Man that sucks for the people who just bought the Xoom. The one year product upgrade cycles from Apple are bad enough, but less than 6 months? OUCH. I know this doesnt affect the acutal functionality of current Xooms, but still would have to make people who bought them wish they had waited a little.
Would you prefer Apple waiting 2 years between upgrades? But then that will bring shouting matches as to why Apple waits so long.
Would you prefer Apple wait 6 months between upgrades? But then that will bring shouting matches as to why Apple changes products so quickly.
That's just the way technology goes. Buy your product and be happy with it. Who cares what's down the horizon because anything electronic is pretty much outdated the moment you buy it.
As far as motorola's actions go, they make money on the hardware only. There is nothing in it for them to keep the XOOM going. They have to try making the next plastic piece of junk and hope it sells enough for them to continue that cycle again.
The obvious answer? Xoom with a slimmer profile and built-in LTE.
We have a winner....
The current XOOM Tablet is being sold with a free upgrade offer to 4G.... It's production is to be phased out in favor on the new model that has 4G built in....
Just for some afternoon LOL's, I headed on over to a Xoom forum real quick to hear what some of the people were saying.
This development if true might put the remaing xooms in high demand. Whatever happens I bet they will sell out FAST!. I am glad I allready have 2 of them in my home!.
The Xoom was never a threat, still amazed people keep comparing it to the iPad, it's not even in the same class. Same for the Galaxy Tabs (78910 etc), HP Touchpads, Playbook, etc. The only OK tablet so far has been the Nook Color that's it.
Motorola will reportedly reduce orders for its Xoom tablet starting in the second quarter of 2011, and no orders are apparently scheduled past June, suggesting a Xoom successor and newer competitor to Apple's iPad 2 is already in the works.
Not true. An equally likely hypothesis is that no one has purchased either of the two Xooms they built, so there was no reason to build more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drobforever
The Xoom was never a threat, still amazed people keep comparing it to the iPad, it's not even in the same class. Same for the Galaxy Tabs (78910 etc), HP Touchpads, Playbook, etc. The only OK tablet so far has been the Nook Color that's it.
That's not true. The Xoom is actually the most credible threat to the iPad out there at this time. Everyone else is offering half the screen size for the same price or more while Xoom offers equal screen size for only slightly more money. Xoom's features put it in the same class, as well.
It's silly to say the Nook Color is closer to the iPad than the Xoom. While the Nook Color is a decent product, it's only an e-reader and doesn't really compete with the iPad, at all.
That's not true. The Xoom is actually the most credible threat to the iPad out there at this time. Everyone else is offering half the screen size for the same price or more while Xoom offers equal screen size for only slightly more money. Xoom's features put it in the same class, as well.
A lot of windows tablets were same size as iPad as well, and offered even more features than iPad before, guess what, they didn't sell either. Xoom was never a threat not because of size or features, but because the experience is just not there. That's because Honeycomb is nowhere as polished as even Android 2.0, i.e. Xoom as a tablet is not even as good as the 1st Droid in terms of experience. Customers are confused, they don't know what they're doing when they play with a Xoom, just like those old Window Tablets.
The obvious answer? Xoom with a slimmer profile and built-in LTE.
"Xoom comes with Flash and 4G and other specifications that make it technically superior to iPad2"
It would be nice to hear from DaHard, nikon, and all the rest who professed that Xoom is better than iPad2, especially DaHard who claimed that he has both of them.
I wished someone took my bet in the other forum, I would have a high end iPad3 come March 2012.
The question now is: Will Motorola be a company with integrity and be true to its pledge to provide the Flash and the 4G features to those who preferred the Xoom over the iPad2 and shelled $599 to Verizon with 2-year contract.
I will pass by the Verizon branch near the Boylston Apple Store and see if the salesman there would still gloat how much more superior his Xoom is to his iPad. Maybe he is DaHard (grins). What I found disgusting was that his salespitch seemed to indicate that both Flash and the 4G were already in the Xoom that he was trying to foist to clueless consumers.
And, the old guy looking at the Xoom actually believed the sales pitch.
That's just weird. If the Xoom was such a bad-ass, competitive product, why would it need a product revision this soon? It's not like the hardware is weak: losing some graphics benchmarks to the iPad 2 is nothing to be ashamed of. The other thing I don't get is the reduction in orders. Why do that if you anticipate stronger channel sales as the platform gains momentum?
The hardware may not be that weak, but when you lost out graphically to the iPad 2, who's performance INCREASED slightly when the scene was full-scene anti-aliased and beat you anyway from between 3-5x because it's effectively got two of the GPUs the Xoom has, and STILL NOT be able to undercut the iPad 2 on price, something has to be seriously wrong.
Only the cameras and an ever so slightly higher resolution display make Xoom even vaguely better than the iPad 2. Add to that crapper RAM in the Xoom, it's not looking pretty, and then the complete lack of form factor specific applications and it's pretty much dead!
This is the difference between Apple and the clowns out there.
Apple will build a product from the ground up with almost un-parallel precision of it and finish while the competition just trolls out a ME TO device.
Apple controls their hardware and software. On the other hand Moto and Sammy just cranks out hardware with a 3rd party OS and hopes for the best. And this will be a continuing themes throughout this tablet zeitgeist.
