Motorola's Xoom is the first Honeycomb-based tablet; but how does it fare against Apple's iPad 2? There's a lot to go over, from Google's new software platform to Nvidia's Tegra 2. Let's dig a little deeper to see how the tablet world is shaping up.
Intel founder Andy Groove once famously quipped, “Only the paranoid survive.” And if you’re a notebook manufacturer, there’s plenty to be paranoid about. Tablet sales are growing at what other mobile solution providers might consider an alarming rate. From one year to the next, you're looking at nearly doubled sales. Meanwhile, the already-mature notebook market is growing at a much slower pace.

No one saw this coming. Apple jump-started the tablet market by introducing its iPad in 2010 (check out our iPad 2 review), and it was a total shock to many industry observers. Here was what looked like an oversized smartphone, armed with a standard (4:3) aspect ratio display that sold like hotcakes. Almost incredibly, last quarter, close to 20% of Apple’s total revenue ($13.5 billion) came from iPad sales. So, is it really any wonder why every other company wants to now jump up on the tablet bandwagon?

The problem is that no one has Apple’s experience combining hardware and software. This void is creating some interesting partnerships. For example, Nvidia sees huge potential in selling mobile hardware, which explains all the cash it’s spending to develop Tegra. But it doesn't have any background on the software side. Conversely, Google has a great mobile operating system known as Android, but it doesn't really do anything with hardware. Motorola is good at creating mobile platforms, but it lacks a touchscreen-based OS, and it's also out of touch with designing processors. So, you really need all three working together to design a suitable alternative to Apple's iPad.
This makes the tablet scene a lot more exciting than reviewing desktop PCs, where you might get a couple of different components and some custom paint. When you buy a tablet other than an iPad, you're getting something completely different. That’s why I was excited when a Motorola Xoom turned up on my doorstep. It’s not just a product of Motorola’s engineering. It’s also a reflection on Google and Nvidia, and it promises a completely different experience.
- Motorola Xoom: Tablet Mania
- Motorola Xoom: The First Android Tablet
- Honeycomb: Navigation, Browser, And Music
- Honeycomb: Notifications And Multitasking
- Honeycomb: App Store, Data Transfer, And Screenshots
- Adobe Flash + Android: Certified, But Not Perfect
- Honeycomb 3.1: Small Enhancements
- Tegra 2: Nvidia Goes Mobile
- Honeycomb And Tegra 2: Gaming Spotlight
- Display Quality: Color Gamut
- Display Quality: White And Black Uniformity
- HDMI output And Camera Quality
- Real-World Performance And Battery Life
- Final Words

