Motorola Xoom Review.

Motorola Xoom MOTMZ600 Display: 10.1 inch LDC HD, 1280x800
Operating System: Android Honeycomb (3.0)
Storage: 32GB
Weight: approximately 18 ounces
Inputs/Outputs: Audio, 2 mini HDMI
Connectivity: 3G, upgradable to 4G

By Sophia Schmidt and John Winger

Introduction

Motorola came out with one of the first large-screen tablets using Google Android 3.0 software specifically made for tablet devices versus other tablets using software versions for smartphones. Xoom got off to a slow start at launch because one of its primary features, Flash 10.1, was missing. Flash 10.3 functionality is now available and wholly improves the user experience.

Functional Considerations Rating 7/10

Operating System

Partnering early on in their development plan with Google's Android software system for tablets, the Motorola Xoom was the first large-screen device on the market. Users who waited a few weeks to purchase the Xoom benefitted with the now ready installation of Flash, giving the ability to open and read basically any website out there.

Applications and graphics respond quickly and the Xoom's overall experience is more seamless than before the latest upgrade. Particularly impressive is the ability to move quickly from one website and application. The Android Honeycomb user interface basically gives users five different screens where applications, bookmarks, websites and information can be displayed.

This is a very Google- centric interface. Users with a Gmail account can actually initialize the tablet with their contact information and many of their personalized materials from the clouds will be ready for use in minutes. We also like how there is an incognito Google search tab readily available for users to also use in the browser. The biggest perk of the Google Android operating system made for tablets is Flash, which is something with the iPad and iPad 2 cannot handle. A set of eight websites come pre-loaded on the device and users can add their own favorite sites to the launching area.

To get the 10,000 foot view of the tablet, simply touch the plus sign icon at the top right of the screen. This gives a vantage point for what is on each of the honeycomb walls plus widgets, wallpapers and settings features. With this interface, users can move apps and object to different walls, giving organization to the device. We liked how the device can have multiple sites available to the user at once without any apparent slowdown in operating quality.

Touch Screen Swipe Speed and Clarity

Swiping speed is remarkably fast and the display is very sensitive to the touch. We were a bit disappointed that the Xoom could not pick up our swiping directions near the edges of the screen though. On a stand alone basis, the Xoom's screen seems bright and clear. But, again if considering other tablets, others are actually clearer.

Screen Picture Quality

The Xoom screen is 10.1 inch in diameter with 1024 x 600 resolution. Display screen quality is more substantial than with other tablets of this size and produces sharp images. We really like the ability to zoom in and out on any page, a helpful feature for users needing larger font sizes. On a stand-alone basis, the crispness of the icons and apps is very good. Again, when compared to other tablets, color saturation disappoints a bit. The Xoom produces little jutter when performing screen up/down movement on websites, unlike other devices.

Features Rating 8/10

Communication Features/Keyboard

We like the size of the keyboard screen. For a tablet of this size, the keys are well-spaced. However, most users can expect that the screen will not be their primary writing computer because typing will come down to a bit of hen and peck typing (just like all of the other larger tablets out there). One major benefit for the Xoom is that it allows for Bluetooth connectivity, so an external keyboard and mouse would make things even easier.

Sound Quality

While the sound quality coming is good and we can't figure out where else they can find real estate for the speakers on the Xoom, we are not big fans of the speakers existing in the back of the device. We'd be particularly impressed if Motorola's next version comes out with two ports for headsets, which would definitely help on an airplane for example.

Hardware and Appearance

From a hardware standpoint, we like the curved corners of the Xoom. The back profile is also slightly rounded, providing a good in-hand comfort level. The traditional charger mini-USB, docking station charger and mini-HDMI ports are located at the bottom of the Xoom and volume buttons are located at the top left side. An SD card slot is located on the top of the tablet with a nice cover to keep things in place.

The on/off switch however is located in a somewhat precarious spot on the back of the device. Several times we accidentally turned the tablet to standby mode. Once the device goes into standby mode, it needs to be turned back on by pressing the 'on' button in the back. The Xoom gets high marks for durability.

Applications

Accessing Android marketplace, with its 250,000 plus applications is certainly a selling point for anyone considering the Xoom. Even better though, users wanting full-website experiences can just go out to the sites. App versions of the full-feature website, like Facebook for instance, are also available to download onto the user interface. Usage becomes user preference at this point.

Camera Function

The Xoom provides a 5-mega pixel back camera and 2 megapixel front camera and video recording ability is solid and high quality. This is a key positive differentiator for users wanting their tablet to link to their social media and blogging sites.

Battery Life

After opening multiple websites simultaneously, playing videos, movies and music and keeping everything open, we really pushed the Xoom to the max. And, we came away impressed with its long battery life.

Optional Accessories

Xoom is available in a WiFi + 3G, upgradeable to 4G network and also has a WiFi only device. Unfortunately, the WiFi only device is being phased out, which is a mistake in our opinion given the high usage of WiFi only devices. This also plays into pricing see below.

Processing Power

The Xoom screams down the information highway with the Nvidia Tegra-2 1Giga-Hertz dual-core processor complemented by 1gigabytes of RAM and 32 gigabytes of onboard memory. A SD card slot for another 32gigabytes adds to the flexibility of this device and is something other tablets do not offer.

While several other tablets on the market have the same Nvidia Tegra-2 processor, Motorola does a good job of optimizing the speed and agility of the device. We loaded up the Xoom with numerous tabs to see just how robust it is with apps running in the background and came away impressed with its performance. The tablet only crashed once when several videos were running and a large app was downloading simultaneously. Compared to other products out there, the Xoom wins so far wins this race.

Value Rating 6/10

The Motorola Xoom, which has a 32GB memory, starts at $569 for the WiFi only version and will be phased out later this year. The WiFi plus 3G, upgradeable to 4G, costs $699 with a contract or $799 without a contract. This is pretty rich for anyone's blood except, perhaps, users with an expense account.

Overall Rating 7/10

On its own, the Motorola Xoom is a solid table to consider if you need or want a tablet right now. Its durable feel, camera/video functionality is very good, as is its battery life even when put to the test. The ability to run Flash is critical for tablets entering the market and this device delivers here. However, we believe that other tablets coming to market will be just as strong and may deliver more in the area of sound quality and screen clarity. If you are in the market right now and want a WiFi only device, the Xoom may have good value appeal as they run through inventory and lower prices.