Last Update: 2013/08/30
RIP: It is pronounced dead by Acer engineer. Resurrection would cost me NT$3900+ for a refurbished mother board that comes with 3-month warranty. A brand new tablet these days cost less and comes with one year warranty. I am disappointed by Acer quality, value, and service. I will never buy Acer again.
The turn around time exceeds 27 hours for e-mail support, and 25 for phone. The e-mail response was not helpful at all. The advise was "if reset doesn't work, take it to our shop." The engineer returned the call at least suggested trying to fully discharge the battery.
The time took for just getting an estimate after dropping off at the shop was more than 4 working days.
Although the attitude of the receptionist at the shop was good, but unprofessional. I asked a simple yes or no question "If I give up my computer, would I still need to pay for the NT$300 estimate?" He returned me with two of his first, which were turned out not required to answer mine.
最後更新： 2013/08/29
報銷了：宏碁工程師說換修復的主機板，保固3個月要三千九百多。現在新的9-10吋平板一個不用三千，還保固一年。零北對宏碁的品質、價值，與服務都失望透頂。零北再也不會買宏碁產品了。
網上支持回覆電子郵件的時間超過27小時，電話超過25小時。電話支持的工程師還算用心：建議放光電池再試試看；電郵的就只說重設，不行就送修。
維修中心接待人員的態度雖然不錯，但是不懂禮貌、不專業。我問「如果電腦我不要了，還要付300元的估價嗎？」在回答這個簡單的是非題之前，他還要先問我工程師姓名跟維修單號。
Last Update: 2013/08/19
My Acer Iconia A500 turned itself off last night. I has been refusing to boot till now.
Acer Tech support's response time is over 25 hours.
Recommended solution from Acer was: fully discharge (keep it running until automatic shutdown), recharge, and turn it on again. The educated guess is software conflict.
昨晚自動關機，今天拒絕開機。
宏碁客服的回應時間：超過25小時。
宏碁客服工程師的建議是：放電（不關機，等自動關機。）後，充電，再開機。推測原因是軟體衝突。
I have finally purchased this tablet at the price of NT$11200. This is a bit less than US$400. In addition to tech show discount, according to the salesperson, he had quoted me a wrong price. Other than this, the lowest price I have found was NT$11400 at tech show, and NT$11500 in stores.
I believe I have got the biggest bang for my bucks, in terms of both price and value.
Value is my deciding factor on choosing A500. Compared with iPad2 and Asus Transformer, A500 is better equipped but ridiculously priced. This kind of portable equipment comes with extremely high risk of damage and theft. Hence its cost must be expendable. Android is capable of accomplishing any task I would assign to an iPad. So Android wins out for lower cost.
Among Android devices, Asus Transformer is ridiculously expensive. Take a look at the tablet itself, A500 is better equipped than Transformer at a lower price. To dress up A500, a blue tooth keyboard is less than NT$2000. A Transformer with keyboard, however, is approaching NT$20,000. If I am burning that much cash, why would not I get a NetBook in addition to an A500? During tech show, I can get a NetBook for less than NT$7000. From NetBook point of view, Transformer with keyboard is poor on computing power and storage. Why do you need 16 hours of battery juice? Can you last that long? Even if you can, can your audiences? Other than a sales obsessed on lightening the weight of his/her luggage, I cannot think of any practical justification for Asus Transformer.
It is a bit heavier and larger than expected. However, after comparing with a iPad2, its weight seems a lot more reasonable, as it is not much heavier. For folks looking for a powerful ebook reader, I would recommend a 7" pad instead. As far as ebook reader goes, I would gladly exchange the over sized viewing area for less burden. Some reviewer criticize A500's battery life by comparing it with other tablets. I say if you are staring at a tablet more than 6 hours a day, then perhaps you need to get a life instead of a pad. Nonetheless, I do not regret my decision, as my need is indeed a tablet. So I do need the large screen. In addition, I am also regarding being a dumb bell as an extra function.
Acer boasts Doby stereo. I did not expect much from this claim. Nonetheless, it has been a pleasant surprise to discover A500 produces the most pleasant sound I have ever heard from build in computer speakers.
I would have made this purchase a bit earlier had had Acer made a louder announcement on their Android 3.2 update. Acer's web site shows Android 3.1 update download. However, the newer update is done through Wi-Fi. I was not sure of this until I have become an owner.
Books, video, and audio included, with cloud storage, I am very pleased to be able to carry my library with me at this weight.
零北後悔了。今天是2012年6月4日。還沒收到Ice Cream Sandwich的更新。這種售後服務實在是不敢恭維。
零北終於敗了這臺平板。砸了11200大洋。除了打狗資訊展的折扣外，銷售說他報錯價了。但那條漢子曰：雖然報錯價，但他敢報，就敢負責、敢出貨。
除了那攤外，在資訊展，零北問到的最低價是11400大洋；在店面則是11500。眼看著A500逐漸從市場上消失，相信零北已經撿到殺到見骨的最低價了。
零北選擇A500的原因是投資報酬率：跟挨呸吐與華碩變形金剛相比，它的配備不比人差，但價格卻低到笑得死人。這種隨身帶著趴趴走的東西，就算自己有信心不會意外砸爛，都還要考慮盜賊因素。因此價格必須是低到可以考慮打水漂的。俺捉夷能達到完成零北要挨呸吐所能完成的任務，而俺捉夷的板子比蘋果便宜，那零北就買俺捉夷。
俺捉夷裡，華碩的變形金剛又貴到爆笑：只看平板，不看鍵盤，變形金剛就比配備更好的A500還貴。不配鍵盤的話，你幹麽要為變形金剛多砸銀子？要配鍵盤，變形金剛就趨近兩萬大洋。要搞定平板加鍵盤，藍牙鍵盤不用兩千大洋；要砸兩萬大洋，零北幹麽不乾脆敗個A500後，再加碼敗個小筆電啊？電腦展時，十吋小筆電七千大洋有找耶…… 從筆電的觀點來看，不論性能、存儲變形金剛都還不如一臺小筆電。帶鍵盤的變形金剛的續航力比零北知道的小筆電都強，但是你非得要十六小時的續航力幹麽？八小時不夠用嗎？你的變形金剛有十六個小時的續航力，你的人有沒有？你的觀眾有沒有？除了要把行李減到最輕，長期出差時還找不到機會充電的業務外，零北想不出變形金剛有何實用價值。
A500比我想像中的要大一些，重一點。但在與挨呸吐比較之後，A500的重量感覺彷彿合理了點：不算重太多。想要超強電子書的，零北會推薦7吋平板。電子書不需要這麼大的螢幕，而十吋平板實在太重了。網上有些評論文在與其他平板比較後，說A500的電池不夠有力。零北覺得，如果你一天瞪平板的時間一口氣要超過六小時，那你的日子就過得太窩囊了。零北不後悔零北的選擇，因為零北需要的就是平板電腦。零北可以為大螢幕忍受額外重量。換個角度，還可以把它當啞鈴使。
宏碁吹說有杜比音效，但是零北沒給他信道。不過開箱後倒是發現A500的聲音還真是零北聽過電腦內建喇叭中最好的。
如果宏碁大聲點宣傳A500有按桌椅3.2升級的話，零北會早點給他敗下去。他們的網站提供的下載只到3.1，但3.2的升級是直接經過Wi-Fi。直到敗回家後，我才確定可以升級到3.2。
雖然有點重，但加上雲端存儲，零北可以帶著我的影音、藏書趴趴走。龍心大悅。
Protective bag included/附保護內袋
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Since 2012 01 22:
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