Bteljuice

As already stated, it all depends on how you intend to you the device and what OS you are running on your Laptop/pc/phone.
You really want a device where you can sync everything all together (having different OS can sync together, however certain details and aspects will overlap/glitch/miss or not be featured).

That being said, you have to look into history as well. iOS on tablets has been out for a over year now. When the iPad was first released, it had the same problem, a few apps were developed to work on a tablet. Few month later, more and more developers started to make their apps compatible with the tablet when they saw the sales went to the Roof (in the end, it's in the benefit of the developers, more money).

Now the first Android tablet was released by Samy, however, the OS was not compatible for the tablet itself (Even Google had announced that the OS was not compatible). Developers didn't bother themselves to spend time and resources for 1 tab that isn't even compatible with its OS. So Moto Xoom with Android 3.0 IS actually the first REAL ANDROID TABLET as 3.0 is the OFFICIAL Android tablet OS. Now that MORE AND MORE Android tablets are being released, Android Tablets are booming dramatically, so give it a few month and you ll get as many Apps as you wish for Tablets.

If you tend to play games, hands down, iPad 2 is a sure win, No questions asked, No doubts about it. In terms of CPU, GPU, Battery, nothing beats it.

For efficiency, go with Android tablets. Not having usb port, hdmi or microsd card is kind of a killer. Also both cameras are bad considering it's a second generation Tablet.

swajames

Strong rumors today that Motorola is having to scale back production on the Xoom. It doesn't appear to be flying off the shelves...

Either way, the specs you quote, Jad, may appeal to you - but the marketplace as a whole really doesn't seem to care too much about these things. Not in the slightest (although you can, of course output the iPad2 to HDMI and you can add USB if you want to).

The iPad2 (and its predecessor) still have this category nailed. You simply won't see the same demand for any Android based device. There are a number of differences between Apple and the supposed "iPad killers" out there - many of whom are so lethal that they actually manage to kill themselves before they hit the shelves and let the marketplace do it for them. Apple created a purpose-built tablet with an unparalleled attention to detail and powered it with an OS and UI that were specifically built from the ground-up for this purpose. Others just roll out generic "me-too" devices with little to no redeeming or differentiating features. You've also got to factor in the impact of the Apple eco-system and an environment where Apples owns and manages the interaction of hardware and software - and their penchant for sweating the small stuff, which is what really makes everything fit together as well as it does. It's also perhaps a little disingenuous to say the iPad is only good for games when there are so many fantastic apps out there including some excellent, original productivity and creative apps out there that further differentiate this device and ecosystem from others. In contrast, other manufacturers offer vanilla, generic hardware, saddling them with someone else's generic OS and still expects the marketplace to whip themselves into a frenzy and snap them up - something which, of course, hasn't happened to date...

Bteljuice

True, but I doubt that you would like to attach 2-3 things to your ipad every time you want to do something and pay an additional fee for hardware that should have been integrated in the device and price in the first place.

I have to agree with you on one thing Steve. What iOS excels in is that it meets the average common user's demand. The community wants something simple, fully functioning and does what it is supposed to do out of the box. With Android, that is not quite possible, which is why Android is more oriented for the percentage of the community that is more tech oriented . This is why iOS is closed source and Android is open source. Android is MADE for people to tweak it, improve it and use its full capacity.

Let's not forget one last thing here, iOS is offered to one tablet. Users have only one choice. As for Android, it is offered by more than 5 different manufacturers, so users have a wider variety (which is why no single Android tablet manufacturer will ever exceed iPad's sales). So if someone really wants to compare OS sales, they should compare iPad's sales to all android based tablets sales. That will be a fare comparison.

swajames

It's not there because the tablet isn't trying to be a laptop, Jad. That's the thing some folks still seem to miss. Customers that want to use a device like a laptop might be better getting a laptop in the first instance.

It won't surprise you to know that I don't really agree that Android is more tech oriented. That to me is just a platitude to cover up the work-in-progress nature (and look and feel) of the Android OS. One look at the work that goes on with jailbreaking and development of apps for Cydia etc shows you that there's no lack of techie/geek action with iOS.

Finally, iPad has indeed so far outsold all of the competitor devices combined. Competitor devices will make some inroad this year, no doubt, but there's little indication that the iPad is going to do anything other than the iPod did before it and continue to be the dominant player in its segment.

