i spent a hour playing with the xoom.

[PhoneI]

After 24 hrs with the xoom I wonder how I made it this long with the iPad.

hey, i respect your opinion, but to give up 100 percent of the apps I rely on daily is just something I am not willing to do. How did you do it?

I still cant think I one thing I preferred to do on the XOOM over the iPad.

 

[PhoneI]

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.

Apple never promised Multitasking until they revealed their new OS. This is not comparable to Motorola promising a feature and then at the last minute, saying its "coming soon". Apple did kind of do this with Push Notifications and took a lot of heat for it.

While Moto might be "publicly promising their fixes", I would be very careful about taking them at their word. Ask Cliq XT users about MOTOs many promises.

 

[kdarling]

While Moto might be "publicly promising their fixes", I would be very careful about taking them at their word. Ask Cliq XT users about MOTOs many promises.

That's a fair enough warning. Agreed, if a person truly needs Flash and/or a working microSD slot (or 4G for that matter), they could wait until they're available and installed.

 

[DougFNJ]

However, when compared to the iPad, I guess if I didn't have a whole host of other Apple devices like an iMac, iPod Touch, iPhone, it might make sense to look at the Xoom seriously, but the fact of the matter is that I want a device that seamlessly integrates with all the above. The Xoom is more of an outsider device, and an in no way compete in this department. The available apps are also another HUGE problem for the Xoom when compared to the iPad. The iPad is just simply too far ahead, and the Xoom will always be playing catch up in this department.

I'm in the same boat, and very happy to be in it.

I look at it like this, these manufacturers and developers have to consistently keep up with and try to bypass each other consistently, and that is good for all of us. More competition equals more and better choices available.

I recently moved from a Droid X to the iPhone 4 the second it hit Verizon. A friend of mine and I were talking about the differences, and the conclusion we both chuckled at is, the Droid X is perfect for HIM, the iPhone is perfect for ME, just because 1 of us prefers one over the other does not make either of our choices better or worse. Widgets and full screen customization is nice, sliding a screen down to see notifications and preview them is great. The perfect size, durability, smooth scrolling, retina display, and synchonicity with the rest of my devices is also great.

 

[nefan65]

I'm in the same boat, and very happy to be in it.

I look at it like this, these manufacturers and developers have to consistently keep up with and try to bypass each other consistently, and that is good for all of us. More competition equals more and better choices available.

I recently moved from a Droid X to the iPhone 4 the second it hit Verizon. A friend of mine and I were talking about the differences, and the conclusion we both chuckled at is, the Droid X is perfect for HIM, the iPhone is perfect for ME, just because 1 of us prefers one over the other does not make either of our choices better or worse. Widgets and full screen customization is nice, sliding a screen down to see notifications and preview them is great. The perfect size, durability, smooth scrolling, retina display, and synchonicity with the rest of my devices is also great.

^^^
Well said. Get what YOU want and need. If you're happy, then that's all that matters. Whatever makes you proficient...

 

[kdarling]

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?

Which is exactly why I said the concern is currently meaningless. There hasn't been a giant media/forum "explosion" over Motorola selling its tablet before it's fully cooked.

Why? Well, perhaps some don't need microSD and/or Flash. Perhaps people figure those are two things the iPad will never have either. Or maybe it's just because the Xoom has enough other features to make it desirable even without them working yet.

The only people having fits over the delay seem to be Apple fans who can't figure out why no one else is indignant about it. They're just like those who think AntennaGate should make everyone stop buying iPhones. It ain't happening. Sorry. There are lots of things I think people should be indignant about too

 

[fertilized-egg]

Which is exactly why I said the concern is currently meaningless. There hasn't been a giant media/forum "explosion" over Motorola selling its tablet before it's fully cooked.

Why? Well, perhaps some don't need microSD and/or Flash. Perhaps people figure those are two things the iPad will never have either. Or maybe it's just because the Xoom has enough other features to make it desirable even without them working yet.

I disagree. Imagine if Apple did all the iPhone 4 announcement stuff touting Facetime, and at the time of launch they change their tune to announce "Oh BTW, Facetime isn't ready, please wait a few weeks." That would've made the headlines for sure. If Apple failed to deliver one of their main promises it would've been everywhere with pundits wondering if Apple has completely lost it. Simply put, any misstep(or success) Apple makes is amplified. The Xoom just isn't that big of a deal outside the tech community.

However that lack of publicity doesn't make the Xoom's failure to deliver two of largest (often widely advertised) strengths out of gate any less incredulous. How many times does this forum get bombarded by people who were claiming how critical it is to have Flash on a tablet and the Xoom will rock because it has Flash?

 

[kdarling]

... How many times does this forum get bombarded by people who were claiming how critical it is to have Flash on a tablet and the Xoom will rock because it has Flash?

Well, there you go.

Obviously having Flash at launch date was not critical for early Xoom buyers.

Happy?

 

[fertilized-egg]

Happy?

No! Not until I get an iPad 2!

Actually it'll mainly for my wife. I know she's superexcited about it.

Back to the Xoom, I'm just puzzled as to how such bungled launch can go relatively quite and I really have to question the competency of Motorola if they couldn't get Adobe to follow up with working Flash or Google to get the MicroSD slot work by the time of launch. I guess they really wanted to be the first one but it's just weird to have a product from such well known manufacturer with two of its headline features completely disabled out of gate. I always suspected it'll be likes of Samsung, LG, Huawei,etc, not Moto who'll be more credible challengers to the iPad and the Xoom only confirms that.

 

[MAC-PRO-DEMON]

Oh dear. This is turning into a rather pointless rant. I'm afraid that neither side is going to win. You fanboys are adamant that no matter what, anything that someone that isn't Apple makes; isn't up to scratch with what Apple makes. Us people with a little bit of a wider view on life and indeed consumerism, will always stand that you should go look at things with an open mind.

I personally stand by original post (check out page two). Lets just have a bit of sanity into this thread!

 

[fertilized-egg]

Oh dear. This is turning into a rather pointless rant. I'm afraid that neither side is going to win.

That's almost how most internet forum arguments/discussions work.

I personally stand by original post (check out page two). Lets just have a bit of sanity into this thread!

I read your original argument and you're making the same mistake as others. $800 is expensive no matter how you cut it when it's more expensive than a "premium" iPad. You claimed "normal consumers" care about the price, and they do. Most of them go for the cheap iPad 16G, not the higher end versions.