>Apple steps up iPad 2 campaign to push functionality over hardware specifications(Video)

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Apple has started airing a new spot promoting iPad 2 as a collection of “delightful, even magical” integrated functions rather than just a device with various hardware specifications.

The new ad continues the series of iPad commercials that have focused on its capabilities, with little if any mention of its hardware specifications. However, the new ad strikes a new sentimental tone portraying the device as being natural and intuitive to the point where the underlying technology vanishes.

“This is what we believe,” the new spot says. “Technology alone is not enough. Faster, thinner, lighter; those are all good things. But when technology gets out of the way, everything becomes more delightful, even magical. That’s when you leap forward. That’s when you end up with something like this,” fading to “iPad 2” in
titles.

Apple coyly refused to address some technical specifications of iPad 2 at its release (including the amount of system RAM), focusing instead upon its features, including two new first party apps, iMovie and Garage Band, that take full advantage of iPad hardware without any discussion of what it is they are taking advantage of.

Apple prefers to focus on the functionality of iPad and its other unique features (including the hard to duplicate library of 65,000 iPad-optimized titles in the App Store, integration with iTunes, and its iBooks Store) because these are all aspects that competitors will be unable to match in the next few years.

Competitors, including RIM’s forthcoming Playbook, Android licensees’ new 3.0 Honeycomb tablets, and HP’s new TouchPad will have less trouble matching or even exceeding the technical specifications of iPad 2.

Samsung recently announced that its newest batch of Galaxy Tab devices would be slightly thinner and lighter than the iPad (although critics complained that even the non-functional prototypes aren’t actually thinner), while Motorola advertised its Xoom tablet as having twice as much RAM (although that extra RAM doesn’t appear to make it faster at browsing or most other tasks, and doesn’t make up for Android 3.0’s 20-something apps compared to iPad’s more than 65,000).

By working hard to keep a focus on functionality and user experience rather than just hardware specifications, physical dimensions and pricing, Apple makes its tightly “curated” integration a key differentiation, the same aspect the company pushed in its Get a Mac campaign that contrasted a positive, simple Mac experience to the frustrating, troublesome problems PC users face.

Apple largely lost that message in the 90s when it allowed third party PC makers to equate their product experience to Macs while focusing on CPU speed, RAM, disk storage, and price, the same thing Android and Windows Mobile licensees are promoting today among mobile devices.

