Just bought and Iconia Tab 8 A1-850, dealing with the frustration curve

gombtu

I got this tablet a few days ago and now I'm all moved into it, but there are things I still can't figure out, chief among them is why did Acer bother putting GPS in it that doesn't work when you are on the road needing to navigate with it? It will only work when you are in a WiFi spot, where you can ask someone where you are if you don't already know. What you'd most want GPS for is navigation on the road. What was Acer thinking? This sails right over my head....

 

Next, as others have posted, you can't find a case for it. I got one at Walmart just to have a case for it, but the camera hole is in the wrong place. It would seem this device is so new you can't get anything for it. There's very little online about it at all. Mine says it's running 4.4.4, which I *think* means it's running kitkat, but I can't be sure because it doesn't say so.

 

Next up, the bloatware they dumped on it. Nothing they pre-installed on it is of any use or interest to me, and they made sure you can't remove that stuff. A nasty gesture on their part. I paid for the device, it's mine, not theirs, and what's on it is my call, not theirs. I'd very much like to trim off the bloatware they filled it with, but I find I have to root it before I can do that because of the measures they took to make sure I can't get rid of that garbage.

 

I don't know anything about rooting such a device, but I have been told you can brick it if you mess up rooting it, and I'm not about to risk that unless I'm sure it can be done safely and rigtht. Is there any other way to get rid of the garbage apps they so rudely put on my new device?

billsey

Can't help you with the GPS issue, I haven't had a chance to play with that model. You did test with an offline mapping program? The only reason I'd see for needing a WiFi connection is for access to maps...

 

Luckily, the case issue will resolve itself as soon as the various case manufacturers get going. It takes a few weeks for them to get cases through the pipeline and into retailers hands.

 

Preloaded software is the norm for Android devices, the software manufacturers help to fund the cost of the tablet/phone with the preloads, and Google requires that preloaded software stay loaded in order to have the money from the software developers actually be worth something to them. Not much you can do about it, it's just the reality of using a "free" OS.

 

Rooting is alway problematic, kind of like opening the case. Best to see how well you can live with the stock setup, at least until your warranty runs out.