*OFFICIAL* Xoom vs iPad 2 Discussions

[mrspeedmaster]

If you do get a cheap android tablet, may I strongly suggest you dont get the "flytouch 2". If you look at all of the issues it has, its not worth it for the $200. While it is the cheapest with the biggest specs. It is barely functional.

I'd just wait for the galaxy tab's price to drop, which Im sure it will within 6mo's.

NOOK. NOOK. Psst. NOOK color can be had for $200. You can dual boot too. Eclair/Froyo and Honeycomb.

 

[rjoudrey]

Those are subjective things I've noticed about it myself in playing with both tabs for around 15 minutes each at Best Buy, it's not some measurable benchmark to be taken as fact. You can go to your local Best Buy (or other BM retailer) and play with both yourself to make a decision; I'm not here to make a decision for anyone but myself.

Readers should take others' comments seriously. Otherwise, why do we have discuss these things at all? Your posting history leads me to believe you aren't open-minded enough to accept that the iPad 2 may just be a better product, at least for some. It is yet to be seen whether it will outsell Honeycomb tablets, but I personally believe it will outsell all of them, collectively, throughout the next 6 months.

I like the iPad 2 more than the Xoom, considering my limited experience and research on both, but if Motorola released a $499 wifi-only Xoom, I'd have to reconsider. Even then, $100 more for the 32GB iPad 2 wouldn't be out of the question, because of the fluidity and pleasantness of the experience I had with it versus the Xoom.

Something just came to mind as I was typing this all up...the iPad experience makes a quick impression on one, but I wonder if that experience really holds up to the more diverse/customizable experience one could have with a Honeycomb tablet over a long period of time. Perhaps one would have buyer's remorse when they get bored with their iPad in 6 months and wish they could customize their screens with widgets and apps, or their favorite website requires Flash. All things to consider...

Didn't think my comment had any orientation product wise. After all being on probation I am very careful about what I say.

 

[frenzy757]

I was under the impression the XOOM was a "Google Experience" device; meaning it is suppose to be "PURE" google w/out the bloated add-on. That was the take-away I got from CES and the Google Honeycomb launch.

[...]

Also, I have to say the iPad 2's camera is mediocre at best. However, the iOS devices have working video skype. I'd trade out a 12 megapixel front facing camera for a VGA camera on any tablet that has working video skype. The Fring and other work-around is not a solution. I know android owners who have been waiting for video skype since last February.

While Xoom is the "Google Experience," I still had some apps loaded on it to start with. Also what I was really talking about was for Google to really BACK the Nexus Tablet/Phone. Basically, they need a real flagship that is treated as such. Needs to have superior marketing behind it, needs to be designed by Google and Motorola/htc/samsung (whatever company gets to be the head company). Basically, Google needs to market so that people think Nexus versus Iphone, not Droid versus Iphone. Right now the brand name of Android is around the Droid moniker and Motorola. Which is not smart. Lots of people I know (both android and non android users) call android the "droid" phones. The benchmark for smoothness etc should come from these Nexus phones/tablets.

I agree with you on the cameras, they do their function, which is to video chat, and record video when needed.

 

[EarlyMon]

Please remember, with text in a forum no one can see faces or hear tones of voice - so, let's not presume too much on people's posting intentions.

None of us are perfect writers or readers because those things don't exist - I am living proof.

Even if that were possible, please remember this surely applies to us all: your mileage may vary.

Cheers, many thanks.

 

[rjoudrey]

It was my understanding that the Xoom is Pure Google Experience. Has something changed?

 

[ghodzilla5150]

Mulder_FBI - This is my thinking as well. I already have a cheap Android Tablet in the Nook Color (that runs Honeycomb well enough for my interests). I will purchase an iPad 2 once they are back in stock. It's one heck of a tablet and extremely smooth and fast. Apple just knows what they are doing. I already have a 32gb iPod Touch (3rd Gen) and have an Apple ecosystem in place so syncing all my Apps, Music and Movies will be a breeze. I really think Moto screwed up by not having a $500 WiFi ONLY unit at release. I would have jumped all over that day one BUT by not having that it allowed me to wait and see what Apple had in store with the iPad 2.

