Is the Xoom a Bust? - Xoom General

I have a birthday coming up in late May. I have a rooted Color Nook which has the feel (and freedom) of the early days of PCs and the Internet (I'm 57) when the idea was knowledge not so much profit. Before the CN I didn't even know XDA existed but their work has me feeling like I'm back in the bulletin board days hacking a 8088 with machine code or scanning phone numbers for unannounced modem connections. Anyone remember when Redhat was the good guys instead of the corporate guys?
Anyway Ive held off buying a iPad2 and am really leaning toward a XOOM, but is it a device "too far?" My laptop is a Dell Studio xps 1645 with an i7 820 and without doubt it was released too early and took two bios updates to get everything working with out auto shutdown every 5 min. Lots of folks returned the units but it is a great laptop now. Stable and fast.
So ... what about the Xoom? Is it the wrong hardware at the right time or can users depend upon Motorola to fix the bugs and end up with a quality machine? I'm six weeks away from plucking some money down on something, so would you guys repeat the purchase? Stick with Motorola?

Most of the issues some people are having are not Motorola but Google Honeycomb. It is a new OS for tablets, basically a 1.0 release. As with any new product version, there will be some issues. It will mature like everything else. Despite some shortcomings, I love it and look forward to the updates and new features in the future.

Forum error: 'Is the xoom good?' thread count overflow.
Seriously, another one?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

I'd do it again. In fact next week I will be doing it again when I get my wife one.
I suspect lots of the bugs are from apps not necessarily intended for honey comb, and HC's lack of optimization in a rush to get a product to an OEM (Read Google to Moto).
I don't have any issues with my Xoom, and I use it as a Laptop replacement. Mainly because I do development work on my desktop, and I don't need a portable device that oozes with power.
Like I said, I don't have any issues at all with my WiFi Xoom. I haven't filled up the available 28 gigs of memory yet, so SD is a non issue for me until I do. But I don't see my self filling it up any time soon since most of my MP3's are on Amazon using CloudPlayer.I should say most of the MP3's I listen to - i have 158 gigs of music- but most of it is useless now that Pandora is around.
I do wish there where more HC friendly Widgets, the home screens are a lot of screen real estate with not much to fill them up right now.

It's not a bust for me because I'm really enjoying it personally. Sure its not perfect, but I'm confident that Google/Motorola will get the bugs worked out.

The amount of stuff that you can mess with is very very limited right now because the source for honeycomb still hasn't been released. The advantage from a nerd perspective is that this is the only tablet out there with a truly tablet-optimised operating system, so the most exciting part is looking at the potential that this thing will eventually have. The problem is by the time the source code hits, it will certainly not be the only tablet running honeycomb, and probably not the most powerful. So if your only goal is to play with the software, then I would hold off on buying a tablet at all. If you want to do that down the line, but in the meantime want a cool, fully functional tablet for what it was intended to do, its a great device, and most of the limitations outside of the OS have to do with the current apps being updated and optimised for tablets, which could literally happen at any time (I check the market for updates first thing every day). I personally use my xoom for everything, and my laptop gets used for modifying my android devices through adb etc., as a bulky and expensive HD, and to make sure my spreadsheets don't look weird before I send them out (won't someone figure out how to put a logo header on a spreadsheet?).
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

Honeycomb is a year too late to be in this condition. Im inclined to say it is a bhst.
Sent frk my Xoom

The only bust is this thread.
Please search next time before creating a new thread. This is one of a handful of similar threads.

Related

How long do we have?

