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I have had an ipad since release. We have used it for school, presentations, documents, email, etc. I can already say it is nothing compared to the xoom.
I've had it less than a day, and I have run into a few quirks. The ipad did too, like wifi dropping on me constantly on release. Anyhow, just sitting here chatting with a friend, browsing the market, internet, xda, etc, I can't help but notice how much better it is than my ipad. Quickly swapping between apps, voice input, etc. I can plug it into the TV and instantly show my wife an article I've found.
Sure the apps aren't there yet, but they will be. The quirks will be fixed, and it can only get better. For all the "I'm taking it back" threads I just don't get it. I'm hooked.
This is the tablet I was looking for.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
i envy you. I originally was going to wait for the xoom but i got impatient and bought an ipad. Then xoom came out and i sold my ipad and bought it. First day amazed, second annoyed. Im getting ALOT of keyboard lag and I need a good pdf reader. The ones for the phone are not cutting it. Tried ez and repligo both lag like crazy.
Definitely returning this for the xoom for ipad 2. Ipad 2 will be my placeholder until Honeycomb gets more apps and bugs fixed.
iPad has nothing over the Xoom? Really? Not even a better screen (I would take IPS and much much better viewing angles and color reproduction over higher resolution)? Lighter weight? Thinner body? Better, more diverse accessories? And that's not even mentioning the better app store at launch which you just handwaved away but a lot of us consider to be pretty important.
It's one thing to be a fan of the Xoom (which I am). I'll even admit that I do have an anti-Apple bias and that I'll probably never purchase an Apple product. But it's another to completely toss all objectivity out the window and just become a cheerleader for a product that so obviously isn't perfect.
It's not as if the benefits I listed above are limited to Apple. Samsung's new Honeycomb tablet is taking care of 3, potentially 4, things from that list. It'll have a lighter weight than even the iPad 2, a thinner body than even the iPad 1 and Xoom, all while having pretty much the same internals as the Xoom. It also might have a better screen (still looking into this). And the delayed release of the product after the release of the SDK means launch customers will have a lot more apps available to them.
Liking a device doesn't mean you have to be blind to it's shortcomings.
EDIT: I just noticed that most of my recent posts are criticisms of the Xoom and I want to clarify. I'm not trying to bash the product. I just think we should be holding Honeycomb tablet makers to, at the bare minimum, the standards that Apple has set with its wildly successful iPad. Clearly that's being done with some factors. Xoom has more connectivity options, a higher resolution screen, an OS that's better suited for tablet work and productivity, etc. But it's obviously not being done with others, especially screen quality which is a huge HUGE deal with tablets, and I don't think Honeycomb tablet manufacturers should get a pass on that.
You plug your tablet into a tv to show her an article?
I own both as well and I love the potential here but wouldn't say that the I pad 1 has nothing on the xoom. The screen is better as mentioned before. Colors and viewing angles. Also overall OS smoothness. The ipad is silky smooth everywhere. The Xoom is smooth sometime then it gets choppy. Right now that is my biggest disappointment. I mean functionally it is fine the the chop gets a little annoying tbh.
On the ipad for example I neverrrrr had a case of music coming in and out while I surfed the web or download files using filer. On this device I randomly get delays in sound when I perform other tasks. Like ashura3 mentioned not to hate on the xoom after all I actually have one and I am going to keep it for sure but being objective the ipad is pretty slick in what it actually does. And insult to injury google and Motorola have had alot of time to look at what apple did before shipping this device. We are comparing the almost 1 year old device on top of that all the early reports and videos I watched and read about yesterday on the ipad show an extremely fast polished ipad2.
I understand its limited in certain aspect but take like functions or apps and compare how the work and objectively it is hard to say the I pad has nothing on the xoom.
ashura3 said:
It also might have a better screen (still looking into this). And the delayed release of the product after the release of the SDK means launch customers will have a lot more apps available to them.
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If I supply is correct the display is a 16bit tft. That would explain the differences I see when looking at the two and comparing the IPS 32bit display on the ipad. All the other downsides of the Xoom can be easily addressed but like the lack of SD or 4g upgrade on the ipad, there is no way the xoom screen will be as nice unfortunately. It isn't a terrible screen but there is a difference and it is pretty obvious to everyone I nave showed both devices to.
But the iPad 2 has a magnetic dust cover!!!!
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I have an ipad and just got the Xoom. The Xoom is certainly a nice device, I don't think the screen is so bad but it isn't IPS.
I think Motorola blew it big time although I hope they do succeed. They should have released the wifi version before Apple announced the ipad 2 event. As a consumer that just wants a wifi tablet, are you really going to spend $800 on a Xoom or $500 (less for a ipad 1) for a ipad? Even if both are the same price, how many people do you think are going to buy the Xoom over an ipad? Let's hope the Xoom does better than the Zune.
The whole user experience of the Xoom isn't nearly as good as what iOS offers. I'm keeping my Xoom as I would rather have Android than Apple (sd slot, usb and I like the file system better for my field work). If Apple had released a 2x res screen with sd slot as some rumors had mentioned, I would have stuck with iOS.
Long term, Android has a good shot but I don't see the Xoom making a dent getting Apple's market share. The cost, hardware and software don't surpass the Apple user experience. There is no compelling reason to switch from iOS or choose Android unless you're a fan of the platform.
I don't have an iphone nor a Mac so no fanboy here but you can't beat the ipod and the ipad is getting to be just as iconic. Jha has done a good job but I think he completely underestimates what Apple is in the market to think that the Xoom is going to compete against the ipad at the same cost.
google voice... the ipad has it...
Ehhhh.... this is what were supposed to do. Early adopters are basically testers, if you guys see anything you don't like, email google and suggest them. You guys are doing a great job of testing out the device. Also, in order for android tablet apps to increase in numbers fast, there's gotta be customers for developers to sell to right? I purchased a xoom to fill my needs, it does get laggy sometimes but it isnt such a dealbreaker to me right now. Looking at the I pad 1 or 2 it doesn't matter. It's still the same ****ty grids of icons from page to page. But I,too, really think motorola should just release the damn wifi version before the I pad 2 takes a whole bunch of customers.