I personally feel that the iPad is a better device for gaming just by going through the app store and being able to find games ranging from Monopoly to FF3 and Infinity Blade. I have a Nexus S right now and the list of attractive games is not as long.
I like having both devices however. I plan to stay the course with continuing to purchase Android Nexus phones and having Apple supply me with their iPad. I get to enjoy the best of both worlds and not narrow my enjoyment of tech like most Droid and Apple fanboys.
I'm impressed with the honeycomb but I think it has 2 major drawbacks
1)UI is somehow laggy and not 100% smooth
2)Lack of apps.
If these 2 issues get fixed,then we're going to see a better competition
I'd probably go for a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, but that's just me.
Also, and probably related to the slow video, Tegra 2's CPU has no NEON extensions, limiting applications that use signal processing.
Yes, I do own a XOOM (also iPad 2 by the way)
Also, and probably related to the slow video, Tegra 2's CPU has no NEON extensions, limiting applications that use signal processing.
Yes, I do own a XOOM (also iPad 2 by the way)
Check out page 13. We tested H.264 battery life using a ripped 1280x720 Blu-ray movie.
On page 12, we also show HD playblack when you're mirroring the display.
@Everyone else. Thanks for the comments guys. If there's anything else you guy want to see in future reviews please let us know.
Cheers,
Andrew Ku
TomsHardware.com
Good effort, but as others have said, late to the table.
I'll take that shot. Understand that we just started in with tablets. So we're playing catch up, but we're not purposely reviewing tablets late.
That said, I don't think it's necessary to be snarky about it.
I'll agree that we can disagree. But I don't think that makes my concerns any less valid. And it's true that many people don't care for that hand holding experience, but again, that is why I called the iPad a Wii and the Xoom a PS3.
I'm speaking from experience as an Android AND iOS developer. The hoops that you have to jump through for the Apple App store are infuriating. But if you're a tablet user, you don't care that said developer had to wrack his brain dealing with Apple. You just want to know apps are available. No tablet platform can truly succeed without third-party application support. This is a reality that everyone has to face. It's also a reason that Apple still struggles in the notebook and desktop market with OS X. There are more programs for Windows that you can't run on Mac. Until this changes, the playing field is going to be uneven.
Everyone who criticizes Apple for some reason feels the need to say they own an Apple product, as if that somehow means something. It doesn't really matter what you own. Anyone can have a valid opinion.
I understand your view, I just disagree with it. The idea that open source dominates doesn't jive with what every computer user experiences. Look at Linux. If open source was simply the issue, Ubuntu should kill Windows and OS X within the next few years. That's simply not the case.
I'm an Android and iOS developer. In fact I have to program in both because some of the benchmarks we use are custom coded. As a reader, though, most people could care less how much effort I put into a program. They just want to look at the results. No tablet platform can truly succeed without third-party application support. This is a reality that everyone has to face. It's also a reason that Apple still struggles in the notebook and desktop market with OS X. There are more programs for Windows that you can't run on Mac. Until this changes, the playing field is going to be uneven.
And on that note, if the Xoom was all that and a bag of chips, Motorola wouldn't admit it's struggling with sales and drop the price.
I just don't see a tablet in my future.
You'll also have to give up not having a keyboard and display stand.
I m really happy for you and for sharing this news which has nothing to do with the article.... Keep up with the great trolling job!
Not true at all.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-announces-android-3-1
5/10 3.1 was available to Verizon Xoom owners. Xoom was first 3.0 and first 3.1
I could really not say if it´s because I'm waaaaaaaaay more used to use android devices than iOS ones, but seriously, iPad being more intuitive than the Xoom my ass... I love the Android buttons in my phone and I love the software buttons in my Xoom. Of course iPad is going to be more intuitive if you are an iPhone user, is the same frikkin OS. I'm a PC user and as such I can tell you I feel at home with android from day one, iOS and OS X, even when pretty at first sight, are just not enough functional for me and I really find no value in that famous "apple experience" and since mankind is yet to design a experience-o-metter it is my humble opinion that in an OBJECTIVE review it should not be regarded over and over again, maybe in an editorial, but not in a review.
About people saying they rather get a netbook or even a notebook instead a tablet (I was one of those not long ago) The only thing I can say is that if some one manage to make a 1.5 pound netbook with the 8-9 hours of constant use I can get from my Xoom I will agree with you then, but not today, tablets do have advantages over traditional systems.
I'm an android phone owner and an ipad owner, and am slowly being converted to iOS for mobile simply because of the vast amount of applications I use that aren't even similarly available on the Android OS. This is painful for me because I'm a Windows programmer and I despise Apple, assemble my own PCs, etc. I'm pretty typical there I guess. But in the end, I just want something that does what I want (music and language apps, mostly), and when it comes to tablet software, only the iPad delivers for me.
I wonder if this is similar to the way people in music and education felt in the early days of Mac vs PC, when Apple had the best experience and best apps for certain industries? These days I could never go Mac because it does a very tiny fraction of what I do on the PC. Not the case for the more limited tablet world.
I honestly can't speak from iPhone experience. Other TH coworkers have iPhones, but I don't. I actually have an Android phone, one that I purchased prior to any tablet use.
Some of what I'm speaking from comes from my experience as an Android and iOS developer. Most of my comments on usability are simply issues with UI. As I stated in the review, the iPad is more analogous to the Wii, whereas Xoom feels more like a PS3. It's really a different experience.
I'm an android phone owner and an ipad owner, and am slowly being converted to iOS for mobile simply because of the vast amount of applications I use that aren't even similarly available on the Android OS. This is painful for me because I'm a Windows programmer and I despise Apple, assemble my own PCs, etc. I'm pretty typical there I guess. But in the end, I just want something that does what I want (music and language apps, mostly), and when it comes to tablet software, only the iPad delivers for me.
I wonder if this is similar to the way people in music and education felt in the early days of Mac vs PC, when Apple had the best experience and best apps for certain industries? These days I could never go Mac because it does a very tiny fraction of what I do on the PC. Not the case for the more limited tablet world.
Thanks for the kudos. As a programmer, you probably understand the problem of third-party app support in a way most people don't.
On the second sentiment, I'm really not sure how this is going to play out. There are too many variables. So much of this has to do wtih product vision. Apple didn't help itself when it booted out Jobs back in the early days. The Android CTO Steve Horowitz left for Coupons a while back, but there are many talented people at the helm at Google. We probably need another year or two before the fog on the battlefield clears.