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Decisions: iPad 2 16g $499 or Xoom wifi $539?? **Pics added**

J

jjayasekar

macrumors newbie
Aug 14, 2010
10
0
I don't know.. i find myself at a crossroad... i bought the first iPad in June and I loved it and everything.. the new spec update for the ipad 2 was good enough but left me wanting more.. i know the impossibility of a "retina" screen but i just wanted something a little higher up in DPI or something.. none of you guys feel like they could've made the display somewhat better? Having an iphone 4 spoils my eyes haha..

The xoom just seems to be android tablet to set the standard.. i played with it at best buy and i really liked the overall feel.. i don't care much about weight per say because the ipad never bothered me to the point of no return in terms of weight.. Of course its an early adoption in terms of tablet software but give it time, like someone on this thread says.. its like the G1.. look at android smartphones now right?

I just find myself in need of a refresh? iOS is great.. but theres no differentiation at all between the ipad and the iphone in terms of look and feel except for the added visual real estate..

So, to reply to the OP, i hear ya man... i'm seriously thinking about the xoom.. not because its necessarily better than the iPad 2.. but because its different.. and refreshing in a sense.. i think the tablet offerings for apps in android will grow exponentially faster than we think.. look at what the ipad did in 9 months!

Besides.. if the xoom disappoints you.. sell it and get the ipad.. these things refresh their versions so fast that its no point breaking your head over it...
 
O

olternaut

macrumors 6502a
Dec 10, 2007
606
0
jjayasekar said:
I don't know.. i find myself at a crossroad... i bought the first iPad in June and I loved it and everything.. the new spec update for the ipad 2 was good enough but left me wanting more.. i know the impossibility of a "retina" screen but i just wanted something a little higher up in DPI or something.. none of you guys feel like they could've made the display somewhat better? Having an iphone 4 spoils my eyes haha..

The xoom just seems to be android tablet to set the standard.. i played with it at best buy and i really liked the overall feel.. i don't care much about weight per say because the ipad never bothered me to the point of no return in terms of weight.. Of course its an early adoption in terms of tablet software but give it time, like someone on this thread says.. its like the G1.. look at android smartphones now right?

I just find myself in need of a refresh? iOS is great.. but theres no differentiation at all between the ipad and the iphone in terms of look and feel except for the added visual real estate..

So, to reply to the OP, i hear ya man... i'm seriously thinking about the xoom.. not because its necessarily better than the iPad 2.. but because its different.. and refreshing in a sense.. i think the tablet offerings for apps in android will grow exponentially faster than we think.. look at what the ipad did in 9 months!

Besides.. if the xoom disappoints you.. sell it and get the ipad.. these things refresh their versions so fast that its no point breaking your head over it...
Click to expand...

My advice for you is don't buy the android tablet equivalent of a G1. Wait until at least ice cream and new hardware revisions by the manufacturers. Also, don't buy an iPad 2 either.
If you have the first iPad then keep it until iPad 3.
 
H

h00ligan

macrumors 68040
Apr 10, 2003
3,028
136
London
FWIW all that 'sneaky info' about the xoom at sams club... it was at their staging store - the one where they add placeholders.
 
I

iserian

macrumors 6502
Apr 30, 2010
389
0
Palo Alto Apple Store
You have had a year to review the basics of the pad and the pad number two wont change how you use in on the couch. You will know if you are the tweaking type or not. Who cares if one platform has thousands of crap apps - ask yourself what apps you use and need. I have only had my zoom for few days but I am really liking it so far because I like to setup things in a particular way. Pad 2 in a week like the rest of this forum.
 
H

h00ligan

macrumors 68040
Apr 10, 2003
3,028
136
London
is it as laggy as reported?

The best buy I went to had such slow wifi it was impossible to check internet browsing on it.
 
C

cruiser771

macrumors newbie
Mar 7, 2011
2
0
I was considering both tablets but will go with an original ipad 32gb. first off, I'm an android fan and switched from an iphone 3G to an Epic 4G and love it. I hated relying on itunes, and love having an sd card, and just needing a micro usb cable to sync and charge. so naturally, I was excited about the xoom and honeycomb.

my main reason for getting a tablet is to replace my school textbooks, I won't have to carry heavy books, or sell them at the end of the semester just to get some of my money back. at $100 average each book, I found it easier to go check out the free copy in the library and take good hi-res pics of the pages (I did a chapter in a few minutes) and the tablet pays itself rather quickly. I also have some books in pdf. I found the ipads 4:3 screen better for viewing both jpgs and pdf's. also when opening pdf's, it opened pages and rendered faster on the ipad and ibooks was nice. I liked honeycombs tabbed browser better, but found that I couldn't get the address bar to appear sometimes, felt glitchy. I'm buying my cousins 32gb ipad for 400 tax free, its cheap and does what I want.

I hope when a better android tablet arrives, I can upgrade. Flash is important to me as not everything is on youtube, and not everything on youtube is available for mobile.
 
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AppleGoddess

AppleGoddess

macrumors 6502a
Sep 30, 2010
787
0
parapup said:
Both iPad 1 and Xoom (Wifi+3G models) weigh 1.6lb - Wi-Fi only iPad weighs 0.1lb less than Wifi+3G. So you have to to have a non-typical ( fanboyism induced might I add ;) ) weight sensitivity to claim what you did!

Oh and I own a Xoom - it is anything but laggy - smoothest Android release ever - the browsing experience itself completely outclasses the iPad.
Click to expand...
I played with one for a hour i was very impressed smooth and quick.
 
jmgregory1

jmgregory1

macrumors 68030
Jun 24, 2010
2,993
2,949
Chicago and a few other places around the world
Regardless of whether you like/dislike Apple/Google/Moto/Samsung, one should consider that all others are following in Apple's footsteps with both the smartphone and tablet platform. Personally, I'm not seeing any of Apple's competitors step up and introduce something radically different/new/better than what Apple originally created.