Bteljuice

I was sure you were going to mention that and as I mentioned in my post (not sure I had used the right term). What I actually meant is, the community who are using their iOS devices are less impulsed to jailbreak their device as opposed to Android users, where the vast majority of users root their device before customizing their device in first place. To put things more briefly, rooted devices are more in numbers than jailbroken phones.
In any platform or OS, there are techie/geeks behind the scene, what I meant to say is the percentage of the consumers who purchase/use their devices as opposed to the another community.
As for the ipad outsold all devices combined, we can't say that as LG,HTC,BlackBeryy, Dell,etc..still have not released any of their tabs, so the comparison in sales for now is only iPad Vs Xoom, which is a no brainer.
And for iOS dominating the platform, I wouldn't go as far as that (refer to recent Jan'11 statistics chart)

As stated earlier, looking at the chart, Apple (as a manufacturer) outsold all other manufacturers since a single OS is provided by a Single product. However, as a platform itself, we can clearly see who has the highest market-share.
Just give it time, results will show similarly with tablets as well once all manufacturers have released their tablets.

swajames

We're talking tablet share, not phones, Jad.

Even if we were talking phone share, Apple still wins. Google gives Androld away for free, and Apple earns more profit than most others combined.

As for most Android phones being rooted, to put it bluntly (and with all due respect) that's bullshit. The *vast* majority of customers wouldn't even know what it means, nor would they dream of doing it. The percentage of users who would do such a thing is extremely low. More to the point, have you seen the statistics on how many Android users are still rocking the early incarnations and haven't upgraded to the more current versions? The bottom line is that Android has sold well in the US largely because Verizon didn't have a better phone to offer than the initial Droids - and has often given two away for the price of one.

Back on topic, the iPad isn't the first tablet but it is the only one that's been successful. There have been a number of Windows based tablets in the past, and the total sales of all of these devices plus the current crop of competing tablets (and there is more than just the Xoom) are still dwarfed by the first year only of the original iPad. Apple just got right what the others didn't - no one wanted a compromised, slow feature- challenged, small form- factor PC, but they did embrace a purpose-built, fast, light device with an OS designed from the ground up to be a tablet OS. That's the essential difference. You hear a lot of noise about people buying anything as long as it has an Apple logo on it - and this simply isn't the case, Apple has had its share of failures too. The bottom line is that this specific device happens to be the best at what it does.

Bteljuice

We are talking about tablets, this is why I gave just a brief example about how the OS evolved in the smartphone industry and who has the biggest market share (I did in no way mention profits). Just who has the biggest cut of the cake.

And that's where I have to disagree with you and come to the point I was talking about. The majority of Android customers have a small techie/geek side. This is what I was trying to say. The major consumer's of Android are different the the major consumers of iOS.

Take a look at the chart Steve. More than 74% of Android users are in the 2.x version(That's a 6month old chart, which makes me highly believe that 2.x users have went way up). This is like saying who is rocking the 4.x version. Regardless if it is 4.1, 4.2, 4.3. They are in the 4.x version of iOS users.





I did state that iPad does exactly what the average consumer wants and does it simply best (no questions asked regarding this point).
However, I did not mention anything about windows tablets. As for other Android tablets, yes there are other android tablets, however, if you refer to my previous post, I strictly mentioned Official Androitd Tablet (previous OS weren't even official for tablets). So my point is, if we really want to judge, we have to judge as off the Xoom release until next year Februrary. Then we can say who has the biggest cut of the cake.

in the end, it is the OS that differs and just what each consumer likes.

Steve, as usual, I really admire your knowledge, wisdom and charisma. I truly enjoy our debates. Always like to learn how others think and how I can learn from their knowledge and experience. Whether it's technology, cars or life experience, always a pleasure.

swajames

You'll never convince me that the vast majority of Android users are any different from the vast majority of iOS, WP7, Symbian, WebOS and other users, Jad.

It is exactly as it is here on 5Series.net - this group of enthusiast owners on the forum is not at all representative of the vast majority of BMW owners any more than you, as someone who's able and willing to customize and tweak their phone, is representative of all Android users.

As for the Android upgrade stats, even if yours are right you've still got 25% in very old versions and 67% who aren't current. Wrap around that the device fragmentation and impact of some phones having proprietary front ends and it's easy to see what Android gets wrong that Apple gets right. By and large, iOS is iOs - that's not really the case with Android.

And it's always a pleasure talking with you too!

swajames

Some speculation today that Motorola is actually developing its own tablet OS...

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles..._based_os.html

http://www.informationweek.com/news/...leID=229400097

Bteljuice

OP, you were asking about the Playbook.

the OS is really astonishing. Check it out, make sure you watch all of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbZ9iNKw4Nohere