Motorola to sell cheaper version of Xoom tablet

Motorola Mobility Inc. has said that it will sell a cheaper version of its Xoom tablet computer that's geared toward families. The device will be available starting Sunday and will only be sold at Best Buy Co. stores.

Like the existing Xoom, the Xoom Family Edition has a touch screen that measures 10.1 inches at the diagonal, a dual-core processor, front and rear cameras and runs Google Inc.'s tablet-geared Android software, Honeycomb. It has less memory though: 16 gigabytes, compared with 34 gigabytes on the existing Xoom. Motorola said Family Edition will cost $379 - $120 less than what the cheapest Xoom currently costs - and it will come with a number of family-friendly apps built in.

It's unclear how long the Xoom Family Edition will keep its lower price tag, though: In a press release, Motorola called it a "limited-time value price."

As more companies enter the burgeoning tablet market in hopes of competing with Apple Inc.'s extremely popular iPad, the pressure is on to drop prices in order to woo consumers.

HTC prepares Flyer, Stylus-based iPad 2 rival

With the launch of Apple's new iPad 2 imminent, companies like Samsung are rethinking about their tablet strategy, while deep discounts are expected for Motorola's Xoom tablet. But HTC, the company responsible for the Evo 4G and Droid Incredible smartphones, has already lined up a million orders for its new Flyer tablet from retailers and carriers.

That number may not be the best comparison point. Samsung moved 2 million of its tablets to retailers, while Apple sold that many iPads in just 60 days. But the HTC Flyer has some interesting features to recommend it, perhaps even over the iPad 2.

The Stylus is the draw..
Windows-based tablets of old, like Palm Pilots, needed a pen-shaped stylus to interact with their pressure-sensitive touchscreens. You could use your fingers, but it wasn't as precise and you needed to apply more pressure. Capacitive touchscreens like the iPad's, meanwhile, are sensitive to body heat, making them easy to use with your fingers but hard to draw or write on.

The HTC Flyer features the best of both worlds: It has a capacitive, multitouch screen like the iPad 2's, but it also comes with a working stylus accessory for drawing and taking notes. An app syncs your drawings with the online Evernote service, and the built-in e-reader app lets you highlight and annotate books. And despite the Flyer's 7-inch screen size - making it about the same size as a Kindle, or half the size of the iPad 2 - it recognizes when you've got your hand on the screen while drawing.

Content and apps..
Since it's powered by Google's "organic," open-source Android operating system and meets Google's hardware requirements, the HTC Flyer will let you buy apps from the Android Market, which has over 150,000 at last count. It will have its own "HTC Watch" movie store, for access to video content; and apps for Pandora Internet radio, Amazon's MP3 store, and Jamendo's free Creative Commons music are all available in the market.

The downside, of course, is that it doesn't have access to iTunes or the iTunes App Store. There are already 65,000 apps designed just for the iPad, whereas very few Android apps have been designed with tablets in mind. Now that Android has seen its 3.0 "Honeycomb" release, though, which was made for tablets, more tablet apps are on the way and while the HTC Flyer isn't shipping with Honeycomb, HTC has tweeted that an upgrade to Honeycomb will be available soon.

Live video gaming..
Perhaps the Flyer's most interesting feature, besides its stylus interface, is its integration with the OnLive gaming service. OnLive lets you stream games to your PC or television using a controller and a high-speed Internet connection, and it will be built into the Flyer at launch. No word yet on how well it performs, though.

As another possible downside, the pen input feature didn't seem quite mature when the Flyer was introduced last month, plus there's no silo to store the pen in. Worse, it requires its own batteries. The feature of having one, though, may be compelling on its own if HTC works the bugs out; and my personal experience with HTC products has been that they're extremely well-made.

Coming soon..
No release date for the HTC Flyer has been given. But, Sprint is rumored to be debuting an Evo-branded tablet at the CTIA Wireless conference this month.