 

[Roze]

Some really good points you have there, frenzy. It's much easier for Apple to market the iphone as there's only ONE phone they are marketing. Android will never get the mass market appeal from buyers because of this reason. There are simply too many 'Android devices' that one doesn't really outshine the other to outside the iPhone. Also, Apple has a deep market penetration with being the 'first company' to release the tablet. For the mass people, iPad is synonymous with tablet. So, any tablets released now must compete not only with the iPad but be dubbed as an 'iPad copy cat'.

 

[SamuriHL]

Yea, but, the same situation existed with the iPhone. I mean, when that thing was released it really took the world by storm in the smartphone space. Now Android leads in sales. (Mostly due to the sheer number of phones that use the OS). We're at the *VERY BEGINNING* of the Android tablet effort. You can probably successfully argue that until Honeycomb, there wasn't a serious Android tablet effort going on. Now what needs to happen is the apps and hardware has to become ubiquitous. That's what's happened in the Android phone space, right? And since, in theory, Android tablets will start with Honeycomb as a base, some of the "fragmentation" we've seen in the past "should" be dealt with as Google learns from its past mistakes. Will Android catch up overnight? No, not a chance of that happening. But, they're in it for the long haul and the thing that makes Android successful is its "openness". Allowing developers to sink their teeth in and become innovative. And even though Honeycomb is new, it won't take devs that long to get up to speed on developing for it because they're already used to the Android dev env. So, I think Android has a lot of catching up to do, but, it won't take nearly as long as it did in the phone space.

 

[ghodzilla5150]

Don't sleep on the Nook because Honeycomb is not officially supported. It runs pretty damn good (especially for the SDK that was released). When AOSP is released, the Nook will have a really nice version of Honeycomb. Heck, I prefer XDA over anyone else. They know what they are doing.

 

[ghodzilla5150]

The thing that also helped Android (as far as phones are concerned) is BOGO's. Pricing helped Android tremendously. This is where the Android Tablet makers are horribly failing. Trying to go up against Apple with a much higher price point is not going to work. They got marketshare in the phone space because of aggressive pricing, they need to do the same with tablets

 

[kennychaffin]

Don't sleep on the Nook because Honeycomb is not officially supported. It runs pretty damn good (especially for the SDK that was released). When AOSP is released, the Nook will have a really nice version of Honeycomb. Heck, I prefer XDA over anyone else. They know what they are doing.

I'm considering picking one of these up. How difficult/involved is it to get Honeycomb on it?

(I know this is off topic, so it you can direct me or PM me that's great).

 

[reiththestud]

My mind is slowly starting to turn on Apple. I have always opposed Apple products because of the Apple Tax which garners you a mediocre, underpowered device compared to the competition at a premium price. This was especially true with the iPhone 2g, 3g, and 3gs. I just kinda yawned at them spec wise. However the iPhone 4 seemed to indicate a tide change for Apple. The iPhone 4 is one of the most impressively spec'd phones on the market (comparable to my EVO in a lot of ways) and is reasonably priced with its competition. The Macbook Air is a very well powered device while not breaking the bank. In fact, most ultra-portable 11 and 13 inch windows based laptops cost more and are stuck with Intel extreme graphics.

The iPad 2 is an exceptionally powered device which has an industrial design that is hard to beat. The only area Apple seems to have skimped on is the cameras (which is a disappointment because it was a primary reason I sat out the first round of the iPad). My only major complaint left is that iOS is incredibly gimped compared to honeycomb and their walled garden will leave out such critical apps such as console emulators and flash support. Critical enough to keep me waiting for a decently spec'ed (can anyone besides Apple get an IPS panel PLEASE?!?), and more importantly decently priced Honeycomb tablet.

