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XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2

By | January 23, 2011, 11:01pm PST

Summary: DroidLife posted a chart comparing the Motorola Xoom tablet to the iPad. This made me think about about how the upstart Android tablet might compare to the iPad 2. Here’s a chart.

I was just checking out the nifty chart that DroidLife posted comparing the forthcoming Motorola XOOM tablet to the iPad. It got me thinking about about how Moto’s Android tablet will compare to the iPad 2 — which is probably a more fair comparison.

Sure, all of it is speculation right now and the iPad 2’s rumored specs seem to change with the wind, but I bet that Apple has something up its sleeve — and I don’t think that it’s a barometer.

I hope that the recent rumor that iPad will ship with an extremely weak 1MP rear camera doesn’t come true though. 1MP doesn’t bode well for video and if true, you can toss out 720p video capture. Putting a low-res rear camera in iPad 2 would be a huge mistake and allow a whole generation of Android tabs to move in on its turf. iPad 2 needs to include a camera as least as good as the iPhone 4’s.

I’m also starting to lose hope that the iPad 2 will have a Retina Display, although I still hope that Apple finds a way to pull it off. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Apple settling on 1280 x 800 — it’d be bump up from the iPad 1 and would match up better against the likes of Samsung, Motorola and Toshiba.

Let’s all collectively cross our fingers that Apple finally comes to its senses and includes a removable memory card slot and Micro USB port in the new iPad. Since it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see a removable battery from Apple again, SD and USB would be huge steps in the right direction.

What are your minimum specs for your iPad 2?

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Apple iPad, Jason D. O'Grady

Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve

    • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 11th Oct
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Redefining the tablet experience
BioNerd Updated - 23rd Jan 2011
I believe that hardware specs, while important, is not what will matter in the end. What matters is software and the user experience. With XOOM supporting Flash with hardware acceleration and the new interface created specially for tablets by the same guy responsible for webOS, Android 3.0 is set to redefine the tablet experience.
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iFad2 = Vaporware
i2fun@... 24th Jan 2011
@BioNerd Agreed!!! ....and this hypothetical iPad2 is..... (in CrApple's Leader's own word) VAPORWARE!!!
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
The Star King 24th Jan 2011
@i2fun@... I think there will be an iPad 2. It is not vapourware!
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
Snooki_smoosh_smoosh 24th Jan 2011
@i2fun@... While iPad 2 is still vaporware, Apple does have a reliable release schedule. In terms of vaporware, we will likely see it before we see a Windows slate anytime soon.
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While this mythical crApple iFad2 you mention might be vaporware
Pete "athynz" Athens 24th Jan 2011
@i2fun@... the Apple iPad is not.
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I'm wondering why anyone would pay heed...
godsfault 25th Jan 2011
@i2fun@... to the opinions of someone who insists on referring to Apple as "CrApple."

Sounds like the "wit" of a 14 year old.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
non-biased 27th Jan 2011
@i2fun@... While the iPad 2 might be vaporware at this point isn't the XOOM also vaporware? Of course anybody that needs to use derogatory statements to get their point across isn't thinking from common sense or reason.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
ConstableOdo 24th Jan 2011
@BioNerd
Adobe Flash means that Xoom users will have half the battery life of the iPad and twice the out-of-memory headaches. Motorola should have called the Xoom the BigAss RAZR 5. Motorola should get out of the mobile business for good and leave the tablet business to Apple. Android tablets are just another path of redefining fragmentation for users. Apple will likely sell 10X the amount of iPad 2s than Motorola will sell Xooms. Motorola=mighty FAIL.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
Richie681 24th Jan 2011
@ConstableOdo Odd, Since in Tests, Flash fared better than HTML5 in terms of battery life. http://www.intomobile.com/2010/09/20/adobe-flash-video-html5/
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
BioNerd 24th Jan 2011
@ConstableOdo Flash is now hardware accelerated. Tegra 2 does a really good job optimizing Flash for the new generation of tablets. Now everybody will ship Flash, maybe even Apple will in a near future.