Seems every new tab I get has a timer. Some have already gone off months before I even bought it and others will go off very soon.
I am not sure where I am at with this a7 but from all the reviews it seems the timer is about to off with the new elocity a7x. Seems elocity fixed all the complaints about the a7 in the a7x.
What I want to know is why is it important to upgrade and update to newer releases beyond the fact that new features are cool. Why do manufacturers not just give them to us?? I mean when I run Linux on my pc I have about 6-12 months before a release needs to be updated. Then I just re-install the new version and I am going. Why is it with Android that we the users can't just download gingerbread or what ever new release and update our selves? Why do the tab makers not just charge us for a new release. It costs them time and effort to make a new kernel and drivers but beyond that it should not be so tricky. So say they want $20 for Gingerbread to cover the cost of their development. I am on board with that. Why do Tablet makers instead of no updates just charge us like it is a new OS even though we know it is free we also know there is cost to wrote it for our device.
I think from a consumer stand point I would be a much happier customer if I new I would be able to upgrade at least one or two releases on the hardware I have before it is obsolete. I do not mind paying a reasonable fee for the updates just don't leave us out in the cold and do not say their are hardware limitations. Find a solution and make it work. It can be done specially with the hardware on this device!!
I think though the bottom line is, does this device do what I want it to do now?? For me as it is now the a7 does all I want it to do. I can read books, surf the net, listen to music, watch movies and play games. Will the new releases do something this can't do? I can watch flash-youtube, etc. Seems like a complete device.
Of course we all like the newest and latest stuff and that is why I think Elocity should spend the money to support the A7 for future releases. I think they should release a Gingerbread update soon. I would pay $10-15 for it. I think Honeycomb could be a $30 release and so forth. If there is a problem with something not working you could always revert back.
Rob
I agree with the statement...
I second that. I was a little bit disappointed that the new elocity tablets were announced soon after I bought the A7 and was left unsettled whether this was a kind of beta device released to test out the market response and whether it would fade away as soon as the new Android OS's are on the horizon.
I am not sure but is it too unrealistic to expect a life of 1 or 2 years out of this device?
I sent those very sentiments to Elocity directly some time ago. I was on the Amazon waiting list from October 2010 and received the tablet in December after many ups and downs and waiting to get the A7. And now a new tablet, they should give me my money back quite honestly.
It could have been a great device if
1. It had multi touch support
2. The company truly supported the device - it seems to be very limited.
This is the main reason why you see so many developers in the GTablet forum and no this one...I know of many who were itching to get a 7inch device (like myself) but ended up no solely because of the lack of multi touch...
I agree you should return it as Amazon misstated it was multi touch in the advertisement.
rapcon said:
I sent those very sentiments to Elocity directly some time ago. I was on the Amazon waiting list from October 2010 and received the tablet in December after many ups and downs and waiting to get the A7. And now a new tablet, they should give me my money back quite honestly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the multi-touch aspect is a huge selling point for a lot of people
I never said it was not a good device. Maybe the software needs work-That can be fixed if supported. Remains to be seen at this point. I have not dealt with the company personaly so I hope they are reading these forums but I am not encouraged about what I have heard. I think these companies need to understand is it is not just about units sold but happy customers who by word of mouth spread the news of their new tab to friends and family. If I have a bad experience it should be important to the company. Once you have a customer you should do all you can to.keep them within reason.
I think most of the flaws of this device could.be rectified by software. It is a shame that they are not going out of thier way to rectify the situation and work even with forum members help to create the fixes to the software aa needed.
I am hopeful that they will in time address our concerns but we may just have to upgrade soon!
I do want to state that I do like this tab and will only return it iff there is something better ajd about the same price $300-Max!
I Really hope Ginger bread will.be updated on these tabs. I Do not expect 3.0, although it would be nice and should be possible.
Lets make sure that happens and that the hardware is fully utilized like multi-core etc. This is an awesome device so lets get the most of it. The manufacturer should.support our efforts of extending the useful life of the device.
Rob
I guess the simulated multi-touch works for me in web browsing.
Other than pinch to zoom is there something that I can do with multi-touch? I have a Galaxy S and to me the devices behave pretty much the same.
I am disappointed in the poor support. I sent an e-mail and didn't hear anything. That's pretty bad. I'm wondering if ViewSonic is better.
That is the odd thing because from all the reports I can read on the touch screen in this device they all say it supports 1/1 multi touch.
I hope they change their responsiveness to customers but if they have limited resources and are trying to rectify our problems by writing new code and focusing on that then I can understand as long as it is temporary while they address our concerns.
I will be a very happy customer if the new update fixes a lot of our concerns!
Come on Gingerbread and multi touch and wireless n!!
Rob
Be better than the rest
Why waste the time and effort to hit the retail market with a tablet that has great hardware specs only to go sub-standard on software and support? Stream TV guys should be very well aware of how slowly and poorly many of the Android updates and support issues have been handled so, after garnering much attention releasing a Tegra 2 device try to do much much better, you have our attention(and got some of our money too, yeah people bought the tablet go figure).
Dexter is working his butt off but, he didn't create this tablet, we thank him, now OEM shift to a higher gear please. Cut Dexter a nice check, send him a tablet or 3 or 4 to work with and let's see these A7 get some fully functioning update love. Don't backburner this device for new releases and take us into atleast 3.0 as best as this hardware can offer. Maybe a major ROM download and install could fix the A7 and keep Stream looking like a viable competitor...if it works.

