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Just as the title says. If you have been using the IPad for awhile now, is this a huge step forward or do you wish you would have waited for the IPad 2 (if it is comparable hardware-wise).
I like the Xoom better, mostly because I love the Android OS and despire iOS.
One of the biggest selling points for me is the unified file system... iOS required me to upload two copies of files, one to each application if I wanted to share it between two. That tied with using iTunes to copy anything to it drove me nuts.
I did own an iPad though because I needed an ebook reader that could handle large PDFs with ease and no decent Android tablet existed (Win7 tablets had no decent slate ones, my laptop is a convertible tablet). I sold that last week, for the same amount I paid for it actually, in order to buy my Xoom today.
not a fair fight
I don't know that you can compare the 2 fairly. The xoom does everything the I pad does and more(other than the iPod stuff) that being said, I like the xoom better. I think ios, while innovative, is now outdated and I hope apple comes correct with an ios update on the I pad 2. For me the diffference is the desktop widgets vs icons, there is no comparison. It'll be better to compare this vs the ipad2 next week.
bogatyr said:
I like the Xoom better, mostly because I love the Android OS and despre iOS.
One of the biggest selling points for me is the unified file system... iOS required me to upload two copies of files, one to each application if I wanted to share it between two. That tied with using iTunes to copy anything to it drove me nuts.
I did own an iPad though because I needed an ebook reader that could handle large PDFs with ease and no decent Android tablet existed (Win7 tablets had no decent slate ones, my laptop is a convertible tablet). I sold that last week, for the same amount I paid for it actually, in order to buy my Xoom today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like the xoom better. Now besides the obvious hardware advantages I take that into account.. But a XOOM (Honeyvcomb) just fits me better. I don't think you can go wrong with either tablet, but pick the one that suits your needs and you will be happy.
The iPad was a great toy, but having used this Xoom for only a few hours, I have to say that I can actually see myself being productive on it. Just with gmail, talk and the browser it is already exponentially more useful than my iPad ever was.
KwestJones said:
I don't know that you can compare the 2 fairly. The xoom does everything the I pad does and more(other than the iPod stuff) that being said, I like the xoom better. I think ios, while innovative, is now outdated and I hope apple comes correct with an ios update on the I pad 2. For me the diffference is the desktop widgets vs icons, there is no comparison. It'll be better to compare this vs the ipad2 next week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except my major complaint about the file system is something Apple intentionally put into their mobile OS. I doubt that will change in the iPad two. It isn't like they weren't aware that applications might want to access the same files.
The widget thing though... that I would expect in the next release of the iPad.
I like the xoom better......
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
I honestly can't wait to see the next iPad, I really wanna see what Apple does to impress. They usually impress well, and this time should be no different. Honestly this will be very interesting. I want to see what will make the iPad 2 so much better than other Android tablets coming out this year. I try to stray away from all this "fanboy" stuff and think based off of the information given to me.
Judging from current leaks (not a good way to judge, I know) the iPad 2 hardware wise isn't blowing anything out of the water. iOS, while beautiful, is limited in terms of customization unless you jailbreak... and if widgets from past Android versions work on the Xoom, I don't know.. I've gotten used to them. They offer delightful way to customize.
This may just be a choice of personal preference, especially if you want apps.
As a "pick up and go" device.. I think the iPad1 is still stronger than the Xoom at this point in time... I'm seeing major battery drain on my Xoom doing light tasks like Google Talk and Browsing.. And browsing on the iPad is still a much smoother experience.. scrolling in the Xoom browser is craptastic as it has been on all Android devices i've used.
But if you were to ask me to compare Xoom to other Android tablets/phones.. it's definately WAY better than those.. I think the iPad has just as much use and most apps are running way better on my iPad than the Xoom.
Of course, we have to play the waiting game and hope devs code properly for Honeycomb and we should see more polished, faster apps.
But so far, i'm not seeing any outstanding differences between the Xoom and iPad.. and the iPad is doing it better given it's got a lot more time under it's belt.
I wanted the Xoom/Honeycomb to wow me more.. I wanted to be saying "iPad what?" but I can't... yet..
And now iPad2 will be announced next Wednesday and probably stretching it's legs out even further over Honeycomb.. sigh.
schnoz said:
Just as the title says. If you have been using the IPad for awhile now, is this a huge step forward or do you wish you would have waited for the IPad 2 (if it is comparable hardware-wise).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my review below
I have had an iPad since july of last year, sold it yesterday in prepartion for the Xoom purchase today. Walked into Verizon purchased the Xoom and walked right out no hassle, no activation required. Here my Mini Review so far, with some comparisons to my previous 32gb ipad.
Hardware:
Nice heft, feels really solid and has that industrial feel. I do not feel I am going to drop it because it slips out of my hand... i always felt that way when holding an ipad.
its a 16:10 screen so it is wider than it is long. Should be perfect for movies.
Screen is a finger print magnet like ipad.
Software:
Gmail- is incredible on this thing. Drag and drop, color labels, etc. the workflow with gmail is priceless and so fluid. I cannot speak of the general "email" app because i only use gmail.
youtube- way way faster loading videos on this than it was on the ipad. it has some eye candy, which is always nice.. esp for android.
browser- Browser is great! and it loads pages faster than my ipad did. also it has tabs and THEY DO NOT RELOAD ON SWITCHING!! I had 8 tabs open... flipping through them flawlessly! As always using google account you can sync bookmarks and such between desktop and xoom.
