Android Honeycomb Tablets

Been thinking about the XOOM. and I'm sorry, but the need to return your tablet for a retrofit - in combination with the lack of Flash support just makes me cry out FAIL FAIL FAIL.

Look, I have had a Galaxy Tab since Christmas morning and if you told me I had to send it away to get retrofitted for a week to have the functionality it should have had from the start, I'd be royally pissed.

Moto screwed the pooch on both of these issues. Say what you want against the evil ipad of St. Jobs, but somehow I can't see Apple having done that.
 
rockymtnhigh said:
Been thinking about the XOOM. and I'm sorry, but the need to return your tablet for a retrofit - in combination with the lack of Flash support just makes me cry out FAIL FAIL FAIL.

Look, I have had a Galaxy Tab since Christmas morning and if you told me I had to send it away to get retrofitted for a week to have the functionality it should have had from the start, I'd be royally pissed.

Moto screwed the pooch on both of these issues. Say what you want against the evil ipad of St. Jobs, but somehow I can't see Apple having done that.

With each new day, comes with a new surprise. Like GoogleTV, seems the hype is better than the device :-(
 
I basically posted the same thing on a Droid Blog, and somebody pointed out that if this was an Apple, they would simply wait a year to come out with a new product, which you would have to buy over again. And I suspect that is true. Still, it strikes me that Motorola should have better prepared; there is no reason this did not release with Flash or the 4G chip built in. I get the need to test the processor to optimize it for Flash, but there is no excuse for the 4G modem.
 
I basically posted the same thing on a Droid Blog, and somebody pointed out that if this was an Apple, they would simply wait a year to come out with a new product, which you would have to buy over again. And I suspect that is true. Still, it strikes me that Motorola should have better prepared; there is no reason this did not release with Flash or the 4G chip built in. I get the need to test the processor to optimize it for Flash, but there is no excuse for the 4G modem.

Their is two ways to look at this. first off apple releases IPod 2.0 with out 4g. Then in six months time releases IPod4 with 4g at full price with no upgrade path. The problem with apple is their is no way to upgrade unless you buy a new product. At least motorola is given you a path to upgrade at no cost. they could have gone the apple way and bring out a 4G model which you would have to pay for.

The rumor on the IPad is that this Wednesday apple will show an IPad2 which will go on sale in April. Then in six months come out with a newer IPad. The new iPad is the real planed for ipad2.

Then in April of next year come out with IPad4G. I got say this for apple they sure do now how to make money.
 
Anand reviews Xoom
Motorola Xoom Review: The First Honeycomb Tablet Arrives - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News
I have to say, this is a lot better than I expected. Honeycomb feels a lot like Google’s take on iOS without sacrificing any of what makes Android unique...
I’m impressed with what Google has done with the UI....This looks and feels like a brand new OS for Google....
Am I more likely to use the Xoom than the iPad? Yes. The hardware is faster but more importantly, the software is better suited for multitasking. I’m a bigger fan of Honeycomb’s multitasking UI & notification system compared to the double-tap-home and passive notifications you get with the iPad and iOS.

Diogen.
 
Just got back from the mall and played with a Xoom. I really like it! And more than I thought I would. It's a lot better than the Galaxy Tab that’s for sure and it feels like a tablet, not an oversized cell phone. The UI is great and doesn't have that awful Motoblur feel to it and at 10” the screen is perfect. If it wasn’t for the fact it’s a Verizon thing I probably would have bought one today. The video quality is great, I love the music player interface.
 
Steve- one major advantage the Tab has is the size. If you will need to carry your tablet around a lot, the Galaxy has a distinct advantage because it easily can be put in a pocket. The 10" form factor can't. But if your use will mostly be seated with it on your lap or a table. the 10" is more friendly, especially when using an on screen keyboard.

If I were as mobile as I was 2 years ago, I would prefer the 7". Today, the ipad size is perfect and when I try out the 7", that small screen is the thing that turns me off the most. It's great we have choices!
 
For me, I don't see the size as and advantage as 7" does nothing for me. It's just too small to take advantage of what Tablets can offer. I honestly don't really care about size or weight. Functionality is king. Two and three quarter inches bigger then my phone does not warrant the price the Galaxy Tab costs. And when playing with the Galaxy Tab I feel like I'm just using a giant cell phone. It has almost the exact same UI and software features as a Samsung Galaxy phone. The Xoom on the other hand, it feels like a tablet, the software is geared toward tablet use and it is much more slicker. If Sprint can offer a decent collection of Android based tablets running Honeycomb I will be purchasing one. But only a Motorola or preferably an HTC.
 
Not just the pocket; it can be held in one hand for an extended period of time, and is extremely user-friendly in that sense. Ask anyone who is a Kindle user, the 6" form-factor of that device is very easy to use; the 7" form factor of the Galaxy Tab works great for many things; and pretty much EVERY app will run full screen and look great. Plus, video on it works awesome at the gym. I put it on the eliptical machine, and have my own private video setup. Not sure the ipad or Xoom would fit on the stand; and it certainly would be much more awkward lugging around when working out.

I can see the benefit of a 10" tablet, but 2+ months in with a Tab, and I could not be happier. No envy at all about the Xoom coming out. At $450 in BB today, the Tab is a great bargain.
 
Motorola's Xoom might get a 7" sibling, not clear what dessert flavour...
Motorola's Sanjay Jha hints at a 7-inch tablet before the end of the year, foresees tablet prices dropping -- Engadget

Also on the Xoom note, it looks like Europe is an ever increasing (in importance) market for the phone/tablet manufacturers.
This is noticeable by the reduced pricing discrepancy of those gadgets between these markets...
Motorola prices WiFi-only Xoom at £450 in the UK (update: ?700 in Germany with 3G) -- Engadget

As a testament of ever growing smartphone capabilities (primarily CPU+GPU),
starting this summer all Moto smartphones will have a smartbook docking option
Motorola: all our high-end smartphones will have Webtop from June onwards -- Engadget
This way they might offer a docking solution for cars as well.

If they make the phone thin enough, you might be able to have a tablet as a docking option...:)

Diogen.
 
Zdnet has an interesting story, pretty much slamming the xoom and honeycomb as not being up to task, well mostly slamming honeycomb and not the xoom hardware.

Is also very favorable to the galaxy tab, which does android apps right. :)

http://zd.net/hDdY27
 
When rating outsider reviews on new gadgets, I'd take Anand's over ZDnet's any day of the week.
And twice on Sunday...

Diogen.
 
Moto doesn't have a laptop and desktop business to compete with.
Good point.
But if Nvidia's roadmap is anything to go by, in 2-3 years we'll have phones rivaling todays higher-end laptops.
Having just one "engine" and multiple "shells" - phone, tablet, laptop, desktop - could be very tempting...

Diogen.
 
An interesting list of (rumored) tablets to be released starting next month
Staples' slate of slates leaks out, corroborates Samsung 8.9-incher and the HP Opal? -- Engadget

3-15-11-staples-leaked-tablets-guide.jpg


Dell 7" would be tempting if WiFi only. Also, would be interesting to hold the 9" Samsung...

Diogen.
 
I still want to hold it in one hand...

Had now the Pandigital 7" 800x600 for a few days.
I can imagine a 9" or close in something like 1280x720 to be held in one hand...

Diogen.
 

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