Beyond the iPhone 4, iPad 2, and Macbook Air, the Apple tax is still in full effect and I cannot in my right mind recommend any other Apple products to people in the market for something new. An all aluminum body is not worth a $1000 premium on a laptop to me. If the Xoom were actually competitively priced, I think it would be a slam dunk (or any other similarly spec'ed tablet like the Galaxy Tab 10.1). With Apple offering their products at a competitive price point, I'm having a hard time arguing against them.

 

[EarlyMon]

I'm considering picking one of these up. How difficult/involved is it to get Honeycomb on it?

(I know this is off topic, so it you can direct me or PM me that's great).

My buds using them insist it's quite easy, and avoid anyone selling a pre-loaded SD card with Honeycomb installed, a total rip-off.

Anyway, all of the inner mysteries of the Nook are revealed at - B&N NOOKcolor - Android Forums

 

[knivesout]

I really think Moto screwed up by not having a $500 WiFi ONLY unit at release. I would have jumped all over that day one BUT by not having that it allowed me to wait and see what Apple had in store with the iPad 2.

Exactly, even at $599, I would have bitten on it. I got antsy at lunch and put down a deposit on the iPad 2 at BB instead. Still in love with my Evo, though. Hope the Android tablet situation gets sorted out within 6 months to a year.

 

[kennychaffin]

Exactly, even at $599, I would have bitten on it. I got antsy at lunch and put down a deposit on the iPad 2 at BB instead. Still in love with my Evo, though. Hope the Android tablet situation gets sorted out within 6 months to a year.

It will and then it will take over the tablet market just like it has the phone market.

 

[SamuriHL]

The thing that also helped Android (as far as phones are concerned) is BOGO's. Pricing helped Android tremendously. This is where the Android Tablet makers are horribly failing. Trying to go up against Apple with a much higher price point is not going to work. They got marketshare in the phone space because of aggressive pricing, they need to do the same with tablets

Yea, that's absolutely true. The prices do need to come down quite a bit. If they're trying to price them high to show how "valuable" they are....UGH. That will absolutely fail. We need honeycomb tablets all up and down the spectrum. A Xoom at the high end, and something else (slightly better than a rooted Nook Color, I think ) at the low end. You know, a 16gb wifi only tablet for 300 bucks. Who WOULDN'T jump on something like that? Even drop the screen res to match the iPad. That could be extremely compelling.

 

[SamuriHL]

It will and then it will take over the tablet market just like it has the phone market.

Exactly. We're all discussing this situation as though Xoom is the ONLY tablet that's going to be released in the next year. That's simply not the case. Android gives us choice, remember?

 

[ghodzilla5150]

I'm considering picking one of these up. How difficult/involved is it to get Honeycomb on it?

(I know this is off topic, so it you can direct me or PM me that's great).

Putting Honeycomb on is quite easy (takes about 5 minutes):

[HOW-TO] Download/Install Honeycomb to Nook Color (SD card) - Android Forums

Getting Marketplace and Google Apps installed is another. You need to know how to use ADB and make sure you have the USB drivers so ADB recognizes your Nook (via PC's USB). The above link also shows you how to install Marketplace and Google Apps

[DRIVER PACK] Easy USB ADB Installer for Windows (32/64 bit) - xda-developers

Here is how you install ADB:

What Is ADB And How To Install It With Android SDK

Here is Nook Devs site (very helpful)

nookDevs

This is how to Dual Boot:

[Project] Dual-Boot between NF SDcard and Stock No-Rooting - xda-developers

Sorry Mods if this is inappropriate.

 

[EarlyMon]

Exactly. We're all discussing this situation as though Xoom is the ONLY tablet that's going to be released in the next year. That's simply not the case. Android gives us choice, remember?

True, but there's no escaping that the iPad owns this market today and the iPad 2 is only looking to continue that domination until Android's game is on-deck.

