Motorola Xoom

Features The Motorola Xoom belongs to the first generation of Android tablets where all of the specs are more or less identical. It’s got the same dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, front and rear cameras and 10.1″ 1280×800 display as all the others, along with 32GB of internal storage. It’s all getting a bit boring, to be honest, but there are a few minor differences that set it apart. While you can’t swing a dead TouchPad these days without hitting yet another Honeycomb tablet, there aren’t too many that are 3G-enabled like the Xoom. And if you insist on comparing it to the iPad, both the Wi-Fi and 3G flavours of the Xoom have GPS built-in, whereas only the more expensive 3G version of the iPad has this. The Xoom originally shipped with Android Honeycomb 3.0, but the latest over-the-air software update boosts this to 3.1. It’s not the latest version of Honeycomb, which is 3.2, but the difference between those two versions is negligible from what we can gather. The bigger difference is between 3.0 and 3.1, which enables the missing microSD card support, adds resizable widgets on the homescreen, additional apps in the multi-tasking panel, USB support for keyboards, digital cameras and other input devices, and updates to the core set of apps. When arguing the merits of a Honeycomb tablet over the iPad, the latter’s lack of microSD card slot, USB, built-in HDMI and Flash support are typically the main advantages brought up. The Xoom offers all four of these, but the USB implementation is a bit spotty. You’ll need to track down a micro-USB adapter to turn the built-in slot into full USB, and even if you manage to find an adapter (your best bet is eBay), it only works for wired keyboards and game controllers. Honeycomb does support USB host for transferring files from flash drives, digital cameras and memory card readers, so we’re not quite sure why Motorola has left this functionality off the menu.