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My emphasis was more on the software experience rather than hardware. I don't see how iOS is going to hold its own once Honeycomb has its kinks worked out. The user experience is just that superior to the iOS grid of icons.
The xoom isn't that special for hardware. Every few months something faster or thinner or brighter is going to come along, but I don't see Apple drastically changing their operating system anytime soon and I think Honeycomb itself is going to be the real threat.
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Sirchuk said:
My emphasis was more on the software experience rather than hardware...
The xoom isn't that special for hardware... but I don't see Apple drastically changing their operating system anytime soon and I think Honeycomb itself is going to be the real threat.
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AMEN to that! I was just thinking that this morning... This isn't really a "war" between Apple and non-Apple. It's about user experience, needs etc. Since hardware is always obsolete the moment you leave the store (or click check out) the software is the main determinant. Unfortunately, it looks bad right now for HC. But the more I see users post their homescreens with all the wild widgets and customization going on the more I feel "home". I LOVE the apps on the iPad and the screen (I'm playing with a coworker's iPad today) but the user experience is reminiscent of my iPhone...
Just out of curiousity, does anyone know what the Frequency Response is on the Xoom, I can't find it listed anywhere in the specifications. I know its listed for the iPad. I would like to know what it is on the Xoom though.
Anyone?
Being an owner of both, I have to say that the iPad has the luxury of being on the market for a whole year. Last April, iPad was in the same position as a Xoom is today with the uncertainty, bugs and the like. Compairing to Xoom today, its not really in that bad of a position. My Xoom has already replaced my ipad and I'm super excited to see where this thing can go.
I've had my Xoom since launch, and have not had a single issue of lag, or sound problems. Everything has ran very smoothly... Not a android or apple fanboy, I've used them all, i just like the notification system and widgets on honeycomb much better than the ipad.
Coming from a Xoom owner and having played with the ipad 2 this weekend, I'll admit that Apple has just thought everything out much better than Motorola has.
In this, I don't blame Google...I love honeycomb and think its the better OS, but right now I can't recommend the Xoom to anyone I know unless they already know they want the Xoom (which are people like us).
You can just tell that Apple has thought a lot of things through...the design on the ip2 is amazing...it really does feel a lot nicer than my Xoom...its more balanced in one hand. The case, while IMO stupid, is also well thought out…the fact that they even thought of that was awesome...ive always been wondering when companies would design cases/covers that work WITH the item and looks fully integrated...the first ipad case was a pos, and the Motorola case is also ****. A lot of you will say the case is great yadda yadda, but get real, you can tell they put maybe 2 FTEs for like a week to design that thing. The way the magnets work on the iPad is great...a lot of third party case makers will probably use that to turn the iPad on/off.
The volume buttons on the Xoom are also incredibly frustrating to use...i have to actually use my fingernails to use them...again not a deal breaker since I deal with it, but still...not well thought out.
Again, I am not talking about the aps, which should catch up, but the hardware…and yea, I know “we aren’t the average consumer blah blah,” but I want the avg consumer to adopt honeycomb because they are the mass consumers that developers will flock to get. The avg consumer wants something that is pretty…really the iPad does make it feel “magical” whereas the Xoom is industrial.
Since people are focused on tablet centric aps, it is like the app stores are starting over again and the Xoom is somewhat like the G1. It took Android about 1-2 years to (IMO) catch up to Iphone’s apps (still some missing, but I’d generally say the phone apps are pretty much right up there with iOS)….so I am guessing it will take about that long for the tablet aps to catch up. In that time, maybe Honeycomb will get mass adoption…until then, I think iPad 2 is better for me too in the end. However, my nexus s will never go anywhere unless the iphone 5 fixes notifications and gives me SOME flexibility…doubtful.
It is incredibly frustrating for me because while I hate the walled-garden approach, being completely open without regulations has its qualms too…Right now neither OS is close to being perfect, but the iPad can do more now. Xoom has the potential to be amazing…I have 4 CNN widgets on one screen to get the latest news and its very pretty, but then I can’t watch Netflix in an airport? SOME devices will get Netflix…SOME devices will get Hulu…SOME devices will get mlb.tv support…three things I want to do a lot of while traveling….Sure Play On will fix a lot, but again, that is a work around. And while Playon has been great, its not perfect…nor free. Motorola has possibly forced me to leave Honeycomb.
Flash is dead…sorry, but Adobe has had a good amount of time now. I loaded flash 10.2 on my updated Xoom and while it is better, it’s not near a good user experience.
Ultimately, that is what Apple gets…it’s the user experience…not specs. Everything they have done, from banding, to hardware design, to software design, has been designed to make the user feel like they are really doing something COOL. Technology is such a black hole to some people, that the simple fact of “flicking a movie from an ipad to a TV” DOES seem magical to them…even though techies know that’s not a big deal.
Also, choices, while ultimately great, can lead to some pretty negative things…if I was an apple salesman, all I would have to say is “Fragmentation, your device may not be up to date in half a year,” which we all know is bull****, but to an avg consumer, that is one frightening sentence.
Flame Suit On.
I have both. I still like the Xoom better though.
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I agree that the Apple ipad is a terrific device. the platform is about five years old now considering it is a large ipod touch/iphone and 2nd gen in its current form factor. In 18 months Android became the No. 1 smartphone OS and this is the first stab at a market Apple defined.
The screen ipad screen is better than the Xoom, the Apple ecosystem of getting media from itunes onto the tablet is idiot-proof, it certainly has the apps and it looks like video performance for movies and games is improved with the ipad2. For the average consumer (or maybe below average from our technical point of view) looking to play movies or listen to music, not caring about the encoding and wanting a plug and play experience, yes, this is a better solution than Android offers. Maybe Google Music will change that.
But that doesn't mean Xoom and Android are doomed. I couldn't care less about which platform is more popular. I guess I'm in the minority as I don't use it for games or movies. I wan't more than the ipad can give me. I want user expandable memory, multitasking, usb hosting, freedom to decide what programs make sense for me, rooting and the list goes on. I use mine to carry manuals and work information and as good as the ipad looks, for reading, characters look better on a Xoom. Maybe I want iboobs on my device, do I need Steve to tell me, no, it is inappropriate and I can't have it? At 47, I can have my wife tell me that. Steve doesn't tell me I don't want Flash!
