It's fair I suppose, but come March 2nd will we only compare the iPad 2 with the Xoom? I am interested in that comparison.
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i spent a hour playing with the xoom.
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It's fair I suppose, but come March 2nd will we only compare the iPad 2 with the Xoom? I am interested in that comparison.
+1 the lilo777's post makes little to no sense. Apple will continue to develop and improve products. They really are very ahead in the tablet market. Everybody else is playing catch up without mastering the os experience first.
Honeycomb vs iOs? Please.
Sure. If Apple announces new iPad for $400 tomorrow, do you think Motorola will not change XOOM price? As far as offering premium hardware, yes Apple is not in a position to do it anymore because of their marketing strategy of having just on model of most everything. They do some variations but not much. In case of a tablet - only on storage size. If they decided to make their only tablet a really high end device with a premium price they would not sell too many tablets.
I think the past few years of situations like waiting for multitasking on the iPad for months, or for common smartphone features on the iPhone models, has made release-then-update-later acceptable to consumers.
Heck, Apple's whole iOS system is structured around releasing devices and adding features to them later on. Or sometimes not, if they want us to buy the next model instead
For instance, we all thought the first iPhones would get video recording and MMS updates, but that never happened. At least Moto is publicly promising their fixes.
I don't see moto or RIM or any of those guys offering a large variation of their products this year.
I do think moto will change the price, but I see absolutely not evidence that moto is going to offer significantly better hardware than apple moving forward.
Your points seem to be all over the joint.
Apple will offer excellent hardware for the ipad moving forward IMO.
The reality is that moto has priced thier product very closely to apples equivalent offerings.
$600 for 32gb wifi is = to apples; $800 for 32gb 3g/4g is in the ballpark.
I mean, we know the price points apple will likely be at, I see no reason that they will not offer processor and ram performance close to the XOOM in the ipad 2.
When its released, we will see the bench marks compared, are you saying that you expect to see those types of numbers (the ones you are referring to that compare the ipad to the xoom) duplicated when they test vs the ipad 2?
Your statements are so scattered its hard for me to follow the real point(s) you are trying to make.
Allot of our questions will be answeres tommorow.. I hope the Ipad 2 kicks ass just like the rest of you do. Depending on if this is just a small refresh to the Ipad or and actual huge update will make a huge difference for allot of people.
No matter if your an apple fanboy or not.. By this fall Android tablets and I assume windows 7 tablets will have the Tegra 3 tablets coming out with quadcores and kick ass graphics...
All of this is going to force Apple to kick it up a notch very quickly. Which in turn is good for us all.
No matter if your an apple fanboy or not.. By this fall Android tablets and I assume windows 7 tablets will have the Tegra 3 tablets coming out with quadcores and kick ass graphics...
All of this is going to force Apple to kick it up a notch very quickly. Which in turn is good for us all.
I usually don't read one-hour reviews... I think people need days to really get a feel for any device, but hey...
It's $70 more, with more speed, RAM, I/O and free 4G upgrade. To people who would spend $730 for the top iPad, the difference is negligible.
That info is out of date. Verizon repealed that requirement.
Yep. And consider that the price is bound to drop over time, as most electronics do. (The Samsung Tab dropped $100 after a month or so.)
Cheers!
It wasn't really a review, like the article said at the top. More like just some first thoughts.
Didn't know that, even the Best Buy salesman told me I had to.
Price is a lot, admit it. It probably won't drop soon because they'll sell this as 4G, they'll keep that $799 price as long as they can. Unless nobody is buying it, which probably won't happen.
The Xoom looks like a pretty nice tablet. I look forward to trying one out.
However, regardless of how nice the hardware may be and no matter how cool Honeycomb looks, there are a couple of things that make it a no go for me. First is the 16x9 display. Dumb, dumb, dumb. This was one of the bravest and under-appreciated design aspects of the iPad. The width of the Xoom in landscape is comparable to the iPad, but it is narrower on the y-axis. Basically, the screen is much smaller for no reason at all (other than possible supply constraints for 4x3 screens these days), as movies will still be the same size but everything else will have less screen space to utilize than the iPad. This will manifest itself most often when holding the device in portrait, which is my personal preferred way of holding the iPad in most cases as it is much more comfortable this way.
Second is the app store. Like it or not, Apple's beats Googles. Especially in the tablet space. It will take a while for the Xoom to come close to the iPad in this regard. And when it does, it will mostly be just ports of apps iPad users have enjoyed for months now. Only a lot of the cool, less popular apps may never make it over, just as they often don't in the mobile phone markets.
