Help UPDATE: Temp Adobe Flash workaround (WAS: Flash not enabled on Xoom at launch).

[Air Force One]

I hope this is just some kind of mistake but a user over at Android central just posted this link to the brand new Verizon Wireless Xoom product page:

Motorola XOOM | Verizon Wireless

Well, I was excited until I read this in the product description:

1GHz Dual Core Processor and fully Flash Enabled* for video-rich web

Note the asterisk and then look down right below the email sign-up box, in VERY small print it says:

*Adobe Flash expected Spring 2011

I sure hope this is a mistake but I cannot understand why Verizon would put this text in there.

 

[melantus]

Ok.. This is a DEAL breaker for me i will cancel my reserve on this product if this the case. Are they ****ing kidding me old versions of android can run flash but this hyped up honeycomb cant!? Not mention flash support has been all over the place on there promotional ads now they want add the foot note 3 days before launch! All i can say if this true is wow shady as **** dont hype something you arent even giving out the box.

 

[Air Force One]

I hope to god this is some kind of mistake...BUT they have been hyping 4G and an SD card slot that are both not working out of the box, so it wouldn't surprise me. It would actually explain quite a lot given Moto's silence and funky release dates and prices, no major sites getting a unit to review. This whole thing has been amateur hour.

IF this is true...it makes it a no-brainer to wait for the wifi only version. Why would I want to pay $799 and jump thru all the hoops of activating data and canceling data, just to get a device working that cannot even run Flash. I'll let others deal with the OTA updates that are sure to follow this device around for awhile.

I cannot count how many times I have been excited about this tablet only to be let down. I hope this is a mistake but I'm concerned. Flash is one of the first things I would be using on this tablet.

 

[bcltoys]

Ok.. This is a DEAL breaker for me i will cancel my reserve on this product if this the case. Are they ****ing kidding me old versions of android can run flash but this hyped up honeycomb cant!? Not mention flash support has been all over the place on there promotional ads now they want add the foot note 3 days before launch! All i can say if this true is wow shady as **** dont hype something you arent even giving out the box.

+1 even if its not the case I will cancel and wait.

 

[Air Force One]

Well I tipped Engadget and now they have run this story(yes I'm chris).

we're effing screwed...if this is true 3 days before launch Google and Moto can go blow.

I actually feel sorry for Verizon...they are the only innocent parties if this is true

 

[melantus]

Well 4g wasnt promised at launch we were told Q2. Slots at least was a known issue for a while. This crap was dumped on peoples laps 3 days before launch. Thats what im most upset about people have been assuming since this thing was annouced flash was a given. Now they are adding this bullshit footnote without any warning before hand thats what im upset about.

 

[marctronixx]

when i look on the moto site there is no asterisk and no footnote of this... so who to believe?

 

[Air Force One]

when i look on the moto site there is no asterisk and no footnote of this... so who to believe?

I've searched everywhere too and cannot find anything. But why would Verizon want to kill it's sales by throwing in this random text. The only result of this will be more people waiting for the wifi version...that only hurts Verizon.

I hope it's a mistake too but it sure seems like a strange mistake to add that asterisk and then in small print say expected in Spring 2011.

This sucks because I spent half an hour kissing a salesperson's ass at a verizon store so I could get a call the second these arrive. I've never been as excited as I have been about the xoom. If moto and Google waited until now to tell us(or let Verizon do it) I will not be getting the Xoom on Thursday. Others will as Flash is no big deal to them, but without Netflix, etc.., Flash is a MAJOR bridge to getting content for me personally.

 

[marctronixx]

well moto is the manufacturer, verizon isnt. verizon cant turn off or on anything in the tablet. moto has touted flash support out the box so i dont see why that would change.

who knows why people do what they do. bby put up the place holder than had the xoom at 1200 bux.. everyone went crazy.. that was a mistake..

and cant you just download flash from the market? clearly im missing the mark here on how flash can be turned off when its designed in the OS?

EDIT: i mean even the video thats on that verizon page says "FLASH 10.1" and there is no footnote for that (when the video mentioned 3G, there was a footnote that said "additional charges..." or somesuch so they will add footnotes if they need to) .... if moto were not going to have flash out of the box, then they are lying to the world and have been since the first mention. i dont recall seeing where moto said flash is expected later after the tab is released...

 

[melantus]

No one is saying turned off.. They are saying not compatiable with 3.0. Your also hoping 10.1 flash is compatiable with 3.0 which i would say is a big assumption. The foot note is pretty clear NO flash until spring.

 

[Air Force One]

well moto is the manufacturer, verizon isnt. verizon cant turn off or on anything in the tablet. moto has touted flash support out the box so i dont see why that would change.

who knows why people do what they do. bby put up the place holder than had the xoom at 1200 bux.. everyone went crazy.. that was a mistake..

and cant you just download flash from the market? clearly im missing the mark here on how flash can be turned off when its designed in the OS?

The issue is going to be this: will honeycomb/tegra processor be compatible with Flash 10.1 if yes, we will be able to download from the market...and I for one will be happy. But as a poster at Android Central noted: honeycomb may have changed things in a way that makes 10.1 incompatible. If this is the case, we are back to waiting for Flash the way we did before Adobe launched Flash for Android in the first place. I for one don't like the sound of "expected in Spring of 2011"...all of us android users remember how waiting for Flash went the first time around.