I've use the Flash beta to watch Fox News TV it was flawless. That's probably the first and last time I'll use it as I didn't miss it with my ipad. How can it be dead when it is only available via a leaked beta?
It isn't an us or them situation. Think of it like a John and Paul relationship where there is some competition and some collaboration that makes a great overall experience. You may like Paul, I may like John but one without the other isn't nearly as good. ipad makes Android better and vice versa. Look at RIM, no reason for them to improve their user experience and now it looks like 2012 will be the year they're rolling out something "new".
Personally I'm waiting for HTC to design a Honeycomb tablet, they obviously know something about build quality and design that other manufactures do not. I don't care if that tablet is running HTC Sense, it will preform well and be beautiful.
mgerbasio said:
wall of text
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Agree with you there. As a future tablet owner and android fan, I'm really having a hard time deciding on which tablet to pick. Every time I see a video of the xoom, the great browser and ui look, I'm sold. But then when Apple shows something like garageband, or other games/apps for the ipad, along with its "exterior", I'm sold for that aswell . This leaves me right in the middle, not a really good place to make a choice :/.
Apple just made a great move with its pricing, especially the 500 dollar model, which I believe is also there just to draw people to the store, where some decide to go for more memory. Here in Belgium, people won't choose something else over an iPad if the device isn't priced like atleast 50-100 euro cheaper, due to the "apple halo", which still exists here. I"m afraid a huge majority of people here falls into the "cartoony htc evo movie with the really annoying customer trying to buy an iphone 4 cuz it has the wifis"-category. There's also virtually no marketing for android (here). All of this leads to less sales => less developers.
Android is becoming a big hit on phones, but due to a lot of those being slow phones, game developers can't really bring their best, which is a little unforunate for people like me with SGS's.
Have the XOOM and the iPad 1. Went and played with the iPad 2 yesterday for quite a while. Nothing there to make me want to shed the XOOM or upgrade iPad 1, but agree with almost everything you say about a far more smoother user experience. That being said, I came home and read that the Samsumg Galaxy TAB 10.1 will come with a Super AMOLED display and that was all I needed to know to choose my next tablet. See below...
"The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a fancy new Super AMOLED screen"
"The Galaxy Tab 10.1's screen is far better than the Apple iPad's in our opinion"
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/379227/hands_samsung_galaxy_tab_10_1/
Eclair~ said:
Personally I'm waiting for HTC to design a Honeycomb tablet, they obviously know something about build quality and design that other manufactures do not. I don't care if that tablet is running HTC Sense, it will preform well and be beautiful.
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When has HTC ever, EVER been ahead in performance especially related to graphics? They stink at anything related to GPU or video acceleration.
CJNYC said:
Have the XOOM and the iPad 1. Went and played with the iPad 2 yesterday for quite a while. Nothing there to make me want to shed the XOOM or upgrade iPad 1, but agree with almost everything you say about a far more smoother user experience. That being said, I came home and read that the Samsumg Galaxy TAB 10.1 will come with a Super AMOLED display and that was all I needed to know to choose my next tablet. See below...
"The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a fancy new Super AMOLED screen"
"The Galaxy Tab 10.1's screen is far better than the Apple iPad's in our opinion"
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/379227/hands_samsung_galaxy_tab_10_1/
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Holy crap. PLEASE Samsung don't ruin it by using a Tegra 2. PLEASE.
CJNYC said:
Have the XOOM and the iPad 1. Went and played with the iPad 2 yesterday for quite a while. Nothing there to make me want to shed the XOOM or upgrade iPad 1, but agree with almost everything you say about a far more smoother user experience. That being said, I came home and read that the Samsumg Galaxy TAB 10.1 will come with a Super AMOLED display and that was all I needed to know to choose my next tablet. See below...
"The Galaxy Tab 10.1 has a fancy new Super AMOLED screen"
"The Galaxy Tab 10.1's screen is far better than the Apple iPad's in our opinion"
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/379227/hands_samsung_galaxy_tab_10_1/
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I honestly don't believe that. They are the first people who have used the GTab 10.1 to say that, and according to Engadget its a TFT LCD just like the Xoom. However, they also go on to say in the video that it may be same panel used on the original Galaxy Tab. Which they were impressed with.
muyoso said:
When has HTC ever, EVER been ahead in performance especially related to graphics? They stink at anything related to GPU or video acceleration.
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By preform well I meant "good enough", not ahead of anyone.
All this Google vs Apple bantering reminds me so much of the IBM/Microsoft vs Apple desktop OS war. How IBM built up the open architeture for their PCs vs Apple closed hardware system.
Not that whats going on is 100% like back then. Apple's gone cheaper(tablet wise) than its competition and I think thats a heavy blow dealt to the Android side. Android, however has something that Apple doesn't have, mass market appeal. HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Kyocera, Sony, Dell, Acer, LG, Toshiba, Viewsonic, Archos to name a few.
Kinda like the PC.
Polished turd
The Apple platform is supposed to be this well polished I had the first and second Iphone and I wouldn't go back again.
iOS sucks thats the reality!
end of story
oh and anyone waiting for HTC to save the day, looking at the flyer and the bloatware they call sense I think I will stay with the moto and xoom
Gtab doesn't have an amoled screen, heck they can't even provide super amoled+ for all of their SGS II. It also has a tegra 2 chip. Even if not, it would still "only" be super amoled, and believe me (I have an original SGS), text does not look good with the Pentile subpixel structure, even though the SGS has a PPI of like 230. Going down to 160 would be horrible for text.
Source: Engadget
HTC was quite disappointing this H1 of 2011, no leaps forward, and the flyer will probably end up like the Tab 1, unfortunately.
The problem with the android 3.0 tablets is that they are the ones that have to convince the consumer (seeing as they are more expensive/new to the market). The first thing the average consumer sees is that the xoom/whatever tablet is plasticy, relatively heavy and "fat", which is not really the best first impression.
