Verizon unveils Xoom tablet running Android 3.0 at CES

Las Vegas Sun ^ | Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011 | 12:32 p.m. | Amanda Finnegan

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Verizon, Google and Motorola executives kicked off the official start of the Consumer Electronics Show and this year’s tablet craze with a product and partnership of their own to compete with Apple’s iPad.

The first tablet running Android 3.0, also known as Honeycomb, will be on the market in February, executives announced at Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg’s keynote Thursday. The Motorola Xoom tablet will be available exclusively on the Verizon network.

Mike Maclaren, a Google engineer, joined Verizon and Motorola executives on stage to give the audience a sneak peek at the features of the Xoom and some of the 160,000 apps Droid currently runs.

“We spent over a year rethinking Droid. We focused on everything people love about Droid and how to make it richer,” Maclaren said.

Maclaren said users will have a desktop experience on the 10.1-inch Xoom. They’ll be able to add tabs while browsing the Web and video chat with friends via Google Talk, along with other features of most laptops.

With the YouTube app, users can browse videos in a 3-D wall, which Maclaren demonstrated. The Google ebooks app on Honeycomb will allow users to mark their place in a book and continue reading on other Droid-based devices. The ebook app will automatically sync with other devices running Honeycomb, Maclaren said.

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Related thread with Xoom details:

Motorola's XOOM tablet officially announced

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Video of honeycomb:

Google's Android Honeycomb 3.0 on Video

[freedumb2003]

I have had my DroidPro and am absolutely in love with it.

Mrs. FD has an new iTouch so I do have a basis for comparison and I think the Droid has extended the UI in ways iPhone/Pad may not be able to.

But let the PDA and Tablet Wars heat up — we, the consumers, will be the winners.

[Richard Kimball]

True. I’ll probably not leave Apple because of the ecosystem, but Android coming up with good, viable products will spur development and lower prices.

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From

Motorola XOOM tablet announced

********************************EXCERPT************************************

Motorola Mobility on Wednesday announced the tablet countless Android fans have been waiting for. The Motorola XOOM is a 10.1-inch full touchscreen device with specs that look like they’ll line up pretty well with the rest of the Android slates we’ll be seeing at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Highlights include:

• Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS
• 10.1-inch widescreen HD display
• Dual-core 1GHz processor
• Full 1080p HD support with HDMI-out port
• 5-megapixel rear camera with 720p video capture
• 2-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat
• Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity (Verizon Wireless)
• 4G LTE compatibility with external modem attachment
• Available Bluetooth keyboard and dock accessories

The Motorola XOOM tablet will launch in the first quarter of 2011 in the U.S. Pricing has not yet been disclosed. Hit the break for Motorola’s full press release.

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From the comments at article linked at post #5:

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DaHarder 2 weeks ago

The 'naysayers' (aka haters) will predictably proclaim otherwise, but what Google appears to have accomplished here is a complete re-imagining of the tablet/slate/touch interface, and along with hardware manufacturers like Motorola, stand a good chance of leading the way to the future of (larger-screened) mobile computing.

I look forward to seeing what the competition will bring to Android 3.0/Honeycomb... but things are looking mighty 'tasty' so far.

Additionally: Bravo for having a full-sized SDHC card slot (they're less expensive, faster, and readily available in higher capacities), more tablets need to go this route.

[VanDeKoik]

Is it too much to ask for a wi-fi only version?

Maybe Palm or the Playbook will actually make that leap.

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From CNet:

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Motorola Xoom as a test for life beyond the iPad

January 15, 2011 4:42 PM PST

Is the iPad a one-hit wonder or will the tablet market take off broadly in 2011? That's the question Motorola's Xoom tablet will likely answer.