From heaven to Hell in 5 weeks

Two months ago, I was getting ready for my vacation (first one in six years) and a trip to US (Going next week). I spent several days checking forums, sites, magazines, everything that would help me choose the best tablet, and Xoom looked like the best option.
I never liked Apple and Ipad. To 'restricted' I’m my opinion. It's like a fine car that doesn't allow you to change the gear, break, accelerate or even steering. Basically the only think you can do is to insert address in the GPS and horn!
I have a Samsung galaxy S and so fat it’s the best phone I have ever had. I already had HTC, Kaiser, Blackberry, Motorola, LG, Nokia, etc and this is, by far, the best one. At first it was terrible: slow, too may Samsung bloatware, terrible battery live, but after flashing few cooked roms it transformed itself to a new device. It was Clark and now became Superman.
Back to the Tablets, when I was looking for the best tablet for me I checked other tablets as well: Samsung didn't had micro SD slot, no HDMI output and it also had almost the same weight as Xoom. Rim Tablet was too "Blackberry alike", and with an unknown OS. LG didn't have all the option as the Motorola Xoom and Ipad is… Ipad. So Xoom looked like the best option available. I decided to pre-order the Wi-Fi version to be delivered to the hotel address because I was afraid of a possible shortage. I have only one shot and I couldn`t miss it. Also this way I would be able to use it as my main computer during the trip. The Xoom is already waiting me on the hotel front desk…
….But I wish it wasn’t. In few weeks Xoom changed from the best available option to the worst option in the new Android market.
First, Motorola wasn’t able to keep up with other companies. Samsung did a major strategic movement and decided to re-design their table. Samsung created a tablet that weight just like an Ipad, and almost 30% less than the Xoom with almost the same specs as the Xoom. Samsung included a MicroSD slot, a much better screen (Super IPS) and HDMI while keeping same price as an Ipad 2. I can get the 16gb version for 100 less than the Xoom and I will still able to buy three or more 16gb MicroSD. Looking at the Samsung tablet make you feel like Motorola isn’t even trying. Bulkier, heavier an more expensive (ok 32gb is the same price, but they didn’t include a 16gb version which is cheaper if you think that you can get a 16gb MicroSD for 30 now.)
In the meantime Motorola is fighting itself: news that they will drop the production of Xoom, e-mails sent to Xda to remove .dump file, locket bootloader on the atrix and droid phones. It looks like Motorola is attacking the only thing that could save the Xoom: The community that could help support the device by making customs rom and other improvements.
In my opinion, it looks like Motorola is working hard to prevent customs Roms to the Xoom
So I keep asking myself if I should keep the Xoom, and the short answer is: No. I shouldn’t
I will be needing a tablet during my trip and I still haven`t decided if I should keep my Xoom until I can get a Samsung Tab or if I should send it back to Amazon and get a Asus Transformer. I am afraid that keeping the Xoom for too much time I won`t be able sell it in the future. I`m feeling like I am with a time bomb on my lap and if I doesn`t sell it fast enough it will blow.
And I have no doubt that it will be much easier to sell an Asus Transformer or an Acer A 500 than sell the Xoom in the near future. Hey, the transformer have a different strategy (that it can also be used as a netbook) so I may ending keeping it (but I still like Samsung Tab 10.1 best).
For now, Xoom is just better than nothing because there are no other android devices available. From April 24th (Acer A500 launch) it will face the competition of Acer. After that Asus and Samsung. The truth is that I haven`t even open the Xoom box, but I’m already with bitter taste in my mouth.
Some people talk about Xoom having the premium price. You paid more because you wanted to have the first Android device in the market ahead from everyone. OK, but would you pay this “premium price” if you knew that it would only last four weeks? That after 4 weeks you would have 4 new and better options (cheaper ones) available? Also, how much “premium price” you’ll have to pay? You already paying it in dollars, but you already paying it in the fact that the OS have bugs (like Mem space bug), that the SD card doesn’t work, that the screen is worst than every other device. How much you’ll have to pay as premium price?
Now I just need to know how can I return an unopened Xoom to Amazon and have a refund to purchase and Acer or and Asus for 200 bucks less.
It’s sad when you haven’t event received a new gadget but you already have give up on it, but it is worst when you realized that even the manufacture have already give up on the device.
isnt the galaxy tab shipping with FROYO? with Samsung's track record, I doubt it'll get honeycomb in 2011, gingerbread is a more realistic goal, maybe near christmas?
Xoom is a great tablet and I'm sorry that you've decided to return it without even using it.
This same thread has been posted too many times, and needs to be added to a forum FAQ or something. "Should I buy x if y is coming out soon?" turns into "Should I buy y if z is coming out soon?". At some point you just have to make a purchase and accept that no technology is going to be "the best" for very long
Wait, you haven't even opened the box and we get this long rant?
Use the device, let your experience guide your choices. The simple fact is that the Xoom is a powerful and beautiful slate, if you are one of us who love it out of the box.
We have root, we have overclock and regardless of the Xoom platform Honeycomb will have a strong community support even if because it is Android.
I for one am a power user and love my Xoom, it's attractive and does it's job well for my tastes.
Regardless, you need to experience the thing in your environment before you decide it isn't worth your time. Normally the hurdle would be the purchase, but you've already passed that one. Take the time to configure and play, then decide!
Dubar said:
isnt the galaxy tab shipping with FROYO? with Samsung's track record, I doubt it'll get honeycomb in 2011, gingerbread is a more realistic goal, maybe near christmas?
Xoom is a great tablet and I'm sorry that you've decided to return it without even using it.
This same thread has been posted too many times, and needs to be added to a forum FAQ or something. "Should I buy x if y is coming out soon?" turns into "Should I buy y if z is coming out soon?". At some point you just have to make a purchase and accept that no technology is going to be "the best" for very long
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Galaxy Tab 10 is not shipping with 2.2. Launching with 3.0.
LordLugard said:
Galaxy Tab 10 is not shipping with 2.2. Launching with 3.0.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my bad, must be thinking of the older one; I feel sorry for anyone who bought that oversized phone that doesnt make calls