Apple iPad 2 Competitors at a glance

The Apple iPad 2, announced March 2, is hitting shelves March 11 with the updated iOS 4.3, a year after the April 2010 original iPad was released. Both the iPad 2 hardware and software updates promise users a better overall user experience.

New iPad 2 Features, Old iPad Pricing
The iPad 2 offers HDMI mirroring, FaceTime Chat, advanced browsing, and iTunes Home Sharing, one front facing and one rear facing camera-finally-but still no flash. iPad 2 also has an in-the-box "extra," a USB Dock Connector; the original iPad did not offer these features. iPad 2 comes with the improved Apple A5 processor, and its battery will still last about 10 hours. However, the iPad 2 uses the same 9.7-inch screen and 1024-pixel by 768-pixel resolution as the original, so the iPhone's retina display technology is not included.

The iPad 2 sells at original iPad prices, from $499 to $699 for Wi-Fi, but the Wi-Fi + 3G versions cost $130 more per unit, and storage has not changed. The Wi-Fi + 3G CDMA version will sell in the U.S. at Verizon only; otherwise, all versions will be available at AT&T and Verizon. Here is a sneak peak at the competitors.

Motorola ZOOM Tablet PC:
The Motorola XOOM runs the newest Android OS, Honeycomb 3.0, features a 10.1-inch screen, 1200-pixel by 800-pixel resolution, true multitasking, and a 16:9 widescreen HD display. In comparison, the iPad 2 only allows some multitasking in the background and its resolution equates to a ratio of 4:3. The XOOM is one of the only tablets of this size that has a battery lasting as long as the iPad 2 at 10 hours.

Xoom also offers two cameras, and LED flash; a Micro USB port and an HDMI out connector are standard, while a Tegra 2 Dual Core CPU powers the device. The Motorola XOOM debuted at the 2011 CES, where it took home the "Best of Show" award for its intriguing design and features, making it a great iPad 2 competitor. The XOOM is available from Verizon for $800 or $600 with a two-year contract; not much different from the iPad 2 models offering half the features.

T-Mobile LG G-Slate:
This LG G-Slate, announced at the 2011 CES, is another Android Honeycomb 3.0 tablet, this time from T-Mobile. Even though the G-Slate only offers an 8.9-inch touchscreen display, it makes up for it by offering a 3D experience. The G-Slate features not two, but three cameras; two cameras are rear facing, one for use with video, and the other for stills and LED flash for both, and one front facing camera for chat. The tablet also allows HDMI out for 1080p compatible video natively; something the iPad 2 is still has not gotten right just yet. A Dual core Tegra 2 processor powers the tablet, while it is available in either a 32 GB or 64 GB version, all of which include Google Mobile apps such as Google Maps, Talk, and Video. It will be available from T-Mobile, but prices are not yet public.

ASUS Eee Slate EP121 Tablet PC:
The ASUS Eee Slate Tablet PC offers more features than iPad 2 does. It runs the desktop Microsoft Windows 7 version, powered by an Intel Core i5 CPU and Intel-based HD graphics system. The Eee Slate has a huge 12.1-inch, 1280-pixel by 800-pixel resolution display, a full 2.3-inches larger than the iPad 2. Eee Slate has dual card reader compatible with SD and MMC, two built-in USB ports, a mini HDMI out port, a Bluetooth Keyboard, and a Pen Stylus. While a tad expensive, the extra features are worth the $999.

Worth watching for Apple
Even though iPad 2 is may become as popular as the original, Apple should worry about competitors, since iPad 2 is still missing features included on other tablet PC models that debuted at the 2011 CES in Jan. 2011. With Android in second place ahead of Apple in platform market share, iOS 4.3 also needs more than "faster browsing," if it hopes to compete. The standard features of these tablets are nowhere to be seen on an iPad 2, and prices are comparable.

20 Android apps for Motorola Xoom

Tapping into Android apps on the Motorola Xoom tablet literally introduces a new dimension to Google’s mobile operating experience.

