After a year of no updates, I have decided to finally get off my butt and post some thoughts on tablets as my return to the blogging realm.
I’m a hardcore Android fan through and through, but was very tempted to get an iPad 2 when it came out. It looked very cool, and very stylish with some awesome accessories like it’s new magnetic smart cover. Check out the vid for this on youtube. That alone will make you want to buy one!
But it always comes back to the “Walled Garden” concept for me. Apple always gives you a really cool gadget that you will like, but won’t be able to really tweak or pimp out the way you want, with software of your own choosing, or expandable as much as you want or need to expand. This works for most people, but not me. The lack of SD card support for more vid and music storage is also a huge stopping point for me (as I filled my 32gb iPod Touch in the blink of an eye).
So I started looking at the Xoom tablet by Motorola. It’s the newest Android tablet that runs Honeycomb, the Google operating system optimized for tablets. The price point of 799 for an unsubsidized version was pretty steep initially, so I waited. Now they are going to offer the WiFi version unsubsidized for anywhere from 539 – 599. Much more doable. And as it offers sd card support, USB cable connectivity, and a better front and back camera than the iPad it seemed like my dream come true tablet device. That is, until I went to Best Buy and actually tried one out for awhile.
So here are my thoughts on getting a tablet: unless you love all things Apple, WAIT and don’t get either!
The iPad is a great product. It feels good in the hand, has great screen clarity, and seems to be an optimal size for comfortable use. The Xoom on the other hand is really heavy. And this is the impressions of a guy who has big strong hands. I can’t even imagine what someone with smaller hands would do to comfortably manage this device off of a tabletop. The interface leaves something to be desired too. Apple has really cornered the market on slick interfaces that animate nicely from screen to screen and app to app. Xoom runs Honeycomb, the tablet Android OS. And though I do love me some Android, the visual sense I got from using the device was clunky. Nothing was very smooth or enticing. The clarity of the screen is great. But if you have to use a wonky interface to get to reading something that will allow you to enjoy that clarity, it ain’t gonna happen.
There’s also the issue of apps. It’s widely acknowledged that there are not many apps that have been optimized for
Android tablets. There are great apps for phones, like my Vibrant. But they don’t scale well at all. And with no immediate time line of when there might be a serviceable amount of offerings it makes the tablet a lot less usable for my tastes.
So given the deficits of the Xoom, and the overall deficit of expandability (on all fronts) for the iPad 2, I’ll wait to see what happens with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9. More to come on those shortly.
see? this is why we need you!! Yes, I’ll wait, and most likely for the iPad. . . apples are some seriously sexy product. thanks for the thoughtful review!
I would agree on most points. Like you I will not buy an ipad for a few more reasons than you. As a programmer I find apple’s objective C to be just plain awful and the lack of good dev tools to be a real turn off. Like you I ‘always’ tinker with my gadgets. Apple will always go out of their way to prevent it so that will always be a turn off. No slicker interface will be enough to sway me. For me the tablet I use has to be portable enough and light enough for long walks through a foreign city. Large tablets won’t work for that. My 11 inch laptop is more than enough for serious work. So for me there is no need to rush into a tablet.