Havent tried the music app yet
The gallery is like your standard vanilla android gallery.. loaded all my picasa pics from the cloud.
Other apps- there are very few "tablet apps" in the market. The 2 I did DL was pulse and accuweather. Pulse was pretty basic but did take advantage of the fragments. Accuweather is slick... but they need to polish up some pixelation i saw tapping the background "live" water.
Apps like facebook and kindle scale up nicely. While some apps dont like the speedtest app.
Speaking of speed test, i did a load on my wifi connection at 15mbps down and 3 up and i pull 14mbps down and 2 up. My ipad could never pull above 10mbps. I also noticed my signal holding strong than it did on my ipad.
Workflow is great!! This is what i have been missing on ipad... background task, unintrustive notifications.
Thats all I have right now... so far I am liking the decision i made. But i know i will be missing my apps the ipad had!!! Android cant match it yet... it will take some time.
It really is like comparing apples to oranges.
I look at the ipad as purely an "app launcher". The OS itself has zero functionality. But the app quality is great and it's runs very smoothly. Then again Apple did have their own OS to work off of when the created iOS so it's not like starting something from scratch as with Android.
The Xoom (and Android in general) is more a fully featured OS that has functionality aside form launching apps. However this is also the downside, there is a lot more that can go wrong (example - the multitasking can bog the OS down). I think eventually Android will be as smooth as iOS, but right now it's not. But if you want a full featured, incredibly functional device, the Xoom trumps the iPad.
Basically if you just want to launch apps the iPad is great. If you want anything else out of the tablet, you have to go with Xoom.
For me, the Xoom beats my iPad. This is my first Android device period, and I have used iOS strictly since waiting in line for the first iPhone.
I gave my iPad to my wife to use for things around the house - airplay to the stereo, recipes in the kitchen, quick additions to the grocery list...
It is excellent at what it does - appealing to the broadest base of users possible. But I could not truly be productive on it. I want to IM, email, read RSS, edit docs, and keep track of a multitude of other things at the same time - and even with the multitasking bar at the bottom, it feels like a single-task device.
Here are specific things it did that made it feel like a single-tasker:
- With many things running, exiting and entering the browser effectively had to reload every tab because it couldn't keep it all in memory.
- Alerts were cumbersome, interrupting and not persistent.
- Many productivity apps would lose state when they were put in the background (suspend).
- There were many good replacement browsers for Safari - but you could never bind any of them to open links by default. So you always felt like a second class citizen using them.
- Many large productivity apps show their loading screen again to get back in when you quickly switch out and back again. I feel the lack of RAM consistently.
I enabled developer mode in OS 4.3 on the iPad so I could use swipe gestures to move between apps and get back to the homescreen without using the button. But it made all of these flaws stand out even more. Even if they upped the RAM, these gesture controls don't hold a candle to the Honeycomb task switcher or WebOS' card view. Apple's paradigm breaks down in that use case and they need a real overhaul.
For me, iOS is still the most bulletpoof, whille still super-functional OS - and I want to rely on for my smartphone. I don't need to achieve these levels of productivity in that use case. But for a tablet OS, Honeycomb wins, and the Xoom makes an excellent showcase for it.
Oh, and a bonus for me - I have gigs and gigs of photos that I just happen to use Picasa to manage. Never used the web albums though. I always used the iPad to show photos by syncing what I could - but I rarely plug it into my computer so it was always out of date. But with the Xoom, all I have to do is tell Picasa to sync what I want with web albums and they show up on the Xoom - without using up storage! Genius.
Can't wait to see this excellent tablet and tablet OS evolve.
is scrolling and pinch to zoom smooth?
scores87 said:
is scrolling and pinch to zoom smooth?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCilGpUvXuE&t=2m01s
+1 Xoom
The iPad pales in comparison and only can aspire to one day be recycled into a Xoom
I like the Xoom better because of Android, but I am also getting an iPad 2. I have too many apps and Android has a while to catch up in that regard. But I'm keeping my Xoom.
I have both the iPad and the Xoom... I havent touched the iPad since I got the Xoom. I just love Honeycomb over the iOS. That being said, I won't get rid of the iPad until Google releases a movie store so that I can rent movies while I travel.
Why not have both!!?
I know I've been called a "technology whore" before so what the hell... I was thinking about buying my wife an iPad2 for her birthday; in part so I don't have to feel too bad about having spent $571.09 (price on bill) on the Xoom. So I could enjoy the best of both worlds.
I had an iPad, ended up getting it for a steal and just to tie me over until the android tablets started rolling out.
Since I picked up the Xoom, I haven't touched the iPad since. I gave it to my wife...and now she wants a Xoom too lol...so it will likely be on eBay soon.
Even without Flash/4G, I've enjoyed every bit of it. Once we get those 2 things, a few custom roms etc, I'll be in heaven.
Used handbrake to shrink some of my bluray collection for a trip next week...looks/runs fantastic.
