steady shot
• Sony NP-FV50 battery included.  Sony FV70/FV100 batteries are optional for longer recording time between charges. There are also compatible batteries made by other companies that can power this camera. 
• It has a short on-board USB cable, and comes with a USB extension cable.
• It also comes with a micro HDMI to HDMI cable for sending recorded content to a connected HDTV. 
• Dimensions: 3.5 x 4.72 x 6.3 inches
• microSD card slot for greater recording capacity. 

The optical steady shot feature is excellent at keeping the video steady even when zoomed out all the way (30x). .  Dual format recording means it can record a 1080p version as well as a lower resolution version of the same video at the same time. The lower resolution version is more compressed/compact and intended for posting to the web. You can turn OFF dual recording. 

This camera has time lapse recording capability, but NOT slow motion.

In use I am surprised and impressed by how lightweight this camera is. Flipping out the touch screen turns the camera ON, but you can turn the camera OFF using a button on the camera body. The screen rotates up or down, and even flips to forward facing.  The screen image flips when the screen itself is flipped. 

If you have a phone or tablet that can create a wifi hotspot, then several Sony cameras including the CX455 can be controlled at the same time from that phone or tablet.  I could not get my wifi-only tablet to work with the multi-camera feature, but I could get it to switch back and forth between two CX455s over WiFi. 

Layout of the main camera physical controls, and holding the camera are well thought-out.  The side strap is adjustable to fit most sizes of hands, though only for right-handed holding. The short USB cable hides and stores in the hand strap. 

The Record start/stop button is under your thumb. Wide angle/Zoom is a rocking lever on the top of the camera where my index finger naturally fell upon it. Zooming in and out is variable speed, depending on how far you rock the lever.  .A button for taking a still photo is in front of the zoom rocker, and harder to reach. All these features are duplicated by on-screen icons.

 Unfolding the screen will turn the camera ON.  It also reveals additional controls and ports. One hinged door covers a microphone input and headphone output jack.  Another hinged door reveals the HDMI output jack and the microSD card slot. A Power button, Playback button, and Talk button are next to a speaker hole array. 

On the strap side of the camera you'll find doors hiding a DC-in jack, and a Multi (micro-USB)  port.   

I have yet to shoot anything more than a few test videos and photos with my CX455.  My intent is to record myself using various woodworking tools as examples/demonstration for my college students. I'm pleased so far with the quality of the video and photos I've recorded so far. When I have a few with content worthy of posting on Youtube I'll add links to them here.  

Let me know if there is anything more specific you want to know about this camera from Sony.  I will respond to comments if I have an answer for you.

4D 

Samsung Galaxy Player 4.0 Review.

Samsung 4.0 WiFi Player

I have to admit that this media player has me conflicted.  It may be a great device, but it should have been in my hands 4 months ago. I found one at my local BestBuy, and I've been running it through its paces to see what shakes loose.

Included Headphones with Mic

In the box:

• Nice set of in-ear-monitors (IEMs) that include a microphone on the cord.
• Micro USB cable.
• AC power adapter.
• User Guide.
• Health & Safety and Warranty Guides.
• 1200mAh Battery: 36hrs Music play with WiFi and screen off.  5hrs video.  Replacement batteries with greater capacity are supposedly available.

AC to USB Adapter

Hardware:

• 4.0" 800x480 Super Clear LCD
• Front Camera: VGA 640 x 480
• Rear Camera: 3.2 Megapixel
• FM Radio
• GPS
• Haptic (vibration) feedback
• Bluetooth® 3.0 (added speed and power savings)
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/a)
• Stereo Speakers
• MicroSD card slot (under back cover)
• Volume Rocker
• Power/Lock button
• Microphone
• USB port (under sliding cover)
• Headphone Jack

Back Off.  Removable battery and MicroSD Slot

Media capability:

• Music:  The Music app is excellent with easy access to volume control, shuttle controls, shuffle/repeat, lyrics (if available), EQ settings (presets and 2 user settings), full-screen album art (when available), song info including artist, album, song name and track number, song position and length, etc.. There is also a LIST icon to tap to go back to the songs list.  The menu icon will bring up several more options including Add to Quick List, Share Music Via, Add to Playlist, Via Bluetooth/Speakers, Set as Alarm Tone, and More.  Tap "More" and you'll get a Settings and Details option. Settings include Samsung's SoundAlive,  Choices for how the music is sorted, and the option for choosing a graphic to show when no Album Art is available. The Music app claims WAV, MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA (v9), WMA Lossless, and Ogg formats will play. The player also played M4A and FLAC files with no trouble.  The was no left/right balance setting.  The largest negative I can find is that there is no gapless playback. I'm giving music playback an A though.   Just not an A+.

