Android Tablets (was Galaxy Tab)

[Klaus]

Joe have you seen the ODBII Bluetooth apps?





http://www.portabledashboard.com/

[Klaus]

[Kyrillian]

Any idea what the Xoom is going to cost yet?

[Klaus]

There are rumors of it being $699...... but that would price it really high so it's only a rumor at the moment.

[Kyrillian]

Yeah if it was going to be that much I'd just get an iPad.

Arda has an iPad and absolutely loves it. I don't think there is a day she doesn't use it.

[Klaus]

Good Comparison here on the Tablets from all operating systems.

HP TouchPad vs. iPad vs. Xoom vs. PlayBook: the tale of the tape

[MnWilly]

Went to BB and looked at the Tab today.. Looks like it might be a little to small for my taste. I get that they tried to make it small enough for purses and such but a 7" screen isn't going to cut it for me. Not enough bigger than my phone screen to really make a big differance.

So, I will be waiting for a few months and checking out the 9 and 10" screen models that are coming out. Looks like the market is going to "explode" over the next few months with tablets. I will wait a while to see what comes out on top.

And thanks everyone for your input... It is truely appreciated.

[Klaus]

Samsung preparing a 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 2 with Honeycomb for this Sunday?

Samsung's MWC 2011 presentation is this Sunday, at 6PM Central European Time (midday for those on the American east coast). We already know it will feature a dual-core evolution to the Galaxy S smartphone and we know for a fact there'll be at least one new tablet on show. Pocket-lint is today filling in some details about said Tab successor by identifying it as a 10.1-inch Android 3.0 device. That means Samsung is stepping right up to Motorola, whose Xoom still looks likely to be the first Honeycomb tablet to ship, and saying it can do better. It might just be able to do it, too, as the new and unnamed Tab is said to be physically smaller than Apple's iPad in spite of having a slightly larger display. Somewhat less believable is the mention of a dual-core Qualcomm processor as the thing to power Samsung's new tablet -- can you really see Samsung undermining the future success of its Orion / Exynos chip by using a competitor's hardware? Then again, weirder things have happened.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/11/s...eycomb-for-th/

[Klaus]

Not as bad as was first reported. Pretty much the same price as the iPad. Our Verizon rep was just here - he has a iPad that he loves but he stated the Xoom blows it out of the water. All the widgets you can put on the home screen are "live" with data pushed to them unlike the current Android widgets that refresh at a interval. He said that he was able to watch emails as they come in populate the half screen widgets etc. Pretty cool.

The Motorola Xoom: $800 Unsubsidized, $600 for WiFi-only

There she is. The Motorola Xoom is hitting the market at a whooping $800 sans any carrier subsidize for the 3G version with the WiFi model fetching $600. The Moto’s CEO failed to state in the Reuters report when the Honeycomb tablets will go on sale — or pre-order for that matter — although it could be as early tomorrow. He also failed to address the nagging little disclaimer found in the Best Buy circular indicating that the WiFi will be locked without one month of VZW’s pricey data.

This pricing puts the 32GB Xoom nearly on par with the 32GB iPad. Both tablets ask $600 for the WiFi-only version while the 32GB 3G iPad is just slightly less at $730. Of course that’s for the first gen iPad, with things likely being slightly different for the iPad 2. Apple’s price points could stay very similar to the current model, but the storage level could increase, which would make the Xoom appear in a different tier altogether. It would still sell, though.

Also there is hardware GPS in the WiFi only version!

What's the difference between a WiFi-only Xoom tablet and one equipped with EV-DO Rev. A or HSPA bands? Just $200 and the radio chip within. Motorola just released the full spec sheets for its full lineup of Android Honeycomb tablets, and they're otherwise exactly the same inside. That goes for the Tegra 2 SOC, of course, but also surprisingly the GPS, which is often baked right into the cellular radio in mobile devices like these. Good on Motorola for keeping the functionality in!

[Klaus]

Good Xoom review:
Review

The Good

Blazing fast Tegra 2 dual-core processor
True multi-tasking (even under heavy load)
Class-leading 3D graphics performance
Silky smooth scrolling and animated transitions
Scrollable widgets
Super fast 4G LTE data connection from Verizon
Large, HD resolution display
Premium fit/finish and build quality
Front-facing and rear-facing (with LED flash) cameras
Built-in microphone for video chatting
HDMI-out with mirror mode for playing games, and web surfing on a TV
Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS is perfectly suited for tablets

The Bad

No 4G at launch
Smudge-tastic metal chassis
Pricey when purchased without contract
Lack of hardware buttons can be confusing
Honeycomb UI is not as intuitive as iOS (iPad)
No microSD card slot
No removable battery
Non-standard charging plug
Hard to seat tablet into optional dock