My $0.02
I haven't touched my iPad since the night of the 24th. I loved it when I got it and I used it every single day. It is extremely useful and handy to have.
The Xoom has done everything I was doing on the iPad with the exception of Netflix which I do miss and hope to have return some day one can believe Nvidia's press release. Other than that I want more apps and I want them faster than it is possible for developers to get them ready but I am happy with my choice. I love the cameras, I love the ability to have widgets and more control over the device. I am looking forward to LTE and Flash being on the device and eventually the SD card being unlocked. I don't miss my iPad.
Kinda curious since I'm gonna be getting one of the above next month what do you guys think about the iPad 2 vs the Xoom?
I have a Xoom right now and love it...just needs some apps. I wasnt terribly impressed with the ipad update - the hardware is nice but no updates to IOS, that was severly lame. Honeycomb is far more useful on a tab...but without apps it will suffer. They should have released the SDK sooner.
I definitely agree with you on the apps for the Xoom, I dunno though I think the Xoom is probably a bit more useful but I don't really like the UI that much.
Also I think the iPad has better multimedia support so I might go with that I'm not sure yet.
Xoom > iPad
I am taking the ipod 2. Not enough tablet apps is a big issue (100 odd vs 65,000 is easy too big a gap). I want android to win but my wallet also won't go for a more expensive tablet either. And I want a wifi only version of the xoom since I wanted to tether it. I'm not going to pay for a data plan twice.
Sent from my HTC Incredible using Tapatalk
I agree with Khanam
I agree with him too. I'm not getting one till the end of April but still at the moment for me personally apps, multimedia support, and I don't really like the UI of honeycomb as much as I like the iPad's at the moment.
Agreed. I'll probably end up buying an iPad 2, but might sell it if the Android Tablet App Market really starts to take off. What's the point of the tablet if I can't use it like I want to use it? I want Honeycomb to succeed though, but I am not going to be an early adopter in this particular segment.
I have a 64GB WiFi iPad and the apps make or break a device. You can have better specs, and even a better OS. But without quality apps, the device will suffer.
Some of the apps I use on a daily basis on my iPad are Pages (Wonderful full blown word processing app), Penultimate (Notes), Evernote (Notes again), and of course some games, like Infinity Blade (Amazing graphics!)
I won't be upgrading to an iPad 2, possibly the third generation if it has the rumored "retina" display. It would take some powerful hardware to pump out graphics at that resolution. And an amazing battery for that matter. Speaking of battery, it was the #1 reason I went with the iPad. I can easily make it through an entire school day and come home with 80% left My Incredible, not so much. It usually ends up at 30%.
dpwhitty11 said:
Xoom > iPad
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Click to collapse
great post
I was going to get a xoom, I want to get a xoom. But as everyone else has stated, without apps, what good is it? If the Android Tablet Market takes off within the next couple of months, I may go with it, if not, I believe I will be getting an iPad 2. I am against everything Apple, but when they come out with a quality piece of electronics, and it is supported correctly... well you can't argue with that.
Love my DroidX.
I have a NookColor (rooted).
Buying an iPad2. Full HDMI mirroring for everything. iTunes DRM so I can play my digital copy movies. I don't want to pay for a 3G radio when I'll tether to my DroidX. This made a lot of the decision for men.
lol I forgot about DRM I have a significant number of songs with DRM.
On a side note white or black iPad.
the white one reminds me of old macbooks... which look kinda gross after about a year of use.
Black ipad 2 for me.
Also, I am going to wait until HTC makes me the tablet of my dreams before I jump on the honeycomb train. HTC Flyer 2, anyone?
I am in th same boat. What to do
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
I thought about the white getting dirty too but I might still try it if the screen protector covers the white portion as well.
I am personally going with the ipad 2 wifi (tether, not paying data twice) because of support in general, especially apps. Plus that way I can experience both iOS and android apps. And finally a relative has the xoom so anytime I need to I can use it
Sent from my HTC Droid Incredible using XDA Premium App
i have the option to get the iphone with verizon and have no desire to play with that OS. it is outdated and less functional.. for the same reason, i have no desire to get a larger version of it... just doesnt do it for me.. then again... i am not so sure i like this whole tablet craze anyway... id rather a nice laptop.. touch screens are nice, but type this current post on a tablet and tell me you still want one... just doesnt interest me.
To me Android will always be better for me than anything apple. Its more about what i can do with the product I buy. I want to root/reflash and customize and with an android device thats an ez task. Apple locks everything down so a geek like me cant "play" enough. Ill take an ipad2 running android to piss off apple lovers anyday XD
ipad all the way
Xoom all the way. Both are to expensive tho
I have the T-mobile Galaxy Tab and I just bought the Playbook 64 GB version on 4/19/11 and here is my opinion.
Since I got the Playbook, I have not touch my SGT. Maybe because I am still in my honeymoon period with the playbook but nevertheless, it is a great device.
1. It is thinner than the tab but a bit wider. However, I can easily put it in my leather jacket pocket the same way that I did with my SGT. It feels about the same.
2. I feel that the Playbook has sharper and brighter image than the SGT. I enjoyed watching the hi-def movies more on the Playbook.
