Reviews/impressions about the Moto Xoom.

[dwboston]

I have to believe the "lag" when rotating the screen is somewhat intentional. My wife's iPad rotates the screen at the slightest movement. The Xoom is meant to be used in landscape orientation, so it makes sense there's an "are you sure?" delay built in.

 

[howarmat]

i agree i think the lag is intentional to some degree.

 

[WBMc36]

Went to the verizon store the day after launch to play with honeycomb and see what the xoom is like. First thing i did while playing with the device is uninstall the task killer that some idiot at the verizon store installed on it. Man i wish i could afford the xoom because it looked and felt like a quality piece of equipment.

 

[jcash3]

Nice job, the task killers can cause a lot of problems. BTW if you have any old electronics laying around, BBY has a great trade in program. I traded in my wife's 6 yr old Macbook and one of my old Bass Guitars and got a ton of money for them. I ended up only having to pay about $270 for the Xoom.

 

[Micaela Kline]

so i found this interesting review of the xoom and i thought i'd share. check it out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eeQZCMnHrc

 

[breitling65]

Good luck everyone with this tablet, I just return it back to verizon. Why? Main reason is screen which I believe not up to Apple in colors/contrast and touch response, compared several times and iPad is better on this.
Besides all other missing items promised initially like sd slot/4G/flash etc I don't like to wait. I am missing Netflix and Skype as well. So, I am getting iPad2 as soon as it will be in stores. Lost $70 restocking fees, but oh well I need something better than xoom. Enjoy!

 

[jonw757]

Good luck everyone with this tablet, I just return it back to verizon. Why? Main reason is screen which I believe not up to Apple in colors/contrast and touch response, compared several times and iPad is better on this.
Besides all other missing items promised initially like sd slot/4G/flash etc I don't like to wait. I am missing Netflix and Skype as well. So, I am getting iPad2 as soon as it will be in stores. Lost $70 restocking fees, but oh well I need something better than xoom. Enjoy!

So let me get this straight... your returning your Xoom for an iPad.. because it doesnt have flash, 4G, and a nice screen although the iPad doesnt have flash, 4G and has a lower resolution screen. You dont like to wait but your waiting another week and some to get an iPad. Call me stupid but am I missing something?? You're not trolling at all

 

[breitling65]

You are not reading me correct, I said - Screen, screen and screen. Xoom is behind even on ipad1 with screen to my eyes and fingers. Touch screen response on iPad is two head above even now before iPad2. All other items not as important as this. Waiting one week is nothing in compare with unknown waiting period on Xoom. I need Netflix today and I am talking on Skype lot, why should I wait and for how long? So, don't troll me out I am out anyway

 

[Colbyb25]

I talk on Skype on my Xoom right now with no issues. No offense personally, but I am a pro photographer and the Ipad screen is HORRIBLE. Both my wife and I had one and we got bored after 1 month. They Xoom screen, while not the best in the world, displays colors much better then an ipad. I use my tablets as portfolio demos when approaching new clients and galleries.

 

[PSUDad]

upon my return home. 16 apps for the tablet? I have been using it for over a week now and took it on the road with me. Basically, it does email and calendaring bigger than my droid phone, most of the apps I would like to use either don't even launch or render in a tiny little box - the size of my droid. As the other individual mentioned earlier, the key features separating this from an iPad - flash support and SD - have no timetable for delivery. No idea when decent apps will be available. No movie service of which I am aware. Would hate to sit on this thing past the 14 days to learn that there are issues in releasing flash support or the have unfortunately determined SD support is not possible or requires a vacation at Motorola. True, the iPad does not have flash or SD support, but they have apps you can actually use to get work done and be entertained. I keep flipping home screen to home screen and to the app store and nothing is there. I have all the same stuff on my droid phone already. I will get an iPad 2, because it is functional and I need functional. This rush to market, instead of leapfrogging iPad, has fallen flat on its face, in my opinion.

 

[broadwayblue]

The ability to plug in a USB thumb drive (using an adapter since the Xoom doesn't have a full-size USB port) and have the Xoom recognize it and be able to transfer files between the thumb drive and the Xoom.

