Acer Iconia Tab A100 review

Media consumption is either a blessing or a curse. For movies, the Acer Iconia Tab A100 isn't that usable, and you might decide not to watch them on it. The screen looks dark, and there were a few times when test movies – loaded using the microSD port – and a few YouTube HD videos, would pause for no apparent reason.

For music, we tested the MusicA app included with the Acer Iconia Tab A100 and the Google Music app. We loaded albums from The Boxer Rebellion, some techno from Daft Punk and a few pop hits as a sanity check. The Acer Iconia Tab A100 isn't bad as an MP3 player, and the speaker quality gets a boost from Dolby Mobile in terms of tonal clarity – basically, like someone adjusted the EQ in a good way.

The Acer Iconia Tab A100 isn't bad for viewing photos on, but some images had a glossy look thanks to the mirror-like effect of the screen. They screen isn't warm and rich like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, or clear from any angle like the iPad 2, and it's a bit too small for detailed images. In this regard, the HTC Flyer looks about the same.

However, as an ebook reader, the Acer Iconia Tab A100 was serviceable. Pages turned quickly, and you can hold the device in one hand without a lot of effort. It has a good degree of portability to start reading anytime without the extra heft of a 10-inch tablet.

The Google Books app has good prices and a wide selection. You can also download the free Amazon Kindle app for an even wider array of ebooks.