Motorola Xoom

[Lawreston]

Question directed to any of the iPad users. I made my first visit to an Apple Store on Friday. It was my first opportunity to view the iPad, and there were many secured to the working display tables. The Maine Mall location was busy.

Without a doubt the display models were loaded with apps. I even checked the latest PoA action while there. It appears Apple didn't show anything new at CES; and when I asked an Apple associate what updates are expected re iPad he said, "You'll know as soon as I will. We don't know anything about changes/additions until we get the e-mails of announcement."

With that in mind, someone fill me in on how the Motorola Xoom from CES will compare to the iPad and will the same apps be available for the Honeycomb system? I was amazed by the iPad; but if there's to be advantages to the referenced competition - - - - - - -

HR

 

[Henning]

I almost bought an iPad last time home, but it didn't have a camera for Skype use, WTF were they thinking? Oh yeah "We'll sell a bunch of these to the fanboy suckers and then put some features on it next year and sell em another one.". Never seen the Motorola one, but I'm pulling into Singapore tonight where there is a large electronics mall to shop through.

 

[jesse]

With that in mind, someone fill me in on how the Motorola Xoom from CES will compare to the iPad and will the same apps be available for the Honeycomb system? I was amazed by the iPad; but if there's to be advantages to the referenced competition - - - - - - -

No - iPad apps are not compatible with the Honeycomb system. The only way an app will be available on there is if the developer chooses to release a version for it - which often involves significant rework and redevelopment.

 

[Lawreston]

Thanks for the responses. Jesse, what are the likelihoods of many of those popular apps for iPad being cloned(for lack of a better term), whether it to be for the Motorola item or any of the other "coming" Honeycomb entries?

HR (Off across the county to watch football at a friend's house. Those 2 games yesterday were something!)

 

[mikea]

I almost bought an iPad last time home, but it didn't have a camera for Skype use, WTF were they thinking? Oh yeah "We'll sell a bunch of these to the fanboy suckers and then put some features on it next year and sell em another one.". Never seen the Motorola one, but I'm pulling into Singapore tonight where there is a large electronics mall to shop through.

The iPad 2 with 2 cameras should be a announced 1st Quarter of 2011

There were so many Android tablets shown at CES that it's almost like Apple has to catch up.

What's amazing is when you look over last year and realize that Apple announced the iPad only in March 2010. I guess we can figure that shipping 10 million of the things will get some notice from the competition.

The question is what Apple will invent this year that the world will just have to have.

 

[denverpilot]

That's Apple's typical model... invent something no one has ever done that way, wait until the copy-cats start, then release "Version 2" with some stuff the original could have had, but didn't.

All of these Android tablets that just got announced at CES are saying they're the "iPad killer". Maybe true, but iPad 2 is already in development...

Apple's strategy is often almost flawless in this regard, to milk maximum profits out of the tech available at the time. And yes, there have been total flops in the process, too.

But this is pretty much the normal operating mode for Apple. Has been for a number of years now, anyway...

 

[silver-eagle]

Xoom Honeycomb is Android V3, supposedly designed and built for the 10" tablet. According to the ads, fully functional with android apps. The problem I see is some android apps don't work on all androids. That's a combination of not having a real keyboard, device sensitivity, crappy programming, or system software upgrades. V1 of anything seems to need a lot of attention.
I haven't been disappointed yet in my DROID X or the apps available and am looking forward to seeing a Xoom. I really don't want another wireless (read cellular) device so I'll probably wait until I can get it without a wireless contract.