While the distinction between apps on tablets and smartphones on Android devices is less pronounced than what exists between the iPad and iPhone as well as the iPod touch, there are a handful of great Android apps for the Motorola Xoom that one should consider downloading right out of the box. Here are some of them to consider…

Great games on the Xoom..
Shortly before the Xoom’s February 24 release date, Zynga’s immensely popular game Words With Friends debuted on Android’s devices. The Scrabble-like game, which is free, is much better suited to the tablet form factor than on any smartphone. Battle other wordsmiths in the living room or match your skills against a random stranger in another part of the globe.

If you are more of a fan of action games, than dual-stick shooter Gun Bros is a great free title to download to the Xoom. Games optimized for the Xoom like Gun Bros should inspire independent developers to invest more time and resources in the Android space.

While Angry Birds is addictive on any device, Android users will love tapping into this transformative game in tablet form on the Xoom.

Customizing your Xoom with these apps..
There is a reason why Beautiful Widgets, which lets users customize clock, weather date and other functions on their device, is one of the best paid Android apps of all time. Make the Xoom your own with this $2.99 application.

Androidify is a playful app officially developed by Google that lets users dress up the little green character and then share variations with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. With the Xoom, the little guy can get an extra large wardrobe.

Apps to entertain on the big screen..
Before watching a flick or television show on your Xoom or a bigger screen, check out trailers, showtimes and TV listings with the iconic IMDb Movies and TV Android app.

Conan O’Brien may have been relegated to basic cable after being dismissed from The Tonight Show, but his humor translates well in interactive and mobile media environments. The free Team Coco Android app offers clips, outtakes, and behind-the-scenes footage of Conan’s steadily popular TBS show.

For the kiddies, Dr. Seuss titles on tablets beautifully reproduce his classic books and offer interactive features and compelling narration. The Lorax - Dr Seuss, at $2.99, may forever change storytime in your house.

Informative apps that offer the bigger picture..
A great showcase for Honeycomb, the CNN App for Android includes live video, breaking news and the user-generated iReport feature.

The free Pulse News Reader should satisfy even the most voracious news junkie. Consuming this app on the Xoom is a qualitatively different experience than tapping into it on a smartphone. While smartphones are ideal for news on-the-go, reading articles on the tablet version of Pulse News Reader may finally motivate you to suspend subscriptions to all print publications.

Multi-tasking in the kitchen becomes a whole lot easier and enjoyable with the $4.99 Mario Batali Cooks Android app on the Xoom.

The free Medscape app powered by healthcare professionals and might be the most favored Xoom app for hypochondriacs.

Xoom apps that rock..
The Xoom offers best-in-class audio fidelity for tablets and is a great home for your musical library. As far as applications are concerned, the free Soundcloud app is worth taking up to 11, while Chord! (Guitar Chord Finder) may have you permanently retire from air guitar and try on the real thing.

The app for Android app discovery..
With more than 200,000 Android apps available, it’s hard to sort through which titles are best for you. The newly updated Appolicious AndroidApps.com app, which runs beautifully on the Xoom, makes finding apps easy and enjoyable. You can find out which apps your Facebook friends own, discover hot new apps that hit the market, and read reviews, compilations and industry news and analysis from our staff of professional writers. Sure, we’re biased, but the free Appolicious Android app is also favored by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

Also worth downloading to your Xoom are..
Google Earth: There is a reason Motorola executives were showing off this app when the Xoom was announced at CES earlier this year. You’ll know why once you download it.

Twitter: The official Twitter app for Android outperforms all independent clients on the Xoom so far.

ESPN iScore Baseball: Who needs a printed program at the ballgame anymore after downloading this $9.99 app from ESPN?

TurboTax SnapTax: While it’s nice to know that taxes can be done on a smartphone, it’s not exactly the most convenient tool to get your accounting in order by, or before, April 15. Doing taxes on the Xoom, while not fun, is a lot easier with this free application.

Motorola Xoom Wi-Fi priced at $730 in UK

The primary concern that tech enthusiasts have had about the Motorola Xoom tablet is its price. Worries stem not only from how much it will cost, but how that cost will compare to Apple’s iPad, the Xoom’s most obvious direct competitor.