Cooki3s said:
Gtab doesn't have an amoled screen, heck they can't even provide super amoled+ for all of their SGS II. It also has a tegra 2 chip. Even if not, it would still "only" be super amoled, and believe me (I have an original SGS), text does not look good with the Pentile subpixel structure, even though the SGS has a PPI of like 230. Going down to 160 would be horrible for text.
Source: Engadget
HTC was quite disappointing this H1 of 2011, no leaps forward, and the flyer will probably end up like the Tab 1, unfortunately.
The problem with the android 3.0 tablets is that they are the ones that have to convince the consumer (seeing as they are more expensive/new to the market). The first thing the average consumer sees is that the xoom/whatever tablet is plasticy, relatively heavy and "fat", which is not really the best first impression.
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Isn't the Xoom made out of aluminum? I haven't held one yet, but I'm assuming since you say this that it isn't obvious to tell?
I was talking more about android tablets in general, although I believe atleast a part of the back of the xoom is aluminium, but a part is "rubbery" if I'm correct. They don't have any of them here in Belgium so I wouldn't know for sure tbh.
thats my point though...I want Android/honeycomb to be popular so it gets more and more support....
It IS important whether you guys will admit it or not..Google isnt spending money to make techies happy...they want to make money, and the money is not here...its with the average joes...imo Honeycomb is NOT the problem...its the OEMs...one reason I was disappointed Nokia didn't hop on board because I think their hardware with Android could own Apple...
After having an ipad I will tell you the build on Xoom is actually as good and in some ways better
iceytea said:
All this Google vs Apple bantering reminds me so much of the IBM/Microsoft vs Apple desktop OS war. How IBM built up the open architeture for their PCs vs Apple closed hardware system.
Not that whats going on is 100% like back then. Apple's gone cheaper(tablet wise) than its competition and I think thats a heavy blow dealt to the Android side. Android, however has something that Apple doesn't have, mass market appeal. HTC, Motorola, Samsung, Kyocera, Sony, Dell, Acer, LG, Toshiba, Viewsonic, Archos to name a few.
Kinda like the PC.
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Deja vu for sure.
iOS and Android each have their strengths and weaknesses. The iPad2 and Xoom hardware each have strengths and weaknesses. Some people prefer the feel of a closed ecosystem behind a pay-to-play walled garden, others prefer on open ecosystem with a vibrant dev community.
You can compare specs (or have a pissing contest) all you want but in the end trying to convince people who's preference differs from your own to instead prefer the same product you prefer is a waste of time, energy and keystrokes. Your inability to change their minds does not mean your own preference is inferior. It just means different people have different preferences. Let them.
In the long run what this competition means is that we all get a bunch of awesome gadgets to choose from. So stop worrying that some people prefer different things than you do. Spend that time and energy enjoying your preferences instead.
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HTC build quality far surpases motorola in my opinion. HTC phones ive owned and known have all been very reliable and beautifully well made. While sense isnt brilliant i still believe a HTC honeycomb tablet will be the one to have. It will look good and be well made. With far better customer services than motorola too.
I was lucky enough to get a nexus one. Stock android OS with a HTC phone. Its built brilliantly. That new samsung nexus s just looks abit flimsy to me.
What are you talking about ? iOS doesn't have a vibrant dev community? I think there's is larger than Android... You have to hack your Android to be completely "open" the same way some jb iOS. Same difference
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jamaicansolja said:
What are you talking about ? iOS doesn't have a vibrant dev community? I think there's is larger than Android... You have to hack your Android to be completely "open" the same way some jb iOS. Same difference
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you completely missed the point of my post, I'll let someone interested in pissing contests explain the differences between creating apps and hacking and modding an OS.
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My roommate was test driving a xoom and he eventually settled on ipad2. When I took the xoom for a test drive and directly compared the youtube streaming (mortal kombat miniseries "legacy") the ipad2 was way smoother/better. Does 3.1 close this gap? This is one of the deal breaker items for me and I wanted to hear if anyone had an opinion.
where did he test the two? did they have the same connection? ive never had any issues streaming youtube on mine....
Both at my house over wifi. It's not a "problem" per se, however, when directly compared I could clearly see it was not as smooth. I think it might be an issue of flash implementation with honeycomb.
3.1 is noticeably faster than 3.0 so yes the gap is closed! Much more stable also. Whether the gap is completely removed, I'm not so sure. The one thing the iDevices do well is smoothness and I think if you choose to be picky android, although just as fast, is not consistently as smooth. I will say however that some parts are very smooth so it may just be a case of developers catching up and making better use of hardware acceleration. I firmly believe android has much more potential than the current iOS and the apple philosophy of 'do a little, but do it well'. Just looking forward to seeing 3.1's potential fully realised.
Ps. YouTube is one of the apps which is much better in 3.1
Was this through the YouTube app or the browser?
I dont remember. They're not equal?
You tube app doesn't use flash, so flash implementation wouldn't matter. And if it was in browser it would have used html5 on both xoom and ipad (both are webkit browsers)
In browser would be the best comparison.
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Well, if this helps at all, I bought the I pad 2 and returned it within 48 hours. That thing sucks out loud. Bought a Xoom 2 days later and havent looked back even once. And I am NOT an Apple hater - I was an iPhone user until about 8 months ago, one of those stand-in-line-on-release-day types since day 1 of iPhone 1.
iOS on the iPad doesn't even begin to hold a candle to honeycomb. The best way I can describe the difference in the UIs is like Windows 3.1 vs. Windows 7. I absolutely hated it.
Honeycomb is not as smooth in terms of scrolling, which is a bit of an annoyance, yes, but its certainly no less fast overall.
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I have both the iPad 2 and the Xoom, and they're both great devices in their own right. The iPad 2 is definitely smoother than the Xoom over all. However, the Xoom can do so much more than the iPad ever thought about. Until the Xoom came out, I was a die-hard iPad fan, and I carried my original iPad every where I went. When the iPad 2 came out, I sold the original to my mother-in-law and got the iPad 2. At the time, I thought that it would be the end of my tablet-buying for the year. Then I got a chance to play with a Xoom and I had to have one. Since I got the Xoom, the iPad has become my wife's tablet and the Xoom now goes every where with me.
