Review of the Motorola Xoom Android Tablet PC

by Ted Summs


The Motorola Xoom tablet pc was was released 2011 and is a high-end Android Honeycomb tablet with an impressive specification for a slate computer.
Specification
Processor - Nvidia Tegra2 (Dual Cortex A9) - A processor is a vital component of a PC because it's the central processing unit of the tablet. Less powerful processors cope with standard slate PC apps but can freeze or slow the applications if a user has more than a few of applications operating at the same time. The poorer processors may perform jerkily with high-definition videos. The Nvidia Tegra2 is a strong enough processor so performs well on the Motorola Xoom.
Processor Speed - 1 GHz - The processor's speed is measured in GHz, the highest speeds are indicative of how able the processor could be at completing the requirements.
Operating System - Android 3.0 - An operating system is the software which takes your tablet unit and turns it into a usable PC that you can operate without substantial amounts of technical knowledge. In the slate PC world the best recalled OS are iOS, Windows and Android. Android 3.0 on the Motorola Xoom is the latest operating system update from Google and is tablet-optimised.
Screen Size - 10.1 inch - Slate PC devices tend to be sized between 7- and 10-inches (measured diagonally). 10-inch slate devices feature a larger screen therefore will be easier to utilise for activities such as web browsing, playing games or watching video. The 7-inch tablet devices are a smaller format so you have a more mobile device that is possible to fit in to a jacket pocket, however the trade off can be that text and video is somewhat more difficult to view on your slate display. 10-inch tablet devices are naturally weightier that 7-inch tablet PCs.
Screen Resolution - 1280 x 800 pixels - High screen resolutions provide a tablet PC user more pixels on the tablet display and a clear picture.
Screen Type - capacitive multi-touch - On a tablet PC the options are a capacitive or resistive display type. The great thing about a capacitive screen type is that it is they are highly responsive and are easier to operate versus a resistive slate display. Capacitive slate PC displays usually are multitouch allowing you to pinch-to-zoom to enlarge what's on the screen. Resistive displays are usually found on low spec tablets, they are fiddly to use and generally thought to be less modern.
Storage Memory - 32 GB - Longterm memory storage will keep larger amounts of data files such as documents, music and videos - memory can also store these files if your slate is powered down. On most devices you will possess an amount of internal memory built-in and current tablet PCs on the market will be giving you somewhere around 16GB and 64GB. The higher the GBs of memory a user gets the more you can store however, there will be a price to this. If you've a laptop then you will be able to transfer files and documents between computers
Connectivity - 3G / 4G capable - Connectivity refers to the options a slate PC has for getting online to the web. The most basic option is wireless only, this might well suit most users but restricts the alternatives to go on the internet to only if you're within the range of a Wireless signal. When you need to attach to a cellular or mobile data network then you'll need to get a 3G tablet PC. Modern slates can give an option to connect to the quicker 4G network as it grows in the coming years.
Cameras - 5MP Rear / 2MP WebCam - The options on cameras are a forward-facing WebCam for video conferencing and/or a back-facing camera for capturing stills and video. The higher the resolution (measured in megapixels) of the WebCam, the higher the quality of a picture.
Battery Life - 10 hours - A lot of notebook PCs will usually run out of power within 2-3 hours so longer battery life on a tablet is important if you are on a a substantial trip. Short battery power results in a deficiency in mobility of the tablet and ultimately these devices are made to work as mobile gadgets. 10 hours on the Motorola Xoom is particularly long for a battery to last for.
The Motorola Xoom performs very strongly and is a premium tablet PC. If you're considering buying a tablet PC, it's important to ensure you review it compared to other tablet PCs too.