One Day Sale On Acer W3 At Woot

Question

Many of us are using the ACER w3 810 Windows 8.1 tablet for controlling our EZ-B robots. I just noticed that Woot has the 32 gb model on sale for $119 (factory reconditioned) which is a pretty good price. You can get lucky on eBay and get it for less, but this is a good deal for a guaranteed and warranted device.

Acer W3 on Woot

jstarne1 · Answer

Wow dude I might have to get one

Rich · Answer

Wow, they are still over 200 here, which is over $300! At that price it may be worth shipping all the way over here and paying the import duty and tax!..

jstarne1 · Answer

Ok dude I did it! Something goes wrong I will gripe here lol I received the "welcome" email and these guys have a sense of humor. If you receive your item and it doesn't work, contact the manufacturer first. They made the junk. Let them deal with it. If they turn out to be total tools, contact support@woot.com and we'll grudgingly provide some further assistance. If you receive your item and decide you don't like it, hold a garage sale or pawn it off on one of your so-called friends. We don't want it, either.

jstarne1 · Answer

@rich , I would get one and send it to you as "gift" if that would save you the import duties and stuff. I have heard they are high

thetechguru · Answer

Re: humor. Yeah, they were started with the guy who just this week started meh.com which just sells one item a day, and pretty much tells you it is total crap before you buy it or it wouldn't be available for his site. woot is now actually a subsidiary of Amazon and is used to move leftover and closeout merchandise, but they tried to keep the humor and feel of the original site. Alan

Rich · Answer

I already have a W3 which is why I know they are expensive over here, although having a few is tempting. I have people I could call on if I needed something from over there, however even sending as a gift doesn't stop HMRC (the tax man) from adding some stupidly high charges on, then the shipping company adding a bit for themselves too. To be honest my W3 has been sat on my table for months unused, or barely used. I don't think I need another. Although there is quite a profit to be made there if someone did ship them over and sell them on over here.

Steve S · Answer

thetechguru, I just purchased one! I have been looking and wanting 1 for some time. When I ordered, it took my Amazon account. It is worth giving it a try, that's how I found EZ Robot, with great results. Thanks for posting. Steve S

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

@Anthony... With all due respect.... One person having a battery problem does not make issue"s" it makes one issue... Mine works flawlessly.... Do you know of anyone else having battery problems?

Rich · Answer

The "battery issue" is due to the battery being lithium based and people forcing them to go under voltage, therefore the battery refuses to accept charge, the same thing happens with any lithium based battery. Therefore the "battery issue" is present in pretty much all new electronics which run off of lithium based batteries. The issue has affected an extremely low percentage of users. The greater majority have no problems with the battery in the W3. My W3 came with an additional warning sticker or leaflet which explained that the battery must be fully charged before first use and must never be used after the W3 has automatically turned itself off. This has been mentioned and explained on these forums previously however I can only assume no notice was taken.

Rich · Answer

The bios, drivers etc. have nothing to do with the charging circuits in the W3. Also note that lithium based batteries are sensitive to low temperatures. As temperature drops so does the voltage, if this drops below a specific voltage (I believe it's around 2.6v) the cell will refuse to accept charge. It's good practice not to let the cells drop below 3.2v. The software on the W3 (i.e. Windows) should always turn the W3 off before it gets near to 2.6v however it can still be turned on and therefore the battery can be forced through user error to under voltage or in some cases can go under voltage due to not being used for a period of time and low temperatures. Even if you are unlucky enough to suffer from a dead battery when unpacking the W3, they are covered under warranty and Acer will exchange the tablet without a problem.

Steve S · Answer

Thanks for tips and comments. Any additional tips would be welcome. I remember Anthony mentioning he utilized a mini to standard USB cable. Maybe I will not need it, I think it said built in Bluetooth for EZB3? I read that touch screen can be challenging, maybe the keyboard option would be a plus? I have read that it runs ARC ok. Sounds like some users have experience with this little unit. Steve S

Rich · Answer

Yes it has bluetooth and it works great for the V3 The touch screen is a little less than desirable compared to some other touch screens, I use a stylus which helps improve accuracy, especially for small buttons and the virtual keyboard however it is not required, it is usable without. A bluetooth mouse and keyboard would always be a good option to have. It comes with a USB adapter so you can use standard USB devices on it's mini USB port without issue, I have used my VAGCOM cable for my car through the adapter and if that works I would bet anything will. It runs ARC very well, I've had no issues at all. It runs smooth and fast even when running 20+ scripts at the same time. Voice recognition and speech synthesis both work great too. The only minor problem is ARC doesn't like the front camera on the tablet.

jstarne1 · Answer

Ok , well it was cheap in comparison to last year and I'll cross my fingers their are no issues. If I needed to I could cracked the bad boy. Open and replace the battery.

thetechguru · Answer

Just to add to Rich's battery advice, never leave it off rhe charger for a long time even if you think it is turned off. The battery can go flat over time and any lithium battery that goes completely flat will never charge again. Lost a batch of spare laptop batteries learning that lesson. Alan

Rich · Answer

I've lost a couple of LiPo batteries from them discharging while not even being connected to anything and I've lost a lot of lithium based batteries for power tools due to temperature and discharge. A lot of people are unaware of the problems and the care required for lithium based batteries and while it usually does mention it in the manuals for the products it's such a small note it's often missed. Bottom line is, if it says Lithium (or Li) make sure it always has a decent charge, if possible a full charge. Lithium batteries have no memory effect so it doesn't hurt to always have them on charge when not in use.