All that being said, I'll leave you with this: I remember reading an early review of the Xoom where the reviewer stated that you either know you want one or you don't. I knew that I wanted one and I couldn't be happier with mine. However, if you're looking for an iPad-esque experience, this ain't it. The 3.1 update has done a lot to polish the rough edges that Android has, but there are still some things that feel half-baked. However, if you've already got an Android phone then you know that things get better over time. Case in point: when the HTC Evo 4G came out, it was a great phone but the overall experience was lacking in a few places. HTC promptly released the 2.2 update followed by a few maintenance updates that turned the phone into a beast. I feel that the Xoom will follow a similar paradigm.
I did a review over here. Head over to take a look and hopefully this 2-miniseries review (both general and apps focused) will be helpful~
2-miniseries Part 1
2-miniseries Part 2
It is pretty simple (not like those major portals), but it is from a very ordinary users' view and most importantly, someone who spent 650 USD on the device.
If it is helpful, don't buy me a beer. Search through my searchbox on my site or take a look at my sponsors great products on the link. Appreciated! =)
I have an ipad 2 and recently got a 3G Xoom as a gift. I've played with the Xoom when it first came out and the OS was basically one giant FC with browser and most apps crashing left and right. However 3.1 took care of that and now everything is much smoother. The ipad has way more and better apps.BUT honeycomb OS is much better suited for tablets and since it's a pure Google device you can tweak the hell out of it. The ipad has superior hardware and apps,but being tied to iTunes and having to employ rediculous work arounds to perform simple tasks due to no file system access makes it pretty worthless for most work related tasks. If you just want a toy then the ipad is great,while Xoom is a better productivity tool and more of laptop replacement.
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I remember when the Xoom first launched I went to check it out at BB. The experience wasn't all that great and it didn't feel smooth. I settled with an iPad 2 on launch day. I love the iPad and all it has to offer but I couldn't stand not having Flash, Customization & Jailbreak. I watch a lot of Youtube (everyday) but I prefer to do that on a computer.
Since the 3.1 update things have sped up and the OS is much faster. I ended up trading my iPad 2 for my Xoom from a local person on CL. I still have the iPad 1 to fall back on for the apps.
I owned an ipad 2 previous to my xoom.
I think that has spoiled me and now I find myself complaining that the xoom isn't as smooth as the ipad2
but things like flash, real multitasking, widgets made me stick with my xoom even though it has its lagging issues
So, I used to be relatively anti-tablet. I will admit that a lot of that stemmed from how much people freaked out about the iPad when it came out. I'm not a big fan of apple, regardless of the beauty of their devices.... I can't stand how locked down and controlled their phone\tab is.
Either way, I was pretty meh on tablets and honestly that sentiment was still there when the first android tabs came out. Why the heck would I want a blown up Froyo OS if I didnt want an overblown iOS? Then.... THEN... google showed off honeycomb.
I instantly had a little twinge in my feelings of tablet-hate. Wait.... I really like Android on my phone, and.... and... an operating system that actually is MADE for tablets? I didn't understand what I was feeling.. so many conflicting emotions!
By the time the Xoom was announced I was trying my hardest to get rid of my problems with a tablet because I was so intrigued by the possibilities of honeycomb.. The issue that took the longest to overcome was... hey.. I have a nice laptop (M11x) and a phone that I use quite often. When the heck am I actually going to WANT a Tab?
I went and picked up a Xoom wifi the first day, cringing at the 600$ price-tag. So much money. I ripped the thing out of the box and set it up and found that I absolutely loved honeycomb just as I thought I would. But I had some major disappointments with the thing as well. 600$ was probably the biggest problem, but the second issue I had was my gigantic disappointment with the screen itself. It really just looked BAD, and I felt that if I was using a tablet, it had to be a TREAT to look at. And with the xoom, I appreciated the resolution, but the screen was just too poor to handle.
I boxed the Xoom up and on a whim, after about the 3rd day, decided I NEEDED to take the thing back (something all my friends did NOT expect, as I LOVE my gadgets). I felt good about my decision, and pleased to get my 600$ back. I decided I just NEEDED to wait for more tabs.
I wasn't planning on getting one so quickly after that, but when I read about what Asus was packin', I couldn't believe it. From the very first "impressions" on the TF that I read, I KNEW I had to have it. It was perfect.. beautiful screen at an amazing price point. This thing wasn't losing ANYTHING (other than 16gb) that the xoom had, yet it was gaining so much... for 200$ less!!
I dont know how Asus did it 200$ cheaper than the xoom, but I absolutely love my TF and I use it way more often than I expected I would. The screen is beautiful, the thing is lighter than the xoom, and it has a freakin' working SD card slot! My TF has it's problems (light bleed), and honeycomb has its bugs, but I couldn't be happier with my purchase. My tablet is an absolute pleasure to utilize, and its so nice to just break the thing out on an airplane or go sit outside and smoke a cig while surfing the web.
The TF really should have been the flagship product to showcase honeycomb, at the same price point, with the same screen, with the same keyboard adapter (which I am not buying\using). Maybe the public perception of android tablets would be a lot higher.
I know, cool story hansel, but so often there is a lot of negativity on these boards, I thought a happy owner story might be nice to hear. I can't be anything but excited regarding the future of Android and tablets in general. I'm truly a convert
I was in the same mindset as you until the Transformer came out. I am on my second TF (first one had a vertical line on the third IPS panel) and have no light bleed or any issues. The price point was what sold me on it's beautiful display. Now I make fun of my friends that own an Xoom and complain that their display colors are off (they use them to draw).
Ah so nice to see a refreshing I love my TF thread in the middle of all the complaining....
Here I am typing away on my Honeycomb tablet that last me for days (with combination of the dock, started at 10am this morning, I'm sitting at 80%) and actually lets me type and multitask with ease.
It took me a couple tries to get one where light bleed wasn't bad, but assuming this thing lasts (with care), I am a very happy user so far.
It's funny your story started out just like mine with the Xoom; it was the display for me too that made me take it back.
