So I just had to sign up to these forums, just to break up the fan party! Though I know you would rather not have anyone actually challenge what you are saying in your tunnel vision, that is Apple Apple Apple!
I'm sure it's fun to gather around in a circle and bash the Xoom, but I'm quite sure that no one bashing has picked up the Xoom for more then "a few seconds" (was about the time limit that I read mostly here).
I can't wait to see all the responses to what I'm about to say.
Folks. Your beloved iPad - is a big phone! An icon driven vanilla line by line static interface. Even to begin to compare these two device's OS's is a loss. Yes, the iPad is thinner and lighter, but thats where it ends. Instead of a big icon driven phone, the Xoom has an OS. Bottom line. Now you can rant that I'm wrong, until you are blue in the face, but Apple I can guarantee you knows that they need to drastically do something with their OS, before Android takes over. Just watch Apple's UI change over the coming tablet iterations! As they take their lead from Goog.
For the members saying that the screen is dark when they pick up the Xoom to play, this is because there is a brightness setting! Yes, you can actually adjust something about the tab, I know it's hard to believe - customization !!!
The screen when adjusted (to optimal brightness) on the Xoom is superb. It has better resolution and color depth then the iPad 1 or 2. And the viewing angles are the same.
As for the length of the Xoom, and "awkward" feeling. This is because yes! It is meant to be held in landscape mode. Has anyone seen "widescreen" movies? Or widescreen TVs (maybe even widescreen computer monitors??)? Or do you all still own 4:3 TVs, or stick your TV settings on picturebox to stay with the iPad montra? Media is wide, not picture box. No, the "OS" is not "stretched" LMAO!
When was the last time one of you folks used your iPad camera to take a video or picture? Ohhhh right, maybe you wouldn't, as the VGA(!!!) camera may not be that good at that! Maybe the iPad 3 will be! That must be what Apple is holding out for, for good cameras! The 3!
I know most of you enjoy your icon driven, locked down, non-live iPad UIs, but I will let you in on a secret. A tablet is not a phone! You ARE "able" to get live notifications, live news feeds, live email, live weather, live chat, anything you want right when you turn on your tab!!! Without even opening an APP!!!! Yes, it's true!! But alas my friend, you must break your chain from Apple! I know it's not what your friends want you to do, because that's all they know too! But it is possible!! Possible! The future is bright!
As for the comment on battery life... it's not 7 hours, however much you hoped that would be true! I play media and surf the web all day (multi-tabbed web page surfing - try it!
), and use it for business purposes for my 8 hour work day, and still have half battery life when I return home at the end of the day.
In response to the "screw" popping out of the bottom of the tablet? Not sure who dropped the Xoom before you picked it up, but this is not the case, the Xoom has incredible lines, and is extremely well built. Even the stereo sound!! Stereo sound you say???? You mean, you can have more then one muffled iPod speaker?!?! OMG!
As a final few statements, the app store. Believe it or not folks, the Apple App Store has more phone apps then tablet apps. Some just scale well. This is because tablets are new(er), then phones, in popularity. The iPad 1 came out a year ago, so has had more time to develop tab apps. The Xoom will be no different. These are all coming. This is a first iteration of the Xoom. Yes - version 1.
Take note - you don't NEED to be cankled to iTunes!! NO! You could do direct copy, and/or USB hosting, directly from your tablet!! Or share media through your HDMI port on your TV!! Seriously!
I don't claim to say that Xoom and Honeycomb are bug free. But I will tell all the "scared to leave Apple" fans, that I have received one crashed (force closed) app since I bought my Xoom 2 months ago, and there are some crappy apps in the Market, just as the App Store. But be patient, this is why they call it an iterative process. I early adopted because of all the amazingness that a true Tab OS brings, and I know what early adoption brings. But the Xoom is still a beautiful experience, and would never go back to the iPad 2 that I returned in order to be blown away by a truely live UI experience.
3.0 Honeycomb is great. 3.1 is better. And it's only stars in the future.
And there it is. Please continue..