For some this will not be a big deal. But me...I'm a heavy flash user...TBS.com for Seinfeld episodes....Dallas Cowboy forum where embedded videos of rookies and possible draft picks are posted constantly. The whole reason I want the Xoom over the iPad is Flash and the ability to go directly to sites for content(think CNN) rather than needing a dedicated app like the iPad needs.

 

[Proph]

something doesn't make any sense here. motorola has said many times (and in their promo videos) that the xoom would have flash 10.1 which is current available in the market place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI1qwLtTukw

32 seconds in.

 

[melantus]

Has anyone seen any video of a xoom running flash content? Im trying to look back at youtube hands on videos and find something a little concrete on subject.

 

[kenyu73]

something doesn't make any sense here. motorola has said many times (and in their promo videos) that the xoom would have flash 10.1 which is current available in the market place.

32 seconds in.

Doesn't mean they didn't get the kinks and bugs smoothed out before launch hence the last minute disclaimer. Verizon/HTC pulled Video Skype off the Thunderbolt after touting it for months(however, it doesn't have a 'date' yet).

MOTO wants to go into the books as having he 1st 4G/Honeycomb tablet even if it requires a few dozen asterisks in the fine print....

 

[marctronixx]

whats pretty clear is there has been no official word from moto. a footnote means nothing. we have seen the word "Activate" spelled wrong on the best buy ad. mistakes happen. the best buy ad had the xoom at 1200 bux. that was pretty clear wasnt it? ;-)

i am not as technical on all things android as most of you. i am mostly an android user not a rooter or tinkerer so i will lack some knowledge in the OS that you guys clearly have. at the end of the day i will follow the consensus since most know more than i,however i will still be confident the whiz bang gadget will come with Flash support until moto tells me otherwise..

No one is saying turned off.. They are saying not
compatiable with 3.0. Your also hoping 10.1 flash is compatiable with 3.0 which i would say is a big assumption. The foot note is pretty clear NO flash until spring.

 

[ckeegan]

Has anyone seen any video of a xoom running flash content? Im trying to look back at youtube hands on videos and find something a little concrete on subject.

2 minutes, 30 seconds. He doesn't stay on it very long, but that top banner on Androinica's website is flash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh6XykDhJMY&feature=player_embedded

 

[faith4more]

Yes I would not trust anything Verizon or Best Buy says. I do wish Moto would take control of their message. They are letting these bone head retailers botch up the buzz. If Moto really wants to compete with Apple they need to get the PR machine fixed. There has been so much confusion on this release because they are not being clear.

whats pretty clear is there has been no official word from moto. a footnote means nothing. we have seen the word "Activate" spelled wrong on the best buy ad. mistakes happen. the best buy ad had the xoom at 1200 bux. that was pretty clear wasnt it? ;-)

i am not as technical on all things android as most of you. i am mostly an android user not a rooter or tinkerer so i will lack some knowledge in the OS that you guys clearly have. at the end of the day i will follow the consensus since most know more than i,however i will still be confident the whiz bang gadget will come with Flash support until moto tells me otherwise..

 

[grokr989]

Count me out if this is true. I was looking forward to getting it this week too! Very disappointing.

 

[StreakTheQuad]

meh, I don't have flash installed on my OG Droid right now anyway. I can do without all of the ads.

Would I like Flash available on demand? Sure, but to me its a minor issue compared to some of the other potential issues at launch. Have to think that Adobe is at fault and late on their 10.2 software, although I'm not sure why 10.1 wouldn't work.

 

[zetroc]

The VZW ad XOOM doesn't have a Verizon logo on it? Photoshop error, or WiFi version? lol

 

[melantus]

Well i spoke to a bestbuy associate and they have had a chance to mess with it. Was told it doesnt support flash. Also found out my store only has 5 in stock as of today.

 

[BoozeRob]

I'm still getting it at launch. If I have to wait a few weeks for flash, then so be it.

 

[p8ntballah21]

I'm still getting it at launch. If I have to wait a few weeks for flash, then so be it.

+1

I can live without it for a few weeks. I've been waiting for this thing for too long to wait just for flash.

 

[joeski27]

+1

I can live without it for a few weeks. I've been waiting for this thing for too long to wait just for flash.

I guess you have a point, as we all need to realize that Spring '11 means weeks, not months (we are now only days away from the first of March, after all).

 

[p8ntballah21]

I guess you have a point, as we all need to realize that Spring '11 means weeks, not months (we are now only days away from the first of March, after all).

I have been reading about this issue an a few other sites and there are a lot of harsh reactions about this. Yah Im somewhat disapointed that its not coming flash equipped, but for me it's not the end of world. Im not going to go out and cancel my pre-order just to go rebuy it again when flash is available. If I NEED flash for something until then I always have my laptop.

This is the nature of the beast for the first of it's kind of a product. First HC tablet, so flash isn't quite ready. Honestly I suspect that they thought it was going to be and that's why we didnt hear about it til now, so I don't think it's too far off if. Im sure there are some bugs to worked out before it will be available in the market.