I think the part I love the most is that is not Apple nor Windows.
Baconstrip said:
So, I used to be relatively anti-tablet. I will admit that a lot of that stemmed from how much people freaked out about the iPad when it came out. I'm not a big fan of apple, regardless of the beauty of their devices.... I can't stand how locked down and controlled their phone\tab is.
Either way, I was pretty meh on tablets and honestly that sentiment was still there when the first android tabs came out. Why the heck would I want a blown up Froyo OS if I didnt want an overblown iOS? Then.... THEN... google showed off honeycomb.
I instantly had a little twinge in my feelings of tablet-hate. Wait.... I really like Android on my phone, and.... and... an operating system that actually is MADE for tablets? I didn't understand what I was feeling.. so many conflicting emotions!
By the time the Xoom was announced I was trying my hardest to get rid of my problems with a tablet because I was so intrigued by the possibilities of honeycomb.. The issue that took the longest to overcome was... hey.. I have a nice laptop (M11x) and a phone that I use quite often. When the heck am I actually going to WANT a Tab?
I went and picked up a Xoom wifi the first day, cringing at the 600$ price-tag. So much money. I ripped the thing out of the box and set it up and found that I absolutely loved honeycomb just as I thought I would. But I had some major disappointments with the thing as well. 600$ was probably the biggest problem, but the second issue I had was my gigantic disappointment with the screen itself. It really just looked BAD, and I felt that if I was using a tablet, it had to be a TREAT to look at. And with the xoom, I appreciated the resolution, but the screen was just too poor to handle.
I boxed the Xoom up and on a whim, after about the 3rd day, decided I NEEDED to take the thing back (something all my friends did NOT expect, as I LOVE my gadgets). I felt good about my decision, and pleased to get my 600$ back. I decided I just NEEDED to wait for more tabs.
I wasn't planning on getting one so quickly after that, but when I read about what Asus was packin', I couldn't believe it. From the very first "impressions" on the TF that I read, I KNEW I had to have it. It was perfect.. beautiful screen at an amazing price point. This thing wasn't losing ANYTHING (other than 16gb) that the xoom had, yet it was gaining so much... for 200$ less!!
I dont know how Asus did it 200$ cheaper than the xoom, but I absolutely love my TF and I use it way more often than I expected I would. The screen is beautiful, the thing is lighter than the xoom, and it has a freakin' working SD card slot! My TF has it's problems (light bleed), and honeycomb has its bugs, but I couldn't be happier with my purchase. My tablet is an absolute pleasure to utilize, and its so nice to just break the thing out on an airplane or go sit outside and smoke a cig while surfing the web.
The TF really should have been the flagship product to showcase honeycomb, at the same price point, with the same screen, with the same keyboard adapter (which I am not buying\using). Maybe the public perception of android tablets would be a lot higher.
I know, cool story hansel, but so often there is a lot of negativity on these boards, I thought a happy owner story might be nice to hear. I can't be anything but excited regarding the future of Android and tablets in general. I'm truly a convert
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're a good man... I agree with you 100% on everything you said. This tablet is amazing and it very well should have been a flagship device but google is already in bed with samsung, htc and moto so there really wasn't a chance for that.
I'm willing to bet though that if Asus did some aggressive advertising in the American market, android tablet sales would blow up much more than how they did through moto's xoom advertisements. The TF appeals to so many different kinds of people, it offers something unique that other tablets don't and it's priced extremely competitively. This thing should of blown up by now.
The Xoom's display was really just lacking a sharpness and it really disappointed me. The screen on the TF was exactly what I was looking for. I'm a big sucker for NICE screens, and it's nice to use that instead of my M11x for casual browsing and stuff.
TF screen is STILL so pleasurable, even after owning the thing for a month.
I'm struggling with the thought of getting the keyboard dock for the TF. Not only would it actually be nicer than I expected to be able to type on my TF (I really am not a big fan of touchscreen keyboards so I switch to my laptop when heavy typing occurs), but the other benefits are pretty exceptional too. People say it's expensive but you really get kind of a lot for your money. It's WAY more intriguing than I expected it to be, purely because I love using my TF so much
Oh and starplaya... I'm at LEAST pretty happy with the fact that the TF seems to be selling pretty damn well and beyond expectations. It could STILL be the jumpstart android tablets need.
I really seem to get a lot of positivity when people who have HEARD of the TF actually see me using it. People seem intrigued and generally have a favorable amount of interest, whereas the Xoom seems to generally be thought of as negative. That's important for sales.
I agree 100%! Great post!
When I had the xoom I doubted every second of using it. I think every other electronic device I own has been doubted at one time or another after purchasing it.
I have no regrets at all after finally getting my eee pad. One of the best investments I have made in a long time.
Nice post Baconstrip.
I agree with your thoughts on the matter...I too was a doubter at first.
Incidentally I'm a TF user with no hardware issues whatsoever - which contributes to my happiness with the situation.
Only a couple of downsides for me: No 3/4G and No standard USB on the tablet.
One BIG positive that people often confuse as a negative:
It's early days for honeycomb. Sure that means not a whole boatload of apps right now but we do get to be there right from the start of the journey. There is going to be a whole lot of awesome coming for android tablets soon enough.
my friend got a galaxy, i held it and it felt...off. felt almost like a toy, easy to break almost. i like the transformer much better ^_^
I really enjoy using the transformer,
The hdmi port which I didn't think I will use much,
But now I am always connecting it up to my tv for playing games, streaming moving, playing flash streams,
I don't even use the built in Internet on the tv anymore...
Agree with you.
The only thing I miss is an Usb port. But I agree it should be honeycomb flagship. With its specs and price it would be the greatest threat to ipad, and would make android recognized as the #1 tablet OS.
Regards.
Love the post OP. Just like you, I was not on the Tablet train; AND I don't consider to be part of it even after buying the TF + Dock! When the iPad was first released I thought it was the dumbest thing ever and was later baffled by the insane explosion that the Tablet market became. The Transformer is different though, it.... Transforms! XD
But yes, the screen, build quality, seems to rival that of any top-quality gadgets. Sure, the TF has its issues, but mine is great and I love every second of it!