Last is the price. $800 (plus activation and data fees) is too much to ask for a smaller, less capable (I know it is more powerful than the iPad, all about the apps tho) device.
However, the Xoom does score major points for access to Grooveshark.com... This is the only instance where I miss flash on my iPad, since Apple will never allow a Grooveshark app in the store due to conflicts with iTunes. Lame.
However, regardless of how nice the hardware may be and no matter how cool Honeycomb looks, there are a couple of things that make it a no go for me. First is the 16x9 display. Dumb, dumb, dumb. This was one of the bravest and under-appreciated design aspects of the iPad. The width of the Xoom in landscape is comparable to the iPad, but it is narrower on the y-axis. Basically, the screen is much smaller for no reason at all (other than possible supply constraints for 4x3 screens these days), as movies will still be the same size but everything else will have less screen space to utilize than the iPad. This will manifest itself most often when holding the device in portrait, which is my personal preferred way of holding the iPad in most cases as it is much more comfortable this way.
Second is the app store. Like it or not, Apple's beats Googles. Especially in the tablet space. It will take a while for the Xoom to come close to the iPad in this regard. And when it does, it will mostly be just ports of apps iPad users have enjoyed for months now. Only a lot of the cool, less popular apps may never make it over, just as they often don't in the mobile phone markets.
Last is the price. $800 (plus activation and data fees) is too much to ask for a smaller, less capable (I know it is more powerful than the iPad, all about the apps tho) device.
However, the Xoom does score major points for access to Grooveshark.com... This is the only instance where I miss flash on my iPad, since Apple will never allow a Grooveshark app in the store due to conflicts with iTunes. Lame.
I agree that in the case of the Xoom, it was unfinished at launch, and the so-called ecosystem wasn't ready in time for it. In contrast, Apple are expert at releasing a device with everything that they said it will come with actually being there. Having said that, Apple don't tend to offer that much at launch (apart from magicality...
). Android devices are a lot more ambitious. But they're definitely rushed at the moment, primarily due to trying to gain some market share before the next iPad release. Personally I'll live with the rough edges purely because I don't want to get sucked into the Apple iTunes ecosystem. From a regular consumer perspective though, all Android tablet manufacturers still have a lot to learn from the master with regards to how to launch and make an impact...
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I agree that in the case of the Xoom, it was unfinished at launch, and the so-called ecosystem wasn't ready in time for it. In contrast, Apple are expert at releasing a device with everything that they said it will come with actually being there. Having said that, Apple don't tend to offer that much at launch (apart from magicality...
The ipad was missing quite a bit of functionality when it was released. Topping the list of missing stuff was cut and paste for example. It's just the nature of the business to have beancounters dictate a release schedule, often things get left out. Just like Darth said, the student has now become the master.
I am pretty sure that copy and paste was there from the beginning for the iPad.
Really, it's much different then both you and kdarling are making it out to be. Apple doesn't use things that are not functional or inaccessible as selling points. Sure, Apple doesn't have a certain feature in at launch and are added later, but those aren't selling points for the iPad and are 'perks' when they are added.
Cut & Paste was there from the get go on the iPad. Multitasking didn't arrive until November (seven months after it went on sale) although even then the naysayers are still complaining that it's not "real multitasking" (I presume this to mean it doesn't periodically cause your machine to lock up unexpectedly.)
I think the one hour review was correct in calling out Motorola (and Google) for leaving the Xoom "unfinished." Only giving developers a few days with the SDK meant there was, and remains, a paltry handful of optimized Apps. And the Apps that are out there tend to crash - indicating they didn't get tested enough. The LTE upgrade is another symptom of this. But both Google and Motorola know the clock is ticking, and that every month that goes by means another two or three million iPads get sold, without an Android dog in the fight.
The problem Google, and I suspect half the wannabe iPad competitors, had is that they initially thought the iPad was going to flop. They didn't understand what made it appealing, and I suspect that even now they don't completely get it. Which is why the Xoom is initially being sold with a Verizon logo on the back.
You are getting confused with the iPhone, that's another section on MacRumors.
The Master (Apple) is still the Master. Until Google fixes Andriod so a 14 can't hack into an Android device. I see some big changes in Androids future. Big ones.
Sure they do. Remember when Apple announced MMS for the iPhone? They made a point of saying that it wouldn't be available on some carriers right away, but it was coming. It was a selling point before it became functional.
When iOS 4 came out, we were promised that our iPads would get it as well. That was an inaccessible item used as a selling point. It took a lot longer than anyone thought, but it got out eventually.
Motorola has said that the slot and Flash would be coming. If those things never happen, then people can call them out for breaking a promise. Otherwise, it's not something people can say is unique to them and not Apple, even if delayed.