And XOOM has 10 hours of video playback. Nobody will complain about the battery.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
781lc Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@ConstableOdo Well, one thing is for sure for those of us who have an iPad and use it for tutorials and help in photographic programs > if the iPad 2 does NOT have Flash, we will take a hard look at Motorola. The rest of the post is sort of gibberish.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
cwhistler 25th Jan 2011
@ConstableOdo
wow you had me there for a minute. I really thought you were serious but now I can see that you were just playing around as a sarcastic Apple fanboi! That was funny!
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you can get Flash Video TODAY on iOS..
doctorSpoc 24th Jan 2011
@BioNerd ..just use the Skyfire Browser.. if you really must have you Porn just use skyfire.. because when they say X% of web video is in Flash they're really saying X% of web video is porn.. people on iOS don't miss Flash at all.. you quickly realize it's totally overblown and 99% of legit sights now support h.264..

Skyfire transcodes Flash video into H.264 in real time on it's servers and beams that to your iOS device..
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
781lc 24th Jan 2011
@doctorSpoc You must be pretty young or not involved in any of the uses of Flash for tutorials or educational videos; and, speaking for myself, have never needed to look at porn for any reason. Like many games, I choose to participate rather than watch.
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"same guy responsible for webOS," .. eh Palm with WebOS went broke
Davewrite Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@BioNerd

you say "new interface created specially for tablets by the same guy responsible for webOS, Android 3.0 is set to redefine the tablet experience."

eh if its so wonderful why didn't it save Palm? Why isn't WebOS devices dominating the landscape instead of being a footnote? Palm with WebOS went broke and the shattered pieces were bought up by HP.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
GAGendel 24th Jan 2011
@Davewrite

Spoken by someone that has never used WebOS. It's interesting that each revision of Android and iOS have put in features available in the very first version of WebOS. WebOS 2.0 has already raised the bar much higher but the press doesn't even take notice.

The main reason that Palm failed was not in the technology, but that they didn't have deep enough pockets to deal with the Apple and Google marketing onslaught. I haven't heard of a single Verizon sales anecdote that didn't try to convince users to by an Android phone over a Palm. We'll see what HP has to say on Feb 9th.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
BioNerd Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@Davewrite Palm was broken. They spent all their latest resources making webOS and the two phones that followed. Then they were too weak to market and distribute it, with virtually zero cash to promote it, and were smashed by Android and Apple. Same happened with Apple with iMac -- they were almost broken at the time, it was make or break it, but in that case it worked.

Anyway, this doesn't change anything about the fact that Matias Duarte, who also created interfaces for SideKick and Helios, is widely acclaimed as a user experience designer and webOS is known for its unique interface and usability. Go google for "Matias Duarte" and you'll see that his work is well recognized.

This is the same guy that will change everything with Android 3.0.
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@ GAGendel. @bionerd "marketing" is supposition. Failure is FACT.
Davewrite Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@Davewrite

making excuses for WebOS when like I said it was a big fat failure in the marketplace? It lasted like a year before Palm keeled over.
When Palm tried to market WebOS devices to carriers they said "nah... They ain't better... " If it was better their reaction would be like carriers for the iPhone "I want, I want if for my network!!! ".

IF they were SOOOOO MUCH superior don't you think they would have sold them?

Investors like Elevation Partners poured hundreds of millions into it so they had money for the marketing push but when it tanked the dough dried up. Don't you think Investors would have POURED more money into Palm if the sales HINTED at success? Invesors would have said "ALL it TAKES is MARKETING so a few more bucks and WALLAH we would make a fortune."

Again poor marketing is a supposition. Total wreckage in the marketplace, carriers saying no, investors bulking , app developers not writing for it ... IS FACT.

and again touting a Duarte maker of a failed OS isn't saying much.

lol.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
BioNerd 24th Jan 2011
@Davewrite No, in the smartphone business, promotion and distribution is much more important than having a good product. Nobody will buy a phone if they don't know it exists and salesman people push a different device at the store.

