OMG/JK: A Kiss For iPad 2, A Slap For Xoom — with Video discussion and Review

TechCrunch ^ | March 5, 2011 | MG Siegler

[Swordmaker]

It’s war!

This week, I went to the unveiling of the iPad 2 and got some hands-on time with the device afterwards. Meanwhile, Jason bought a Xoom and has been extensively testing it out. The consensus? iPad 2: Good. Xoom: Bad. At least for now. I haven’t extensively played with iPad 2 yet, and Google is undoubtedly going to patch the Xoom. But still, first impressions are key.

Jason and I discuss these two products in depth in this week’s episode of OMG/JK, and we also dive into the upcoming group messaging war that is likely to break out at SXSW next week. Now that Facebook has bought Beluga and really kicked everything into a frenzy, the ultimate winners are far from clear.

Watch the episode above and check out some of the links below for more details on what we talk about.

[AFreeBird]

I’m a Linux user too. There’s a lot to be said for the OSS system, and there’s also a lot of pitfalls.

A lot of people complain about the walled garden approach Apple has in regards to the App Store. Personally, I like it. It gives me some piece of mind to know that apps have been tested and vetted before they hit my system. My iPhone is first and foremost, a phone. A critical device. One device who’s functionality I would not like to see compromised by malware.

It would really suck to have to start running anti-virus/malware software on your phone or tablet. Don’t you think?

Personally, I think were far too lenient on virus/malware creators.

I’m thinking summary execution is more in order.

But that’s just me.

[surely_you_jest]

That’s a nasty accusation for someone that has been registered here for an entire week.

[kevkrom]

Personally, I think were far too lenient on virus/malware creators. I’m thinking summary execution is more in order.

I'm more of the "cruel and unusual punishment" mindset -- put them on help desk for clueless users. They're released based on the number of people they actually manage to help.

[AFreeBird]

Naw... Cruel and unusual would be something along the lines of: tying them down on top of a red ant hill in the midday FLA sun.

[antiRepublicrat]

Objectivity is not part of the process.

True. When Apple slips up it's a big thing, when the others do, not so much. Foxconn suicides, presented as an Apple problem although Foxconn manufactures for HP, Dell and others too. All phones have antenna attenuation when gripped a certain way, Apple's hits front page. Other manufacturers' phones are literally falling apart, doesn't hit the news.

[Cementjungle]

They're all just gadgets, in a world full of gadgets. They'll all be completely obsolete in a couple of years. I buy my stuff for it's cost/benefit ratio, and for me Apple stuff has always been overpriced, over-hyped and over-worshipped. The stuff I use instead is practical, and cost-effective. I don't need or want to acquire labels for their “cool factor”... ain't my style.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Does Apple Pay FR to run Ads,

Yes, each of us Fanbois get $100 for every favorable comment.

[zeugma]

I got to agree with you here on FR, there has been few if any user experiences posted about Android devices.

I'll see if I can get my wife to write something up. She likes hers.  I'd like to see more side-by-side comparisons of the functions of the tablets that people actually use as opposed to what they think is cool, or think they'll use.

From what I've seen so far, the Android tablets serve a specific niche of the market. Wife uses hers primarily as a book reader with some light web/email usage. I think the smaller form factor makes them a better choice for me (I use a Nook Color), as i want something that is much more the size of a paperback, than a full-sized tablet.

I don't have anything against the iPad specifically, and would probably enjoy using one if I had it, but it's not something I need at the moment. I'm just glad that there is plenty of choice out there. Having Apple and Android competing head-to-head in the marketplace is great for those of us who just dig the tech. I'm sure that like everything else, some with prefer one, and some will prefer the other.

[antiRepublicrat]

I buy my stuff for it's cost/benefit ratio

I do too. That's why I switched to Mac a few years ago. I would have bought an iPhone, by far the best value in itself, but it wasn't the best value for me when coupled with AT&T.

[CharacterCounts]

The consensus? iPad 2: Good. Xoom

Far too simplistic.

I have followed both (as well as the upstart "Notion Ink" lately because I am considering getting one.

Here is my take: In specs and operating system - Xoom is better - for now.

In apps - Ipad is far superior - for now.

For roll out - Ipad wins handily.