Motorola put it out there and there was a great chuckling in the land over the "really, it's a big phone" slam on the iPad, I think we all remember it -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quI2I8wLPdc

As Apple has only one device, and it's top-end, and as i think many of us would agree that the Xoom is maybe the top-end device (depends on POV) for Android, I think it makes lots of sense to compare the Xoom to the iPad, for fun, and to help people decide.

Just my personal opinions tho.

 

[SamuriHL]

True, but there's no escaping that the iPad owns this market today and the iPad 2 is only looking to continue that domination until Android's game is on-deck.

Motorola put it out there and there was a great chuckling in the land over the "really, it's a big phone" slam on the iPad, I think we all remember it -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quI2I8wLPdc

As Apple has only one device, and it's top-end, and as i think many of us would agree that the Xoom is maybe the top-end device (depends on POV) for Android, I think it makes lots of sense to compare the Xoom to the iPad, for fun, and to help people decide.

Just my personal opinions tho.

No question that the comparison is going to be made. It has already. And in many ways the iPad2 does come out on top. But, I also think some perspective is in order. The iPad culture has had a year lead on Android devices. That means Android has to play catch up. And I think 6 months from now things will start to change (good or bad) for the Android tablets. If they continue to be high priced devices with missing features, then it's not going to compete well. If, however, we see the wifi only Xoom out there, the missing features delivered in a timely fashion, and more and more devs starting to support Honeycomb, then it has a real chance to compete. Apple is top dog right now and will continue to be that way until some real innovation hits the Android tablets and they can bring that at a realistic price point. The more choice the consumer has, the better off they are. Apple gives you the same tablet in a few flavors and one OS experience. I can't wait to see how this plays out.

 

[EarlyMon]

Agreed - see also - Verizon Waving $35 Activation Fee on Android Tablets | Android Phone Fans

Staples to Carry Honeycomb Tablet Offerings from Motorola, Samsung, Dell, HTC & Toshiba | Android Phone Fans

Maybe we'll see the price changes sooner...

 

[SamuriHL]

I hadn't seen that about the activation fee. Very nice! I mean, it's a small thing, yes, but, it still is a good thing. Other mfg's better be watching the Xoom launch and the iPad2 launch and learning a few lessons. Just saying your product is better and charging a premium for it isn't going to cut it. Not when the iPad is such an established player. Prices need to come down, OS needs to get finished, and innovative, "cool" apps need to get built and released. Then you can compete with the current leader.

 

[Bnice]

I know Frenzy wrote a nice write up on his view of the ipad2 and xoom but this is what bothers me. Apple add 3 features.
1 thinner
2 cameras
3 dual core processor
To me this is not much,just another means to milk the consumers of their money. I don't see how this make it superior.(imo)

 

[EarlyMon]

I know Frenzy wrote a nice write up on his view of the ipad2 and xoom but this is what bothers me. Apple add 3 features.
1 thinner
2 cameras
3 dual core processor
To me this is not much,just another means to milk the consumers of their money. I don't see how this make it superior.(imo)

They kept the same price points while adding that stuff - if I wanted to play Devil's Avocado, I'd say adjusted for inflation, the iPad 2 is actually a little less expensive.

As for superior - well, those are improvements, superior is sometimes subjective.

 

[SamuriHL]

You're right, those features aren't "revolutionary". They're a mild bump up for the current champion. You need to remember that for 2010 Apple had what, 90% of the tablet market cornered? And they're predicted to hold 80% of that for 2011. (Forgive me if the numbers are off, I'm honestly pulling those from recent memory). In any case, when you're already on top, a minor bump up like the iPad2 is probably going to keep you there. Contrast that with the new competitor trying to break into the market. They need to go above and beyond to bring the "wow" factor which is going to be tough to do since Apple really set the expectations of what a tablet is and does. To break out of that mindset, the Android tablets are going to have to invent new uses for a tablet that the iPads don't bring to the table. That's innovation. And can't be understated. It's very necessary here. It can't just copy what the iPad already does cause it does it well. You have to bring something new to the game. Notifications and real multitasking are good. We need more, though.