Music: Now Playing

• FM Radio: The radio app is also well done.  The first time I opened it the app started searching for stations.  When done there were no active frequencies in range of me that were left out, and no frequencies logged that were nothing but static or noise. You can have it output through the headphone (required for antenna) or the onboard speakers.  You can turn it OFF within the app or leave it playing in the background after leaving the app. Volume levels are separate for speakers and headphones. No RDS that I noticed. No FM output via Bluetooth. No Radio recording. That leaves Radio with a B+.
• Video: Video support is great, supporting any WMV, AVI or MP4 up to 720p that I've tried. The specs claim H.263, H.264, MPEG4, 3GP, WMV (v9), Xvid, and DivX ® formats. The Video app remembers your position in the file when you return to it. Besides the normal shuttle controls, the Menu button brings up Share Video, Details, Via Bluetooth/Speakers, Play Speed, Subtitles, and Settings options. The Settings option includes Repeat, Brightness, Colour tone, and Outdoor visibility. You can resize/stretch video to fill the screen. There is also a toggle for 5.1ch audio although I'm not sure why given the player only has stereo out. Video deserves an A+. 

Video Player

• Photos: The larger screens get, the better they are for photo display.  This is true for the 4.0" Samsung compared to my previous 3" P2, P3, and M1 players from Samsung. The Gallery app supports JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP files. Photos are vivid.  Sliding between them is fluid. The included samples look great.  You have Slideshow options, Share options, and Editing options including Crop and Rotate left or right.  You can also delete photos from within the Gallery app. Photos get an A thanks to the great screen. 
• Cameras: The front facing camera is worthless for anything other than video chat.  Photos taken with it are low resolution (640 x 480) and grainy. The rear camera does a little better, but at 3.2mp isn't up to the images you'll get from most 5mp or 8mp phones these days. The lens is much better than that on the front, so with good light you can take some decent images. There are several settings and options in the Camera app. You have Shooting Mode choices of Single Shot, Smile Shot, Continuous, Panorama, Add me, and Action Shot.  You have Scene choices of Landscape, Portrait, Sports, Night, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dawn, Fall Colour, Firework, Text, Candlelight, and Backlight. You can adjust Exposure Value from -2 to +2 in .5 steps. There is also a long list of Camera settings you might find on Samsung's best consumer cameras. Finally you have tools, which include Guidlines, Review, GPS, Shutter Sound, Storage, and Reset.  You may want to check out a few photography books for information on how to use all these features.  The Rear camera's highest resolution is 2048 x 1536.  There is no flash.  I'm giving the Camera app an A though.  They don't usually come as full-featured as this one.

UI: The user interface is Typical Android Phone.  I'm guessing that if you own a Samsung android phone you'll be right at home. Samsung's TouchWiz additions are nothing more than useful. They include a dock bar that hold 4 apps and is always there no matter which home page you are on. Power shortcuts (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, Sound, and Auto Rotation) also were added to the dropdown notifications list. A long press on the menu icon brings up Search, and a long press on the Home icon brings up a window showing recently used apps and a shortcut to the Task Manager. There are 7 home screens, but Edit in the home screen menu options will let you delete ones you don't use. You can add them back using the same Edit option.  The UI doesn't rotate as the device rotates. For few improvements over their phone UIs, I'll give the UI an Android average C+.  Yes there are widgets and animations and such.  Nothing surprising though.

Apps:  In addition to the Google Android Market, this player also comes with the Samsung Apps application. You can also add the Amazon App Store with relative ease. No need to root or hack this player to gain access to all of Google's apps.  Some unique apps added by Samsung include AllShare, Samsung App(store), and Thinkfree Office.  Several typical android apps (usually social or media related) also appear to have been altered (improved) by Samsung.