The Xoom roll-out is almost going to guarantee it will not be a serious competitor. As another poster comment who want to buy a Verizon plan just to get free WiFi. Also, the added features are not enough even though they are comparable to the most expensive Ipad don't justify the purchase. Essentially, Motorola wrote off everyone that wants a more basic tablet (which is a big share of the Ipad market. If they wanted to be a serious competitor they needed a second model priced lower than $499.00.

Even though I am not 100% happy with the Ipad, I am going to make it my choice primarily because of the Apps.

[Swordmaker]

Here is Ars Technica’s Review of the Xoom...

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/reviews/2011/03/ars-reviews-the-motorola-xoom.ars/

I can’t post the article on FR, because it’s Conde Nast and prohibited. But they have a lot of negatives to say!

[antiRepublicrat]

Here is my take: In specs and operating system - Xoom is better - for now

The SD card doesn't work due to OS limitations, the OS has stability issues, poor browser rendering, weak email client, 4G is missing, no Flash. The product screams "rushed to market." The lack of 4G is especially telling. It will be available for install in a couple of months. That means they knew the iPad 2 was coming out and had to get this on the market before that, even if the product wasn't finished yet.

I do see some serious potential though.

[CharacterCounts]

The SD card doesn't work due to OS limitations, the OS has stability issues, poor browser rendering, weak email client, 4G is missing, no Flash.

Yes, I compared that to the Ipad 2 which has no SD card, a slower OS, and no 4G. That is why I added the words for now.

I am really hoping for some real competition to the Ipad, just to bring prices down, but I think by the time Xoom and others fully enable their features, Ipad3 will be out with a superior OS and maybe an SD slot.

Another reason I am going with the Ipad2 is it has a full year of public testing without any real complaints. In other words, I have confidence it will perform as expected without any glitches.

As for rushed to market - it does look like they went out of their way to have the Xoom on the street before the Ipad2 was released.

[antiRepublicrat]

Yes, I compared that to the Ipad 2 which has no SD card, a slower OS, and no 4G. That is why I added the words for now.

For now it's inferior, especially to people who considered 4G, SD card and Flash as desirable features. For them, it will likely be superior in the future. What do you mean about slower OS?

[CharacterCounts]

People can argue about the OS forever, but from my reading, the Honeycomb 3.0 OS is probably superior.

[Cementjungle]

Personally, I don’t even expect to get a tablet for a few years. I have a desktop, I have a laptop, and I have an Android phone. Between those three, my needs are more than covered.

[antiRepublicrat]

People can argue about the OS forever, but from my reading, the Honeycomb 3.0 OS is probably superior.

I think it's going to have some quite desirable features when it's ready for prime-time, probably late this year. But as far as speed, I doubt it will ever equal iOS, which runs native and gets to be highly optimized for its limited hardware base (especially GPU leveraging for common tasks).

[Swordmaker]

Ars Technica's creative director posted this micro photo in the comments section to show that the Xoom's supposedly "superior" resolution screen was NOT superior at all... In fact, it is nowhere near superior!

"I also found the Xoom screen almost grainy, the pixel grid is too apparent to the naked eye. You don't really notice it so much on a photo, or something with a lot of tonal changes, but on say a white background like Google or an eBook you see faint pixel grid lines. We decided to not include this photo in the Xoom review, but I took this closeup shot of both screens with a 100mm Canon macros lens, same image on both, same distance from camera (tripod), same area of the image focused on. To my eye that Xoom pixel grid explains why I see it from a normal distance too, it's just a much larger gap:

I could talk about a lot of other things I didn't care for, but for me personally and my tablet uses (YMMV) the screen was already a non-starter.

[ThunderSleeps]

It would really suck to have to start running anti-virus/malware software on your phone or tablet. Don’t you think?

Definitely. That's one of the reasons I run Linux - is so I don't have to give up disk space and cycles to AV software, wait for email up/down-loads, etc.

Personally, I think were far too lenient on virus/malware creators.
I’m thinking summary execution is more in order.

Or imprisoned for life with nothing but an old VAX 11/780, one dumb terminal, and a buggy FORTRAN compiler. ;-)

[raybbr]

My wife bought a Cruze Micro Tablet with Android 2.0. It was awful. It kept going back to the homepage and would not play an Mpeg4 video that I processed five different ways. Sent it back to QVC and is getting a full refund.

Saw that Toshiba has a tablet coming out. Curious about that one as I have nothing but nice things to say about my Toshiba laptops.