People can bash Motorola, but pick something that will still be meaningful in a few months.
I own the Ipad 32GB WIFI and absolutely love the device. I think it has the best music listening experience, the best music buying experience, the best internet viewing experience (although I do miss flash), the best reading experience, etc... this, of course, is all relative. They're just my opinions.
I used the xoom for a few minutes at BB also. I mostly messed around with the browser, maps and youtube, and I considered them superior methods of accessing the same content I have on my iPad. The browser was fast and responsive, the youtube interface is truly amazing and upon using it on the iPad I was left wanting more, and the maps app was also something revolutionary. In my humble opinion, they were better, in part maybe due to the fast processor especially when viewing heavy websites.
But over all, I buy apple products for their quality and support. I know the ipad will still be supported for the next two years. Apple software development for their IOS line is unmatched. New functions are always being developed and added. And last, but not least, iTunes. Hate it or love it. I love it. I cannot imagine myself using an electronic device without itunes integration. Maybe it's bad to depend so much on a service like itunes, but I wouldn't change the iPad for any other tablet.
I used the xoom for a few minutes at BB also. I mostly messed around with the browser, maps and youtube, and I considered them superior methods of accessing the same content I have on my iPad. The browser was fast and responsive, the youtube interface is truly amazing and upon using it on the iPad I was left wanting more, and the maps app was also something revolutionary. In my humble opinion, they were better, in part maybe due to the fast processor especially when viewing heavy websites.
But over all, I buy apple products for their quality and support. I know the ipad will still be supported for the next two years. Apple software development for their IOS line is unmatched. New functions are always being developed and added. And last, but not least, iTunes. Hate it or love it. I love it. I cannot imagine myself using an electronic device without itunes integration. Maybe it's bad to depend so much on a service like itunes, but I wouldn't change the iPad for any other tablet.
I suppose, but that's really not Apple's fault that the carrier was unable to support it immediately. Everything was done on Apple's end; I had MMS working since iOS shipped with it because our carriers are quick up here. It was the same with tethering.
I'm not sure if that was a selling point or Apple providing information. You could go in buying an iPad and be assured that everything that Apple had promised on day one was going to be there. It doesn't seem to be this way with the Xoom.
I can't blame Motorola as it's Adobe who is responsible for Flash. I just think it kind of sucks that some of the advantages that were touted over the iPad weren't quite ready for primetime.
Good point, some of the Android releases really should have been refined before they were released, not afterwards.
The Xoom will be old news in about 2 months when there are 10 identical Android tablets on the market at a cheaper price. Its the same thing with Android phones. They come out with a new one everyday. Same specs and most of them all look the same. Android is the Honda of the phone world. Everyone has one but you dont look twice when you see one.
You're right, I was thinking of the iphone. I do still think Apple has been outAppled though, but tomorrow may bring a different day. If iOS5 has caught up to Android I'll be quite happy to buy the ipad2, that is if they release iOS5 soon and not in 6 months. If it's just tiny little features over 4.x then I will probably say goodbye to the Apple wagon. IMO much more is hinging on software than hardware in this round.
I think that's an absurd argument. Motorola and Android have always pushed the availability of Flash and the expandability through MicroSD (some also erroneously asserted it as a replacement for the iPad cardreader) as major selling points. If you asked anyone before the release of the Xoom why they would think the Xoom would be a worthy iPad competitor, I'd bet those two were almost always in the top 10, and definitely top 5 for Flash. It's one thing to have a product where promised updates come late,(say Nexus One and Gingerbread or iPad and 4.2 iOS update) but it's an entirely different story where a product arrives with two of its most heralded features absent.
If you want a more fitting comparison, I think it'll be if Apple released the iPad without the app store working and (to exaggerated it a bit) the 30-pin connector not working for any accessories after Apple telling people incessantly about how wonderful the iPad app store would be and how many accessories there will be available. Could you imagine the media and internet forum explosion had that happened?
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I spent 48 hours with a loaner XOOM and was relieved to go back to using my iPad. Its not that I disliked the XOOM that much but I honestly couldn't find anything I preferred to do on it, than the iPad. Without all my iPad apps, it felt like a device that was only good at browsing the internet and email. It also felt huge to me compared to my iPad.
I found the web scrolling on the xoom i played with to have that distinct "not as smooth as iOS" feel. Add in the pricing premium, relatively inferior app selection and ecosystem, and I'll take the iPad every time. And that includes the current iPad. After tomorrow, I'm pretty sure the comparison will look even worse for the Xoom
