Style and handling summary for Motorola Xoom review
The Android Honeycomb operating system is the smoothest version of Android we’ve seen, and the black, solid body is safe but inspiring
User friendliness summary for Motorola Xoom review
The Android version that has been designed for tablets offers ease of use and an intuitive form, which offers a tidy way to customise home screens and a super new notifications system
Feature set summary for Motorola Xoom review
The first Honeycomb tablet is filled with goodies: a dual-core 1GHz chip with 1GB of RAM, two snappers, a full HTML tabbed browser, support for playing loads of online video including Flash, plus a 10.1 multi-touch-display.
Performance summary for Motorola Xoom review
While the operating systems offers speedy, slick multitasking and an intuitive operation, the Xoom feels as if it isn’t quite finished, as most of our downloaded apps kept crashing. The lack of choice when it comes to tablet apps could put off some prospective buyers.
Battery power summary for Motorola Xoom review
Battery life is better than average, as you’ll get through a few days between charges
2011年4月21日 星期四
2011年4月6日 星期三
Apple iPad 2 Sales Soar, Motorola Xoom Flounders
Taiwanese newspaper DigiTimes is reporting that iPad 2 sales have reached 2.4-2.6 million in its first month based on sources at upstream touch panel suppliers in Taiwan. This comes despite supply issues concerning the availability of cover lenses for the Apple tablet's touch-screen modules following the Japan earthquake last month. The anonymous contact also offered DigiTimes a "conservative" estimate that Apple will deliver as many as 4.3 million tablets a month, 12 million units in total. This news comes within hours of a report by Business Insider stating that analysts at Deutsche Bank have determined that Motorola Mobility has sold only 100,000 Motorola Xoom tablets during its first two months.
Forbes reported yesterday that Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette said that channel checks have found that sell-through trends for both the Xoom tablet as well as the Motorola Atrix smart phone have, "been disappointing." This is understandable, given the fact that iPad 2 sales on the first day alone topped 300,000, and during its first week sales are estimated at being between 350,000 and 400,000. And while few expected that Google's first real response to the iPad would match its competition despite the fact that it has for the most part received positive reviews from critics including Skatter Tech, these numbers are unquestionably dismal and do not bode well for the Android 3.0 Honeycomb powered tablet's future as an iPad rival.
Apple has not released an official statement regarding the iPad 2 sales, although they likely will do so on April 20 when the company has its scheduled Q2 earnings call. Motorola has understandably also remained mum on the subject and as of now has yet to release the official Xoom sales figures.
Forbes reported yesterday that Pacific Crest analyst James Faucette said that channel checks have found that sell-through trends for both the Xoom tablet as well as the Motorola Atrix smart phone have, "been disappointing." This is understandable, given the fact that iPad 2 sales on the first day alone topped 300,000, and during its first week sales are estimated at being between 350,000 and 400,000. And while few expected that Google's first real response to the iPad would match its competition despite the fact that it has for the most part received positive reviews from critics including Skatter Tech, these numbers are unquestionably dismal and do not bode well for the Android 3.0 Honeycomb powered tablet's future as an iPad rival.
Apple has not released an official statement regarding the iPad 2 sales, although they likely will do so on April 20 when the company has its scheduled Q2 earnings call. Motorola has understandably also remained mum on the subject and as of now has yet to release the official Xoom sales figures.
2011年3月9日 星期三
Google Android 3.0 'Honeycomb' review
Honeycomb is a whole different beast from the Google Android we've come to know. While
previous versions of Google's mobile operating system were built for smartphones, Honeycomb -
also known as Android 3.0 - is the first to be designed specifically for tablet PCs. And
seeing it in action, it certainly shows.
Motorola's recently launched Xoom is the first in a series of tablets that'll run the
Honeycomb OS. The Motorola Xoom has made plenty of headlines for its high-end specs: The
tablet boasts a dual-core 1-GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. It has 32GB of internal storage,
plus the option for additional storage via an integrated MicroSD slot. And all of that is
housed beneath a beautiful (if slightly glare-prone) 10.1-in display.
But the truth is, while the Xoom's hardware is impressive, it's the software that's the much
bigger story. I took a long look at Honeycomb to see how it compares to earlier versions of
Android and to its popular competitor, Apple iOS for the Apple iPad.
Google Android Honeycomb
Google Android 3.0 'Honeycomb': The home screen advantage
When you power up an Android Honeycomb tablet like the Xoom, you'll find yourself on one of
the device's five available home screens. These home screens and the functionality they
provide are among the most significant advantages Honeycomb offers over competing tablet
platforms.
Where the iPad's operating system is basically a blown-up version of what you get on the
iPhone - static rows of square-shaped icons - Honeycomb includes several features that take
full advantage of the tablet's ample screen real estate.
Among the most useful features are the widgets, which are effectively live, functioning apps
that run right on your home screen. You can have a widget for your email, for example, that
allows you to view and even scroll through your inbox. Other widgets let you browse your
calendar, flick through news stories or see the current weather for your area, without ever
opening a thing.