Android Market

Impressions:  Light weight. Well built.  Beautiful screen. Great media support.  Good headphones included. The removable battery implies this player could be the last player you'll ever need. Batteries have a limited number of charge cycles, and as such will wear out eventually.  Any player without a removable battery will only last as long as that battery. This player is comfortable to hold although a little slippery. This is an "everything device" you can carry in your pocket. Cameras, Radio, GPS, Skype and Google Talk phone services, in addition to the great media capabilities make this a wonderful alternative to a phone if you don't want to pay that monthly phone service fee.

Conclusions:  Samsung has built a great player here. At $229 for 8gb it is higher but more capable than the $199 8gb iPod Touch.  GPS, FM radio, and a larger screen may be worth the $30 difference. There are other more subtle differences that should help justify that cost. I'm rating the Samsung Galaxy 4.0 a Great Buy. Consider that 9.5 out of 10, with .5 for hoping the price drops to $199.

4D




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BlackBerry Playbook Review. Finally a Realistic Price!

BlackBerry PlayBook

With most 10" tablets hovering around the $500 price point it never made sense to me why the major vendors thought they could ask the same for their 7" tablets.  HTC's 7" Flyer is $499. (edit: Oct 1st BestBuy lowered the price of the HTC Flyer to $299).  RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook was $499 until a few days ago when they dropped the price to $299.  The PlayBook finally offers a compelling set of specs and an innovative OS/UI at what is now a reasonable price.

Headphone Jack, Volume and Play, and Power.  Rear Camera on Back.

Hardware:
 - Dimensions: 7.6" x 5.1" x .4" thick. Weighs 0.9 lbs/425g.
 - Cameras: 3mp front.  5mp rear.
 - Touch-Sensitive bezel.
 - Bluetooth DUN, HID, SPP.  A Bluetooth mouse worked, but I failed with Bluetooth keyboards.
 - WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
 - Front-facing Stereo Speakers
 - Two Microphones. Voice Notes sound excellent.
 - Notification LED
 - External Volume rocker
 - External Play/Pause button.
 - Headphone jack.
 - Mini HDMI port.  Full mirroring of the UI on your HDTV.
 - Micro USB port.

Bottom Edge: microHDMI, microUSB, and Dock Port. 

With more features than the upcoming Kindle Fire, the $299 price may be right on track to help RIM sell a few million more of these.  They'll still need more apps in their apps store. Adding the ability to run Android apps will be a step in the right direction even if there are limits on what apps will run.  Updating the Playbook with Email, Contacts, and Calendar app will also go a long way to bring this tablet into the mainstream.

The Playbook is well built and comfortable to hold. It doesn't feel flimsy or squeaky, and the matte-finish rear is both fingerprint-shy and non-slippery.   Tapping on the back only finds a small hollow right in the middle where the logo is, with the rest of the area sounding solid.  I greatly appreciate the play/pause button between the volume + and - buttons on the top edge. The front facing speakers are loud and efficient. The included soft slip-on cover was a nice touch too.

Cons:  No dedicated email app.  No dedicated contacts app. Limited app store compared to Android. The power button is also hard to press when you want to turn the Playbook ON.  Very slow to boot up from the OFF state.

Music App

Media:  Codec support is decent.   AVI, WMV, and MP4 videos play just fine with the stock Video app.  An MKV sample I had would not play.   MP3s, WMAs (+ WMA lossless), AAC and M4A audio files would play.  FLAC files wouldn't.  The Music app allows sorting by Songs, Artists, Albums, and Genres. You can shuffle or play sequentially though a list. There is an on-screen volume slider, progress bar, and full play controls within the app. You also have a dynamic Search function. No Bookmark or Playlist options I could find though.  The video app takes advantage of the Touchscreen capabilities and lets you stretch your video with two-fingers to enlarge or shrink them, as well as pan around the moving video as if it was just a photo. No bookmarking in the video app either, and it won't remember where you left off when you return to a video either.

Video Scene

UI:  I'll give RIM some credit here.  The Playbook's User Interface is original, practical, easy to understand, and fascinating to use.  Far more clever than any iOS or Android device has implemented to date.  I have to believe it was only the high price and missing apps that kept the Playbook from catching on faster.  The price has been corrected now.  Hopefully an Apps update will show up soon.

Multi-Tasking

Summary:  This is a very capable tablet. The $299 price is fair for what you get and what it can do.  Screen reaction is fluid. Media playback is beautiful though not fully-featured. The OS is refreshing compared to Android and iOS, but the missing email app and android app support is a wound that needs repair before I'll recommend this to anyone. Are you listening, RIM?    I'm parking mine until that update shows up. The HTC Flyer is also $299 now, and it's an Android 7" tablet with some useful enhancements.

