Skip to main content

Ipad 2 Vs DroidXyboard (Motorola Xoom)


Droid Xyboard vs. iPad 2: how the specs compare

Less than a year after Motorola released the original Xoom, they are already giving us the Xoom 2 — known in the US as the Droid Xyboard. But while the original launched with hot anticipation as the first Honeycomb tablet, this sequel’s release is largely falling on deaf ears. That’s due in no small part to the original’s buggy software and hardware, which Motorola took over six months to remedy.
The original Xoom is the classic example of why you want to take tech specs with grains of salt. Its specs compared favorably to the iPad 2′s, but reviewers and customers found it to fall short overall. It was no iPad killer: the only thing it killed was the hope for a competitive tablet market in 2011.
The tablet will also come in a smaller 8.2 inch form factor, but this comparison only includes the larger Droid Xyboard 10.1.
Here’s how Motorola’s new tablet looks next to Apple’s market leader:

Design and dimensions

The most obvious difference is that the Droid Xyboard is primarily a landscape tablet, and the iPad 2 is primarily a portrait tablet. In turn, the Xoom is longer and the iPad is wider. Thickness is equal.
The Xyboard is a hair lighter, at 599 grams to the iPad’s 601 grams.

Display

The Xyboard has a slightly larger display, slightly higher resolution, and slightly higher pixel density.

Processor

Motorola switched from the NVIDIA Tegra 2 in the Xoom to a Texas Instruments OMAP 4 in the Xoom 2.
Both tablets have dual-core processors. The Xyboard is clocked slightly higher than the iPad 2.

RAM

The Xyboard doubles the iPad 2′s memory with 1GB.

Storage


The iPad presents more options for internal storage. Both tablets lack SD card support.

Battery

Be skeptical, for the Xyboard’s uptime is unconfirmed. Apple is known for giving conservative battery life estimates, while most other manufacturers list the highest number they can justify.

Camera

The cameras in the iPad 2 are cheap. The rear camera in the Xyboard is surprisingly good (for a tablet). The 1.3MP front camera in the Xyboard has higher resolution than the iPad’s primary camera.

Intangibles


Will the Xyboard get Ice Cream Sandwich? According to Motorola it will, but no firm release date has been set. The original Xoom launched without working LTE or SD card support, and it took over six months to fulfill both of those promises. Android 4.0 fans, buy with caution.
If the tech specs of these tablets look similar, intangibles are where the iPad 2 establishes its superiority. The App Store, iOS 5, and iCloud are huge boons for the iPad. iOS also has a much larger library of tablet-optimized apps than Android does.

Summing up

You get the sense that Motorola is trying to call for a re-do with the Xyboard. There is nothing revolutionary here, just slightly upgraded specs. The angular edges make for more comfortable holding, but many customers will think it’s ugly.
The biggest strike against the iPad 2 is that the iPad 3 will be here in three months. It should double its predecessor’s resolution, and have a faster A6 chip. Otherwise its app ecosystem and more mature firmware (at least for now) make it the superior choice.
The Xyboard looks good on paper, but the original Xoom looked good on paper — and we saw how that turned out. If specs are what you want, it’s trumped by the quad-core Asus Transformer Prime. The Xyboard is a niche device, lacking anything to make it stand out.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ipad apps: AppStart Review

AppStart For iPad Review Free for a limited time only , AppStart for iPad is a terrific app by the folks over at  AppAdvice.com  that’s meant to serve as a starter guide for new iPad users and owners. The promotion is only available for a limited time as customers flock to pick up their iPad 2s this week. Whether you’ve had your iPad since launch day or you just picked one up, AppStart For iPad is a detailed and comprehensive guide for the most popular and useful ways to utilize your iPad in addition to recommending a few apps to get your feet wet. When you first open the app, the home screen is displayed in a clean grid of buttons for you to tap-in and find out everything there is to do with the iPad. Each grid-box allows you to open up a mini-guide for how you can use your iPad as an eReader, home theater, radio, nightstand, magazine, or social media hub. Within each mini-guide, the folks over at App-Advice also throw in their suggestions for both free and paid apps that re...

Ipad 2 Accesories

Zagg have done it again and released what we are excited to say is the seasons MUST HAVE iPad accessory: The  ZAGGmate iPad case with keyboard . It’s not often that we get entirely blown away by an accessory for the iPad, but this one has left us shell shocked and in awe. The perfect compliment to your iPad, this is the first iPad keyboard case combo that we have seen yet that has done it right. In fact, it’s the best bluetooth keyboard we’ve seen to date as well! It’s so right and so perfect that we already wonder how we ever used our iPad without it! Check out the review below… ZAGGmate with Keyboard The iPad’s New Best Friend Our first impression of the ZAGGmate was: “Where’s the rest of it?” This iPad case is unlike anything else we’ve seen on the market to date and the designers at Zagg worked hard to literally rethink what an iPad case could be. This is an iPad case that doesn’t cover the whole iPad, but rather just covers the iPad’s screen, and leaves the back of the tablet...

Ipad 2 Apps: Skyfire Web browser Review

Ipad 2 Apps: Skyfire Web browser Review Skyfire for the iPad made headlines when it was first released, due to its ability to play Flash videos on a device previously void of this popular technology. Users flocked to the App Store, eager to drop five bucks for the chance to view their favorite clips, shows, and movies on their iPad. Not only did the browser play these videos, but the integrated video compression saved a significant amount of bandwidth for people on a restricted data plan. The initial excitement wore off quickly, though, as complaints were rampant about many sites not playing videos as expected. Since its inception Skyfire has certainly improved in this area, now claiming support for over 200,000 websites containing Flash. The dissenters will always be there as not every Flash video on the Web will be playable, even if the developers at Skype Labs remain diligent. Some of the backlash is warranted to a certain extent. If I paid $4.99 with the intent of viewi...