Lenovo A1 Tablet/Reader - Page 2

frahse · 10-01-2011, 10:22 PM

This is becoming bothersome. I had planned on purchasing at least one of these as a gift, and it seems to have disappeared from the civilized world since IFA.

Here is some late news:

"Cheap tablet Lenovo IdeaPad A1 will be released in Russia in October
Posted by admin2 on October 1, 2011, filed in: Application, Gadget, Tablet

The Russian division by Lenovo in its microblog Twitter announced that its tablet IdeaPad A1 will go on sale in Russia in mid-October. The device will cost from 8500 rubles (depending on memory capacity). Recall, this tablet was announced earlier this month at the IFA 2011. It’s quite simple and, consequently, low-cost solution. The device is running an operating system Android 2.3 and is based on single-core ARM Cortex A8 processor with a clock frequency of 1 GHz.---"

http://mobile263.com/cheap-tablet-le...n-october.html

((supposedly 199USD))

frahse · 10-03-2011, 04:03 AM

Lenovo seems to be opening up its shell about the A1 Ideapad
I even got into the site, and it wasn't easy . That is the second item.

Item 1
[First this from Gadget Mania

Lenovo IdeaPad A1 – a very nice tablet for a surprisingly low price – specs review

Lenovo has been pretty quiet about their tablets ever since they announced them, but it seems that they weren’t just sitting around doing nothing, as at this year’s IFA in Berlin, they demonstrated a real working version of the IdeaPad A1 – a surprisingly nice tablet at a very low recommended price.

Now, the price: The 8 GB model will cost only $199 – that’s with all the other specs intact, including the two card slots! That’s even cheaper than the Nook Color, and it’s definitely a good purchase from a reputable brand name. Sadly, it will only be available in Europe and Asia, with the US getting the slightly more expensive 16 and 32 GB models for $249 and $299 – still a great price, but for ~$50 you could have 40 GB with an SD card instead of 16 GB internal memory in the former model. Regardless, the A1 will be a great choice of a tablet for those who want something good for the best price...

URL->
http://gadgetmania.com/2011/10/lenov...-specs-review/

Item 2. Their site wasn't really ready, but with a bit of "continuous trying I got the user manual."

Chapter 01
Overview of IdeaPad Tablet A1-07
1-1 Appearance Description
1-2 Buttons Description
1-3 Powering IdeaPad Tablet A1-07 On/Off
1-4 Turning Screen Backlight On/Off
1-5 Screen Lock/Unlock
1-6 Navigation Tips
1-7 4-Pane Desktop
1-8 Home Screen
1-9 Switching Home Screen
1-10 Status Bar
1-11 Recent Apps
1-12 Applications Management
1-13 Entering Text

and so on---

URL-->
http://download.lenovo.com/UserFiles.../contents.html

avariel · 10-03-2011, 08:46 AM

No IPS screen, no gorilla glass, and a crappy processor.

HarryT · 10-03-2011, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avariel

No IPS screen, no gorilla glass, and a crappy processor.

What do you expect for that price? Really, be realistic.

avariel · 10-03-2011, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

What do you expect for that price? Really, be realistic.

Uh... the Kindle Fire?

HarryT · 10-03-2011, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avariel

Uh... the Kindle Fire?

Yes. That's a device which is being sold at break-even price, or even perhaps at a loss, because it's a platform for Amazon's digital content services. Amazon take a hit on the price of the Fire, on the assumption that the purchaser will spend money on content. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe that this scenario applies with Lenovo - they aren't a content-seller.

It's in no way whatsoever a comparable situation.

avariel · 10-03-2011, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes. That's a device which is being sold at break-even price, or even perhaps at a loss, because it's a platform for Amazon's digital content services. Amazon take a hit on the price of the Fire, on the assumption that the purchaser will spend money on content. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe that this scenario applies with Lenovo - they aren't a content-seller.

It's in no way whatsoever a comparable situation.

So their decision was to make a really crappy Color Nook and sell it for $200?

Edit: Going to retract on the IPS screen. I remember it being on Engadget that it wasn't, but the info posted here says it is.

taming · 10-03-2011, 10:26 AM

If I buy a tablet (and that is a big if) a 7 inch tablet with Android Market access and cameras (Lenovo) is more attractive to me than one without (Nook). Of course the Nook is not sold anywhere but the US, which takes it entirely off the table.

=X= · 10-03-2011, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avariel

So their decision was to make a really crappy Color Nook and sell it for $200?

Edit: Going to retract on the IPS screen. I remember it being on Engadget that it wasn't, but the info posted here says it is.

Well for $200 what the A1 has lots of features that the Kindle Fire doesn't.

Camera, Bluethooth, GPS, microphone, MicroSD slot, HDMI out port, Android Market, Google Apps, industry supported 2.3 Android and the option to double the eMMC.

It stand toe-to-toe with the Nook color and has a faster processor 1GHZ vs 800MHz. And all the points mentioned in the previous paragraph apply.

And before you say "I don't care for XYZ" the same case can be made about your features.

