Basic info that I can't seem to find about the XOOM

Are you going to put the Xoom up to your head?
To elaborate on slopokdave's question/comment....

Smart phones with capacitive touch faces need what is referred to as "cheek suppression." It's the ability for the phone to realize this big honking mass that's touching it's display is a head, not a finger, so don't obey any commands.

If you research the chips that control the touch screen, you'll find the older ones only offered one or two touches plus prox for cheek supression. A lot of the older phones would arse dial... you know... the other cheek. ;-)

Newer technology still offers prox, but also offers 10 touches, but these extra touches aren't typically used for our commands. They are used to enhance cheek suppression and also for grip suppression.

Grip suppression was made for those people with big hands. The phone can actually identify and ignore the fingers wrapping around from behind and interfacing with the edges of the screen.

Getting back to slopokdave's comment... if you're not going to hold this thing to the side of your head like a phone, there is no need for prox.
 
if you're not going to hold this thing to the side of your head like a phone, there is no need for prox.

I read a site speculating that a proximity sensor could be used to detect when the case holding the device is closed, and the device would turn off accordingly. If that's all it could be used for, I wouldn't really miss it on the Xoom.

However, the Galaxy 10.1 has a proximity sensor, and the iPad 2 is rumored to have one as well. That makes me wonder if there are other uses for the sensor that I haven't come across. Does anyone have any thoughts on other possible uses?

On a different note, is there any information about the speaker on the Xoom (I'm assuming it has a built in speaker, although it's not listed on the spec sheet)? Is it supposed to be decent?
 
I read a site speculating that a proximity sensor could be used to detect when the case holding the device is closed, and the device would turn off accordingly. If that's all it could be used for, I wouldn't really miss it on the Xoom.
Doubtful and suspect. The device goes to sleep after inactivity anyway. To add a circuit just to turn it off is redundant and a waste of cost and batter power.

However, the Galaxy 10.1 has a proximity sensor, and the iPad 2 is rumored to have one as well. That makes me wonder if there are other uses for the sensor that I haven't come across. Does anyone have any thoughts on other possible uses?

On a different note, is there any information about the speaker on the Xoom (I'm assuming it has a built in speaker, although it's not listed on the spec sheet)? Is it supposed to be decent?
They advertise a proximity sensor because it comes in the chipset that controls capacitive touch. It probably is in the XOOM since both companies use the same controller chip, but the feature is inapplicable to pads so Mot stayed mum. The company that makes it is called Atmel Corporation and according to analysts, they own about 80% of the capacitive touch market. Their stock went from about $4 to over $16 in less than a year. Both Samsung and Motorola use them.

It's specsmanship. That's all.

Sorry, no knowledge of the speaker.
 
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On a different note, is there any information about the speaker on the Xoom (I'm assuming it has a built in speaker, although it's not listed on the spec sheet)? Is it supposed to be decent?

I was trying to find this out and noticed you never got an answer on this question. The short answer seems to be yes it does. For me a lack of speakers may have been the straw that broke the camel's back with this. I do not want to have to dig out headphones or attach to the dock to watch a quick you tube video or something. :-D Couple that with price, etc and it might have been all she wrote.

If you go here ( MOTODEV > Products > XOOM? MZ600 ) it shows a stereo loudspeaker.

Or if you go here ( Motorola Xoom tablet: Hands-on (Wired UK) ) it says "There's a metal backplate, with a rubbery top section that houses the camera, power/unlock button and a pair of stereo speakers."
 
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