After using honeycomb, 2.x just doesnt make sense on a tablet
edit: I cant wait for all these new tablets to come out so people can start to differentiate between problems with the xoom and problems with honeycomb.
It's amazing how you've managed to out dumb every single other post in xoom general with this ridiculous pointless rant.
You've not even opened the box and you're complaining about the xoom.
The xoom is the most unlocked device moto has ever produced, it won't ever be locked.
You have nothing to backup your claims at all. There is nothing about the new tablets coming out that will reduce your enjoyment of the xoom. If you keep worrying about the next tablet and then the next tablet you will never have a tablet, and never be happy.
The xoom is a wonderful device with a lot going for it and nothing samsung or acer does will change that for me.
Honestly its your fault for ordering something so far ahead of time, especially a device like this that had almost no chance of selling out.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
I'm sure that the description "From Heaven to Hell" seems a bit dramatic to most readers, but if thats the way you feel, you will probably never be happy with the Xoom even after the upgrades & updates.
The more I read the more I realize the Xoom really is only going to one of the best tablets after it's hacked, overclocked and running a high quality custom ROM. This is the way I always intended to use the Xoom, though I am learning that I really am in the minority of users. Those consumers having no intention of hacking the tablet are likely to be disappointed when comparing it to a more "finished" product.
I add my experience to this post only to help illustrate the importance of considering the intended use of the product by the individual giving his opinion of it. Critics of users who are dissatisfied with the Xoom seem to overlook that relevance and chastise them unjustly. Inevitably, every thread that includes negative opinions of the Xoom turns to **** as a polarized pissing contest ensues.
The ironic good part of this usual course of behavior is that waiting for these updates will give everyone a chance to get this crap out of their system so that by that time we can get busy talking about nothing but development, improvements and ROMs. Won't THAT be great?!
Sorry if you think that what I wrote is 'ridiculous pointless rant', but what a wrote is just what I am feeling so I am probably feeling ridiculous pointless right now.
About pre-ordering, yes it was a bad call. But I was in the US last thanksgiving and I spent two weeks trying to get a Xbox Kinect with no luck. I just didn`t want that to happened again. I also pre order a 3DS in the same way as the Xoom.
I agree that there is nothing from the new tables that would keep me from enjoying the Xoom, but that's not so simple. It's human nature to search for the best, and have the best. So I can say that except for some users that actually try several devices in order to choose the right one, most of the consumers will just choose the ones that looks the best. And between too devices, one 30% lighter and with the same specs, most of the users will go for the lighter even without testing.
I know that I am responsible for what happened but I think that what you should realize is that this will be the most typical scenario for the Xoom in the next weeks. Do you think that most of the consumers will act as XDA user and will do their homework (even then some XDA users will return theirs Xoom) or they will make their decisions like I did, in an impulse purchase?
Just look how many people stood on the line to purchase an Ipad 2 in the first day. None of these people were able to fully try Ipad before buying it. They just went for the one that looked the best.
And so this will probably happens with Android devices too. Most of people will go for the one with better specs or, in a secondary decision path, for the cheaper one. Very few people will go for the `right one for me`.
I just don't think that Motorola will hold on the Xoom if they start getting low sales numbers and high return rates. Motorola hasn't show that it will support Xoom if it fails in sale, and that's, combined to a POSSIBLE decision to prevent custom rooms (like they did in some Droid and Atrix phones) will turn out to be doom fall to Xoom users.
Psychokitty said:
I'm sure that the description "From Heaven to Hell" seems a bit dramatic to most readers, but if thats the way you feel, you will probably never be happy with the Xoom even after the upgrades & updates.
The more I read the more I realize the Xoom really is only going to one of the best tablets after it's hacked, overclocked and running a high quality custom ROM. This is the way I always intended to use the Xoom, though I am learning that I really am in the minority of users. Those consumers having no intention of hacking the tablet are likely to be disappointed when comparing it to a more "finished" product.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with the fact that Xoom will be a much better device after hacked and with custom Rom. I just don`t know if that will happen. Just look at the Atrix forum and the petition to have an unlocked bootloader. If I`m wrong please let me know but we are not sure, at this time, that there will be custom roms avaiable to the Xoom.
If I may throw my 2 cents into the can...
Yes, it looks like cheaper, and slimmer or lighter tablets are coming around the corner. Acer and Asus have it right in the price. Samsung built a thinner mouse trap, if you will, with redesigning the 8.9 and 10.1 Tabs.
Here's why the Xoom is my pick to date: Stock Android Device. Yes, all these tablets will have Honeycomb, but the OEM's are placing UI's on top. Granted, They don't appear to be too obtrusive to the Honeycomb experience (thank you Samsung for figuring that out) it will still be an issue when updates are released. I learned my lesson on the phone side and bought the Nexus S, and am so, so glad I did. Now, I don't want to get into a discussion of who the updates will be coming from, but it's obvious that a stock operating system will get the updates much, much faster than any devices with custom UI's. Samsung will have one, Asus will have one, hell HTC wants to put frigging Sense on their tablets. Yes people, you HTC tablet owners will get to stare at that stupid clock widget all day long on a bigger screen.
Look, I understand that the Xoom is way too expensive, I look at my Best Buy account and cringe, but I'm glad I pulled the trigger and bout the Xoom. It may not be a "Nexus" device per say, but for the joy of having the "pure Google experience" I'm all about the Xoom.
Dandarebr said:
I agree with the fact that Xoom will be a much better device after hacked and with custom Rom. I just don`t know if that will happen. Just look at the Atrix forum and the petition to have an unlocked bootloader. If I`m wrong please let me know but we are not sure, at this time, that there will be custom roms avaiable to the Xoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the only thing stopping the development of custom roms right now is the lack of HC source code, so if the xoom never gets custom roms then no 3.x device will