3. The sound quality is better than the tab because the stereo speakers are directed toward you as oppose to the tab, which directs the sound to only one side when you hold it in landscape. The tab also directs the sound sideway instead of toward you.
5. I find that the Playbook is faster and smoother than the SGT. My SGT has Overcome 1.4.5 installed and I thought it was smooth and fast but I find the dual core processor of the Playbook make swiping just a bit smoother.
6. Mutifunction on the Playbook is better than the SGT. I can access background and running programs much faster.
7. The playbook can transfer and copy files larger than 4 GB. The SGT is limited to less than 4 GB, both with internal and external SD card memory. I used to have to split my hi-def movie into two files because of this limitation so the movies would be interrupted. On the Playbook, I can watch a big movie without any interruption.
8. The Playbook uses micro USB cable to transfer files to and from the PC. The SGT uses its own proprietary Samsung cable with is annoying because it is harder and more expensive to buy the Samsung cable for the tab. The micro USB is more versatile.
9. Since owning the Playbook, I have done 2 over-the-air updates to the OS system. RIM is pretty good at updating whereas we won't be getting any update from Samsung for a long time (if ever).
10. Looks good. Subjectively, the Playbook looks sexier than the SGT. Although it has a bigger bezel size, the bezel is actually functional. You can swipe at the bezel to perform certain functions. The SGT only has one side of bezel that is functional.
These are my top 10 reasons why I like the Playbook more. Since I don't own a blackerry phone, I cannot do any fun things with "bridging".
Nevertheless, it still has some drawbacks compare to the SGT. The main thing is less apps. I don't care much about the ability ot make phone calls since I don't even do it with the the SGT.
So for those who love 7" tab, the Playbook is a pretty good device. Give it a chance. More apps for it will soon follow...especially if the rumor that it can run Androids apps in the future is true.
How well does it work as an ereader? Does it have an app from major ebook vendors like Nook or Kindle? And is the web browser any good?
It's nice hardware, but I think it's incomplete in it's current state because of the limited number of apps and no stand-alone email app.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
Well, for one you are comparing a, "previous generation" device to a, "current generation" one, so of course the performance is better.
I also considered getting a Playbook since I have been using BlackBerries for the pass 2 years, and I love my BBs, but I didn't opt for the PlayBook yet since I still love my Tab (and I just like the customization of Android more).
Earthbrain said:
More apps for it will soon follow...especially if the rumor that it can run Androids apps in the future is true.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't really keep my hopes up for the Android compatibility. If it's true, it most likely not run all apps, and also it won't do that at the right speed. Compatibility is always an huge compromise... for example I had a test of sorts with Apple's compatibility offerings. On an old G3 iMac with both os9 and osx I ran Marathon: barely playable on osx using the compatibility layer, bat out of hell fast on os9.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk
Playbook
Well hopefully sometime down the lines the Devs may be able to port Honecomb to this tablet. I believe this is a great possibility. Then we would not have to worry about compatibility with the Android apps at all. However, i have never tested the playbood native OS so i wont dont know. Maybe the RIM OS is worth it enough to not need any android apps afterall.
Here is some nice reading on the potential of the Playbook.
The Playbook is be a lot better by end of the year in terms of applications.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/05/tat-astic-native-playbook-development-discussed-and-demoed-on-vi/
Funny...
I actually bought a playbook and returned it after a week and after the blackberry world in FL didn't really deliver any ground breaking news to the device. IMO the playbook was released FAR before there was a substantial basis created for owning one. It is well built, attractive, and if there were more apps and more functions to the device, I would have kept it. I mean they market it as "the first professional tablet" but it is show cased with need for speed and youtube. I couldn't find a single thing to do with the playbook that I couldn't already do on my droid, minus the HD video. The funny part is I returned it and bought a used G-tab on craigslist and have $250 to spare. I have had more uses and enjoyment with the galaxy tab in one day than I did in a week of owning the playbook. It also replaced my gps, btw.
I currently have the 3G Xoom that I bought the first week that it was out.
I also bought the 64 GB Playbook on its release day.
This thread is for people who is thinking of getting a smaller device than the Xoom.
Playbook vs. Xoom:
Advantages of the Playbook:
1. More portable and lighter. I carry it almost everywhere I go because it can fit into my leather jacket pocket. I can hold it up longer than I can do with my Xoom while laying in bed without the fear that it will fall on my face.
2. Better screen. The whites of the playbook is whiter. The picture looks sharper. It seems to have a better viewing angle.
3. It can play high-profile h.264 movies. It cannot play .mkv container movies yet but if you convert the high-profile h.264 movies to .mg4 (using the free program called XenonMKV) then it plays flawlessly with its high-profile h.264 quality unchanged from original....only the 5.1 DTS sound is downsample to stereo AAC.
4. Multitasking is better on the Playbook than the Xoom.
5. The speakers are better on the Playbook because it directs the sound toward you instead of away from you.
------------------------------
Disadvantages of the Playbook:
1. Smaller screen than the Xoom
2. No default email (yet)
3. Cannot play .mkv container file (yet)
4. No micro SD card (but if you buy the 64 GB version then you don't have to worry about lack of space)
5. Not rootable (hope someone at XDA developer or any skilled person can hack it in the future)
6. No cellular feature (for the wi-fi only version)
7. Less apps (will improve in the future)
---------------------
For me, I like the Playbook better despite the negatives. I am trying to sell my 3G Xoom but I am keeping the 64 GB Playbook. I don't even have a blackberry phone and yet I still like the Playbook more.