>Wolverton: A smartphone that aspires to be more than that

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The new Motorola Atrix is a smartphone that aspires to be much more than that.
The Atrix can be thought of as one of the first examples of a post-PC computer, offering many of the same advantages of a PC in a much smaller, more portable and more adaptable form.
When the Atrix is plugged into an optional dock that resembles a notebook computer, it can be used much like a laptop. Another dock can be connected to a computer monitor and keyboard to allow the Atrix to act like a desktop PC or can be connected to an HD television, allowing the device to act as a kind of digital set-top box. The accessories allow users to write e-mail, surf Web pages or even watch movies as they would on a standard computer.
To be sure, the Atrix is more than just a wannabe PC. It’s also a fully capable smartphone based on Google’s Android operating system. It’s superfast at playing games and running typical phone apps, thanks to its dual-core processor, one of the first in a device this small. It has a high-resolution 4-inch screen, and includes a new, refined version of Motoblur, Motorola’s software that links together contact information and status updates drawn from users’ social networking and other online accounts.
But it’s the Atrix’s ability to mimic and potentially replace other tech gadgets that makes it so intriguing.
I’m writing this review at my desk. For part of the time, I’ve used the monitor and keyboard I use with my office-issued Windows PC. But I’ve also been using something that looks and feels very much like a notebook computer. In both cases, the actual “computer” I’ve been using has been the Atrix.
The notebook accessory for the Atrix, dubbed the laptop dock, has a full keyboard, a trackpad, an 11.5-inch LCD screen and its own battery that Motorola says will last for up to eight hours of use even while recharging the battery that’s in the phone itself. The Atrix plugs into the accessory through a dock that’s hidden behind the accessory’s screen.
When you plug in the phone, the screen on the laptop dock lights up and you get an interface called “webtop” that offers a computer desktop and taskbar. From the webtop taskbar, you can launch the Firefox Web browser or, through a virtual image of the Atrix’s screen, any application you have installed on the device.
The other accessory — the HD Multimedia dock — is more versatile. If you attach it to a computer monitor via a digital video cable, you can use the Atrix as a kind of desktop computer. The dock has two USB ports into which you can plug a wired keyboard or mouse or an external hard or flash drive. You can also connect the Atrix to a wireless keyboard or mouse using Bluetooth.
Alternatively, you can plug the HD dock into your TV using an HDMI cable and use the Atrix as a media player. A built-in application called entertainment center allows users to quickly access and view on their television the pictures, songs and movies stored on the device. The HD dock includes a remote control that allows users to do all this from the comfort of their couch.
Unfortunately, the Atrix’s versatility comes at a high price and doesn’t work very well in practice.
The laptop dock alone is $300 — not including the price of the phone or your wireless service plan — which is about what you’d pay for a low-end notebook computer with an actual brain in it. The HD dock, with a bundled keyboard, mouse and remote control, goes for $190, or about twice what you’d pay for a Roku media player or Apple TV, both of which are able to do much more as digital living room devices.
Those prices might be worth paying if you could get years of use out of the docks and plug into them not only the Atrix but other smartphones. But right now, the docks are compatible only with the Atrix. Motorola won’t say whether it plans to make devices in the future that will work with them. Even if the company does, it’s a good bet that the docks will work only with Motorola gadgets, which means you’ll have limited choices for compatible devices in the future.
That limitation aside, the laptop dock in particular was disappointing. Although it’s wider and deeper than a typical netbook, its keys felt similarly cramped, leading to many typing errors. Meanwhile, I had to be wary of resting my palms on its touchpad — an easy thing to do — for fear of moving the cursor to a different part of a document and inserting or deleting words in the wrong place.
The webtop software was also underwhelming. It fails to translate the phone’s native apps into a PC-like experience. To run a phone app, you have to call up the virtual phone and launch it there. The experience makes you feel as if you are viewing those apps through a literal window.
The only native webtop application is Firefox, and Motorola has no plans to open up the interface for other programs. You can run cloud-based programs through the Web browser or a built-in Citrix client, but you may not want to. Because as speedy as the Atrix’s processor is for running phone apps, it labored noticeably while running webtop.
Even when just composing this review in Google docs, I noticed a considerable lag. While trying to highlight a word or line to delete or change, I’d often wait several beats before the Atrix would respond. Often times, I ended up highlighting or deleting far more than I wanted without knowing it. I ran into similar sluggishness while just surfing Web pages in Firefox.
I actually like the Atrix a lot as a smartphone. But as the first of what will likely be many attempts at an all-in-one gadget, it comes up short.

>Why You Should Not Buy An iPad 2: iOS(Gallery Foto)

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Like many tech enthusiasts, I followed last week’s Apple event closely. Steve Jobs unexpectedly took the stage, but the company announced an expected product: the iPad 2. Although not nearly as revolutionary as the original, the second generation model brings refined hardware improvements. Extras such as cameras are also a great addition, however there is one major flaw: iOS.
Do Hardware Specs Matter?
This questions comes up quite often and the answer is not simple. Apple’s original iPad was a game changer since there was nothing else like it on the market. Tablet PCs had been around for ages, but they still ran a desktop operating system. While I adore Windows 7 and use it primarily for all my work, it is far from being ideal for tablets. With the introduction of iOS, hardware specs for tablets became more along the lines of a smart phone rather than a laptop computer.
Although 2010 was definitely the year of the iPad, 2011 has an entirely new landscape. Competition such as the BlackBerry PlayBook, HP TouchPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10, and LG G-Slate each offer a very similar set of features. There are some benefits and drawbacks to each which we highlighted in our series of infographics, but the specifications are roughly the same. They are so close in some regards that it truly does not make a difference to consumers.
Software Matters Too

While hardware specifications were all the rage for ages, easy to use and intuitive software has pushed for consumer friendly devices. Apple made a great decision when they chose to run iOS on the iPad instead of Mac OS X last year. The interface was efficient, familiar, and simple. The iPhone was already a hit and the iPad was a perfectly complement to the family.
Although I do not own an iPad, I spent some time using and reviewing it last year. There were many missing features at the time, however iOS ran incredibly smoothly. Fast forward a year later, not much has changed aside from the addition of multitasking. The new iPad 2 makes things faster with a dual-core processor, but the operating system is nearly identical.
This creates a major issue for Apple as we head into the flooded market of tablets in 2011. The current iOS for the iPad is essentially an enlarged version of the operating system for the iPhone and iPod touch. The platform was a great start, but the original design does not take advantage of the tablet form factor. Although I was hoping for a new refreshing interface, Apple did not announce a major software revamp for the iPad 2 aside from a few minor enhancements.
The Competition Has Caught Up