chrisharmful said:
If I may throw my 2 cents into the can...
Yes, it looks like cheaper, and slimmer or lighter tablets are coming around the corner. Acer and Asus have it right in the price. Samsung built a thinner mouse trap, if you will, with redesigning the 8.9 and 10.1 Tabs.
Here's why the Xoom is my pick to date: Stock Android Device. Yes, all these tablets will have Honeycomb, but the OEM's are placing UI's on top. Granted, They don't appear to be too obtrusive to the Honeycomb experience (thank you Samsung for figuring that out) it will still be an issue when updates are released. I learned my lesson on the phone side and bought the Nexus S, and am so, so glad I did. Now, I don't want to get into a discussion of who the updates will be coming from, but it's obvious that a stock operating system will get the updates much, much faster than any devices with custom UI's. Samsung will have one, Asus will have one, hell HTC wants to put frigging Sense on their tablets. Yes people, you HTC tablet owners will get to stare at that stupid clock widget all day long on a bigger screen.
Look, I understand that the Xoom is way too expensive, I look at my Best Buy account and cringe, but I'm glad I pulled the trigger and bout the Xoom. It may not be a "Nexus" device per say, but for the joy of having the "pure Google experience" I'm all about the Xoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with most everything you said however, where is the microSD card support on Xoom? These new tablets are releasing with functional slots. For a flagship device for Honeycomb, I am a bit disappointed. I have had my Xoom since day 1 and being as patient as possible with this but seeing other honeycomb tablets release with microSD support is a slap in the face.
dandearebr,
notice this...
regarding development of android device you must have development device, until now the development device supported by google are : G1 (legacy, not supported anymore), Nexus One, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom... the last three have unlock bootoloader officially, not by doing a hack, G1 Dev are coming unlocked from the first day of release (except G1 T Mob)..
so now, are you sure the next coming HC tablets have official unlock bootloader? "fastboot oem unlock"
Droid, Desire, Xperia etc, they are not development device, so is Atrix and others..the only way to put custom android to that product is hacking the bootloader..
Atrix have a good bootloader lock, afaik until now, no one have succes unlock milestone bootloader..so atrix will do the same..
now, one million dollars question for u, are u sure u want to buy next tablet that we dont know about their bootloader? u love custom rom right?
Dear Dandearebr
You will never get "perfect" tablet because there is no definition of such. There are expectations that are constantly changing, also they are very personal and subjective.
Your opinion is based on reviews and vocal complainers baseless in most of cases.
Xoom is very solid tablet capable of replacing of laptop. I am sure that it will get updates and will be useful for a least a year, year and a half. Then it will be a picture frame.
BTW, it has amazingly powerful sound. Listening online radio is very enjoyable.
My opinion is based on experience using Android since 2009, starting with HTC G1, then MyTouch, Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7". Xoom is a different animal because of Honeycomb and it is a big step forward.
Personally I prefer 7" tab with phone capability and pocketable size.
Classic buyer's remorse. We've all been there. My suggestion is to follow through and return it. You will never likely be happy with it, regardless of how well it functions for you.
Happily typing from my unlocked, rooted, overclocked Xoom.
Please return it so that real users don't have to clean up after you and kiss your boo-boos. Sheesh, you don't need a Xoom, you need a mom!
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
So have you actually used the device?
God, return it.
Then when the XYZ tablet you want comes out you will go cry to those forums that ZYS v2.0 tablet is coming out.
I don't get why a lot of you are getting all defensive and starts attacking a fellow member, just because he's having a much better look at the future than us early adopters. I mean, be honest guys! A lot of us here are all wishful thinking about the opposite of what the OP has said! Yeah, we all might be happy for now, as the Motorola Xoom is the only tablet available that's actually competing with iPadLock2. But a few days, weeks from now, with all these tablets coming out and (hopefully not) the chance of Xoom reaching it's end of life/production. Along with threats of locked bootloader and a chance of not getting any update support from Motorola (FACT: XOOM is NOT the developer TAB from Google), we might just end up flooding this forum with threads just like the OP's.. Let's face it, no one knows about Xoom's future.. Heck I don't even know if Jha even knows the Xooms future at this point.. But the fact that Xoom's sale wasn't really that good, due to motorola's marketing strategy and price, with the iPad 2's overwhelming, and the upcoming flooding of Honeycomb tablets with better specs and/or pricing, our Xoom tablet could very well just end up as a very expensive paperweight.. Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with my Xoom! It meets my daily needs but the fact that it hasn't yet reached it's full potential due to Honeycomb's infancy, the FC's and limited apps worries me. I mean, we all know how these companies are.. If their product doesn't sell, they stop the production and support/updates. Add to that the threat on the XDA community regarding the Dump files and chances of the Bootloader getting locked, helps me understand the OP's sentiments/rants.. Let's face it, this is not the Developer's TAB like what we all hoped it would be when we bought it. Without the support from Motorola and the XDA community, this product we're defending would actually just end up like what the OP has said on the title of this thread. So let's just get along and stop bashing the OP just because he still has a chance to change his mind. Me, I would advice the OP to just return/sell the Xoom and wait for a few the upcoming tablets before it's too late. Because if he does, he would have a much better look at the future of the Xoom. Who knows, he might even see Motorola getting crazy coming up with a 16GB version, with better pricing and unlocked bootloader! Now that would be a win/win situation for the OP and us early adopters!! My fingers are crossed..........
Perfect! There really is no more to debate on this, and just no reason to bash the OP. Nobody knows anything for sure yet. I'm in it for the long haul, but only because I intend to be an end user of custom ROMs. I WILL be disappointed with how much I spent on the Xoom if that doesn't ever happen.