It comes down to how I use the tablet the most that make me decide which is better. For me, it is portability (will use it more often) and watching high profile hi-def movies.
What does no default email mean? Like I could not use Gmail or Exchange?
Really I appreciate your opinion and if you would like I would take the inferior Xoom off your hands if u are giving it away.
Brenardo said:
Really I appreciate your opinion and if you would like I would take the inferior Xoom off your hands if u are giving it away.
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Click to collapse
I am not giving it away. I am trying to sell it.
Ok, that's nice... thanks.
I don't really care though. If I was in the slightest bit interested in Blackberry, I would have waited around for the Playbook. If I wanted something 7", I would have gotten one of the many 7" Android tablets by now.
okie dokie
4. Multitasking is better on the Playbook than the Xoom.
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Explain. 10char
Why is this even in a xoom forum...troll elsewhere please.
www.facebook.com/redcardgreencardpage
jondwillis said:
Explain. 10char
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Click to collapse
Mutitaking seems to be better on the Playbook because I can open more windows. I believe that the Xoom can only have the most recent 5 that you can choose to mutitask. The Playbook can have more than 5.
Will the apps come for the playbook? Apps never came for Blackberry phones...
they will have the ability to use Android apps, but its still to be seen how well it will be integrated into the ecosystem.
csseale said:
Why is this even in a xoom forum...troll elsewhere please.
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Click to collapse
Well, because there is no forum that is dedicated to the Playbook here in XDA-developers forum.
Also, I also have the Xoom so I can make a comparison between the two devices.
Earthbrain said:
Mutitaking seems to be better on the Playbook because I can open more windows. I believe that the Xoom can only have the most recent 5 that you can choose to mutitask. The Playbook can have more than 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give you that, the 5 item back history seems arbitrary and limiting. Its not like the apps are killed, you just can't get back to them super quickly.
Earthbrain said:
Mutitaking seems to be better on the Playbook because I can open more windows. I believe that the Xoom can only have the most recent 5 that you can choose to mutitask. The Playbook can have more than 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wouldn't base my opinion on that, seeing as how there aren't really any decent apps for the Playbook, according to the Ars review posted today ;-)
Don't get me wrong, I liked the Playbook when I first heard about it. The specs are awesome, but it has two major downsides: lack of good 3rd party apps, and no native email/calendar/contacts sync support. It has to sync via a Blackberry handheld. Frankly, that sucks, and it's a gaping hole in design.
ANY other tablet, even the cheapo Android tabs, can sync your email without requiring any 'bridging' to a mobile phone.
The QNX OS is great, a lot like webOS, very intuitive and flexible. But without even basic messaging available out of the box (unless you already have a blackberry mobile), this is an epic fail in my book, and a major lost opportunity. "I coulda been a contender..."
The Xoom has its issues of course, but it isn't hampered out of the box like the Playbook is. I'm disappointed in RIM.
Earthbrain said:
I currently have the 3G Xoom that I bought the first week that it was out.
I also bought the 64 GB Playbook on its release day.
This thread is for people who is thinking of getting a smaller device than the Xoom.
Playbook vs. Xoom:
Advantages of the Playbook:
1. More portable and lighter. I carry it almost everywhere I go because it can fit into my leather jacket pocket. I can hold it up longer than I can do with my Xoom while laying in bed without the fear that it will fall on my face.
2. Better screen. The whites of the playbook is whiter. The picture looks sharper. It seems to have a better viewing angle.
3. It can play high-profile h.264 movies. It cannot play .mkv container movies yet but if you convert the high-profile h.264 movies to .mg4 (using the free program called XenonMKV) then it plays flawlessly with its high-profile h.264 quality unchanged from original....only the 5.1 DTS sound is downsample to stereo AAC.
4. Multitasking is better on the Playbook than the Xoom.
------------------------------
Disadvantages of the Playbook:
1. Smaller screen than the Xoom
2. No default email (yet)
3. Cannot play .mkv container file (yet)
4. No micro SD card (but if you buy the 64 GB version than you don't have to worry about lack of space)
5. Not rootable (hope someone at XDA developer or any skilled person can hack it in the future)
6. No cellular feature (for the wi-fi only version)
7. Less apps (will improve in the future)
---------------------
For me, I like the Playbook better despite the negatives. I am trying to sell my 3G Xoom but I am keeping the 64 GB Playbook. I don't even have a blackberry phone and yet I still like the Playbook more.
It comes down to how I use the tablet the most that make me decide which is better. For me, it is portability (will use it more often) and watching high profile hi-def movies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thanked your post because as I see you do actually own a Xoom you are giving us a brief rundown of a feature comparison between the two devices.
When I heard about this device on the radio I was interested until I heard all the **** it just can't do.
No email app out of the box? Really? That's hilarious, what a worthless peice of equipment if I can't read e-mail on it. App support? Lol WHAT App support have you seen in overwhelming display from Blackberry? All I know about Blackberry is that my experience in supporting their god awfull devices is just that... god awfull.