There are many amazing iPad apps that take advantage of 9.7 inch screen, but the operating system does not go far enough. Google, HP, and RIM have started from the ground up with new tablet operating systems that take the slate form factor into consideration from the OS level. BlackBerry Tablet OS, webOS 3, and Android 3.0 Honeycomb each offer many user interface improvements which are more innovative and intuitive than iOS.
For instance, HP’s latest webOS 3 lets users stack sets of applications together for organized multitasking. Google’s Android 3.0 Honeycomb has an impressive notifications panel for keeping up to date with the latest information without letting pop ups disrupt work flow. It is not just about multitasking and notifications either, these new breed of tablets offer creative home screens with widgets and improved navigation for getting things done fast.
It’s Also About The Apps

In addition to beyond impressive sales, Apple’s App Store count is far ahead of competition. Steve Jobs proudly noted that there are over 65,000 iPad optimized apps while less than 100 are available Android tablets. It is also important not to forget that the quality of apps also matter. Apple’s out of the box apps are amazing and many third-party apps are even better.
However, you will probably change your mind once you try Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The default bundled apps truly highlight the true potential for Google’s new operating system. Everything from the Browser, Calendar, Chat, Contacts, Email, Maps, and Music apps are incredibly innovative. They look gorgeous, have more features, and actually very easy to use. This is a small indicator of the likely nature of upcoming third-party Android tablet apps.
Keep in mind that the Motorola Xoom is the only Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet on the market so far and it is than a month old. Apple iOS for the iPad is about a year a more mature than all the others. Competitors, including Google, are still far behind Apple when it comes to tablet sales, but they are move up the ladder faster with better technology.
To Buy Or Not To Buy
If you are ready for a tablet, you may want to think a moment before dropping cash for the iPad 2. It is a great product, but it is only a slight advancement to the previous iteration. Apple has yet to announce or make any mention of iOS 5. It is unclear what the next generation operating system will offer or if every feature would even carry over to the iPad 2. Other tablets already have a head start with features such as 4G connectivity, integrated mobile hotspots, flash player, video chat over a cellular network, and expandable storage. While the iPad 2 will by no means disappoint if you know what you are getting, consider the available options if you are open to unique alternatives.

>Google eliminates 55 malware-infecting apps from Android Market

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Responding to complaints of malware-infecting applications of its Android platform, Google removed a total of fifty-five applications from its Android Marketplace.

The applications in question had been modified to contain the malware. Once downloaded, these applications used to secretly install malware on the device to steal users’ personal information such as handset’s unique IMEI number.

In addition, the malware-infecting applications would exploit security holes and install a backdoor application to allow further installation of pirated software.

Earlier in January, Android platform manager Eric Chu announced that Google would also introduce an in-app payment system for Android and enhance discovery of applications in its mobile storefront. But, the malware fiasco has retarded the company’s broader push to enhance the Android Market.

In addition, the malware fiasco is hurting the reputation of the Android Market, which is trying to challenge Apple’s renowned App Store.

In the past, Apple and Amazon had to face sever criticism for remotely removing or disabling apps or e-books. But, Google should not be blamed for remotely removing the concerned applications due to the potential damage that the malicious applications could have done.

>Motorola Xoom vs. Apple iPad 2: 10 Reasons to Pick Xoom

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Apple’s iPad 2, which was announced in a special event March 2, is expected to hit store shelves March 11. When it does, customers will have the unenviable task of choosing either Apple’s latest tablet or the many other tablets from competing manufacturers that are vying for their hard-earned cash. Although last year, the decision to choose the iPad was an easy one, in 2011, it’s not as easy as one thinks.

That’s especially true if customers decide to opt for either the iPad 2 or the Motorola Xoom. The former is likely the front runner, given its predecessor’s success, but the Xoom is also a fine option. It delivers a number of solid features that consumers would be quite happy with. Even better, it does so at a price that’s quite competitive.

But for those still on the fence, let’s just make it easy: opt for the Motorola Xoom.

Yes, the iPad 2 looks like a nice device on paper, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it can live up the appeal of the Xoom. The average consumer could do worse than to pick up Motorola’s tablet over Apple’s.