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

I think if voltage drops below 3V per cell you can almost certainly kiss you Li-Ion or Li-po goodbye...

Rich · Answer

Since we are talking of dead lipos, I will just say Never attempt to fix a lipo which wont accept charge, the guides and tips online which claim you can by forcing a charge in to them can potentially cause the lipo to explode and create a fire... My house is worth a heck of a lot more than a 30 LiPo battery (5500 times as much to be precise). Scrap the battery (safely) and buy a new one. Anyway, back to the W3, I personally recommend them. Acer (out of warranty) customer support is poor but hopefully it'll not be needed.

Toymaker · Answer

Rich, here is an interesting 8 inch tablet, the Encore WT8 with quad core (next generation) Atom Z3740, should be more powerful than the W3 and at 178 quid a bit of a bargain. cpc.farnell.com/toshiba/pdw09e-00400een/tablet-8-encore-wt8-a-102-win-8/dp/SB0551501?Ntt=sb0551501 Argos are selling them for 179 also. Tony

Rich · Answer

I'll check them out. Thanks. When I get some more funds I'll take a look in to picking one (or more) up.

MovieMaker · Answer

Anthony is correct. The factory told me it was a known issue. I had the same battery problem with my brand new W3. The fix is very easy: Do a firmware update. That fixes it. Hope that this helps. Mel

Rich · Answer

Firmware, drivers, bios flashing etc. will not affect the battery or the charging circuits in the W3. Doing any updates will not change a thing with a dead battery. The issue arises from the batteries in the W3s not being fully charged during manufacturer therefore the voltage can, on occasion, drop below the "under voltage" level which ruins the battery. Once below this voltage level no amount of software upgrades or even hardware will repair the battery. Once a Lithium based cell is under voltage it is dead and cannot be repaired. Acer acknowledge that the batteries may become dead and therefore accept that they need to replace them under warranty. This is not to say it is a known issue. The percentage of dead batteries on new units is extremely low. The same issue affects a number of tablets including the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Dell Venue 8 Pro, HP Touchpad, Asus Memo Pad, Apple iPad, Apple iPod amongst countless others. In fact, there are many (many) topics and web pages documenting the issues which arise from Lithium based batteries and even more topics and posts on other hardware forums which are "My tablet wont charge". Again, this is not a "battery issue with the W3" specifically and the W3 should not be dismissed on these grounds. It is a "battery issue with a Lithium based battery".

thetechguru · Answer

If anyone missed yesterday's Woot, it is now on Daily Steals / Heists for $139. They stay up there until sold out, so it may last a few days. Some other Windows and Android tablets on the same page. Tablet Deals Alan

jstarne1 · Answer

Hey guys , I received the w3 tablet today and just charged it up. I downloaded ARC first thing. I notice the lighting is a bit dim when I first pulled it out of the box but I turned up the back light in the settings. I was surprised it arrived so quick. It looks good but out of 28 gb memory there is just shy over 10gb available for software. So I will be inserting a 64gb card soon I believe ( like today) otherwise the tablet looks good.

thetechguru · Answer

They come with a good bit of "bloatware" so you can recover some space by uninstalling stuff you don't need, but yeah, a micro-SD card is recommended. Alan

Rich · Answer

I threw a Micro SD in mine when I got it but so far I haven't needed it. But then it only has on it what it needs so it should be fine with that 10Gb spare you get.

jstarne1 · Answer

I will say that the screen is super shiny so there is lots of glare. This may be reduced when adding a screen protector. The screen also has a grainyness to it you see from the old active matrix displays. The screen quality and appearance leaves a lot to be desired in comparison to my samsung note 3 or Samsung tab 3. I will uninstall some bloatware tonight. I am considering a win 7 install as I'm not a fan of windows 8 at all.

Rich · Answer

Upgrade it to 8.1. I'm not a fan of Windows 8 either but Windows 8.1 has many improvements over both Windows 8 and Windows 7. If you're not a fan of the start screen you can always "turn it off", google for instructions. Basically turns Windows 8 in to an up to date Windows 7. Also, Windows 8 showed the best battery life in my tests, Windows 7 wasn't far behind though.

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

Windows 8.1 is actually not bad... I installed classic shell which is free and gives you back the feel (somewhat) of Windows 7...