I don't have to prove you that webOS is widely acclaimed for its usability and design. You can google it yourself and if you want to continue denying it, have fun.
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I really like WebOS.. but it wasn't just marketing..
doctorSpoc 24th Jan 2011
@GAGendel WebOS IS a good OS.. but in today's market a good OS just doesn't cut it.. when you have crappy hardware and anemic apps and ecosystem.. you are going exactly no where..

i have no doubt that HP will correct the god awful hardware but.. there is still going to be no ecosystem.. that's going to be a HUGE hurdle for even HP to jump over.. you can get almost any kind of app you can think of on an iOS device and android isn't far behind (no where near as many and quality of games though).. but Palm just couldn't attract enough devs..

more important than the HW that comes out on Feb 9th is how HP is going to attract devs to the platform.. if they don't have a convincing answer for that crucial question on Feb 9th.. WebOS devices are basically DOA..
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Promotion more important than quality? huh, what happened to WinMo?
Davewrite Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@Davewrite

"No, in the smartphone business, promotion and distribution is much more important than having a good product."

really?

Microsoft has BILLIONS of dollars and WinMo died. It's marketshare shrank so much that they stopped developing for it and focused on WP7 which is completely different architecture.

Msft spent 3 Times Apple's Ad budget in 2009. let me repeat this: THREE times MORE MONEY THAN APPLE in advertising. And WinMo sales collapsed.

Why are NOKIA smartphone sales collapsing like sandcastles beneath a tidal wave. Nokia until recently the biggest cellphone maker on the planet does not have enough Dough for marketing? or is symbian inferior?

What about Rim sales falling in U.S. Billions earning rim has no money for ads?

saying that products fail just because of lack of advertising and not quality of the product is ludicrous

again the fact is your are touting the WebOS guy as some kind of genius yet his genius product tanked big time: investors pulled out, developers ignored it and carriers refused to carry the devices.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
BioNerd 24th Jan 2011
@Davewrite I don't have to prove you that webOS is widely acclaimed for its usability and design. You can google it yourself and if you want to continue denying it, have fun.
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@ BioNerd
Davewrite Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@bionerd

I've already disproved your bizarre statements like "No, in the smartphone business, promotion and distribution is much more important than having a good product." by pointing out WinMo, Nokia etc. losing marketshare inspite of HUGE bankrolls for promotion.

(in 2007 with no phone experience Apple launched iPhone against the hordes of Symbian, WinMo, rim etc. their ad budgets must be 10-50 times Apple's and survived. As I said msft's ad budget alone was 3 times apple's and that's not counting WinMo OEMS. IPhone 1 survived because it was WAY better than the competition. WebOS didn't cause it wasn't WAY better, it was good - with some SERIOUS work maybe like three quarters iPhone 1 - but not way better so Palm went under)

Palm had YEARS and YEARS of phone experience and marketing phones, countless connections with carriers with phone manufacturers, inside track of carrier executives, mobile phone press - Apple had NONE, zero, nada. Actually carrier execs absolutely hated Apple's independent no crapware plans etc.

Here is what palm said:

Palm's then current CEO Colligan on Apple: "PC guys are not going to just figure this out. Theyre not going to just walk in"
Roger McNamee on Palm Pre "June 29, 2009, is the two- year anniversary of the first shipment of the iPhone. Not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later."

so trying to paint WebOS is some fantastical thing better than iOS and that Palm failed ONLY because it was some kind of naif in the phone business is silly.
It was Apple who was the fresh newbie with no phone experience but iPhone survived because it was BETTER.

You say Palm went under due to lack of marketing dollars, then how did a struggling Apple (Jobs said when he came back Apple was 3 months from bankruptcy) manage to launch iPod and win against Samsung, Sony, toshiba etc. ? Because they had a SUPERIOR product not superior ad dollars.


as for "webOS is widely acclaimed for its usability and design." I betcha you iPhone, iPad and their team will bury WebOS in awards and accolades. How many gadget of the year awards have iPhone, iPad won for example?

Apple has sold 165 million iOS devices, how many WebOS? Apple is now the second largest company in the world by market cap, Palm is dead bought by HP.

It's like you're saying a cyclist is great. I say Lance Armstrong is better cause he WON races. You say "my guy collapsed in the LOCAL meets but he's a GREAT racer better than Lance"
Gimme a break ok.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
BioNerd 30th Jan 2011
@Davewrite Your fanboyism doesn't have any limits.

I only stated what everybody knows: that webOS is widely acclaimed for its usability and user experience. If you want to refute that, go around the web commenting on every tech blog that confirms what I said.

