ANDROID'S ATTACK ON THE IPAD

iPad might have a huge headstart but the competition is catching up and how! Android's latest weapon is the Motorola Xoom, being launched in the US of A as you read this. It looks better on paper and packs in a powerful punch when it comes to pipping the iPad to the post. But does it have the aspirational quality of the famed Apple?

Motorola Xoom tba | motorola.com The Xoom is the lightning bolt that reanimated Moto. It’s the first tablet to run Honeycomb, and the hardware feels fantastic. Under the hood roars a dual-core, 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 system-on-chip, 1GB RAM (that’s four times what the iPad has) and more connections than a stopping service to Sydney. On paper, it’s almost beyond reproach. But wow, it’s expensive. 
The Xoom’s case is a beguiling mix of soft-touch plastics and sculpted aluminium. It weighs 730g and comes in at 249x168x12.9mm – that makes it almost identical in weight to the iPad 3G, but with more of its fascia dedicated to screen than bezel. Moto clearly thinks Apple already got the size and weight just about right. The Xoom has a 10.1 inch, 1280x800 screen to the iPad’s 1024x768 9.7 inch display, and both use power-saving IPS tech. They’re about the same in area, but the Xoom’s is longer, thinner, and has a pixel density of 160dpi to the iPad’s 132dpi, with a greater-than-720p HD resolution. It’ll play 1080p vids for up to 10 hours, and can do so externally via HDMI 1.4. With a fixed-focus 2MP camera at the front for video calls, a 5MP autofocus snapper at the back and 720p video capture, it’s a decent shooter, but no match for the LG Optimus Pad’s 3D 1080p skills. More fun is ensured by a gyroscope (which the iPad lacks), accelerometers and a digital compass. This should make a fine gaming machine.Moto’s jumped on the accessories bandwagon with a pair of docks for the Xoom and an Android-centric Bluetooth keyboard. The Standard Dock both charges it and props it up for watching movies on that lovely screen, while the Speaker Dock extends the HDMI-out and has, you guessed it, built-in speakers.