Not that these other companies won't be able to make quality products, but they're simply trying to make things that compete with something that Apple originally developed.

I, for one, have always appreciated products and companies that take chances and develop things for the future, not just relying on what's good/right today. Apple created and continues to create change. They're not always going to be the best at everything, but I would prefer to support a company that pushes forward compared to a company that simply copies what another company designed.

If you buy just based upon specs, then you'll get exactly that - a bunch of specs. This was proven out with many of the first generation of android phones - where 8mp cameras produced poor quality photos or "better" screen technology had issues with natural color rendering. The same is true for laptops and desktop computers, cars, homes, people, etc.

And don't get me started with the "locked" eco-system of Apple compared to the "open" eco-system of android. There are reasons for companies to control content and user experience - it's not a lot different that what EVERY retailer in the world does. They control what's in the store, the store itself and the user experience you have. Without that control, you'd have a marketplace even more full of crap than it is already and your experience in shopping would be the lowest common denominator to "appeal" to the masses.
 
nefan65

nefan65

macrumors 65816
Apr 15, 2009
1,354
14
Ars Technica has a great article on the XOOM. He gives it both Pros/Cons. I messed around with a XOOM in the store. I realize its "USED" there, but so are the iPads. Wasn't impressed at all. UI looked cool, but it was clunky and rough like the other Android devices I've tried; IMHO...

To each their own, but I'll stick with the iPad for the foreseeable future.
 
F

Faux Carnival

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2010
697
2
The browsing experience in Xoom is excellent as I've heard. Real tabs and lightning fast. In perfect harmony with Google services. If you will be doing basic stuff like: browsing, taking notes, calendar, maps, Youtube, photo organizing, etc... go for the Xoom.

If you are into gaming or you rely on 3rd party apps and out-of-the box features of the Xoom isn't enough for you, go for the iPad.
 
O

olternaut

macrumors 6502a
Dec 10, 2007
606
0
I won't be interested in an android tablet till at least the OS version after Ice Cream. By then the OS should be much better and by then the hardware manufacturers should have their act together.
 
miamialley

miamialley

macrumors 68040
Jul 28, 2008
3,505
979
California, USA
I tried to like the Xoom, but just couldn't. Maybe I'm too used to iOS...which, by the way, is in need of a major overhaul. Why does it make sense for a phone and tablet to have the exact same OS?
 
Gix1k

Gix1k

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 16, 2008
3,418
1,074
cruiser771 said:
He explains why on page 4, several reasons why
Click to expand...

Thanks for pointing that out. I brought it to work today to let all the people that have been wanting to use it get a feel for it. "Too heavy" came out several times. I iPad came out a few times to so far to compare. I gotta say the form factor is better on the iPad. I am google'g how to restore it back to factory, so I can return it after work today. I'm Xoom'd out. Was a good test drive, but for $853, it's not that much better than the $499 I will be spending on Friday.
$539 - worth it----- $853 - Not a chance
Oh, while buying this and waiting on a salesperson, I was looking at laptops...40% of the ones sold in Best Buy are cheaper than the Xoom in price. That's not right to me. These tablets should be significantly cheaper than a PC, imo.
 
Last edited:
einmusiker

einmusiker

macrumors 68040
Apr 26, 2010
3,001
355
Location: Location: Location:
Gix1k said:
Thanks for pointing that out. I brought it to work today to let all the people that have been wanting to use it get a feel for it. "Too heavy" came out several times. I iPad came out a few times to so far to compare. I gotta say the form factor is better on the iPad. I am google'g how to restore it back to factory, so I can return it after work today. I'm Xoom'd out. Was a good test drive, but for $853, it's not that much better than the $499 I will be spending on Friday.
$539 - worth it----- $853 - Not a chance
Oh, while buying this and waiting on a salesperson, I was looking at laptops...40% of the ones sold in Best Buy are cheaper than the Xoom in price. That's not right to me. These tablets should be significantly cheaper than a PC, imo.
Click to expand...

weight or size is definitely not an issue for me. price, no flash and lack of essential apps is. when the price drops I will definitely pick one up again, great little workhorse.
 
P

PhantomPumpkin

macrumors member
Feb 4, 2011
92
0
gonnabuyamacbsh said:
I'm facing a similar decision. I love ipad2s hardware but don't like the locked down ios. I think I'll go with the xoom.
Click to expand...

No offense, but I don't understand these types of answers. 1, you're free to roam the 100 apps. Yay?

2, if the "locked down" OS offers you everything you need, what's the difference?

"Here's my resort town. You're stuck here, but we offer all the amenities you need. They all say Bob's Resort Town on them though."

vs.

"Here's your island. You're free to roam, and get to choose from many many places to eat, buy stuff, etc. We offer the same as Bob's Resort Town, as well as more choices, but they're basically identical to the rest of the choices we offer. They have different names."

Like I said, if they offer something you can't get on an OS that you need, I understand that, but just because something is "locked down" doesn't mean that it's bad or is "limited" like I always hear. Yes it's limited. Currently to 65k apps. Oh the horror of lack of options...
 
O

olternaut

macrumors 6502a
Dec 10, 2007
606
0
miamialley said:
I tried to like the Xoom, but just couldn't. Maybe I'm too used to iOS...which, by the way, is in need of a major overhaul. Why does it make sense for a phone and tablet to have the exact same OS?
Click to expand...

The problem is that Steve thinks that everyone is stupid.

And he's mostly right.......mostly.
 
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