Motorola Xoom Review Roundup: The Critics Weigh-in

24.02.2011
Motorola's Xoom tablet is the first true challenger to Apple's iPad, in that it runs an operating system designed for tablets -- Android 3.0, or Honeycomb -- and is comparably-sized with a 10.1-inch display. And after months of hype, it's finally available at Verizon Wireless stores and ready to be picked over by the tech press.

Here's what reviewers are saying about the Motorola Xoom:

Look and Feel

The Xoom has a 10.1-inch, 1280-by-800 resolution display. Compared to an iPad, it's taller and narrower thanks to the widescreen format and smaller bezel, but it weighs about the same. "The weight is manageable for periods of two-handed operation, but intolerable for extended one-handed operation," .

Over at Time magazine, Harry McCracken : "The iPad's less exaggerated dimensions are superior for reading e-books and other text-centric tasks. But in landscape orientation, the Xoom's extra space makes for comfier typing on the on-screen keyboard. It's also well-proportioned for HD movies."

As for that thin bezel, GigaOM's Kevin Tofel . "Even my small fingers only just fit and on a few occasions, I've unintentionally tapped the screen when I thought I was touching the bezel," he wrote.