The idea of widgets, of course, isn't new to Honeycomb; as any Android smartphone user knows,
widgets have long been a part of Google's mobile operating system. With Honeycomb, however,
widgets have become more interactive than ever - you can now scroll, flick and interact
within the widgets themselves. And given the large screen size of a tablet, their potential
becomes far more significant.
On a single screen of the Xoom, for example, I'm able to simultaneously see my inbox, my
upcoming appointments and my local weather forecast. I also have scrollable access to all of
my Chrome bookmarks, synced continuously from my PC. I'd imagine that after growing
accustomed to this kind of advanced-usage scenario, many users would be reluctant to return
to the static environment a platform like Apple's iOS provides.
Honeycomb, like past Android versions, also affords you the freedom to use your home screen
space as you see fit; you can drop any combination of widgets and app shortcuts where you
like. The actual method for customizing is quite different in Honeycomb than in previous
Android releases; while it may be an adjustment for Android phone users, it strikes me as a
far more intuitive approach.
On an Android smartphone, adding a widget requires you to either long-press your home screen
or tap your phone's "menu" button to find the command. Adding app shortcuts and changing
wallpapers are separate processes.
In Honeycomb, on the other hand, you simply tap a "plus" icon at the top-right corner of the
display to enter an all-in-one home screen customization tool. There, you find thumbnails for
your five home screens, along with lists of every widget, app shortcut and wallpaper on your
tablet. You can touch any item to select it and drag it onto a home screen. Then, on the home
screen itself, you can touch and hold any item to move it around or eliminate it altogether.
Is it simple enough that a 2-year-old could figure it out? Not necessarily. But this is a
tablet, not a toy - and what you lose in foolproof simplicity is a trade-off for what you
gain in powerful functionality.
previous versions of Google's mobile operating system were built for smartphones, Honeycomb -
also known as Android 3.0 - is the first to be designed specifically for tablet PCs. And
seeing it in action, it certainly shows.
Motorola's recently launched Xoom is the first in a series of tablets that'll run the
Honeycomb OS. The Motorola Xoom has made plenty of headlines for its high-end specs: The
tablet boasts a dual-core 1-GHz processor with 1GB of RAM. It has 32GB of internal storage,
plus the option for additional storage via an integrated MicroSD slot. And all of that is
housed beneath a beautiful (if slightly glare-prone) 10.1-in display.
But the truth is, while the Xoom's hardware is impressive, it's the software that's the much
bigger story. I took a long look at Honeycomb to see how it compares to earlier versions of
Android and to its popular competitor, Apple iOS for the Apple iPad.
Google Android Honeycomb
Google Android 3.0 'Honeycomb': The home screen advantage
When you power up an Android Honeycomb tablet like the Xoom, you'll find yourself on one of
the device's five available home screens. These home screens and the functionality they
provide are among the most significant advantages Honeycomb offers over competing tablet
platforms.
Where the iPad's operating system is basically a blown-up version of what you get on the
iPhone - static rows of square-shaped icons - Honeycomb includes several features that take
full advantage of the tablet's ample screen real estate.
Among the most useful features are the widgets, which are effectively live, functioning apps
that run right on your home screen. You can have a widget for your email, for example, that
allows you to view and even scroll through your inbox. Other widgets let you browse your
calendar, flick through news stories or see the current weather for your area, without ever
opening a thing.
The idea of widgets, of course, isn't new to Honeycomb; as any Android smartphone user knows,
widgets have long been a part of Google's mobile operating system. With Honeycomb, however,
widgets have become more interactive than ever - you can now scroll, flick and interact
within the widgets themselves. And given the large screen size of a tablet, their potential
becomes far more significant.
On a single screen of the Xoom, for example, I'm able to simultaneously see my inbox, my
upcoming appointments and my local weather forecast. I also have scrollable access to all of
my Chrome bookmarks, synced continuously from my PC. I'd imagine that after growing
accustomed to this kind of advanced-usage scenario, many users would be reluctant to return
to the static environment a platform like Apple's iOS provides.
Honeycomb, like past Android versions, also affords you the freedom to use your home screen
space as you see fit; you can drop any combination of widgets and app shortcuts where you
like. The actual method for customizing is quite different in Honeycomb than in previous
Android releases; while it may be an adjustment for Android phone users, it strikes me as a
far more intuitive approach.
On an Android smartphone, adding a widget requires you to either long-press your home screen
or tap your phone's "menu" button to find the command. Adding app shortcuts and changing
wallpapers are separate processes.
In Honeycomb, on the other hand, you simply tap a "plus" icon at the top-right corner of the
display to enter an all-in-one home screen customization tool. There, you find thumbnails for
your five home screens, along with lists of every widget, app shortcut and wallpaper on your
tablet. You can touch any item to select it and drag it onto a home screen. Then, on the home
screen itself, you can touch and hold any item to move it around or eliminate it altogether.
Is it simple enough that a 2-year-old could figure it out? Not necessarily. But this is a
tablet, not a toy - and what you lose in foolproof simplicity is a trade-off for what you
gain in powerful functionality.
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