Read on to find out why:

1. The slightly larger display

It might be a few factions of an inch difference, but it’s important for consumers to consider that the Motorola Xoom has a slightly larger display than Apple’s iPad. The Xoom features a 10.1-inch screen, while the iPad comes with a 9.7-inch display. On paper, that might not seem like much. But when one holds the devices in their hands and compares them, it’s quite noticeable. The extra screen real estate comes in handy when viewing video or surfing the Web. Keep that in mind.

2. Upgrade to 4G

Motorola’s Xoom currently only offers customers the ability to connect to Verizon’s 3G network when they’re away from home. However, Motorola Mobility has said that it will offer a free upgrade to 4G in the coming months. After that upgrade is in place, customers will be able to connect to Verizon’s ultra-high-speed network. Apple iPad 2 owners, on the other hand, won’t have that luxury. While Xoom owners will be surfing the Web at ultra-high speed, iPad 2 customers will be stuck on 3G.

3. Android 3.0 Honeycomb is promising

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs showed off the iPad 2 March 2, he said that the platform would come with iOS 4.3, an updated version of the mobile-operating system Apple launched last year. The Xoom, on the other hand, ships with Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb. That platform, which was unveiled this year, comes with a number of important upgrades, including a reworked design, much better browsing, improved multitasking, and several other features. Those who have gotten their hands on the platform say it’s a sizable upgrade over Android 2.2. Due to Google’s desire to make the operating system more desktop-like in its functionality, iOS 4.3 might look rather obsolete next to it.

4. Don’t believe the apps hype

Apple was quick to point out at its March 2 event that it has 65,000 iPad applications available to customers. The company said that the Android Market currently has about 100 applications available to tablet owners. However, Apple failed to point out that more and more developers are moving to Android to bring their applications to tablets. Over time, the discrepancy in mobile applications won’t be nearly as great as Apple would like users to believe. It’s a problem now, but it won’t be a major issue by the end of the year.

5. The superior browsing experience

There’s no comparing the browsing experience on the Motorola Xoom to that of the iPad 2. Apple’s iPad 2 comes with the same, basic Mobile Safari experience customers have grown accustomed to. Apple’s iOS 4.3 improves browsing a little by increasing surfing efficiency, but it does nothing to answer the vastly improved Chrome browser in Honeycomb. Not only is surfing much faster than in previous versions of the software, but the software has real tabbed browsing, like users would find on the desktop. It also has Google’s Incognito Mode, auto-fill options, and many other services typically found in desktops. Simply put, it’s the best mobile-browsing experience on the market.

6. Where’s the advantage?

A quick glance at the basic specs of both the Xoom and the iPad 2 reveals no sizable advantages for Apple. Both devices come with a dual-core processor, have dual cameras, and offer WiFi and 3G connectivity. Both platforms record video, snap photos and support video conferencing. In other words, the key features are basically the same. The iPad 2’s most important advantage might simply be that it comes from Apple.

7. The price is right

Much has been made about the price of the Motorola Xoom. Those who support Apple products say that Motorola’s option, which starts at $799 with no contract, is quite expensive, considering the iPad 2 starts at $499 with WiFi and $629 for WiFi and 3G. But what those folks seem to forget is that the most relevant competitor to the Xoom, the iPad 2 featuring 32GB of storage and 3G connectivity, goes for $729. Moreover, those who are fine with entering into a two-year contract with Verizon can pay just $599.99 for the Xoom. As one can see, the Xoom’s pricing is right where it should be.

8. The battery consideration

Since tablets are mobile devices, battery life matters quite a bit. Although Steve Jobs was quick to tout the iPad 2’s battery life, it’s important to note that the Xoom features up to 10 hours of life surfing the Web over WiFi and up to nine hours on 3G. The iPad 2 has 10 hours of battery life over WiFi and nine hours of battery life on 3G. So, if battery life matters, Apple’s iPad 2 doesn’t seem to hold an advantage.

9. The extra ports matter

The Xoom comes with an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port and USB port for customers to pump video out of the device, connect other devices and more. The iPad 2, on the other hand, lacks those ports. Apple said that it will sell an HDMI-out adapter, but that costs customers an additional fee that they shouldn’t have to pay. After all, considering how much users are spending on a new tablet, wouldn’t an HDMI out and USB port be expected?