Motorola has officially unveiled the price of its Wi-Fi-only Xoom tablet PC: £450, or around $730. That puts the price of the Xoom Wi-Fi at £60 less than the going rate for the 32GB Wi-Fi-only iPad, and only £10 more than the 16GB iPad.

Additionally, T-Mobile Germany - which has exclusive carrier rights to the Xoom in that country - has also announced the Xoom’s price: €699.95 for the Wi-Fi + 3G model. This puts the Xoom at only 95 Euro cents above the 32GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad.

Reports from the middle of February indicate that the Xoom will be priced at $799 for the Wi-Fi + 3G model, available only through Verizon Wireless, and $600 for the Wi-Fi-only version.

Both models of the Motorila Xoom run on Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and measure 10.1-inches - slightly larger than the iPad - with a 1280×800 resolution display. The Xoom is powered by the 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, comes loaded with 1GB DDR2 RAM, and includes 32GB of internal storage for all models. The Motorola tablet also comes with two cameras, one front-facing (2MP), one back-facing (5MP), with an LED flash.

Motorola's Xoom iPad: 1st to pack Android 3.0 Honeycomb

When Steve Jobs strode onstage and unveiled the iPad in January of 2010, the news left nearly every other big computer and consumer-electronics maker racing to get into the tablet market that Jobs' iPad had suddenly created.

And the competition turned out to be a marathon. More than a year later, we're still talking about tablets that are huffing and puffing their way towards the showroom floor. There's RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook, slated to arrive by the end of March. HP's Web OS-based TouchPad is due this summer. And dozens of other models are on their way. The pace has been so plodding that Apple's second-generation iPad, will apparently beat most other companies' first-generation models to market.

Then there's Motorola's Xoom, which goes on sale at Verizon retail locations, (today, Thursday). It's the first honest-to-goodness, no-qualifications-necessary iPad rival from a major manufacturer to hit stores. That's in large part because it's also the first to pack Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the operating system that Google designed specifically with tablets in mind. The Xoom has its fair share of raw edges, but it's a great leap beyond earlier Android-based tablets such as Samsung's Galaxy Tab, which took the unsatisfying shortcut of using earlier versions of Android that were meant for smartphones.

Verizon will sell the Xoom for $799.99, a hefty $300.99 premium over the current iPad's starting price of $499; you can get a $200 discount if you commit to two years' worth of data service. The pricing disparity between Motorola and Apple isn't as alarming as it looks at first blush, though. With its built-in Verizon wireless connection and 32GB of storage, the Xoom is most directly comparable to the $729 AT&T version of the iPad. And it has far beefier specs than any Apple tablet, including a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 1GB of RAM, and two cameras - a 2-megapixel model up front for Google Talk video calls and a 5-megapixel one in back for taking snapshots and capturing HD video.

The Xoom will also be a 4G wireless device, thanks to Verizon's zippy LTE network - but not until the second quarter of this year, according to Motorola. For now, it comes with 3G and the promise of a free upgrade. That's one of several telltale signs that it was rushed out the door. Adobe's Flash Player software, which will let Xoom owners get at Flash Web videos and games that don't work on the iPad, won't be ready for a few weeks. And there's a dormant slot for MicroSD memory cards that Motorola plans to enable it in an upcoming software update.

Even if the Xoom is a work in progress, it already does many things well. The tablet is sheathed in a plastic case rather than the iPad's aluminum, but it's pleasing to the eye and touch; slightly thinner than the iPad, the Xoom tips the scales at an identical 1.6 pounds. It also out-iPads the iPad by doing away with even that tablet's single physical button on the front. However, there's a button on the back - the power switch.

The display measures 10.1" diagonally, giving it a skosh more elbow room and more pixels than the iPad's 9.7" screen. When you meet a Xoom in person, though, the most striking difference is aspect ratio, not size. Apple's tablet has a 4:3 display that's reminiscent of a book or magazine; Motorola's has a 16:10 widescreen that makes it look more like a miniature HDTV.

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.