This thing has 1GB of RAM, a Dual-Core processor, and excellent integrated graphics! Think about running Windows 8 in a year or even running a Native Ubuntu in the near future!
xTRICKYxx said:
Love the post OP. Just like you, I was not on the Tablet train; AND I don't consider to be part of it even after buying the TF + Dock! When the iPad was first released I thought it was the dumbest thing ever and was later baffled by the insane explosion that the Tablet market became. The Transformer is different though, it.... Transforms! XD
But yes, the screen, build quality, seems to rival that of any top-quality gadgets. Sure, the TF has its issues, but mine is great and I love every second of it!
This thing has 1GB of RAM, a Dual-Core processor, and excellent integrated graphics! Think about running Windows 8 in a year or even running a Native Ubuntu in the near future!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Imagine being able to dual boot either android or ubuntu - now that would be the sweet spot!
Rob
silverball.slayer said:
Imagine being able to dual boot either android or ubuntu - now that would be the sweet spot!
Rob
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Click to collapse
It would be amazing! Unfortunately, I only have a 16GB TF101 so, I would be short on memory constraints unless I use the 16GB SD card.
xTRICKYxx said:
It would be amazing! Unfortunately, I only have a 16GB TF101 so, I would be short on memory constraints unless I use the 16GB SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's more than enaugh for ubuntu distro together with honeycomb.
On topic - I love my transformer and except some light bleed and SOD 5 times/day, it's perfect. I believe SOD will get sorted out eventually anda light bleed is nothing to worry about (I can always return it if it bugs me).
Hahaha sweet. OP I'm using an m11x here too as my laptop! *high fives*
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
I went from a playbook to a transformer and honestly what a huge difference. The playbook did appear to be pretty smooth at handling multitasking but the biggest problem was what could you multitask with....Once i got my transformer I had it rooted, overclocked and had ubuntu running vnc within days of purchase. These forums are forever giving new ideas and the devs are amazing so i couldn't have made a better purchase imo.
*high fives back* I love the combo
I would hardly call the Transformer a Tablet. it just feels like it can do so much more!
I typically do not post raves, but this time I have to rave about the Transformer. This is what everyone that try's to do an android tablet should be making. I got the Gtab last fall and did all the moding to get a usable tablet. Worked pretty good I had to say. Until now. The TF is outstanding. I had the pleasure of quieting a couple friends with iPads on Friday. The TF tore through internet pages, video on Youtube and anything else they could challenge me with.
I have been a fan of Asus for awhile and will continue to praise their product.
FYI, buy from a reputable vendor and you wont have the headaches.
Yeah this thing is amazing. I remember watching a reviews before I ordered it, saying the back felt cheap because it had a strange pattern but it feels so nice, and of course, doesn't scratch!
+1 had to go show it to my old boss the ultimate apple product fanboy, he looked for a bit, then quickly found a reason not to talk to me anymore normally he would argue with me about how apple is far superior, there is no argument that really holds water in the ipad vs eeepad shootout
I completely agree. After I messed around with most tablets out there. (Xoom, Iconia, iPad 1 and 2, etc...) I finally settled on the TF and I do not regret a thing. I absolutely love the little guy. The transformer is easily my favorite tablet and product that I've purchased from ASUS.
Almost a year ago Asus was showing off that 12 inch win7 tablet/laptop/transformer, and I wanted it so bad back then...
Januari this year I bought the Toshiba Folio 100, and after modding it, it does work very well imo... But when I walked through a MediaMarkt XL store (just to look aroudn and play around with some stuff), I saw this transformer, and I knew I was going to buy it, but I wanted to make sure it really was what it looked like... so I read and watched a lot of reviews, and bought it the next day!
It's so nice that I even leave my 15" HP ProBook at home most of the time!
(The wallpaper is a live video wallpaper)
I have to agree on that.
The Transformer is a very well done and smartly design product.
Kudo's to asus !
The keyboard integration is so good that i'm using the tablet almost exclusivly with the dock.
It's light, easy to use, the trackpad is awesome, the connectivity is top notch and the battery life is....well it's basicly the longest battery life there is in any device. Want to use it all day long in your garden downloading movie, watching them and browsing internet while chatting with friend ? You can ! This thing just can't run out of juice !
Gratz Asus! Waiting for you to roll out Ice cream as soon as you can.
Same here, Kudos to Asus! I'm moving on close to 2 months since the release and couldn't be happier...no problems. And, oh so, glad I got the dock/keyboard that really makes it unique and above the rest.
And please with all the card slots, etc. it offers that others don't. Also, pretty impressed that they rolled out the new update in a timely fashion for 3.1, while it looks like other tablets were waiting.
Guess that's why it's reported Asus Transformer is best selling android tablet!
I'm a happy customer and use it every day, all day long most time with a great battery life between it and my keyboard.
I must say that I'm also very pleased with the TF101. There have been lots of other posts/threads which slam them for the light bleed, non-working issues, etc., but really, I think ASUS has done a great job considering that it's their first foray into Android, AND they come with a product that no one else offers (dock functionality). It takes a hell of a lot of QA to make sure that it's ready for production, and despite myself having to return a faulty dock, I also give Kudos to them.
In fact, as I was reporting on my faulty dock issue a while ago, I received a PM from ASUS themselves! They offered to exchange my complete setup for a brand new one (dock, tablet, cables, etc.), however I declined because everything is working great for me once exchanging my faulty dock at the store I purchased it from.
Getting that message and noting that ASUS themselves are watching these boards, as they know we have a great passion for 'pimping out' devices gives me another great feeling.
Has anyone else been in contact by ASUS on XDA?
Regardless, yes. Kudos to you ASUS!
I, too, love my Transformer plus dock. Mine has no light bleed, no creaking, no problems at all. And I'm a total n00b when it comes to Android, but by reading the manual and the helpful advice here and another forum, I've gotten most or all of my questions answered. If even a beginner like me can feel comfortable, Asus has hit it out of the park.
xTRICKYxx said:
Yeah this thing is amazing. I remember watching a reviews before I ordered it, saying the back felt cheap because it had a strange pattern but it feels so nice, and of course, doesn't scratch!