Matias Duarte is a recognized User Experience Designer that worked on many mobile products that influenced the market. Just google about him and you'll find the references. Here's one from Engadget:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/exclusive-interview-googles-matias-duarte-talks-honeycomb-tab/
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
BioNerd 30th Jan 2011
@Davewrite Palm had a great OS, but their hardware was severely lacking, and their distribution channels and resources for marketing were limited. Also they arrived at a point when carriers preferred to commit to Android.

There were several factors that influenced Palm's smartphones fate (bad hardware, small distribution, few marketing), but webOS was not one of them. If it were for webOS alone, they would be a success because webOS was widely acclaimed by the tech media as the most well designed and user friendly mobile OS.

In the end, webOS influenced both iOS and Android. Even two years later, nobody has a better multi-tasking setup than webOS. Honeycomb seems to be a contender with their widgets, multiple-desktops and taskbar.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
versii 27th Feb 2011
@Davewrite

Two phones on one of the smalled cariers, slow support, poor advertising, lack of dev support due to aforementioned reasons.
Mostly, it was a marketing flop because they were lazy.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
illwill112 24th Jan 2011
@BioNerd
If your talki8ng about user experience is were ios is at. The sales numbers alone will tell you that and the user satisfactory.
Also this should be a xoom vs ipad. Ipad 2 has not released its spec so this is all specualtion. ipad 2 specs are non existant as of now. As for the complaint about the rear camera its a tablet. if you want a high mp camera then get a real camera. The front facing camera is what should matter.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
jorjitop 24th Jan 2011
@BioNerd

And, Android will always include Google spyware. When will you Google fanboys wake up and realise the danger?
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Do more for the good user experiences
pennwarren Updated - 24th Jan 2011
I want to expand storage and have the freedom of app choice. Hoping apple keep riching iTunes, as we know they are "back to mac" with macbook air and mac app store. Do someting to reduce the inconvenience of no fash supporting, although we can playback videos beside H.264 video files and MPEG-4 video files with the help of a vdieo converter like ifunia.
P.S.:Leaked Photos of the upcoming iPad 2
http://www.ifunia.com/news/leaked-photos-of-the-upcoming-ipad-2/#more-1932
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
xiaoa Updated - 24th Jan 2011
First, I have admin, iPad and XOOM, both of them are decent tablet, but which one I should buy? Xoom is cheaper and multifunctional, but iPad is so hot now? At them same, I am very expecting the iPad 2. More info about iPad 2: http://www.aneesoft.com/tutorials/ipad/index.html
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This will be a good test
guihombre 24th Jan 2011
If there is a market for these, separate from the 'I luv Apple, impulse buys', then XOOM will be a good test of it.

To me, I find I want the screen bigger, and more vertical up near my eyes and the keyboard down flat for my hands.

So I see Android tablets failing where Android phones succeed and think what they're missing is the loyal fan base of Apple.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
Snooki_smoosh_smoosh 24th Jan 2011
@guihombre... "To me, I find I want the screen bigger, and more vertical up near my eyes and the keyboard down flat for my hands. "

So get a laptop.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
RedVeg 24th Jan 2011
@guihombre, sounds like you want a laptop, not a tablet.
Android has a massive fan base, so that won't be an issue; but the user experience could be. My iPad has been spectacular in doing everything I want including word processing and spreadsheets without me having to mess with maintenance tasks. Hopefully the new Android os will compete with that; but it is still to be seen. As for iPad 2, based on their track record, I am sure it will be a great product; but it to is yet to be seen.
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Bigger Picture
davidjoots 24th Jan 2011
Personally, What the non-apple oem's need to do is get together and work on some standards (re. android). Ie some common screen sizes (i.e s,m,l for tablets). This will make it easier for app developers, so ensure that their apps work well across the range of products. PLus introduce some potential economies of scale > lower costs. This also makes it easier for consumers i.e. which is the best 10" screen android tablet for me.

The apple advantage is that people get one size / spec, which helps developers.

A good example is flat screen tv's they come in standard sizes re. screen size making it easier for consumers to pick.

rant over.

David
www.joots.co.uk
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
Snooki_smoosh_smoosh 24th Jan 2011
@davidjoots ... but...but... limiting screen size stops innovation. That is socialism. I want the freedom to have as big or oddball sized screen that doesn't match anything else out there, so I can sue Google for not making Android capable of supporting it. /sarcasm
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Come on now...
godsfault 27th Jan 2011
@Snooki_smoosh_smoosh let's not make a political issue out of screen size by calling standardization "socialism."