Steve S · Answer

My Acer w3 arrived quickly. Charged it and operates well for the size. The only accessory was the charger. Still learning how navigate on small touchscreen. Over all I am happy so far. Plays Utube video well. Still surprising it runs windows 8. Loaded ARC and VR operates fairly well without any training yet. The documentation said it had built in Bluetooth, but I cannot find the icon or the right area in the control panel to enable it. I am going to buy Mini USB conversion cable and if I have to, add a USB Bluetooth dongle. I may also buy a USB camera. Thanks, Steve S

jstarne1 · Answer

Maybe a 32 or 64 gb mini sd card should go on your list. At least that way all of your system can be backed up locally in case of malware or virus ect. I just picked up a class 10 sd 64gb.

thetechguru · Answer

@Steve S it does have Bluetooth. Go to PC Settings | PC and Devices | Bluetooth and turn it on, it will start scanning for devices. Once a device is found, the BT icon will be in the system tray. For the USB cable, you will want an "OTG" cable, not just an adapter. I bought this one and it works great: Alan OTG Cable for W3

Steve S · Answer

Alan, Bluetooth works great. The little Acer now successfully operates a new project I am working on. Thank you for the help and the cable link. Josh, Do you have a link on the mini sd card? Sounds like a good idea. Thanks, Steve S

thetechguru · Answer

You actually want Micro-SD card. Get a Class 10 card. I am not sure if the Acer can handle 128gb cards, but they are still expensive. Amazon has a bunch of 64gb cards on sale now though. 64gb microSD cards at Amazon

Dunning-Kruger · Answer

I can confirm that 64g works as I am using one in my ACER W3 without issue...

Rich · Answer

As am I (however as stated earlier I haven't actually needed to use it yet since I haven't come close to filling the space left on the tablet).

Dave Schulpius · Answer

I would imagine that if all that is on it's hard drive is windows and ARC (after the bloteware is removed) the only other thing that you would need room for is sound files and the ARC robot project. If you can use mp3 files instead of wav (mp3 is much smaller) you may not need extra storage space.

Steve S · Answer

Thanks for the great comments and tips on the Acer W3. Has any one utilized a Bluetooth mouse on this unit? Rich mentioned A bluetooth mouse and keyboard would always be a good option to have. Thanks, Steve S

Rich · Answer

Both bluetooth keyboard and mouse are on my wishlist (and after having to use mine tonight to do some excel spreadsheet stuff I really could have done with it). While I haven't used one on this I do use a bluetooth mouse on my desktop PC without any issues. It should, at least in theory, work in exactly the same way.

thetechguru · Answer

I'll test out my BT mouse tonight or this weekend and report back. After taking the tablet bike riding with me because I was on-call a few weekes afo, and struggling to actually do some work when one of my systems crashed, a small BT keyboard with touchpad are also on my upcoming purchase list Alan

thetechguru · Answer

Just paired my Microsoft Presenter Mouse 8000 and it works perfectly, and makes selections much easier in the traditional desktop (which is not touch optimized to begin with, made more difficult by the screen only being 8.5"). Wish I had thought of doing this earlier. Alan

Robot Doc · Answer

Here's a LINK This is a handy little keyboard and mouse pad all in one. 2.4 bluetooth and even has a rechargeable battery that is charged using the included USB cable.

Steve S · Answer

thetechguru, Thanks for giving the great tip on the ACER W3. I really like it. It runs EZ Robot great, both Mini six and the large file Captain Ann Droid. Just received my BT Mini keyboard (see pics) .from Amazon. It has a touchpad and is compatible with windows 8. It gives great navigation with mouse features and keyboard.   I appreciate all the great help from this forum! Steve S edit, here is link. Amazon Mini BT keyboard w t pad Ordered Sunday, received today (Wed, 7/30/14)

thetechguru · Answer

I was looking at ordering that same mini-keyboard. Glad to hear it works well for you. Alan

Rich · Answer

I'm personally after a Logitech Denovo (have been for some years now). Price has dropped a bit but it's still far too expensive for what it is (and has it's own problems).

Steve S · Answer

Look what,s back on Woot. Acer Iconica on Woot

Robot Doc · Answer

Thanks Steve S. I missed out on the first Woot offer.

Zap Brannigan · Answer

I decided to give one of these a shot. Thanks for the heads up Steve S.

thetechguru · Answer

I can also recommend the keyboard that Steve S linked to above. I picked one up, and it worked great but had a minor manufacturing defect (had 2 "r" keys, and no "w" key - keys work right, just labeled wrong). I was concerned because the documentation states there is a 1 year warranty, but no contact info on the box or the document. I had decided to live with it rather than dealing with Amazon returns, but when I checked my email, the vendor had contacted me an hour after delivery just to see if everything was OK. I responded about the defect, and they sent me a replacement at no charge, but said I could keep the original too, so now I have one for my robot and one for my Media Center PC. Alan

JustinRatliff · Answer

I just got an ASUS T100 about the same specs, Windows 8.1, but a 10.1 screen and it comes with a keyboard dock. It runs apps pretty well. But goodness sakes the windows updates run soooooo slow! Anyone else notice that on their tablets?

@Alan - lucky you!

jstarne1 · Answer

Yes the download rate is meant to be downloaded slowly in the background. It saves microsoft money.

hoolagen1 · Answer

asus t100 is bad ass. and way cheap too. good buy man, got it for tmy wife about 6 months ago...shes super happy. I got a dell 8 inch windows 8 tablet for 200.00 love it.

thetechguru

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