Being the first Honeycomb Tablet - Xoom - Worth the rush

I used to be with a lot of critics largely on why Moto has to rush such a potentially great product to the market just almost for the sake of being the "first honeycomb tablet", even with "Honeycomb" is not at that time a well tested or used OS.
And now I think I got it. Despite of all these good/bad issues around Xoom, I think this move from Moto is pretty good move.
The advantage of being in the market available earlier than the rest of the pack did make a difference. Just judging from
1. the Dev's attention (Kernels coming and 44 threads in xda dev section even before Honeycomb source code is published). Look, the Dev community are group of Tech enthusiasts who are mostly early adopters. This product carried the new OS to the market, this fact alone will draw strong attention and millions apps developer, who sees Android as future OS of the tablet market , want to get it as soon as possible so that their apps will come out much earlier to the market.
2. Peripheral accessories' manufacturers' attention: If you search in Amazon or online, many case / screen protector / charger/ dock / speaker manufacturer already use Xoom to represent almost entire 10.1 inch tablet market. They did not include "Transformer" in their product name (no offense, but really to my best knowledge, nor A500)
3. Average consumers they can't remember and tell the differences of all those specs, but they only know one name: Xoom. Anecdotally, my manager, who spends life in Finance industry and has not much idea of what is different between Ram and Harddisk etc, asked my the VERY CORRECT question" Is that a Xoom?" God bless him he did not ask "is that an iPad". ^^
This is not statistical proof but rather anecdotal ones, my friends around now all know that Xoom is a contender to iPad and LOOKS COOL &FEELS SOLID.
I guess if a Tablet is drawn in the waves of tablets launching events, the tablet can't really be remembered then. Evidence being almost bestbuy staff can't tell Acer or ASUS (by the way, this two pronounce too similar to each other)
So much for my saturday night chitchat.
Xoom is a solid piece of product with both Moto's hardware and Dev's contribution =)
It was worth it to rush to be the first Honeycomb Tablet, I think.
+1
Sent from my Xoom the way it should be, rooted and with SD card.
+1 more
I was pretty skeptical about this purchase but this little thing is growing on me the more I use it
I was torn between this and an actual computer but Im realizing how VERY much I use my phone.. this tab does everything my evo does and does almost all of it better. Much better.
edit- some have criticized the power button placement, I really like it. It is unique and convenient.
And the wave is starting to grow and gain momentum quietly reaching #1 bestseller and #2 Top rated tablet on Amazon - http://www.topcomputertablets.com/m...nd-2-top-rated-tablet-ranks-on-amazon/224151/
+1 more<br />
<br />
I was pretty skeptical about this purchase but this little thing is growing on me the more I use it <br />
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto, I almost sent mine back. God knows why but it seems to have a 'breaking in period', it was uber slow and crappy, FCs here there and eveywhere when first got it. But now it's settled down, albeit still stock, for now, I absolutely love it. :-D
Sent from my XOOM using XDA Premium App
I was also skeptical after the first week but I'm loving my Xoom. It sits well between my notebooks and my EVO, but I find it displaces my EVO usage more than my notebook. Just like when I picked up the HTC Hero when it launched, there are issues but nothing breaking.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
I believe the Xoom will have the same impact as the original Droid. People swear by the OD and my son uses mine to this day. I asked him if he wanted a new Droid X he said he wanted something sexy looking like the OD. Go figure!
Yeah I was skeptical too, my friend said I would regret it. I haven't, I know I can trust in Google at least to make the software stable. As for some of the hardware issues or problems ( HDMI, bluetooth, etc.) I don't mind it too much, I am getting a micro HDMI cable and I would probably never use it too much, I don't use a keyboard or a mouse ( that would ruin the point of this being touch screen). Still being one of the few with a Honeycomb tablet is exciting, you get to start the future of Honeycomb. I gave some advice and some feedback for the Droid Reader Tablet Edition, and when I see the update show up on the market, I downloaded it and saw that some of the advice that I have given to the dev was implemented, which is pretty cool, considering one day thousands of millions of people will be downloading it and running it, and I will know that I have helped them in a way. Sounds stupid I guess, but still just very excited to help out with software and stuff.
Sent from my Xoom
i have to say that the zoom is simply awesome. I played around with all the available tablets on the market for about a month and easily settled on the zoom. I love honeycomb, even though it has a few shortcomings at the moment which should get fixed up. Once Google fixes some bugs and adds some much needed features. I've been using my laptop much less now, as well as my phone (hotspot aside). I'm not going to complain much about the limitations and bugs since I know they'll get worked out, but my one big worry is if Google decides to launch its own nexus tablet this summer as well as the speed in which mobile hardware is evolving right now. Anyhow, just my 2cents
I don't think I can take another “is that the new ipad? ” comment at work...
The Xoom IMHO is worth every penny. When you tie in the amazing hardware with Honeycomb and then the amazing features provided by XDA devs, it is beyond any doubt worth it.
I use my Xoom everyday, and for the most part I have absolutely no regrets.
I might add, just consider the screw job Samsung did with the Galaxy Tab by not providing a Honeycomb update on a device that was barely 4 months old at the time in which Xoom RTM.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
well...
In the last few days I've gone from "looks promising, glad I have two weeks to decide" to "pry this thing from my hands, I dare you.."
Still completely stock and I am blown away
Between Google Body, YouTube and some network maintenance I did today I couldn't help thinking "this is some star-trek-shiz, man"
I was thinking of buying the iPad 2 here in Oz (I do have an iPad), then decided that I had enough of the no flash support, and to be honest, got bored playing games on it.
I bought my Xoom from the US through Amazon, when I received it, I was like a little kid in a candy store! After a few days, I got bored of it. No SDcard support, no flash, no ad-hoc wifi.....then I cam across these forums....well...let's just say, I sleep with my Xoom under my pillow now. Kidding.
I'm only a newby when it comes to Android, and you can tell, it has so much potential.

Is Xoom the tablet for me?

