This was intended as a gift for a fairly tech savvy person, for personal and business use. The more I read of the specs and reviews, I came to realize this version of the A1000 is behind the curve. I wound up returning it even at AMAZON's lowest pre-Christmas price.
First, the AMAZON writeup states no less than 3 times this tablet has a 1.2GHz dual core chip. Other reviews and the box itself state that a slower 1GHz chip is used. Benchmark tests indicate it clocks in at an even slower 800mHz. By comparison, that's about what older Android phones can do.
Next, .5GB of RAM is 2012 technology and its not even the faster DDR3 standard. Many under-$100 tablets have 1GB RAM.
I've seen the A1000L and these specs contribute to some of the slower response and video issues it has.
Also, this A1000L version lacks:
-Bluetooth
- useable camera
- GPS
- Dolby speakers like the A1000 (only thru headphones)
- HDMI
Are there nice features for the price? Yes, namely
- Lenovo name, support, forums
- long battery life and reliable charging
- good sound
- little bloatware loaded with Jelly Bean
- expansion card slot
For kids and older children, those newer to Android tablets, a solid choice that should be current enough for a year or two. The redesigned A1000 with 1 GB RAM, 1.2GHz chip and 16GB (not offered here) would be better for business and heavier duty personal use, but still falls short of tech specs for Samsung, Hisense, ASUS, Acer, Nexus coming in at $130-170. And the CES is just around the corner...