The point here is that for $200 users really do have comparable choices, one just has to decide what are the key features.

=X=

tequila0341 · 10-03-2011, 02:47 PM

Don't forget it has comparable resolution to the Kindle Fire as well (172 ppi Lenovo vs 169 ppi for the KF).

If the A1 review specs hold up, then I'd gladly pay $50 extra for an SD card slot and not being restricted to Amazon's walled garden.

frahse · 10-03-2011, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tequila0341

Don't forget it has comparable resolution to the Kindle Fire as well (172 ppi Lenovo vs 169 ppi for the KF).

If the A1 review specs hold up, then I'd gladly pay $50 extra for an SD card slot and not being restricted to Amazon's walled garden.

Really really want to see exactly what they will sell in the USA for $250. Yes you get 16GB and memory card storage, and real USB2 (not sure about Fire on that one). Then you get all the bells and whistles, ONBOARD GPS (NOT THIS CRAPPY INTERNET ASSISTED GPS THAT YOU PAY FOR), etc.

I was really looking to buy it for a cousin who doesn't have internet where he lives unless he gets expensive cable. He would need storage for the purpose he would use it for.

Personally, I have given up on the idea of the FIRE as a tablet! I will not be tied to WiFi for storage in the cloud. That is Jeff Bezos acting like Steve Jobs, and selling his dream to the public. If the Fire had an SD card slot, that would change a lot. The Fire as a reader will be fine, but I have a Kindle 3G reader now. I wanted something with color that could be a reader and a 5", 6" or a 7" tablet. The Lenovo A1 (7") or the Galaxy WiFi 5.0 (5") will serve that purpose, and both have on board GPS and loads of storage.

I am out in the woods a lot, on the waterways, and I sometimes carry a car GPS and used to have a hiking GPS but it got broken. I like to be sure where I am and either of those devices will do it by themselves.

soondai · 10-03-2011, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tequila0341

If the A1 review specs hold up, then I'd gladly pay $50 extra for an SD card slot and not being restricted to Amazon's walled garden.

I really wonder if the Fire's price point won't make them rethink not releasing the 8 gig version here in the US for 200 bucks.

Just releasing the 16 gig/250 buck version made sense when their competition was the Nook Color and everyone assumed Amazon would come in at that price as well.

I think they'll do a lot better (they may well get my money) if they match the Fire price.

frahse · 10-03-2011, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soondai

I really wonder if the Fire's price point won't make them rethink not releasing the 8 gig version here in the US for 200 bucks.

Just releasing the 16 gig/250 buck version made sense when their competition was the Nook Color and everyone assumed Amazon would come in at that price as well.

I think they'll do a lot better (they may well get my money) if they match the Fire price.

Amen to that. Does the Singapore crowd think all the money is in the US. Heck they loaned us a lot of it.

frahse · 10-06-2011, 06:16 AM

If you are looking for a 199USD Lenovo A1 Ideapad with 8GB of memory or 16GB for 249USD, they are being manufactured and being sold in China.

I have been looking for the Lenovo A1 Ideapad since it was announced 2 conventions ago. Once it goes on sale at Amazon preferably, I will decide (depending configurations) if I will buy the A1 or the Galaxy WiFi 5.0, 5 inch player which is also on Amazon. Note there is a similar product which is a close out that sounds like this device. The correct 5 inch Galaxy is 269USD. If you click the box selecting screen size, it will change to the 4.0 4inch model, for 229USD.

Once both these devices are on Amazon my plan is to take one last look noting the configurations which might change on the A1 and the prices and make a buy.

The Galaxy is already in my Cart for pre-order. The release date is Oct 16, so there is about a week and a half before I could do anything anyway.

But where is the Lenovo A1?
Well I found it over in China, being sold under the LePad name, LePad A1-07, so it is being manufactured. If you read an earler post where I gave the address for a user guide on the Lenovo site, that is the designation of the guide, A1-07.

http://micgadget.com/14790/lenovo-7-...d-lepad-a1-07/

Likewise I find comments on the Lenovo Community like this:
"so frustrating"

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/IdeaPad-...ING/m-p/556173

I am frustrated too.

HappyMartin · 10-06-2011, 08:32 AM

Funny name. My first thought was who needs an A1 tablet and what will it weigh? I assumed A1 was the size.