10. The mobility factor isn’t major

It’s important to note that the iPad 2 is both thinner and lighter than the Motorola Xoom. Since tablets are mobile devices, that might matter to some folks. But it probably shouldn’t matter as much as they think. The differences aren’t major. For most customers, the Xoom will be quite easy to carry around in a bag or purse. Would it be nice if it had a slightly smaller footprint and less heft to it? Sure. But it’s not enough of a problem to be a deal-breaker. And it certainly isn’t enough of a problem that customers should ignore its other benefits and opt for the iPad 2.

>Google Nukes Rogue Android Apps On Users’ Devices

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Your Android phone has a built-in kill switch for nasty apps. And Google, apparently, is not afraid to use it.

Over the weekend, the search giant announced that it had remotely wiped “a number” of malicious Android apps from users’ phones, programs that earlier in the week had been identified as malware and pulled from Android’s app store. 

“We are remotely removing the malicious applications from affected devices. This remote application removal feature is one of many security controls the Android team can use to help protect users from malicious applications,” Google wrote on its mobile blog, linking to an explanation it posted in June of a built-in functionality for deleting apps from users’ phones.

Google also wrote that it’s contacting law enforcement about the issue and updating Android devices with a fix for the exploit used by those apps–pirated copies of legitimate programs with malicious code weaved in–designed to prevent any further compromise of users’ data. The company added that “we are adding a number of measures to help prevent additional malicious applications using similar exploits from being distributed through Android Market and are working with our partners to provide the fix for the underlying security issues.”

Exactly what those “measures” might be, Google isn’t saying. A Google spokesperson I contacted declined to comment beyond the text of the company’s blog post.

But Chris Wysopal, the chief technology officer of security vulnerability analysis firm Veracode, speculates that Google is likely introducing signature-based scanning to the Android Market, a tool for identifying malware and making sure that similar instances of malicious code are blocked from the Market in the future, just as viruses are identified and blocked by signature-based scans on PCs.

“This relies on someone external to Google finding the first malware and reporting it. In this case the trojan apps were pirated so the original developers were tipped off,” Wysopal wrote to me in an email. “This is definitely an improvement, but I expect malware writers to adjust.”

The last time Google deleted applications that were already downloaded to users’ devices was in June, and its targets were two proof of concept apps built by security researcher Jon Oberheide. As I wrote at the time, that use of its kill switch seemed to be a loud warning to malware writers about the company’s ability to remotely destroy their tools. After all, Oberheide’s apps were designed to show the possibility of creating an Android-hosted botnet, not to actually create one.

But as cybercriminals increasingly look to mobile platforms as new targets, their malware is no longer a mere demonstration–and nor is Google’s ability to nuke those apps from orbit.

>Ars reviews the Motorola Xoom(Foto Galery)

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Motorola’s Xoom tablet is the first device to ship with Android 3.0, codenamed Honeycomb, a highly anticipated new version of Google’s mobile operating system. 