4D


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Sony Tablet S. My Review.

Sony took their time entering the Android tablet race.  At first glance their patience was not wasted.  This Sony S Wi-Fi Tablet (16GB)  has some clever features and an original look that makes it stand out from the pack.

Mine arrived the 14th of September. Well packaged.  The box includes a Quick Start Guide,  A pictoral guide to the power switch, unlocking the screen, calling up the onscreen keyboard, signing in for the first time, and swiping between home pages. The AC adapter appears straight from one of Sony's laptops with a long AC cord, a power brick, and a long cord from the brick to the proprietary charge point on the bottom edge of the S. I'm not a fan of the dock connection used, as it is snaps in and is a challenge to get out.   You also get a wrist lanyard, but there was no USB/syncing cable in the box.  Lastly there was all the usual boilerplate of warnings, licenses, and disclaimers.

Hardware features:
 - Universal IR remote/transmitter
 - Battery Type : Li-Ion 5000mAh
       + Battery Life when browsing web with Wi-Fi - 6.2 hours
       + Battery charge time - 5.0 hours.
 - Camera : Front – 0.3 Megapixel Rear – 5.0 Megapixel
 - Bluetooth version 2.1 +
 - Wi-Fi : IEEE802.11b/g/n
 - Full-size SD Card slot
 - TruBlack 1280 x 800 9.4" screen.
 - Internal, Monaural microphone
 - Internal, Stereo speakers
 - Dimensions: 9.5" x 6.87" x 0.82" (thick end), and 1.29375 lbs (by my scale, no SD card inserted).
 - User manual available here: PDF Link

Left Edge

Right Edge

SDHC & microUSB port

A bit smaller than the 10.1 tablets out there, it looks like Sony didn't want to have to compete for 10.1 inch screens in case this tablet was a hit. Their 9.4" screen is still 16:10 wide screen rather than 4:3 like the iPad.  It is better for movie playback and any other wide-screen media (like PlayStation games). I personally like the size. Lighter than the iPad2 and Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet I have, the weight plus the shape makes it almost delightful to hold.  Sony also looks to have considered ergonomics in their design, and I'm very appreciative. None of the large tablets I've reviewed so far have been easy to hold up long enough to watch a movie or read a book. They tend to cramp the hand that holds them by the edge. It's not natural or comfortable.  I've suggested adding a handle mount to the center back.  Sony may have a better solution though, and it comes from a simple redistribution of weight.  I have the thick end at about 55% of the weight and the thin end 45%.  The wedge shape makes it obvious how to hold the S for best results as well.  The back also has a texture and a friction coating to eliminate any slipperyness.

Video Frame

Media capability seems to be thorough. The TruBlack screen is beautiful.  Mine has played WMV, MP4, M4V, 3GP video files with no problem.  Other formats/codecs are playable with downloadable apps.  MP3, WMA (including WMA lossless), FLAC, OGG, WAV, MID, XMF music files played with no trouble.  Sony has also thrown in access to it's own Entertainment Network.  There are apps for Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited. Plus the Crackle app where you can view full-length Hollywood movies and TV series for free and on demand.  Finish it off with the Reader™ Store from Sony for ebooks galore.

YouTube App

Camera: The 5.0 megapixel rear camera doesn't include a flash.  It takes sunlight or photo lights indoors to coax a good picture from it, but it can be done.  Like all my other tablets with cameras you shouldn't consider the cameras on the S a replacement for even an inexpensive pocket camera. The S's cameras are better than those on my iPad2, but about the same as what came on any of my other tablets. Below are samples from my yard taken with the rear camera.  The front camera is best used for video chat.

Build quality is typical Sony.  This tablet is light but solid. No flex or squeaks in use. The rear surface has a texture to it that is less slippery than most. Ports and buttons hide inside the crease on the sides, and visually keep the look clean.  They are a bit more challenging to press or plug into though, although not enough to be an ongoing challenge.   The screen appears to roll right around to the back surface.  A nice affect.  The edge is undercut and gives the appearance that this tablet is thinner than an iPad from the front.  Under a flap on the left edge there is a micro-USB and full-sized SDHC card slot.  You'll also find the headphone jack on the left.  There are speaker vents on both edges. There is also a reset hole, which I've had to stick a paper clip into once so far.