10-03-2011, 04:03 AM	#17
frahse occasional author Posts: 2,314 Karma: 2064403292 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Wandering God's glorious hills, valleys and plains. Device: A Franklin BI (before Internet) was the first. I still have it.	Dare I say Finally! Lenovo seems to be opening up its shell about the A1 Ideapad I even got into the site, and it wasn't easy . That is the second item. Item 1 [First this from Gadget Mania Lenovo IdeaPad A1 – a very nice tablet for a surprisingly low price – specs review Lenovo has been pretty quiet about their tablets ever since they announced them, but it seems that they weren’t just sitting around doing nothing, as at this year’s IFA in Berlin, they demonstrated a real working version of the IdeaPad A1 – a surprisingly nice tablet at a very low recommended price. Now, the price: The 8 GB model will cost only $199 – that’s with all the other specs intact, including the two card slots! That’s even cheaper than the Nook Color, and it’s definitely a good purchase from a reputable brand name. Sadly, it will only be available in Europe and Asia, with the US getting the slightly more expensive 16 and 32 GB models for $249 and $299 – still a great price, but for ~$50 you could have 40 GB with an SD card instead of 16 GB internal memory in the former model. Regardless, the A1 will be a great choice of a tablet for those who want something good for the best price... URL-> http://gadgetmania.com/2011/10/lenov...-specs-review/ Item 2. Their site wasn't really ready, but with a bit of "continuous trying I got the user manual." Chapter 01 Overview of IdeaPad Tablet A1-07 1-1 Appearance Description 1-2 Buttons Description 1-3 Powering IdeaPad Tablet A1-07 On/Off 1-4 Turning Screen Backlight On/Off 1-5 Screen Lock/Unlock 1-6 Navigation Tips 1-7 4-Pane Desktop 1-8 Home Screen 1-9 Switching Home Screen 1-10 Status Bar 1-11 Recent Apps 1-12 Applications Management 1-13 Entering Text and so on--- URL--> http://download.lenovo.com/UserFiles.../contents.html

10-03-2011, 02:47 PM	#25
tequila0341 Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 17708 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New York, NY Device: Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, Kobo Glo HD	Don't forget it has comparable resolution to the Kindle Fire as well (172 ppi Lenovo vs 169 ppi for the KF). If the A1 review specs hold up, then I'd gladly pay $50 extra for an SD card slot and not being restricted to Amazon's walled garden. Last edited by tequila0341; 10-03-2011 at 02:54 PM.

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10-01-2011, 10:22 PM	#16
frahse occasional author Posts: 2,314 Karma: 2064403292 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Wandering God's glorious hills, valleys and plains. Device: A Franklin BI (before Internet) was the first. I still have it.	This is becoming bothersome. I had planned on purchasing at least one of these as a gift, and it seems to have disappeared from the civilized world since IFA. Here is some late news: "Cheap tablet Lenovo IdeaPad A1 will be released in Russia in October Posted by admin2 on October 1, 2011, filed in: Application, Gadget, Tablet The Russian division by Lenovo in its microblog Twitter announced that its tablet IdeaPad A1 will go on sale in Russia in mid-October. The device will cost from 8500 rubles (depending on memory capacity). Recall, this tablet was announced earlier this month at the IFA 2011. It’s quite simple and, consequently, low-cost solution. The device is running an operating system Android 2.3 and is based on single-core ARM Cortex A8 processor with a clock frequency of 1 GHz.---" http://mobile263.com/cheap-tablet-le...n-october.html ((supposedly 199USD))

10-03-2011, 08:46 AM	#18
avariel Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 4113 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: PRS-505	No IPS screen, no gorilla glass, and a crappy processor.

10-03-2011, 10:26 AM	#23
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	If I buy a tablet (and that is a big if) a 7 inch tablet with Android Market access and cameras (Lenovo) is more attractive to me than one without (Nook). Of course the Nook is not sold anywhere but the US, which takes it entirely off the table.

10-06-2011, 06:16 AM	#29
frahse occasional author Posts: 2,314 Karma: 2064403292 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Wandering God's glorious hills, valleys and plains. Device: A Franklin BI (before Internet) was the first. I still have it.	If you are looking for a 199USD Lenovo A1 Ideapad with 8GB of memory or 16GB for 249USD, they are being manufactured and being sold in China. I have been looking for the Lenovo A1 Ideapad since it was announced 2 conventions ago. Once it goes on sale at Amazon preferably, I will decide (depending configurations) if I will buy the A1 or the Galaxy WiFi 5.0, 5 inch player which is also on Amazon. Note there is a similar product which is a close out that sounds like this device. The correct 5 inch Galaxy is 269USD. If you click the box selecting screen size, it will change to the 4.0 4inch model, for 229USD. Once both these devices are on Amazon my plan is to take one last look noting the configurations which might change on the A1 and the prices and make a buy. The Galaxy is already in my Cart for pre-order. The release date is Oct 16, so there is about a week and a half before I could do anything anyway. But where is the Lenovo A1? Well I found it over in China, being sold under the LePad name, LePad A1-07, so it is being manufactured. If you read an earler post where I gave the address for a user guide on the Lenovo site, that is the designation of the guide, A1-07. http://micgadget.com/14790/lenovo-7-...d-lepad-a1-07/ Likewise I find comments on the Lenovo Community like this: "so frustrating" http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/IdeaPad-...ING/m-p/556173 I am frustrated too.

10-06-2011, 08:32 AM	#30
HappyMartin Martin Kristiansen Posts: 1,546 Karma: 8480958 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Johannesburg Device: Kindle International Ipad 2	Funny name. My first thought was who needs an A1 tablet and what will it weigh? I assumed A1 was the size.

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