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Click to collapse
Mine feels extremely solid, and well built...not sure where the reviewers are getting this unless they were stuck with some bad ones...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA Premium App
garak0410 said:
Mine feels extremely solid, and well built...not sure where the reviewers are getting this unless they were stuck with some bad ones...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
Review units are usually from pre-production or 1st production runs, and almost always have disclaimers that they are pre-prodution run review units. It also explains some of the early units that appear on the market having some QA issues.
I have a B05 UK model, and have none of the problems mentioned, it's got fantastic build quality, and my Apple loving boss has last week sold his ipad2 and bought one too after seeing mine+dock.
The days of Apple ruling the roost are long gone, you can get better and cheaper buy buying non-Apple these days. My phone is a HTC that's WAY better than anything Apple make, my tablet is an Asus and ditto....
My tab definitely feels solid too. I don't get all the "cheap" complaints because mine has been just fine and dandy. I do have a little bit of light bleed but it's really only visible when the entire screen is black, and honestly, it's something I can overlook. Just a minor annoyance, and I'll take dealing with it given the price
<3 the TF!
Have to agree pretty much with all the previous posts here. Have read most all the other posts of complaints and honestly while some were bonafide issues I rather felt some were suffering from too high expectations. My TF is quite probably from the initial release go-round and pretty much has been fine. A few annoyances? Sure. The dock battery drain is troublesome as is the charger (email to Asus was NEVER even acknowledged sad to say) but hoping future software fixes will be forthcoming.
Overall, I'm pleased and impressed.
Baconstrip said:
My tab definitely feels solid too. I don't get all the "cheap" complaints because mine has been just fine and dandy. I do have a little bit of light bleed but it's really only visible when the entire screen is black, and honestly, it's something I can overlook. Just a minor annoyance, and I'll take dealing with it given the price
<3 the TF!
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Click to collapse
well I can't tell if I have any light bleeding... I've ran several dead pixel and light bleeding test programs and all of the colors of 100 percent solid. My settings screen and my browser bookmark page look like they have light bleed but several people have told me that is by design.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App
I am very satisfied as well. I also have the keyboard version and it's not only usefull when writing longer texts (e.g. emails) but it gives the extra boost in battery life which is very welcomed!
I'm definitely not selling mine!
I'm thrilled with almost everything about it.
I also own an iPad and can comment without bias. The TF is better in nearly every way (especially the OS). The one area I think the iPad wins is the structural strength. It just feels tougher. I do like the really simple design but unfortunately apple let that spill over into every facet of the device.
TF for the win (especially with prime! 1.5)
Not untill this has netflix,hulu plus, words with friends honeycomb edition and potrait frame rate fix honeycomb tabs would never be an iPad killer
bboyle said:
I typically do not post raves, but this time I have to rave about the Transformer. This is what everyone that try's to do an android tablet should be making. I got the Gtab last fall and did all the moding to get a usable tablet. Worked pretty good I had to say. Until now. The TF is outstanding. I had the pleasure of quieting a couple friends with iPads on Friday. The TF tore through internet pages, video on Youtube and anything else they could challenge me with.
I have been a fan of Asus for awhile and will continue to praise their product.
FYI, buy from a reputable vendor and you wont have the headaches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My cousin, a huge apple fan boy, talked trash about my tablet for a while. Then he came over the shoot pool with me yesterday, and he saw my tablet with the keyboard dock, and he was like on nice you got a new netbook? I guess your tablet was not enough.
I told him this is my tablet and then showed him how it works, he was like Sh!t, why cant apple do cool stuff like that!!
"Android" steals the best stuff, and improves on it" I had to laugh at him.
Brandon
cowballz69 said:
Not untill this has netflix,hulu plus, words with friends honeycomb edition and potrait frame rate fix honeycomb tabs would never be an iPad killer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each their own! Plenty of people could care less about those apps and don't even miss them when they're gone.
dan-htc-touch said:
+1 had to go show it to my old boss the ultimate apple product fanboy, he looked for a bit, then quickly found a reason not to talk to me anymore normally he would argue with me about how apple is far superior, there is no argument that really holds water in the ipad vs eeepad shootout
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Click to collapse
Reality check.
Rational arguments favoring the iPad 2 would include build quality, form factor (half as thick and also lighter), resale value, screen quality (brighter at max, dimmer at min, less reflective), performance (iPad's PowerVR crushes Tegra 2, no problems with 720p h.264 and iOS 5 has no problems even with 1080p h.264 whereas my TF cannot currently decode 720p acceptably, negating for me the advantage of the 16:10 screen). Also consider O/S maturity and reliability (most obviously the default Honeycomb launcher+browser are junk although ADW+Opera are much better, if buggy), the development tools (the Android emulator in particular is laughable - the iPad emulator in XCode is literally ~100x faster), app selection (Netflix an obvious example, there are thousands more), app quality (same app on both platforms is almost always inferior on TF) - in fact I don't see Android app performance ever approaching iOS here on similar hardware due to the overhead imposed by the Dalvik VM. Also, iTunes movies, TV shows, audiobooks etc. are one click away (although you have to pay for them vs torrents/Handbrake etc). Maybe if I had I non-rooted non-wifi-only Xoom I could try Google movies - I wouldn't known since I have an Asus TF and it has not been white-listed yet (BTW this kind of will-it-install/run/work roulette would not fly on the iTunes store). AirPlay, AirPrint and Home Sharing also 'Just Works.'.
I guess none of these arguments 'hold water' to you but if Google, OEMs like Asus and users rationalize away these things I think you can pretty much kiss this platform goodbye.
... which would be unfortunate because the Transformer's advantages are not insignificant - for $100 less (32GB vs 32GB) I get the MicroSD slot (plus SD with the dock) which gives me 64gb swappable storage in addition to the 32gb onboard (vs 64gb total on iPad), Apple's 'walled garden' is breached so I can install 3rd party keyboards, cloud-based music players, launchers, widgets etc. I also don't have to worry about Apple yanking the Kindle app etc for not paying the tithe etc.