The screen is better, thats good.. smaller size is cool but then I agree with another guy... I'd just get a smaller android device.
With all that said, thanks for your write up and I hope that we dont get a huge proliferation of non-Xoom comparisons as a result.
cwizardtx said:
With all that said, thanks for your write up and I hope that we dont get a huge proliferation of non-Xoom comparisons as a result.
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Click to collapse
For me, I love to read about device comparison. The more, the better. However, I would prefer that the person who writes the comparison actually own the devices and have been using it for at least 1 week.
I actually currently have 4 tablets. They are the jailbroken ipad, T-mobile Samsung Galaxy tab with custom ROM Overcome 1.6.3, Xoom 3G, and the 64 GB Playbook.
Each has its strong and weak points. I use each one according to the situation that I am in. I don't like to bash other devices (or the people who buy them) because of the reason that I just mentioned. I just like to point out the advantages and disadvantages and let people decide for themselves.
You must have really weak arms if the Xoom is a challenge for you to hold up for long periods of time. Try going to the gym?
Also, I can see why the Playbook would be able to play high profile h.264, it's pushing less pixels and has a higher clocked CPU. How does it do playing 720p Youtube videos in browser though? You know how often I've played 720p video files on my Xoom? Once, because I wanted to try it. How often do I Youtube? Just about every day and the new Flash 10.2 makes 720p video playable on the Xoom(granted overclocked to 1.5ghz, the Xoom at stock clock does pretty poorly with 720p video on Youtube still).
Earthbrain said:
For me, I love to read about device comparison. The more, the better. However, I would prefer that the person who writes the comparison actually own the devices and have been using it for at least 1 week.
I actually currently have 4 tablets. They are the jailbroken ipad, T-mobile Samsung Galaxy tab with custom ROM Overcome 1.6.3, Xoom 3G, and the 64 GB Playbook.
Each has its strong and weak points. I use each one according to the situation that I am in. I don't like to bash other devices (or the people who buy them) because of the reason that I just mentioned. I just like to point out the advantages and disadvantages and let people decide for themselves.
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Well there's also the fact that if people in this forum were at all interested in other devices I'd wager that we'd be in other device forums looking for those reviews. Honestly... I want to come to the XOOM Forum to read about the XOOM and not a bunch of other stuff which is why I left my reply off with the comment I did. I gave you thanks for your comparison between two devices but something tells me that a new rash of "im taking my xoom back for XYZ thing" is around the corner and let me tell you those get old and boring fast.
Again... appreciate your write up. From the looks of the features of that tablet... I wouldn't even be able to use it for the most menial of day to day things and thats laughable (to me).
Elysian893 said:
You must have really weak arms if the Xoom is a challenge for you to hold up for long periods of time. Try going to the gym?
Also, I can see why the Playbook would be able to play high profile h.264, it's pushing less pixels and has a higher clocked CPU. How does it do playing 720p Youtube videos in browser though? You know how often I've played 720p video files on my Xoom? Once, because I wanted to try it. How often do I Youtube? Just about every day and the new Flash 10.2 makes 720p video playable on the Xoom(granted overclocked to 1.5ghz, the Xoom at stock clock does pretty poorly with 720p video on Youtube still).
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If you ask 100 people if they would prefer a lighter tablet or a heavier tablet, I would bet that more than 50% of the people would say that they prefer a lighter tablet. I would even bet that most professional weight lifter would prefer a lighter tablet.
The Playbook is great at playing 720p youtube videos. In fact, flash seems to be better on my Playbook than on my Xoom, even when I just upgrade to the latest Flash version on the Xoom yesterday.
Earthbrain said:
If you ask 100 people if they would prefer a lighter tablet or a heavier tablet, I would bet that more than 50% of the people would say that they prefer a lighter tablet. I would even bet that most professional weight lifter would prefer a lighter tablet.
The Playbook is great at playing 720p youtube videos. In fact, flash seems to be better on my Playbook than on my Xoom, even when I just upgrade to the latest Flash version on the Xoom yesterday.
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I weight train, I'm not a professional but I do alright, the weight on the Xoom truly doesn't matter. 1.3lbs or whatever it is is next to nothing. Your experience with Flash on the Playbook doesn't seem to match that of anyone reviewing it.
To OP, I think you are compare two devices with different usage.
I’ve a Xoom mainly to use at home, and a Samsung Galaxy tab as media consumption device for daily commute.
I think the playbook cost too much and not offer any advantages over Android and Apple products.
For example, the Playbook doesn’t have enough apps to attract any android and Apple users and it don’t have 3G version.
I’d recommend 7” Android tablet for anyone who wants a mobile device.
I.E. the cheaper Galaxy Tab have all the advantages you listed, plus with Overcome ROM is very fast and lag free. Since its running Androide 2.2, nearly all the apps in market will work on the device. Also it can play mkv files.
P.S. I use MultiTasking Pro as work around for the limited app switching in Xoom, works well and I can also close most of the apps.