Thanks. You know I feel stupid for not even realizing the Xoom doesn't have a full size USB port. I had just taken it for granted I could stick a thumb drive in there to use for watching movies. That's kind of a bummer. Why the heck would they leave that out???

 

[howarmat]

because a USB port is not a thin port. I will take the SD card slot over using an external harddrive

 

[Colbyb25]

Oops, you are talking but where is video? Are you sure about no issues? Pro and can't see difference in colors? Just put it next to calibrated well monitor and check again. Another case when word pro means nothing ...

Ya. I used it again today for a 30 minute call with no issues. Yes there is no video chat for it yet, but that will come.

As far as your condescending comments on what I do for a living, yes...the ipad screen is nothing to rave about. The xoom, while not that much better, is certainly better at displaying high quality images. I actually work occationally for National Geographic so yes, I do consider myself a Professional and since I make a living by utilizing devices like the Xoom, to help me secure future contracts... so ya I have an opinion on what I feel is an incorrect statement. You play with your tablets, I use then to help me feed my family...

Just in case your ignorance wanted to make some crack about who I am or what I do, you are more then welcome to check out my work at www.colbybrownphotography.com ....buy a print for all I care

 

[Colbyb25]

You can't comepare a tablet with current tech and a calibrated LCD screen. Maybe in a year or two...no device today will even come close...

 

[broadwayblue]

because a USB port is not a thin port. I will take the SD card slot over using an external harddrive

Not sure what "thin" has to do with it? As long as the Xoom is thicker than a USB port I don't see why it couldn't fit. Also not sure why the two (SD/USB) have to be mutually exclusive.

 

[zipur]

Thanks. You know I feel stupid for not even realizing the Xoom doesn't have a full size USB port. I had just taken it for granted I could stick a thumb drive in there to use for watching movies. That's kind of a bummer. Why the heck would they leave that out???

Toshiba will have the full size usb port. This is want we all want. I think Moto missed it on that point.
Great Pict Coolby!!
By the way Colby have you taken pictures with your Xoom? how do they come out? You are good enough to have a post on your own.

 

[3devious]

upon my return home. 16 apps for the tablet?

Specifically for the tablet, yes. If you run Spare Parts, you can run your phone apps at full screen. Everyone saying that the device only has 16 apps reeks of Engadget iFanboyism.

If you don't want to pay $450 (the price I got it for on contract) for the tablet, don't but don't lie about it to support your position. Yes, it is overpriced, yes, it has problems, but that whooshing sound is not just the sound of ignorant people abandoning the Xoom for the next iThing, it's also the sound of the credibility of liars finally being flushed.

 

[Colbyb25]

Toshiba will have the full size usb port. This is want we all want. I think Moto missed it on that point.
Great Pict Coolby!!
By the way Colby have you taken pictures with your Xoom? how do they come out? You are good enough to have a post on your own.

Thanks! I have taken a few photos with the Xoom, but it is nothing to write home about. It does a good job when you have nice quality soft light, much like your average smart phone. I take my Droid X running liberty 1.5 with me on all my trips, but only to shoot "behind the scenes" stills and video. IMO we are still 1 or 2 years away from getting quality cameras in phones and tablets and even then the sensor is so small that I do not think they will ever be able to handle low light situations very well. Of course that is why I shoot with a $5000 Pro camera for my work and not a little smart phone

 

[Colbyb25]

I have faith in the hacking community that USB host support will come to the Xoom. Just give it time. As soon as we get micro SD card access...custom roms will begin to flow in.

 

[jroc]

Specifically for the tablet, yes. If you run Spare Parts, you can run your phone apps at full screen. Everyone saying that the device only has 16 apps reeks of Engadget iFanboyism.

If you don't want to pay $450 (the price I got it for on contract) for the tablet, don't but don't lie about it to support your position. Yes, it is overpriced, yes, it has problems, but that whooshing sound is not just the sound of ignorant people abandoning the Xoom for the next iThing, it's also the sound of the credibility of liars finally being flushed.

Wow...thats nice if it does run phone apps in full screen. Seems like a lil known secret right now..