By the way, virtually every country in the world could be called "socialist." And this is due not only to "standardization" but also due to government programs that supply needed services to its citizens.

Is the FAA and the defense department "socialist?" Only the most rabid libertarian would think so.
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All these ideas are bad ones
The Star King 24th Jan 2011
Your ideas for improving the iPad would all make it worse and appeal only to geeks who compare specs without looking at the overall functionality.

* Retina display. Would make the iPad much more expensive with shorter battery life, with little improvement in user experience since iPad is not held up to user's face. iPad becomes an elite device whereas Apple should now go for market share.

* 1280 x 800. Pointless increase in resolution barely noticeable to user just so we can say "my res is better than yours nyah!". Apps become blurry to look at, platform becomes fragmented for developers.

* Rear camera. iPad does not need a rear camera. It is completely unsuited for taking photos.

* Memory card + micro USB. Not sure what functionality you are thinking of. It might have a SD slot for importing pictures from a camera. If you want to copy files back and forth however you want, forget it! The whole point of the iOS experience is to shield users from detailed knowledge of the operating system (like happens in games consoles). I think most users appreciate not being an unpaid systems integrator.

Apple will not succeed by competing on raw specs. They succeed by writing better software and tightly integrating it to make a smooth user experience. People buy into the iOS ecosystem.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
BioNerd Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@The Star King

XOOM's resolution is 1280 x 800 because it is slightly bigger and has a widescreen.

"The whole point of the iOS experience is to shield users from detailed knowledge of the operating system"

So why don't they drop iTunes? If it is a mobile device, why they require you to connect to iTunes the first time you turn the device on?

I agree about software, though. iPad 2 may match some specs (it's unlikely that it will have a widescreen or convenient HDMI and USB ports and SD card, or support Flash, though), but XOOM is set to redefine the tablet experience by designing an OS from the ground for tablets, with all new software - Maps, GMail, Books, YouTube - tailored specially for the tablet format. All the OS interface, navigation, notifications, widgets were created for tablets, and not inherited from a legacy phone OS. Switching between apps is slick, with an holographic approach, and your widgets stay at the home screen always at hand. This all new experience is what will make it unique.
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convenient HDMI??
doctorSpoc 24th Jan 2011
@BioNerd ..iPad has AirPlay which allows it to beam video WIRELESSLY.. HDMI is Flintstone tech in comparison.. it's 2011.. HDMI when you can do the same thing wirelessly?? why? that's dumb.. Apple looks forward not backwards..

Flash?? ..so you can drain your battery and slow down your whole system.. look a reviews for Flash on GalaxyTab.. Flash isn't a feature.. it's a bug.. if you really must have your porn you can use Skyfire browser on iOS (transcodes Flash into h.264 in real time on skyfire servers)..

you really need to look at iPad apps.. there's.. 45,000+ of them.. TODAY.. are designed from the ground up for large tablet screen.. many look more like desktop apps that have been adapted for touch rather than phone apps..

some people are just blissfully ignorant of the facts because of their prejudices..
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
TRDRACER21 24th Jan 2011
@BioNerd nice comment ipad is the same os as the ipod iphone it just have api for a bigger device... xoom android 3.0 honeycomb look more like a tablet experience just from the demo... flash is huge when i had the ipad i couldnt see alot of site thats why i return mine it did feel like a big ipod overall. people may not admit it but its the truth!!!
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Xoom's screen is SMALLER than iPad in Square Inches
Davewrite Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@BioNerd

"XOOM's resolution is 1280 x 800 because it is slightly bigger "

long and narrow widescreen is smaller than squarish even if the diagonal is slightly longer.


Saying that for Honeycomb : "All the OS interface, navigation, notifications, widgets were created for tablets, and not inherited from a legacy phone OS. " The iPad does not run the same OS exactly as iPhones. the iPad software is designed for Tablets. For example App menu bars etc work differently for some iPad Apps (those that want to make use of the iPad Tablet advantages).