I am not currently a tablet owner. But I'm constantly trying to watch for the tablet that meets my needs. I feel those needs should be met before I can consider dropping money on a product that I will only need to upgrade within a few months if they don't.
I loved my ipod touch, and when my cellphone died...iphone was a no brainer for me. But when I view the ipad, I see nothing more than a larger ipod touch. So for now, it's been scratched off my list of potential tablet options.
Features I believe to be important to be considered a tablet that suits my needs:
-expandable memory
-customizable UI
-ability to attach usb devices (usb sticks, extrenal HDDs, etc.)
-file management
-ability to transfer data on/off device without the need to use syncing software
My research leads me to believe that the Xoom has basically achieved my list of requirements in full, except for point#3. As far as I'm concerened that could be rectified with little more than a micro usb to usb converter cable when/if one ever exists. So thats truly a minor concern.
My primary uses for the tablet would be:
-reading epubs
-music
-video
-email with hotmail and gmail accounts
-browsing web
-doc/pdf management and storage
Additionally, because I work in a tech support environment I would love:
-an app that I could use to scan whatever pc I'm attached to for system specs and what not. (I figure if any app store would eventually get this, the android one would, if one doesn't already exist)
So with my needs in mind, it seems to me that the Xoom qualifies. Which is exciting. But I read alot about new tech before I ever jump blindly into it, and am concerned that android 3.0 is still too infantile. This conclusion is solely based on posts from various forums of people experiencing issues with the OS, sluggishness, etc.
Is this the case? Having had no real experience with android based products, I don't know what to expect in the near future or even further down the road. Should I wait for the next honeycomb upgrade? Should I jump in now because things aren't as bad as some people make them out to be? Am I right to be cautious? Or is there a device out there that suits my needs listed above that I'm unaware of?
Sorry for my incredibly long first post
But I welcome any thoughts.
The xoom is a great device. I do not regret my purchase one bit And it will only get better. Not to say that there is nothing out there currently better, but i dont think there is any device that i would switch my xoom for.
Go for it.
You mean a cable such as this?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Micro-male-USB-...=260750150828&ps=63&clkid=8964873560898851009
The xoom is a fantastic tablet and honeycomb is certainly full featured when compared with its iRivals. But there is no denying that Google couldn't release a new version of android soon enough for me. Too many force closures and reboots without warning. So close to being fantastic. And its getting lots of attention from the devs on here so some great kernels to try.
So in summary, great tablet. Great xda support. honeycomb released in a hurry and needs a new bugfix release despite showing great promise
Just my $0.02
Sent from my MZ604 using Tapatalk
Yes! A cable such as that!
So what is android's bugfix track record? Good/bad? Am I better off waiting on honeycomb 2.0 release?
And as for the hardware, is the Xoom good/bad? Am I better off waiting on different hardware that runs honeycomb?
I own both a Xoom WiFi and a Nook Color. The Nook Color with the official 1.2 firmware will do everything on your primary use list out of the box for much less. Of course, the Xoom will too and a whole a lot more.
the developers are doing a terrific job with the xoom to make it a worth while tablet, but you might wanna buy it from Costco since they have a excellent return policy, just in case something better comes out you won't be comitted to a $600 purchase.
Yeah id agree that bigrushdog and the others are doing a great job of filling the gaps in the current kernel with their cooked replacements for rooted devices. Hardware wise the xoom is second place to nothing at the mo. With USB, hdmi and microSD it's missing nothing. Ok, it's not an ips screen but the one it has is very good. If you're thinking of waiting it's only worthwhile if you're gonna wait long enough for quad core tablets. Probably a long wait. If you reckon you'll jump on board with the xoom when honeycomb is patched I'd say you might as well not wait and get one now. The update will come eventually and there is plenty to enjoy in the meantime. It's only the occasional app closure that spoils the party at the mo.
Well, I plan to head down to bestbuy after work today and make my final decision. If I do come home with one today, should I be changing up the kernel? And can I reset back to factory if I do and decide to go back?
Really like the the looks of the upcoming Toshiba Tablet with the replaceable battery & built in usb. so at $600+, might not want to get locked into the xoom at that price point just yet.
I have the Xoom, and I love it!
There really isn't anything I don't like about it. I have had a couple issues with the browser closing (like 2 times in a month, and only when I am running multiple flash intensive sites). The speakers are nice and loud, the screen is really beautiful - no matter what people are saying.
Get one - you can always wait for the next best thing, but then you'll be waiting forever. Like I said, I hummed and hawed, but took the dive - and I am in love with my XOOM.
Karnalsyn said:
Well, I plan to head down to bestbuy after work today and make my final decision. If I do come home with one today, should I be changing up the kernel? And can I reset back to factory if I do and decide to go back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I were you, I would spend a little time getting used to the device before rooting. After you have decided that you really like it, like me, then I would root and flash a custom kernel.
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
mankoorb said:
Really like the the looks of the upcoming Toshiba Tablet with the replaceable battery & built in usb. so at $600+, might not want to get locked into the xoom at that price point just yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I literally just got home with the Xoom, and read this..... /facepalm
What was crazy, was they had 2 demo models setup at bestbuy. One of them was working flawlessly, with seemless screen transition. And the other was lagging upwards to 2sec response time on screen transition.
I've yet to unpackage the xoom....now I must consider whether or not to take it back and wait for the toshiba.
Karnalsyn said:
-video.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now, I didn't try a XOOM so I can't say this for sure, but looking around here it does look like the Tegra 2 can barely handle 720p video. If that is important, the Galaxy tab ( not the crippled WiFi only one) is better since it reads 1080p at really high bit rate. Like 40 mbps.
Edit: ouch, horrible timing it seems.
Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk
Seems the toshiba tablet comes with full usb, mini usb and full hdmi. The back can be taken off to change the battery, or to exchange with a different color back. All very good additions....
However, the price is looking like it'll launch at $700 us for the 16gb model. And I think that might be the deal breaker for me. $100 more for a full usb port and half the memory, when I can buy a $5 usb converter cable. Looks like I will be sticking with the Xoom.
Karnalsyn said:
I literally just got home with the Xoom, and read this..... /facepalm
What was crazy, was they had 2 demo models setup at bestbuy. One of them was working flawlessly, with seemless screen transition. And the other was lagging upwards to 2sec response time on screen transition.
I've yet to unpackage the xoom....now I must consider whether or not to take it back and wait for the toshiba.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know best buy's return policy, but Costco allows you to return it up to 90 days with no restocking fee. I returned the first 1 I bricked and bought another 1 right then without any issue, so I figure I can play with the xoom for 90 days & check out the toshiba tablet & maybe a few others within that 90 day window or maybe a price drop & not be tied down to the xoom just yet.
I have to admit I was skeptical about the xoom, I made the jump, used it for two weeks, rooted and custom kernal, and love it. It has quirks, bluetooth keyboard lag online, but really it flies. I read somewhere that there was an it applcation for android to work on network systems but I believe it was expensive. Wait on a cheaper version if you want but the xoom rocks.

