Motorola Xoom Review

Once considered mainly a recreational/entertainment tool, tablets are quickly making their way into the business world as more and more industries are finding ways to put the devices to use. Whether it’s a car salesman looking to accelerate the sales process before a buyer gets cold feet, or a contractor accessing material costs right from the job site, tablets are starting to make an impact.

The Apple iPad has led the way in terms of sales, but competitors aren’t standing idly by. Recently, Robert Scoble reviewed the new Motorola Xoom, scheduled for release tomorrow, and compared it side-by-side to the iPad.

A self-described “iPad freak”, Scoble was surprised to find several features of the Xoom superior to the iPad. “Multi-tasking on the Motorola is much, much better than the iPad,” explains Scoble. “The other thing I’ve noticed is the common Google apps are much better on the Xoom. Gmail is the full version and Google Maps has turn-by-turn navigation, which it doesn’t have on the iOS devices — not yet, at least.” Calendaring and contacts through Google also function better on the Xoom, and the screen resolution is superior, according to Scoble.

It’s not all bad news for the iPad, however, as Apple still has a big advantage in one area. “Apple is still winning on apps,” says Scoble, “and that’s going to be a huge problem this year for the Android devices.” Additionally, Apple will undoubtedly be addressing concerns and adding features with the much anticipated release of the iPad 2, rumored to be right around the corner.