Honeycomb introduces a sophisticated new user interface that was designed for the tablet form factor—a major step forward for Android. Motorola has matched Google’s software with a compelling piece of hardware that delivers great performance and reasonable battery life.
Although the Xoom has a lot to offer, the product feels very incomplete. A surprising number of promised hardware and software features are not functional at launch and will have to be enabled in future updates. The Xoom’s quality is also diminished by some of the early technical issues and limitations that we encountered in Honeycomb. Google’s nascent tablet software has a ton of potential, but it also has some feature gaps and rough edges that reflect its lack of maturity.
In this review, we will take a close look at the Xoom hardware, the Honeycomb user experience, and the Android platform’s potential as a tablet operating system.
Hardware
The Motorola Xoom’s impressive hardware specifications are sure to turn some heads. Much like Motorola’s Atrix handset, the Xoom is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra 2 SoC, which couples a dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor with an 8-core GeForce Ultra Low Power GPU.
The Xoom’s 10.1-inch capacitive multitouch display has a 16:10 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1280×800 pixels. The device has 1GB of RAM and a roomy 32GB of internal storage capacity. In addition to the usual assortment of sensors—a gyroscope, compass, accelerometer, and ambient light detector—the Xoom has one unexpected addition: a built-in barometer, just in case you happen to be a tornado hunter.
Although the Xoom was designed to support Verizon’s new 4G LTE network, support for this network is not enabled out of the box. Consumers will have to ship the device back to Motorola to have it fitted with the necessary components. The 4G hardware upgrade will be available at no cost, but will take 6 business days to complete.
It’s not clear yet exactly when Xoom buyers will be able to send in their Xoom to receive the upgrade, but Verizon says that it will be available “shortly” after the product’s launch. Reports suggest that “shortly” means within the next 90 days.
LTE isn’t the only hardware feature that’s not working right out of the box. The Xoom’s microSD card slot is also non-functional, due to software issues that are attributed to Honeycomb. Motorola says that the feature will be fixed soon in an over-the-air update. The Xoom’s much-touted support for Adobe Flash is also absent at launch and will similarly be delivered in an upcoming software update.
Ports
The Xoom’s microSD card slot and 4G SIM card slot are positioned back-to-back inside the top edge of the device. The slots are protected by a plastic insert and cover that can be slid out with a thumbnail. Motorola ships the device with translucent plastic placeholders in both slots.
A conventional miniaudio headphone jack is positioned near the card slot at the center of the device’s top edge. Motorola doesn’t provide headphones with the Xoom, but it worked well with standard earbuds and my Sennheiser HD-280 headphones. The bottom of the device has a micro-USB port, a mini-HDMI output, a port for the Xoom’s charger, and contact points for the Xoom’s dock.
The Xoom comes with its own proprietary power adapter. It has a very large two-prong wall wart that plugs into conventional power sockets. The prongs can be flipped down into the brick. The end that fits into the Xoom’s charger port is a round plug like the kind you would find on a laptop charger, but much thinner. It doesn’t appear to be possible to charge the Xoom via micro-USB.
Buttons and build quality
Unlike Android-based phones, the Xoom doesn’t have the standard back, home, menu, and search buttons built into the device. These features are exposed through the Honeycomb user interface, obviating the need to integrate them into the hardware. This is a big win for usability compared to previous Android-based tablets like the Galaxy Tab, where we found ourselves accidentally hitting the capacitive buttons on the bezel.
The Xoom has a total of three hardware buttons integrated into its shell. A pair of volume buttons is conveniently located near the top of the left-hand edge. There is also a power button on the back side near the top-left corner on the same plastic plate as the camera. The power button is round, inset, and slightly concave. We didn’t have any issues with hitting the buttons by accident on the Xoom.
The Xoom’s build quality is very good. It has a smooth matte black finish on the backside that feels soft but not quite rubberized. The front has solid glass nearly from corner to corner. The glass covers both the screen and bezel, but the back part of the case creates a plastic lip around the edges of the screen. The lip is thicker than the one on the Galaxy Tab and is quite noticeable when you hold the device.
Dimensions and form factor
The Xoom is 9.8-inches long, 6.6-inches tall, 0.5-inches deep, and weighs approximately 1.6 pounds. The weight and depth are roughly comparable with that of the original iPad, but the Xoom has a more rectangular widescreen form factor.
The shape of the case is slightly tapered—when you hold it in portrait orientation, the top is a little bit thicker than the bottom. It feels pretty evenly weighted in landscape orientation and is relatively comfortable to use. When I hold it on each side, my thumbs can meet in the center of the screen, which means I can pretty easily reach user interface elements that are at the center.
I generally felt most comfortable operating the Xoom in landscape orientation and using it with my thumbs, but users with smaller hands might need to hold it with one hand and use an index finger. The device really feels like it was intended to be used in landscape orientation.
It’s a bit less comfortable in portrait orientation. Due to the length, the way that the weight is distributed feels off when it’s held vertically. You can get a better balance if you hold it near the top rather than near the keyboard when you use it in portrait, but it’s still not great. The taper also makes it feel strange when held vertically.
The dimensions are excellent for video, but not particularly good for intensive reading. When I’m holding the Xoom in portrait orientation, I feel like only the top two-thirds of the screen are in clear focus for text readability and I have to re-angle it a bit when I start to get down to the bottom.
Whether the Xoom’s 16:10 ratio or the iPad’s 4:3 ratio is better is going to depend on what you are doing. The Xoom’s aspect is better for video whereas the iPad’s is arguably better for reading.
The relative awkwardness of using portrait mode on the Xoom isn’t a huge issue, because most of the Honeycomb software seems to favor landscape orientation. One issue that’s worth noting, however, is that a lot of the existing Android phone applications are designed to be used in portrait orientation. Until more third-party developers start making native Android tablet software, Xoom users will end up having to use portrait orientation more often than they might like.