I'm happy with my Xoom and with motorola

Hi. Just wanted to start a thread to counter all those complaint threads about not having everything we want from the xoom. It seems that about half of the Xoom threads on this site degrade after a page or two of posts into complaints about how either motorola or google is failing their customers. I for one am pretty happy with my xoom. I understood when I got it that this is an early adopter situation, and that the kinks are being worked out. I don't mind not having 4g yet; most cities don't have it either and, really, I can't think of anything that I need it for (that 3g isn't sufficiently quick enough to handle). I don't mind not having an SD card since I really don't want to spend the money on one that will significantly increase the 32g that's already in my xoom. I don't mind that motorola missed their deadline; kind of hoping they'll put together some package to thank users, like a free peripheral or some kind of upgrade discount to the xoom 2. I like my xoom, even though I still use my laptop more. I don't think the 3.1 update was that great, so I'm not sure I get all the non-US users freaking out about not having it. I just think we need to calm down, take a deep breath, and enjoy this new tablet experience. This tech stuff moves pretty quick; but our collective ADD is going a bit crazy with expecting a seven-month-old tech to be everything we want and more; getting angry that there's new things out that cost less (really? suprised that the first one cost more? come on now...); flipping out over not having perfected hardware.
If you agree that the Xoom is a great piece of tech, comment below. Please don't comment if all you want to do is complain about motorola or google. There's plenty of other threads for complaining.
Me too!
10char
I completely agree. There is always a cost for being an early adopter and there will always be something newer, cheaper, etc. on the horizon. I am very happy with my Xoom and am using it more and more each day. I hardly ever turn my laptop on at home anymore.
You post on xda and still don't have a working SD card reader?
well, his nickname suggests he's a slacker. lol. just joking.
but slack, I'm glad you loved your xoom. as do I. but I recommend rooting so that you can at least work around some of the issues.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk
Agreed. There is nothing my xoom can't do that I expected it too when I shelled out for it.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
Sure the Xoom has its shortcomings, but doesn't almost every device?
The fact that it's a Google Experience device keeps it at the head of the pack for me, honestly. I just wish we had more correspondence from Motorola updating about the LTE and microSD card updates.
Then again, now with Google Music and Plex, I really don't need that much local storage, so the microSD card affects me less today than it did before Google Music.
I have since sold my MacBook and use my tablet for browsing on the couch or bed. Sure, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 looks great, but it has Touch Wiz, and it came out 4-5 months later.
Thanks for this thread. It's nice to read positive comments with all of the complaining going on. I've been happily surprised by the Xoom...the build quality and hardware potential, the OS and the smoothness of use, the the apps, the wonderful kernels and roms from our developers, all have contributed to a great experience. I do wish that some of the apps that were available for the Xoom before would be available again. The Xoom has replaced my laptop and I use it all the time.
the only things i really want are a bluetooth + keyboard compatability fix, and netflix.
I am quite content with my xoom as well. I agree with pekosROB that Motorola could communicate with their customers better but that is my main criticism. (In reality I can't think of any android manufacturer who communicates with their customers as clearly as I would like. Ah well)
Cheers
Well lets see, 3.1 adds support for a bluetooth mouse and USB host capability. Those two things alone make the update nessescary. Theres rumours of 3.2 coming out within the next few days and the rest of the world doesnt even have 3.1. Since your in the states you have the 3.1 update and soon to have 3.2 so you don't really see the point of everyones argument that doesn't have the update, all we get is a *soon*
I love my Xoom as well and yes I knew what I was buying, the problem I have with Motorola and as many many others have is they announced an update to 3.1 soon , In Canada that was over 2 months ago, then rumors of Xoom 2 start, then 3.2 is mentioned it could be here within days and the world outside the USA doe not even have 3.1 yet, then the 3.1 roll out starts but very slow and it starts in Asia, so yes many people ticked at Motorola, and yes I still love my Xoom, even though it cant do yet what it was promised it would or could do.
slack04 said:
Hi. Just wanted to start a thread to counter all those complaint threads about not having everything we want from the xoom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hail Motorola! You can do no wrong. And even if you do wrong, I'll make believe that it's greatest thing since the invention of breast implants.
By the way, I like my Xoom, I just will never by another Motorola product again, because Motorola's support of their work-in-progress Xoom has been incompetent bordering on negligent.
After releasing their incomplete Xoom 4 and a half months ago, to beat the iPad 2 to market, completing the Xoom should have been Motorola's first support priority.
To me, lack of actions speak louder than excuses.
It's over 4 months now, and all we have to show for our wait is nothing, nada, zilch!
And that's also describes the future relationship between me and Motorola....nothing, nada, zilch!
Sent from my Bolt
I'm also happy with my Xoom 3G.
I am pretty happy with the Xoom as well. I rooted mine minutes after buying and haven't looked back. I have SDCard support and can't recall ever really using it outside of flashing ROMS. I don't see what the big deal is about a SDCard when you have Google Music, Dropbox and Plex. 32GB of storage is more than enough for books, magazines, apps and games. I think when Moto does release the SDcard update, people will realize on a tablet with 32gb of storage, SDcards aren't really needed.
My only gripe is that Google and Moto have not done enough to get app developers on board with Honeycomb. Google has a great platform to build on. We need a bigger selection of Honeycomb apps. I don't think simply dropping the SDK and saying "Here you go guys", in a keynote is going to bring on the Android adoption. Google may want to start adding some financial incentive to some of the really talented iOS devs. Hardware alone won't sell these tablets. Great apps are what draw people from one device to the next.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App
I'm very happy with mine. It does everything I need it to do. It has offloaded a great deal of work from my work laptop. I now do personal travel only with my Xoom rather than carrying the laptop and all those peripherals.
I will be happier when I can use my SD cards. I will be happier when we go to 4G. However, I am not going to dis the Xoom or Motorola for my buying a product that many of you consider defective. I did my research and knew what I was getting.
I love my Xoom, nothing is wrong with it. However, Motorola really needs to get in gear. I understand early adopting, but promises shouldn't be broken, whether 4g lte is a necissary upgrade or not, after the 90 day promise we should have been greater not only with a reason for the failure, but also an expected timeframe. We are just left to sit and wonder. Its not even like i feel like sending my xoom in for a business week, but its something they used to advertise the tablet with, which means it should have just happened when it was suppose too. I dont know if it didnt because of 4g radio shortages or because motorola decided to put the time and effort into more money making products, and thats the problem i have, i dont know why i didnt get it. And about the SD card, I think we all know that won't be fixed till icecream sandwich, so whatever.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
agree too. but for me 3.1 was a big improvement.. atleast for speed n browser... no more fc
Me tooo...of all the android tabs out there as far as build quality goes xoom is on par with apple thing is bulletproof. Also that fact that moto hasnt released 100 different verisons of its tablet says a lot about the company Xoom is there main tablet focus until the new stuff comes out. Not like the other that have a 10 7 9 5 inch tablet. I think some folks complain to complain. No device is perfect but xoom is pretty damn close. Only thing missing are a few more local case choices.
my xoom has replaced my laptop for most everything, besides the most power hungry tasks. While I'm in Canada and still don't have an official 3.1 update, lets be honest here..... who hasn't impatienty waited for official android updates in the past? Waited for close to a year for my hero to be upgraded, my liquid e was 8 months, oh and my galaxy s? That took forever too. I think all we can do is thank our lucky stars that sites like xda exist, and that such talented devs work so hard to bring us all the roms and upgrades we need before even the manufacturers can

Categories

Resources