Applications Screen

Apps: The included app assortment is impressive.  Most of my android tablets have had less than one page worth of apps to start with. There looks to be 45 or so apps on the S.  You can sort them newest first, A-Z, or a custom way. The downside?  The remaining memory space is only about 9gb.  So much for thinking I could get six or seven 2gb movies on board.  There were a few music, photo, and video samples included though. Roughly 430mb's worth.  When you get tired of those you can move them to your PC to clear up some of that used storage space.

AC Charger Connection Point

Problems?   Sony's Music and Video stores aren't ready at the time of this post.  The screen won't rotate with the thick (heavier) end down. I've also had off and on WiFi connectability problems.  The AC charger is a lump to deal with. No USB cable included. Crash Bandicoot keeps dying on me (OK, my fault not the S's), and yet I'm spending more time than usual enjoying this tablet.

Crash Bandicoot

Conclusions?  At the same prices as the WiFi iPad gen2s, Sony's Tablet S is the best shot I've tested yet to directly steal some sales from Apple. It has a great screen, clever physical design, great media support, Built-in DLNA capability, and a great size/weight. Add PlayStation game playing as well.  Easier to hang on to than any of my other tablets too. Battery life is a little short compared to most of the 10.1s and the iPad.  It's a first generation tablet though, and probably compares better to the iPad-1. With that iPad selling for $399 or less, Sony has this tablet just a little too highly priced.  I saved 10% on mine with a coupon code (now expired) and thought $450 was a fair price for it.  Look for discounts.  If you can save anything off the current MSRP then get one.  I'm keeping mine.

4D


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Logitech Tablet Keyboard (for Android 3.0+) Review.

The most obvious feature of Logitech's Tablet Keyboard for Android is not the keyboard itself.  Logitech was smart to realize tablets go portable in briefcases or satchels or purses, and if a useful keyboard goes along it needs to be protected when inside that briefcase. This keyboard comes with a hard shell slip-case. Better yet, the case pops open and re-configures to become an adjustable stand for just about any tablet with Bluetooth.

The clamshell case stays closed with magnets. It will protect the keyboard keys but doesn't grip the keyboard in any way to prevent it from sliding out.  Once hinged open, a fold-out flange reconnects to form a triangular stand.  That flange will extend another 1.5 inches to allow adjusting the angle the tablet sits at by a few degrees.

The keyboard runs on two AAA batteries that were included. There is an On/Off slide on the top right, and a Connect button on the back. The bottom has rubber feet on each corner to keep it from sliding about.

Beside the normal alphabet and numerals, the keyboard has extra functions for android.  They include Volume up and down, Play/Pause, Forward/Previous, and shortcuts to Calendar, Browser, Music, and Email apps. There are also specific Home, Back, and Menu, and Search keys.  The Caps Lock key has an LED to remind you when it is ON.  Keys are normal size and spaced the same as the keys on my full-sized desktop keyboard.  The direction keys are the only keys that are smaller than usual.   Shift, Enter, Backspace, CapsLock, and Tab are all wider than a single letter key.

This keyboard even works with a PC. Not all function keys work as expected, but it'll do if you need a lighweight and wireless keyboard to get back from your PC a bit. I connect mine with my PC and have typed this review using it.  Media and volume keys work. The Home button will take you to your Home page if you have a web browser open. Back works like a browser's Back button. Search opens a search window, and the direction keys move your cursor in the expected direction.

Logitech also makes a Tablet Keyboard for iPad. This Android version does pair and connect to my iPad, but not all the Android-specific keys have a function in iOS.

All in all this is a great package.  The mostly plastic keyboard is well made with a matte black finish and has a nice action to the keys. It paired easily with both my Galaxy Tab and PC, and iPad2 (not at the same time), and had no problem maintaining the connection with either.  The case/stand is very useful and cleverly functional.  I paid $60 for mine, and that's the same or less than you'll pay for any Bluetooth android keyboard that doesn't include a case/stand.   If you're interested in a keyboard for your Bluetooth enabled Android 3.0+ tablet, I highly recommend this one. 

4D



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Acer Iconia Tab A100 Review.

This may be the best 7" Tablet available right now!