 

[idesofmarch]

Gizmodo just posted up their review... Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide

 

[3devious]

Gizmodo just posted up their review... Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide

That was a somewhat fair review. I feel like they really wanted to like the tablet too much though and were too lenient on it for the drawbacks. I do agree that it's pretty cool but don't think it's as stylish as they seem to.

Oh, and thanks Gizmodo for reminding me of the UI blunder about the way you access the app drawer. Couldn't you let me get annoyed by it after repeatedly being stifled in that way only to nerd rage about it on here someday instead of thinking about it everytime I bring up the app drawer now.

I need root. Fast. (Would I be a bad person for rooting it and then taking it back when my trial period was up? Nevermind, I'll make a poll.)

 

[Mitchrapp]

Had the Xoom now for 12 hours and i luv it . Not a tablet on the market that has everything but i'll take an Android device and the openesss over a closed Apple any day and all day.

 

[Germwise]

Here is my mini review.

I got my unit today and I played with it a couple of hours.

1- The size/weight. The tablet is surprisingly small for 10.1 inches. This has something to do with the 16:10 form factor. I like it and portrait mode isn't as bad as I thought. The tablet feels thin to hold but it definitely gets thicker in the middle.
There is no way around this. Its kind of heavy. Let me put this into perspective-its not laptop heavy, its even lighter than a big hard cover book. However, for extended periods of time, you will wish it was the ipad 2 at 1.3 lbs.

2- The Screen- The screen is absolutely fine. its a little less vibrant than my ipad but its really just fine and if you didn't have them side by side you would be very happy. Having said that, the software has serious issues. Pictures on facebook look completely blurry to me. This isn't the screen, something about the way the xoom process pictures. Its annoying and totally unacceptable in an 800 dollar tablet. The good news is this will likely get fixed in an update soon

3-Video Chatting- OK so the xoom is the easiest most compatible device to video chat. It has great camera in the front and in the back. However, the video chat looks bad. It looks blurry compared to normal laptop google video calls and blurry compared to ipod touch facetime. I don't think this is a hardware limitation, it needs to be optimized.

4-UI Speed. THe UI is fast. Its the fastest I've ever seen android. It borders apple ios fast. However, there are several places where you can see a 1/10 of a second of hesitation. I can't explain it other than to say that when I do something on an ipad it feels organic where as if I do the same gesture (swipe, pinch etc) on the xoom, it feels like software responding to a command.

5- Google integration + overall. Google really hit a homerun here. I just put in my email address and the xoom automatically downloaded all my installed apps on my android phone and customized things for me. Fantastic, I have my calendar my contacts etc.

6-the browser- another home run. No flash yet tabs are definitely the way to go. Also you can just hide the address bar and use the side commands. Definite win and probably what you'll be doing 90 pct of the tim on a tablet.


Hope this helped any of you thinking of getting one. I think i'll be selling my 4g version and re-buying the xoom when its 549 at sams club at the end of the month.


Overall I think this will be a good tablet with a few updates. Until then

 

[kennychaffin]

Okay, so I've had my Xoom since Tuesday 3/1. Here's my initial impressions.

It's heavy/well built. I wasn't sure what to expect as have never even held an iPad etc. I do have an Acer Netbook ... it's heaver but not as solid.

One thing that struck me was the glare/reflection from the screen. It's not evident on most of the video reviews and ad images of course. It's a bit annoying, but not a major problem.

I'm totally impressed with the browser and the web browsing experience!

Battery life seems great, but I really haven't pushed it very hard.

I love the ebook capabilities. Nice GoogleBook Browser. Aldiko works wonderfully (full screen) and the QuickOffice and Aldiko display PDFs wonderfully. This is the first portable Reader/Tablet that I'd even bother reading PDFs on (other than full computer or netbook)

Sound is great if a bit low volume-wise. I'm sure headphones/earpods are great (have not tried them yet)

I don't like that it has a special charger and will not charge from the USB...but can live with it.

I love that it has wi-fi hotspot built in!! Yea! Not sure if it will connect to the corporate VPN, but will try that at some point.

I do wish it had flash already, but I'm confident it will be available in the next month or so.

I'd definitely give it a 9/10 (and no rotten apples about it).