Sunday, December 18, 2011
Prince
Motorola's Xoom tablet is the first true challenger to Apple's iPad, in that it runs an operating system designed for tablets -- Android 3.0, or Honeycomb -- and is comparably-sized with a 10.1-inch display. And after months of hype, it's finally available at Verizon Wireless stores and ready to be picked over by the tech press.
Here's the review of Motorola Xoom:
Design
As with any tablet, the Motorola XOOM is all screen, featuring a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 widescreen resolution, which edges out the iPad 2 in pixels. This peculiar screen resolution places the screen at a 16:10 aspect ratio, which strays from the standard HD 16:9 aspect ratio, though the XOOM still supports HD content in its native resolution. Highlights of the XOOM's screen were its blazing responsiveness and exceptional touch sensitivity. The XOOM has an embedded 2-megapixel front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel camera in back with 720p HD video recording capability, accompanied by a dual LED flash. A pair of stereo speakers rounds out the back of the XOOM, and a 3.5mm audio jack is located along the top ridge.
Hardware:
The Xoom 3g Wi-Fi runs Nvidia's Tegra 2 platform, with a dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 32GB of on-board user memory. The MicroSD Card slot permits users to double their storage space as they use the device--a boon for anyone who tends to pack gadgets with media. Unfortunately, the MicroSD Card slot is not enabled at launch-so early shoppers will have to wait until a software update comes along.
Software
Android 3 is better suited to tablets than earlier versions of the OS: its icons are the right size for larger screens, allowing you to squeeze more onto the desktop than before.
There’s also now a thin toolbar along the bottom of all screens, with icons for Back, Home and Running tasks. A notifications area at the bottom-right displays battery life, Wi-Fi signal strength and a clock, with small icons indicating downloads and message alerts.
Camera
The Motorola XOOM is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera in back with dual LED flash, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat. The tablet is capable of shooting 720p HD video at 30fps, which is great for online videos. The XOOM's camera performance was an odd one. First of all, there's nothing more preposterous than holding up a giant 10.1-inch slab to take a picture. Secondly, the live screen resolution was terrible.
Entertainment
The tablet only supports MPEG-4, H.264, and H.263 files, so naturally .MOV files could not be played on the device. The Motorola XOOM does support 1080p playback, but it will have to be an MP4 or H.264 file. When a 720p HD video was loaded onto the XOOM and attempted to play it in full screen. While the audio track played flawlessly, the video frames could not keep up Internet Video Cam performance is really poor. YouTube, on the other hand played the exact same HD video file in full screen with no problem, so the Motorola XOOM is going to be very picky when it comes to videos.
Productivity
Email integration on the Motorola XOOM was fantastic. Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Apps, you name it— a left email list pane and a right pane displaying the current individual email. You could also sync events with our calendar, as well as update contacts through Gmail. The Motorola XOOM supports corporate email and even has a VPN client for more corporate support. One will also loved typing on the expansive keyboard, especially using the device horizontally. When it came to composing emails, creating calendar events, and searching the Internet, really felt at home with the Motorola XOOM.
Motorola Xoom Vs Ipad VS Ipad 2 (Click to zoom) Specs
Here's the review of Motorola Xoom:
Design
As with any tablet, the Motorola XOOM is all screen, featuring a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 widescreen resolution, which edges out the iPad 2 in pixels. This peculiar screen resolution places the screen at a 16:10 aspect ratio, which strays from the standard HD 16:9 aspect ratio, though the XOOM still supports HD content in its native resolution. Highlights of the XOOM's screen were its blazing responsiveness and exceptional touch sensitivity. The XOOM has an embedded 2-megapixel front-facing camera and a 5-megapixel camera in back with 720p HD video recording capability, accompanied by a dual LED flash. A pair of stereo speakers rounds out the back of the XOOM, and a 3.5mm audio jack is located along the top ridge.
Hardware:
The Xoom 3g Wi-Fi runs Nvidia's Tegra 2 platform, with a dual-core 1GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 32GB of on-board user memory. The MicroSD Card slot permits users to double their storage space as they use the device--a boon for anyone who tends to pack gadgets with media. Unfortunately, the MicroSD Card slot is not enabled at launch-so early shoppers will have to wait until a software update comes along.
Software
Android 3 is better suited to tablets than earlier versions of the OS: its icons are the right size for larger screens, allowing you to squeeze more onto the desktop than before.
There’s also now a thin toolbar along the bottom of all screens, with icons for Back, Home and Running tasks. A notifications area at the bottom-right displays battery life, Wi-Fi signal strength and a clock, with small icons indicating downloads and message alerts.
Camera
The Motorola XOOM is equipped with a 5-megapixel camera in back with dual LED flash, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat. The tablet is capable of shooting 720p HD video at 30fps, which is great for online videos. The XOOM's camera performance was an odd one. First of all, there's nothing more preposterous than holding up a giant 10.1-inch slab to take a picture. Secondly, the live screen resolution was terrible.
Entertainment
The tablet only supports MPEG-4, H.264, and H.263 files, so naturally .MOV files could not be played on the device. The Motorola XOOM does support 1080p playback, but it will have to be an MP4 or H.264 file. When a 720p HD video was loaded onto the XOOM and attempted to play it in full screen. While the audio track played flawlessly, the video frames could not keep up Internet Video Cam performance is really poor. YouTube, on the other hand played the exact same HD video file in full screen with no problem, so the Motorola XOOM is going to be very picky when it comes to videos.
Productivity
Email integration on the Motorola XOOM was fantastic. Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Apps, you name it— a left email list pane and a right pane displaying the current individual email. You could also sync events with our calendar, as well as update contacts through Gmail. The Motorola XOOM supports corporate email and even has a VPN client for more corporate support. One will also loved typing on the expansive keyboard, especially using the device horizontally. When it came to composing emails, creating calendar events, and searching the Internet, really felt at home with the Motorola XOOM.
Pros
- HDMI-mini output
- Runs Android 3.0 for smoother tablet OS experience
- Good performance
- MicroSD Card slot allows additional storage
- Solid design
Cons
- New OS has a few stability issues
- Images don't render properly in Gallery viewer
- Expensive
- Heavy, at 1.6 pounds
- Middling display
- Video looked blocky
Motorola Xoom Vs Ipad VS Ipad 2 (Click to zoom) Specs
Xoom Vs LG-G Slate Vs Samsung Galaxy Tab Vs iPad Specifications
Where to Buy Motorola Xoom Price In US (At&t,Verizon,Spice)
Amazon.com $499.00
Gamestop $499.99
Sears $513.54
CDW $499.99
Meijer $499.99
PriceGrabber.com $499.72
Adorama Camera $499.99
PC Richard & Son $499.99
Mwave.com $499.00
Directron $498.00
MacConnection $499.00
Medical Arts Press $499.99
EXcaliberPC.com $485.00
PCNation $499.00
TheNerds.net $534.99
Negri Electronics $510.50
NextDayPC.com $515.95
Posted in: Android,apps,Discounts,galaxy tab,ipad,ipad3,Motorola,price,sale,tablet,US,Xoom
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