Acer Iconia W4-820-2894 8-Inch 32 GB Windows Tablet (Smokey Gray)

To put this review in context, I was in search of something to replace my aging laptop. I work mostly from home, doing technical writing and web programming. The nature of the applications I use makes Windows a necessity. I am not a gamer or video editor, so I don't need huge processing power or high-performance graphics. I do travel occasionally, and so a portable solution is the most ideal. So my plan was to find a small Windows tablet that I could hook up to my flat-screen TV at home, then sit on the couch across the room with a wireless keyboard and mouse, and work that way. In the evening, I could lay in bed with the tablet in hand and play games, read ebooks, or surf the web. For travel, I could disconnect everything and throw the tablet in a backpack. That was the plan.I chose the Acer Iconia W4 after much research, because it seemed to fit the bill. In particular, it is one of the few 8" Windows tablets currently available with HDMI out, and that was a must for me.So how well does it meet my expectations?The tablet itself is wonderful. It is comfortable to hold, and feels solid and well-built. Hardware-wise, it isn't too different from any other Windows tablet on the market right now. Same processor, same ram, same graphics, same amount of memory, same interface. I've gotten used to my old 2.3GHz laptop, so switching to a 1.3GHz processor can cause bouts of impatience with certain software, but it's tolerable. The touch screen collects fingerprints annoyingly well, but I only notice them when the screen is off. The buttons and ports around the edges of the tablets are all intuitively placed and function perfectly. The speakers are surprisingly good for such a small device.Windows 8.1 isn't as bad as many make it out to be. In fact, it's ideal for the way I use this device. With the tablet in hand, I use the Metro interface, the touch screen, and the Windows apps (sparse as they are). Connected to the TV, I use desktop mode with the wireless keyboard and mouse, and it's like I'm back in Windows 7 land. Perfect.I'm 90% happy with the Acer Iconia W4. I have only two big complaints.First, the tablet has a built-in combo wi-fi/Bluetooth radio. This seems convenient until you discover that you cannot use both wi-fi and Bluetooth at the same time! I had intended to use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, but it was impossible due to the constant stuttering and lag of the keyboard as long as I was connected to wi-fi. Unfortunately, I do a lot of typing, so that's unacceptable. I really hope Acer fixes this serious limitation with a driver update of some kind in the very near future. In the meantime, I have switched to a Logitech wireless (non-Bluetooth) keyboard and mouse with a USB receiver. That works fine, but it brings me to my second big complaint.With an on-the-go (OTG) USB adapter, it's possible to connect all sorts of USB devices to the Iconia W4. Unfortunately, the only USB port on the tablet is also the charging port, so you have to unplug any USB devices (say, my keyboard and mouse) before you can hook up the charger. Luckily, the battery life is long enough that I can make it through a work day without needing to charge, but still, it's another serious limitation.Other than those two things, I'm very happy with this tablet. For those who have made up their minds to purchase this tablet, I don't think you'll be disappointed as long as you keep its limitations in mind and are willing to work with them. Also, here are some miscellaneous tips that I've found useful as I've conquered the learning curve on this device:* Immediately after unpacking your new tablet, download and install the latest BIOS and driver updates from the Acer website. Also, install all the available Windows updates.* Disable automatic Windows updates. Choose the setting where updates are downloaded but you decide whether to install them. You should still install updates as they are released, but others have reported being unable to come out of sleep mode due to conflicts with automatic updates. Some have also reported that they avoid this by actually shutting down the tablet every night, instead of just leaving it in sleep mode. This is what I do. Boot-up time is lightning fast, so it's not a big deal, and I have never had a problem with a frozen tablet.* Get the largest MicroSD card available to supplement your available disk space. Windows, Office, and other software you'll install, take up a disturbingly large portion of the on-board storage. There are bundled cloud storage options from both Microsoft and Acer, but they only offer a few gigabytes each, and memory cards are cheap.* If you plan to use a wireless USB keyboard and/or mouse, look for a right-angle OTG adapter (I bought http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B4GGW5Q/). It keeps things nice and tight, without any unnecessary cables danging off the side. I also bought a micro-to-mini OTG cable (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DCZWK6W/), since it seems that most of the peripherals I use with this tablet (including my USB hub) have mini-USB inputs, so this one cable does the job that might otherwise take a handful of cables and adapters.

I had an ACER A500 10" tablet which I was very satisfied with. It was stolen when my house was burglarized. So after much dithering about what to replace it with I decided to try the 8" Windows configuration. I liked the 10" A500 just fine. However if you want something a little easier to put in a large pocket, that larger format tablet is not preferred. I always felt the 7" tablets were too small. Serviceable, but not really desirable. The 8" is OK. I did get a cheap stylus off Ebay which does seem to help especially when using a web browser off the desktop. That sort of use isn't really finger touch friendly because the control buttons are smaller than "tablet apps". A stylus probably is nice to use in cold weather too. Some of the Windows apps I don't like. They push you into certain directories or try too hard to anticipate or steer you into a path of use that often annoys me. I run the computer, not the other way around!I had tried a Toshiba like this which died within 24 hours of receiving it. This ACER is holding up after two weeks. It has a plastic screen, so I did get a three pack of screen protector sheets out of caution. They were for the Toshiba, but fit exactly the same 8" screen except for needing to punch a new hole for the differently placed camera lens. Easily done. One thing that is annoying is when the screen brightness is way down, it will flicker brighter occasionally which is slightly annoying. Also the Windows button is easy to press by accident which is also a small bother. Who needs it.I don't like that the speakers are on a short side of the tablet. Unfortunately that seems to be par for the course with these 8" windows tabs. If you are watching videos without headphones, you want the speakers on a long side of the unit. They sound OK, and the volume is acceptable. The volume rocker switch is backwards, left for volume up, and right for down if you hold it in landscape. If you hold it in portrait it's up for more sound and down for less. But why would you need sound if you're holding the thing like a book? Better sound from headphones, but convenience with the speakers.I was able to load both of my printers one of which is a scanner with no problem.It plays ripped DVD video just fine. I don't have any blue ray media to play.From Ebay I ordered an adapter for USB mini to USB female full size so I can plug in a jump drive if needed.So far I'm satisfied. I recently read a review of this (reflecting ACER products) where it was stated that it isn't the greatest thing going, but it's a competent unit with many features. My recommendation is if the specifications meet your needs you should feel confident in purchasing it.