"Switchin is slick"...
eh .. the Xoom on display at CES was a mockup running a recorded tape. No one touched a working model.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
TRDRACER21 Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@DOCTORSPOC I believe there gonna be a "airplay" hello google tv did you forget about that!!!??? hdmi is gonna be a sweet add on..flash does not drain battery that much idc if it does there a thing call a charger..of the apps honeycomb aint even out yet when ipad came out didnt have that much apps aswell. those 45,000 apps are just bigger apps that are already on the ipod!!! flash does make a difference..
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GoogleTV is an epic FAIL...
doctorSpoc 24th Jan 2011
@TRDRACER21.. Google are actually ripped up those plans and are completely going back to the drawing board.. $300+ vs $100.. and all it does is put up a browser and show herky jerky web video worse performance than any netbook.. shows you when shows are on broadcast tv but doesn't switch anything for you.. what a peice of crap! this is another google buzz failure.. they actually had their OEM hide their googleTV offering at CES because it's such an embarrassment..

read reviews of the galaxy tab.. it does drain your battery.. and what is the point of a mobile device if you have to plug it in and be teathered all the the time.. that's the height of stupidity.. that's what makes the iPad amazing is that the battery last so long that it very liberating to not have to worry about having to plug it in all the time or curtail you use to conserver battery.. don't need to thing about it all.. 10 hours of video.. no one has matched that.. not even close.. galaxy tab has pathetic 6hrs..

those 45,000 apps are NOT just the iPod apps.. look at mail looks like the desktop mail, look at the iPod app on the iPad looks like the desktop version of iTunes.. even angry bird iPad app has been tweaked to show and do more at a given time than the iPhone/iPod app.. you have no clue what you are talking about.. none!
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@doctor spoc that's a classic
Davewrite 24th Jan 2011
@doctor spoc

:"it does drain your battery.. and what is the point of a mobile device if you have to plug it in and be teathered all the the time.."

that's good one.

I'm always baffled the apple haters keep touting flash. If they stood by Apple all the websites will change very quick to some new better tech and everybody will get better performance and battery life (some studies say 30% or more). Why don't all those Apple rivals have the guts to stand up for better tech?
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
amiller480 24th Jan 2011
@The Star King Excellent comments, the interface bit in particular. But, if it is difficult to get the material onto the iPad (no connectivity) then it is significantly difficult to interface/interact with it. So far for me, that is not seamless intergration. I am hoping the next version will be, for me, user friendly.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
The Star King 24th Jan 2011
@amiller480 This is the dilemma Apple faces: do they open open the iPad to the dirty world of random .txt, .jpg files (etc) which the user can put in any directory they want so as to create, text documents, spreadsheets and so on? This would give users access to the filesystem (but presumably not the system directories).

At the moment, the iPad paradigm is very much that of a portable games console which has the advantage of simplicity for the user. The user can easily download apps. The problem is when he uses those apps to create documents. It's fine if you create the doc from scratch. Also, the iPad now allows printing, alleviating some of the need to copy the file to another computer....
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you can load doc for apps on iPad in multiple ways...
doctorSpoc Updated - 24th Jan 2011
@The Star King.. from emails or the browser or through iTunes. itunes has facilities to add docs to be used by apps

e.g. if i open a pdf or text file in mail or safari browser and i can open and/or save it for later use to any app that can make use of it e.g. i opened the pdf from for the navigon gps app that i have from their web page on my iPhone and i saved it to my iBook archive for later use

in iTunes you can drag doc to be used by different apps etc..

it's a different paridim.. you don't access to a file system.. apps can simply be made to have access to compatible doc.. when you open that app you can open any of those docs from there..
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Well stated and, besides,...
godsfault 27th Jan 2011
@The Star King true.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
alsobannedfromzdnet 24th Jan 2011
Where did the $699 price for the Xoom come from?

All the reports I've seen put it at $799.

Apple already has redefined the tablet market, the xoon just jumps on the bandwagon with all the other vaporware seen at CES.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
Synthmeister 24th Jan 2011
@alsobannedfromzdnet
Does the XOOM require a two year subscription or pay as you go like the iPad?
Does the XOOM have a wifi-only version ready to go? Samsung completely missed the boat not having a wifi only version but I suspect they couldn't come close to the iPad price without a subscription.
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RE: XOOM vs. iPad vs. iPad 2
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 11th Oct
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