Revised 03/26/2011 - Made some update and post it on my blog - http://mobiletech.knguyentu.com/2011/03/motorola-xoom-wifi-version-initial.html
Revised 03/27/2011 - Using Samsung Galaxy S (Fascinate) record demo of Motorola Xoom playback of Apple's iPad format of M4V (converted using handbrake - see link above to handbrake xoom profile)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8KuypTZVVw
Just picked up the Motorola Xoom @ Staples. There was no issue or question on purchasing it.
To Set Foundation:
I have had several android phones like the Motorola Droid, Droid X, and Samsung Galaxy S. So I am familiar with the Android OS. At the same time, I've had the Apple iPad 32GB generation 1 since it was first launched. So I am familiar with that too.
Initial Impressions:
Weight - Having own the first gen iPad and now having the Xoom, the weight from usage is very comparable. You can't really tell the weight differences, unless you have both of them in your hand and really focus on trying to feel the weight out. It is very comfortable holding to the hand.
Display - Of all of the demo I've seen on the 3G version at Costco and pictures / youtube, I have to say those do not do justice to the screen. I believe that be attribute to the auto brightness screen adjustment functionality. After disable that and adjust brightness to high, the picture actually looks pretty decent. Being a hobbyist photographer, I look at several images I had taken from Flower Field out near Oceanside, California. The color looks very vibrant and crisp. Again, unless you have the iPad next to you to comparison and purposely want to look for that detail, the Xoom display is actually pretty good.
OS - It comes with Android 3.01 build HWI69
Other Stuff - It seems to have come with GPS. In the setting there is a check box asking if you want to use GPS to find your location. Bring up google map, it found me within less than 60 meters. There is a microSD slot and it is located in the exact location where the 3G version has it. Hidden under the LTE sim slot. The standard Motorola Case for the xoom that you can purchase for 29.99 is a huge disappointment. The one Apple design for the iPad was way better. This one looks and feel like cheap material that doesn't seem to fit the tablet well. When trying to close it, it doesn't close properly. The dumb design is the lack of having a hole for the power plug. The power plug is another disappointment. You have buy new car charger and power plug because it uses a different plug. Looks like a small pin. Why can't they keep to standard like Apple.
I like where the power button is situated behind the pad, leaving the front very clean. It is a finger print magnet, so I can't wait to put invisible shield on it.
Software - The email software is just like gmail. Very simple and easy to use. The OS on the other hand, still a bit clunky. It could use some optimization. With Apple iPad, you can use it for weeks w/o having to restart because it automatically ends application (lack of multi-task). Due to this allowing multi-task, there is no way to end the task w/o having to kill it in the setting. You can simply press the back button to have the task end and release it back the memory. The touch screen is very responsive. No issue there. I like the revised picture gallery, it uses the x/y axis ability as you move around the gallery sort of do this 3D effect. It comes standard with a few MP3 music in there, one from Carrie Underwood and others. The Calendar is a nice improvement over android phone version.
Screen font is not as crisp as ipad. You can and will notice a bit fuzz. I am not sure if that is because of the screen design or the font style. But we'll see as time goes on and using custom ROM to replace the font if that improves anything.
Overall, I am very pleased with the Xoom. It is not perfect and nothing really is, but the Honeycomb OS and on this very study Xoom has a lot of potential.
For those who are on the fence and ask in numerous thread Why Xoom? To me, it is a great toy to play with and does all the stuff iPad can do for the stuff I use it for daily. Surf the internet, read magazine, check email, etc., So if that is your purpose of the tablet, I highly recommend look at the next piece of it, which is cosmetics and aesthetics. Which one feels right to you in your hand. Are you able to navigate it easily.
For me, Xoom has more potential and allow me to start doing more than I did with iPad. It might open me up to other things, such as maybe trying to integrate it with my Nikon camera or maybe VPN to my home network and do remote desktop or tweak the hell out of it when I am bored with custom rom and themes.
Revised 03/27/2011 - Using Samsung Galaxy S (Fascinate) record demo of Motorola Xoom playback of Apple's iPad format of M4V (converted using handbrake - see link above to handbrake xoom profile)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8KuypTZVVw
Just picked up the Motorola Xoom @ Staples. There was no issue or question on purchasing it.
To Set Foundation:
I have had several android phones like the Motorola Droid, Droid X, and Samsung Galaxy S. So I am familiar with the Android OS. At the same time, I've had the Apple iPad 32GB generation 1 since it was first launched. So I am familiar with that too.
Initial Impressions:
Weight - Having own the first gen iPad and now having the Xoom, the weight from usage is very comparable. You can't really tell the weight differences, unless you have both of them in your hand and really focus on trying to feel the weight out. It is very comfortable holding to the hand.
Display - Of all of the demo I've seen on the 3G version at Costco and pictures / youtube, I have to say those do not do justice to the screen. I believe that be attribute to the auto brightness screen adjustment functionality. After disable that and adjust brightness to high, the picture actually looks pretty decent. Being a hobbyist photographer, I look at several images I had taken from Flower Field out near Oceanside, California. The color looks very vibrant and crisp. Again, unless you have the iPad next to you to comparison and purposely want to look for that detail, the Xoom display is actually pretty good.
OS - It comes with Android 3.01 build HWI69
Other Stuff - It seems to have come with GPS. In the setting there is a check box asking if you want to use GPS to find your location. Bring up google map, it found me within less than 60 meters. There is a microSD slot and it is located in the exact location where the 3G version has it. Hidden under the LTE sim slot. The standard Motorola Case for the xoom that you can purchase for 29.99 is a huge disappointment. The one Apple design for the iPad was way better. This one looks and feel like cheap material that doesn't seem to fit the tablet well. When trying to close it, it doesn't close properly. The dumb design is the lack of having a hole for the power plug. The power plug is another disappointment. You have buy new car charger and power plug because it uses a different plug. Looks like a small pin. Why can't they keep to standard like Apple.
I like where the power button is situated behind the pad, leaving the front very clean. It is a finger print magnet, so I can't wait to put invisible shield on it.
Software - The email software is just like gmail. Very simple and easy to use. The OS on the other hand, still a bit clunky. It could use some optimization. With Apple iPad, you can use it for weeks w/o having to restart because it automatically ends application (lack of multi-task). Due to this allowing multi-task, there is no way to end the task w/o having to kill it in the setting. You can simply press the back button to have the task end and release it back the memory. The touch screen is very responsive. No issue there. I like the revised picture gallery, it uses the x/y axis ability as you move around the gallery sort of do this 3D effect. It comes standard with a few MP3 music in there, one from Carrie Underwood and others. The Calendar is a nice improvement over android phone version.
Screen font is not as crisp as ipad. You can and will notice a bit fuzz. I am not sure if that is because of the screen design or the font style. But we'll see as time goes on and using custom ROM to replace the font if that improves anything.
Overall, I am very pleased with the Xoom. It is not perfect and nothing really is, but the Honeycomb OS and on this very study Xoom has a lot of potential.
For those who are on the fence and ask in numerous thread Why Xoom? To me, it is a great toy to play with and does all the stuff iPad can do for the stuff I use it for daily. Surf the internet, read magazine, check email, etc., So if that is your purpose of the tablet, I highly recommend look at the next piece of it, which is cosmetics and aesthetics. Which one feels right to you in your hand. Are you able to navigate it easily.
For me, Xoom has more potential and allow me to start doing more than I did with iPad. It might open me up to other things, such as maybe trying to integrate it with my Nikon camera or maybe VPN to my home network and do remote desktop or tweak the hell out of it when I am bored with custom rom and themes.
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