From time to time I read other tablet forums. All I can say is omg people are funny, why buy a product with light bleeds, creaking, bad speakers, random reboots. My xoom has none of those issues, and the part that really gets me is these people just chalk it up to that's just how it is. If I pay 400 or 500 or 600 I want it to work as advertised. I have a brand new jeep I be damn if I have problems with it and just say well that just part of owning a jeep. As long as consumers let the business get away with half ass products then it will continue. Maybe it's just me but I don't feel like light bleeds, random problems are normal at least not at these prices. Sorry just venting.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA Premium App
I kinda agree with you. Pricing isn't everything - build quality is often overlooked by people. When I hold my Xoom in my hands, I feel like I'm holding a solid, serious product. Cheap plastic might be lighter, but it's more fragile, and feels cheaper too.
In this world, I always say you get what you pay for. There's a reason why you can buy a 300$ CheapBrand laptop, or a similarly-specced 400$ SeriousBrand laptop - one of them is much more likely to die on you before the other one.
The Xoom is by all mean not perfect, but I don't see any of the currently available alternatives as being perfect either - they all have their flaws. The Honeycomb tablet market is a brand new one, I'd expect things to get more interesting with second generation products.
Agreed, it's just as I read the xoom forum its mostly people have done something to there xoom not they opened there box and problems were there from the starting point. Xooms not perfect but I have confidence that my xoom will turn on, and will not have bleeds, nor creaking / separation issues.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA Premium App
nthknd said:
Agreed, it's just as I read the xoom forum its mostly people have done something to there xoom not they opened there box and problems were there from the starting point. Xooms not perfect but I have confidence that my xoom will turn on, and will not have bleeds, nor creaking / separation issues.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA Premium App
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Now that I think about it, the only problem I read about with an out-of-the-box Xoom was some dust under the screen. And that was just ONE person. From what I've read, iPad 2 issues were practically an epidemic.
nthknd said:
From time to time I read other tablet forums. All I can say is omg people are funny, why buy a product with light bleeds, creaking, bad speakers, random reboots. My xoom has none of those issues, and the part that really gets me is these people just chalk it up to that's just how it is. If I pay 400 or 500 or 600 I want it to work as advertised. I have a brand new jeep I be damn if I have problems with it and just say well that just part of owning a jeep. As long as consumers let the business get away with half ass products then it will continue. Maybe it's just me but I don't feel like light bleeds, random problems are normal at least not at these prices. Sorry just venting.
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA Premium App
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honestly im very happy with my xoom. i rarely ever get any lag and i have had one or two browser crashes, nothing else. I'm an advanced user, been rooting my android phones for years now, and i still dont feel the need to root my xoom yet.... Build quality is great, software is fine too.
Sure, a sd card would be nice, but right now i dont even use a quarter of my onboard storage. 4g would be nice, but in my case i mostly use my xoom on the subway, where 4g goes in and out. its much better for me to have a solid 3g conneciton then switching back and forth between 3g and 4g (like my darn thunderbolt) and having no connection for a minute between each tower
anyway, im a happy xoom owner
I'm happy with my xoom.
I'm a bit happier with my iPad2.
Xoom just feels bulky, heavy, and laggy compared to iPad2.
I bought my Xoom a few weeks before the company I work for decided to give everyone an iPad2. I usually use the iPad now as it is overall just slicker, easier to carry around, and has more polished Apps. I do use the Xoom a lot for music streaming, love google music. And occasionally I'll browse on it because dolphin browser handles flash where iPads fail.
If I were spending money on something, it'd be a tough call. I love android, love my HTC Incredible phone, but the build quality and feel of the iPad is superior. SmartCovers are awesome, it feels clunky to have to find the on-off button on the back of the xoom, etc. I think Android is superior to iOS for sure, but right now we're going through the growing pains of a new OS and a new platform... Can't wait for someone to design hardware with usability on par with the iPad.
Ipad2 is good. But Xoom is better and more functional
biscoradio said:
I'm happy with my xoom.
I'm a bit happier with my iPad2.
Xoom just feels bulky, heavy, and laggy compared to iPad2.
I bought my Xoom a few weeks before the company I work for decided to give everyone an iPad2. I usually use the iPad now as it is overall just slicker, easier to carry around, and has more polished Apps. I do use the Xoom a lot for music streaming, love google music. And occasionally I'll browse on it because dolphin browser handles flash where iPads fail.
If I were spending money on something, it'd be a tough call. I love android, love my HTC Incredible phone, but the build quality and feel of the iPad is superior. SmartCovers are awesome, it feels clunky to have to find the on-off button on the back of the xoom, etc. I think Android is superior to iOS for sure, but right now we're going through the growing pains of a new OS and a new platform... Can't wait for someone to design hardware with usability on par with the iPad.
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My kids love ipad2 that I bought for my wife. However, when I bought them a xoom, they never use ipad2 again.
I'm liking the xoom too.
I wish it had better codec support but I thought about it rationally. I'm not going to have to much 720p stuff with my 1.5mb down dsl connection.
Xoom love
I love my Xoom too. Carry it around all day and keep it by my side while watching TV at night.
I think 97% of the people who have them love them.
Motorola -- not so much.
Mostly because Motorola not only fails to communicate -- they REFUSE to, it seems.
I suspect their lawyers don't want them to talk to customers about non-working parts such as the SD card and 4G because that would provide evidence in any legal proceedings that eventually come about.