I picked up my 8GB Acer Iconia Tab A100 7-inch Tablet on the first day they were available at my local Walmart. Well packaged, and at that time for sale at $328 with an included $50 Walmart Gift Card.  Still haven't spent that gift card, but I am really enjoying the tablet. Far more portable that any of the 10" tablets I've tried. It came with Android Honeycomb 3.2 installed, and a few custom apps from Acer in addition to the typical android apps normally included with Honeycomb.

Inside the box was an Acer AC Power Supply for charging it up, a USB cable for syncing it with your PC, a large folded Getting Started Guide, and a shrink-wrapped assortment of warranties and safety disclaimers. No headphones were included.  You can download the User Guide in PDF format HERE.

Hardware:  The A100 comes with a micro HDMI output, micro USB port, docking port, 2mp front and 5mp rear cameras, LED flash with the rear camera, a headphone jack, microphone, microSD and SIM card slots, stereo speakers, external volume rocker, and a screen rotation lock slider. It also works with the A500 Docking Station with Remote sold for it's larger brother the Acer A500 Iconia Tab.
 

Display: The capacitive multitouch screen shows 1024 x 600 Pixels with 262K color support. Better than most 7" tablets I've seen. The screen is almost too sensitive using a stylus.  My favorite capacitive stylus is read too quickly half the time, detected as a tap instead of the beginning of a slide or swipe. Using my fingers the screen accuracy is nearly perfect though.  Movies and photos look great. View angles aren't wide. There is some color shift when off-center, but the view is fine for personal use.

Apps:  The A100 came with the android market app, and as such has access to the entire collection available there.  You can also side-load apps from 3rd part sources, and install the Amazon AppStore app easily. I haven't come across any apps that won't run on the A100.   It is not a phone though, so don't expect apps made to use phone-specific hardware to work.  I'm enjoying the Planner app that was pre-installed. The Angry Birds game collection plays great.  Graphics are smooth, even in levels that have bogged down some of the other devices I've tested. 

Battery life is the most disappointing feature of this tablet, although mine does live up to the 5 hours estimated by Acer.  With a battery only half the size of what comes in most 10.1" tablets I'm not surprised duration on a charge isn't longer.  I'll suggest turning wifi and the screen off between uses, and that should get you through 8 hours of off and on use.

Android 3.2 comes pre-installed on the A100 and is a significant improvement over earlier versions.  It includes a compatibility zoom mode that gives users a new way to view fixed-sized apps on larger devices.  Small phone apps are easily enlarged to fill the screen.   These graphics capabilities are a big step for App makers and will mean updated apps are more likely to run on any android device no matter the screen size.

Build:  My A100 is solidly built, with no creaking or flexing of the body. All edges are rounded over and it is easy to hold.  Like most tablets the glass front and plastic body are fingerprint magnets.  I suggest keeping a microfiber cleaning cloth handy. This tablet doesn't look much different than any of my other 7" tablets until you turn it on, at which point the high-res capacitive screen show off.

Media:  I had no trouble playing assorted MP4, WMV, and AVI video files. MOV and FLV files wouldn't play with the stock player, but played fine using the Mobiplayer app downloadable from the Android Market.  The video apps weren't the best at stretching videos to fill the screen, but all videos played with no dropped frames.   MP3, WMA (and WMA lossless), FLAC, WAV, and AAC audio files all played fine using the Google Music app. I couldn't find an OGG file to test. Sound quality from the built-in speakers is tinny.  Not bad for spoken audio, but missing any low end for music. Audio through my nicest over-ear headphones (Sennheiser HD-595) was static-free and generally delightful.

Conclusions:  This tablet is a keeper. Yes, they could have used a better screen. Yes, it would benefit from a larger battery (assuming one would fit inside).  Everything else considered and the Acer Iconia A100 stands out as the best 7" android tablet I've tried so far.  Screen response is fluid. Web browsing is quick and complete, with the browser having no obvious trouble rendering FLASH on web sites.  My A100 had no trouble multitasking between my email, the web browser, a game of Angry Birds, and the Astro File Manager (downloaded from the Market).  At $328 it is fairly priced against the less-capable NOOK Color eBook Tablet and the thinner HTC Flyer .  Those are the only other 7"  tablets I've seen with 1024 x 600 screens.  Watch the ads, because if Walmart was able to offer a $50 gift card with one then there is some room in the price for nice sale-price reductions. I'll say it again: This tablet is a keeper!

Comments and Questions welcomed!
4D

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