With the increasing popularity of tablets in both the home and enterprise, many companies have released their own version of the handheld device — with the exception of Hewlett-Packard, who recently bowed out of the competition by discontinuing its TouchPad range. However, with so many options available, how does one find a tablet that is suitable to their needs?
Read Techworld Australia's Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 review
In this week's "Which tablet should I buy", Computerworld Australia has reviewed the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v to help you find the tablet that's right for you.
See Which tablet should I buy? iPad vs Xoom.
Running on Google’s latest Android 3.0 ‘Honeycomb’ operating system, the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v both have similar key features. These include things like an action bar, which is displayed at the top of the screen; five home screens which can be customised; a recent apps list, making multitasking easier; a redesigned onscreen keyboard, making usage effortless; a new browser, which displays Flash content with minimal delay as well as support of tabbed Web browsing and 3D graphics.
Both the Xoom and the Galaxy Tab 10.1v have very similar touchscreen displays. The screens are both 10.1in in size with a resolution of 1280 x 800. Both the Xoom and the Galaxy Tab 10.1v offer 3G connectivity.
Another similarity emerges when investigating the processors. The Xoom is powered by a 1GHz dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, while the Galaxy Tab 10.1v runs Samsung's own 1GHz dual-core chip. Both tablets have a sizable 1GB of RAM making their performance is therefore very similar.
So, with many similarities, how does the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v differ to the Motorola Xoom?
Perhaps the most notable difference is in their memory. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v has a mere 16GB of internal storage compared to the Xoom, which has a more impressive 32GB. The Galaxy lacks a microSD card slot for extra storage. This is disappointing if you are after a tablet which can store a large amount of digital media.
The Xoom, conversely, comes with a micro SDcard slot for memory expansion. It also has a HDMI-out port whereas the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v lacks both HDMI-out and USB ports. Hence, the Motorla Xoom is a far better choice in these arenas.
If it is essential that you have a good camera then this is where the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v stands out. It has a rear 8-megapixel rear camera that doubles as a 1080p HD video recorder, and a 2-megapixel front camera for video calls. The Motorola Xoom has a 5-megapixel rear camera for photographs and video, and a 2-megapixel front camera for video calls. The Xoom can record 720p HD video which is only slightly less than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v.
The Galaxy weighs less than the Xoom (600g vs 730g) making it more portable. The difference is small but there. If overall look and feel is important, then the Xoom is the more slick of the two. The Galaxy has a plastic body compared to the Xoom which is metal. This gives it a more chic appearance.
Motorola Xoom vs Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v: Specs
| Motorola Xoom | Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 249.1 x 167.8 x 12.9mm | 246.2 x 170.4 x 10.9mm |
| Resolution | 1280 x 800 pixels | 1280 x 800 pixels |
| Display Technology | Capacitive TFT | Capacitive TFT |
| Screen Size | 10.1 in | 10.1 in |
| Multi-touch | Yes | Yes |
| Adobe Flash Support | Yes | Yes |
| 3G Networks | HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 | HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 |
| Processor | NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core (1GHz) | Samsung dual-core (1GHz) |
| Internal Memory | 32GB | 16GB |
| Expandable Memory | microSD | None |
| HDMI Output | Yes | No |
| Video Recording | Yes, 720p HD | Yes, 1080p HD |
| Front Camera | 2 megapixels | 2 megapixels |
| Rear Camera | 5 megapixels, dual-LED flash, autofocus, geotagging | 8 megapixels, dual-LED flash, autofocus, geotagging |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 730g | 600g |
| RAM | 1GB | 1GB |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a/b/g/n | 802.11 a/b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 with A2DP | 2.1 with A2DP |
| USB port | No | No |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours |
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