And then when owners see the Xoom ( Wi-Fi ) being sold at a 17% discount on Ebay coupled with the lack of communication it makes for unhappy owners.
Does not help Motorolas reputation or to sell more units.
i love my xoom. I gave my Icrap pad to my aunt. I was waiting for a good android tablet and look what I got. The best tablet on the market. Yes it root and clock at 1.4ghz. But look what I can do compare to the icrap apple. Add one new feature every year. Lol its funny to me. I feel my xoom will be around for some years. OK 2-3 years tops but that's how the tech world is. I see alot of new stuff coming soon for the xoom.
I love my xoom and its various customizations. 3 of my friends have ipad 2 and I think they were just going nice and easy because they're not tech savvy enough. Still, how can anyone say the ipad 2 build quality is superior to the xooms? It is not even comparable, I mean what does the light weight have any real meanings beside making the device all plastic? I can glance at the black ipad for a second, but holy ****, the white one looks exactly like an iclone or Iclown from China. Don't even bring facetime and the cameras in the competition. They're useless. And prices of the ipads are wayyyyy over of what they should have been. Anyways, I'm a happy xoomer !!!!
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Kippui said:
I'm liking the xoom too.
I wish it had better codec support but I thought about it rationally. I'm not going to have to much 720p stuff with my 1.5mb down dsl connection.
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Easily resolved by using Moboplayer or Rockplayer.
OS-level codec support should never be an issue IMHO. I don't see anyone complain that Windows has no built-in support for Matroska, for example
If you ever think your xoom isn't up to par go check out the transformer forum nothing but complaints and people on there 2nd or 3rd replacement due to various problems, and I keep reading its a good buy for the price, not when it comes to my time and stress level. Oh here's the funny part ausu wants you to pay for return shipping if you need a replacement or repair. Really?
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I love my xoom also. I don't care about the sd slot working because honestly 32gbs is more then enough and they don't even advertise about that. The only thing I am missing is my 4G. Even if samsung comes out with their tab who the hell wants to use touch wiz or whatever the hell it is as well as who wants to wait that long for updates? Lets go moto
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
I really, really love my Xoom. I'm one of those people who carry it around constantly. Even when I could use my PC I'm using the Xoom to check my emails, FB and of course, xda. I'm using it on the road for work instead of lugging around a notebook. It's everything I need in a tablet computer, and more.
I started out in November with a Pandigital Novel (eclair) that I rooted and modded to the point where I got bored and gave it to my Mom. In February I sprung for the 1st Tegra 2 tab available at that time, the little orphan eLocity A7-froyo 2.2, a sweet and powerful little tab, but quirky build and short battery life. Still, I rooted and modded and finally gave it to my daughter when I got my Xoom in April. I figure I've been averaging 3 months on my android tablet progression, doubling my expenditure with each purchase, but the Xoom is different. This one's a keeper!
RMerlin said:
Easily resolved by using Moboplayer or Rockplayer.
OS-level codec support should never be an issue IMHO. I don't see anyone complain that Windows has no built-in support for Matroska, for example
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The xoom can't play any 720p file that isn't baseline. Most scene/anime stuff is 720p High Profile which will not play on the xoom.
I cant drop my anime onto it without issues
The 720p stuff I occasionally download wont work without recoding.
Unless you have some sort of solution that none of us Xoom/Transfomer/Acer Iconia users dont know lol?
Hello
I have to agree as I love my xoom also. A quick visit here and my UK xoom is now running 3.1 with full 3g working. SD card slot working a treat and am able to mount and unmount my external hard drive. Not to mention it purrrring along at 1.5ghz .
As for build quality I have no idea why some people are moaning. Its by far the best made and solid feeling tablet out there. I say if people don't like them then sell it and move on.
I love my Xoom. I haven't used any other tablets, so I can't compare. I've never had any problems with the Xoom. And with the 3.1 update, things are even better. I think the browsing experience is excellent especially with Dolphin Browser. Love being able to see flash videos right in the page.
Hoping for more apps to come out as Honeycomb gets more popular. That would be my only gripe, the lack of apps for my tablet.
I had the huawei s7 and the galaxy tab before getting the xoom. i wonder how the devs at google i/o are liking their 10.2 tabs? I hope they stick to using the xoom for developing so we get the latest api's. The xoom2 will probably be out around October with kal-el and who knows what else. tech is moving so fast, I don't expect any device to be current for more than 3 months. I've had my xoom 2 months so... Of all the new tabs coming out I don't see any that will take me away from xoom although i'm interested to see how the HP touchpad does as WebOS was the first smartphone os i used.
Kippui said:
The xoom can't play any 720p file that isn't baseline. Most scene/anime stuff is 720p High Profile which will not play on the xoom.
I cant drop my anime onto it without issues
The 720p stuff I occasionally download wont work without recoding.
Unless you have some sort of solution that none of us Xoom/Transfomer/Acer Iconia users dont know lol?
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Click to collapse
Did you try Moboplayer? I don't know if it can do it, but it cam play a lot of stuff that the built-in player (and many other third party players too) can't play smoothly. Make sure to install the optimized codec pack on top of it, see what happens. For the Xoom, you want the ARM V7_VFPV3 codec pack.