What's even more funny is that my non technical frinds know what the xoom is but they're not all aware that the ipad 2 is dual core! This could be disastrous for Apple.
Even more, after using the xoom for a little more than a week I can say the only thing I would like more is a model with a 7" screen.
Motorola delighted CES attendees in January with the unveiling of the XOOM, the first tablet running Google’s Honeycomb version of Android optimized for bigger devices. It raced to get the XOOM released and as the first legitimate Android tablet to market, it has potential written all over it.
The XOOM will be the first tablet with Verizon’s 4G (LTE) connectivity integrated when Motorola gets the hardware upgrade ready to release in the future. It will have the ability to augment the installed memory with a microSD card, when the software is upgraded to enable it. With Honeycomb onboard, it will be able to run thousands of apps optimized for the tablet screen, when they are written and released to the Android Market. The web browser will offer a desktop-like user experience, when Flash (though promised in January) is finally released. There has not been a single Android device yet with so much potential; unfortunately, it is unrealized potential in its current state.
Check out the extensive Motorola XOOM photo gallery
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| Image Gallery: Check out the extensive Motorola XOOM photo gallery with Honeycomb. |  |
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Hardware:
- CPU: Nvidia Tegra 2, 1 GHZ dual core
- Memory: 32 GB
- Storage: microSD (not yet enabled)
- Display: 10.1-inch, 1280×800, 150 dpi
- OS: Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
- Slots/ ports: microUSB, miniHDMI, microSD, audio, SIM (LTE)
- Battery: integrated, 24.5 W/hr
- Connectivity: WiFi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, 4G (LTE 700, not enabled), CDMA 800/1900
- Cameras: 2.0 MP (front), 5 MP rear, digital zoom, autofocus, dual LED flash
- Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches, 1.6 lbs.
The XOOM is well constructed out of black anodized aluminum with a soft coating to improve the grip. The edges are gently curved giving the XOOM a nice feel. The bezel around the 10.1-inch screen is narrow which can make holding it for extended periods in portrait orientation a bit difficult without touching the screen and triggering unintentional events. Otherwise the XOOM feels solid to hold and easy to operate with a soft touch.
All of the ports are on the bottom of the device when in landscape orientation which feels a bit awkward at times. Motorola decided not to use the microUSB standard for the charging cable, using a thin proprietary connection instead. This charging stem feels very flimsy and requires care to not put pressure which would likely result in damage. The microUSB port included is for connecting to a PC only, and will not charge the XOOM.
The 2MP webcam on the top front of the device (landscape orientation) is good for video conferencing using the included Google Talk app with video enabled. Calls are of decent quality and the camera captures good video. The rear camera can be used to take both still photos and 720p HD video. The quality of the shots taken with this 5MP camera are OK, but not outstanding. The Honeycomb camera app that runs the cameras has a lot of features and is fun to use.
Next to the camera on the back of the XOOM is the power button, which is an odd placement. I quickly got accustomed to this position, and the power button has a solid feel that makes it clear when the button has been pressed. The two stereo speakers are also on the back of the device, and are capable of playing quite loudly with minor distortion noticeable at higher volumes.
The only controls on either side of the XOOM are the volume up/down buttons on the left side. These buttons are extremely small, making them hard to hit decisively. Turning the volume down quickly is harder than it needs to be which would be avoided with larger buttons.
The XOOM can be rotated to any of the four orientations to fit personal preference, and the display autorotates smoothly. This screen rotation happens quickly, although lag is detected once several apps are running at once.
This lag occurs more frequently than I would expect, and sets in after a few apps are running at once. The dual-core Tegra processor is a very fast CPU, but the XOOM regularly bogs down with several things running. This will need to be addressed, either in updates to Honeycomb or by Motorola.