Motorola's Xoom may determine how real the broader tablet market is. (Credit: Motorola)

And this broader market, of course, includes Hewlett-Packard's WebOS tablet and RIM's PlayBook, among others. But Motorola's Xoom stands as the biggest potential consumer rival to the iPad 2 because Motorola is a first-tier supplier that has already competed mightily against Apple in the smartphone market (think Droid) and, more importantly, packs in plenty of eagerly awaited goodies, including: Google's Android Honeycomb operating system for tablets, a powerful dual-core processor, a high-resolution (1,280x800) display, dual cameras, and lest we forget, the Verizon 3G (and soon-to-come 4G) network.

That said, tucked into a research note I received on Friday from Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Rodman & Renshaw, was this morsel: "The magnitude of tablet opportunity beyond Apple is unclear." And he also writes that "we believe that iPad volumes in the current quarter will dry up ahead of the iPad 2 launch."

So, will we see long lines at Verizon stores the day of launch, like the iPad? Or has the tablet novelty worn off enough that it's not a line-forming impulse-buy anymore? And/or is it principally a phenomenon linked to the cachet of Apple products?

Based on my own experience, I believe that the media tablet is more than a one-hit wonder. The sheer utility of my iPad has cut my laptop use almost in half, as I've written before. (And the iPad trumps my iPhone too, in a number of respects, like mapping.)

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This Youtube is from CNet...6 minutes ...gives some idea of video response...:

CES 2011: Motorola Xoom tablet (hands-on)

[nickcarraway]

Wow, this looks way better than the iPad.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See the youtube linked at #9....it does Flash:

I have got to do something to replace my LG cellphone....

Wonder if I can rig up a Bluetooth with this for in the car usage for cellphone replacement..

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Another article:

Motorola Xoom Tablet, With Its Tablet-Optimized Android Honeycomb OS, Looks Like a Contender

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Motorola and Google take square aim at the iPad with an impressive new tablet

By John Mahoney Posted 01.05.2011 at 8:26 pm

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Specs wise, the Xoom sports a 10.1-inch 1280x800 screen, Verizon 3G onboard (which is actually upgradeable to 4G LTE later in the year), 1080p HD video playback and streaming, front and rear cameras for videochatting, and an SD card slot for additional storage.

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Processor Info:

NVIDIA Tegra 2

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Motorola promotional info....:

Xoom Features

[martin_fierro]

Mrs. F & I will soon have to upgrade on Verizon from the old BB Curve 8330s we're using now (is it just us, or do these "smartphones" seem to really start right when our contract is up for renewal? hmmmmmmm).

Here's why we're currently leaning toward Apple's iOS, rather than Android. Someone -- maybe even someone who knows what they're talking about -- will of course enlighten me as to why I'm wrong:

• APPLE iOS:
  • Has the advantage of only ~2 screen resolutions (iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad) that apps are programmed for
  • Apple infrastructure is tightly controlled, uniform
  • Apps aren't inherently tied to storing all your personal goodies on Google
• ANDROID:
  • As multiple different manufacturers' phones run Droid, there are numerous different screen resolutions that an app must be compatible with. Not all Android apps are compatible with all resolutions.
  • Different Android-running phones are released with varying different versions of the Android OS, and the most recent Android release may well not run on your phone
  • Android's default configuration/apps appear to be hell-bent on storing your personal information online with Google.
  • Based on my experiences with running Snow Leopard machines and Linux boxes at home, I have to say that the Apple user experience is, well, less clunky than Linux.

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Motorola has some accessories for a phone... ATRIX... which also seem to be available for the XOOM...like a wireless keyboard....and a speaker dock and a charging dock.

And a more protective case....

See link at #14.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I am of no help...I am in the wannabe camp....

[freedumb2003]

I haven’t had to store an iota of data on Google. I created an ID, yes, but it was throwaway for just handling apps.

And the Android “Market” is a lot easier to use than iTunes.

I haven’t seen much compatibility problems across screen resolutions so far and I do know that the Android platform is a lot less mature than iPhone, but they do behave nicely when I get them.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Maybe HP with the WebOS will do that.

The carriers want you on their network,.

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Related thread....info from Anandtech:

NVIDIA's Tegra 2 Take Two: More Architectural Details and Design Wins