I wanted to post something like this, but I could not beat this articulation!
The problem with repeated failures like this is the consumer really starts to view any company touting itself as having as iPad killer as being suspect. So very quickly, these companies will not only have to overcome the iPad's feature set and quality, they will have to overcome the brand perception of failure. And that will be far more destructive than any sort of spec war.
At 3 to 5 million Xoom pads annually, versus 40 million of the iPads, guess we know where developer time will be spent. Another reason why its a bad idea to buy a Xoom. They are just too late to the party and do not have the infrastructure to support the device. The longer it takes to get there, the more they've lost not just the battle, but they've missed the war completely.
Motorola will reportedly reduce orders for its Xoom tablet starting in the second quarter of 2011, and no orders are apparently scheduled past June, suggesting a Xoom successor and newer competitor to Apple's iPad 2 is already in the works.
The last thing they can afford to do is have a million XOOM's filling up a warehouse somewhere. Whether or not these things are being sold, the smart thing to do is to ramp down production, especially in light of the non-Apple competition is doing. The other Android manufacturers are either cheaper and lighter or have some kind of differentiating features. XOOM doesn't. Sell what you can without discounting, lick your wounds and live to fight another day.
Comments
Man that sucks for the people who just bought the Xoom. The one year product upgrade cycles from Apple are bad enough, but less than 6 months? OUCH. I know this doesnt affect the acutal functionality of current Xooms, but still would have to make people who bought them wish they had waited a little.
Would you prefer Apple waiting 2 years between upgrades? But then that will bring shouting matches as to why Apple waits so long.
Would you prefer Apple wait 6 months between upgrades? But then that will bring shouting matches as to why Apple changes products so quickly.
That's just the way technology goes. Buy your product and be happy with it. Who cares what's down the horizon because anything electronic is pretty much outdated the moment you buy it.
As far as motorola's actions go, they make money on the hardware only. There is nothing in it for them to keep the XOOM going. They have to try making the next plastic piece of junk and hope it sells enough for them to continue that cycle again.
The obvious answer? Xoom with a slimmer profile and built-in LTE.
We have a winner....
The current XOOM Tablet is being sold with a free upgrade offer to 4G.... It's production is to be phased out in favor on the new model that has 4G built in....
That was quick. Another "iPad killer" bites the dust. Bring on the next victims and prepare to be slaughtered.
Some of these killers are so deadly they kill themselves. Suicide Tablets?
This development if true might put the remaing xooms in high demand. Whatever happens I bet they will sell out FAST!. I am glad I allready have 2 of them in my home!.
I'm cracking up here.
That was quick. Another "iPad killer" bites the dust. Bring on the next victims and prepare to be slaughtered.
RIP
Nokia
Zune
Now, Xoom
next up RIMM, then, Android
Motorola will reportedly reduce orders for its Xoom tablet starting in the second quarter of 2011, and no orders are apparently scheduled past June, suggesting a Xoom successor and newer competitor to Apple's iPad 2 is already in the works.
Not true. An equally likely hypothesis is that no one has purchased either of the two Xooms they built, so there was no reason to build more.
The Xoom was never a threat, still amazed people keep comparing it to the iPad, it's not even in the same class. Same for the Galaxy Tabs (78910 etc), HP Touchpads, Playbook, etc. The only OK tablet so far has been the Nook Color that's it.
That's not true. The Xoom is actually the most credible threat to the iPad out there at this time. Everyone else is offering half the screen size for the same price or more while Xoom offers equal screen size for only slightly more money. Xoom's features put it in the same class, as well.
It's silly to say the Nook Color is closer to the iPad than the Xoom. While the Nook Color is a decent product, it's only an e-reader and doesn't really compete with the iPad, at all.
That's not true. The Xoom is actually the most credible threat to the iPad out there at this time. Everyone else is offering half the screen size for the same price or more while Xoom offers equal screen size for only slightly more money. Xoom's features put it in the same class, as well.
A lot of windows tablets were same size as iPad as well, and offered even more features than iPad before, guess what, they didn't sell either. Xoom was never a threat not because of size or features, but because the experience is just not there. That's because Honeycomb is nowhere as polished as even Android 2.0, i.e. Xoom as a tablet is not even as good as the 1st Droid in terms of experience. Customers are confused, they don't know what they're doing when they play with a Xoom, just like those old Window Tablets.
The obvious answer? Xoom with a slimmer profile and built-in LTE.
"Xoom comes with Flash and 4G and other specifications that make it technically superior to iPad2"
It would be nice to hear from DaHard, nikon, and all the rest who professed that Xoom is better than iPad2, especially DaHard who claimed that he has both of them.
I wished someone took my bet in the other forum, I would have a high end iPad3 come March 2012.
The question now is: Will Motorola be a company with integrity and be true to its pledge to provide the Flash and the 4G features to those who preferred the Xoom over the iPad2 and shelled $599 to Verizon with 2-year contract.
I will pass by the Verizon branch near the Boylston Apple Store and see if the salesman there would still gloat how much more superior his Xoom is to his iPad. Maybe he is DaHard (grins). What I found disgusting was that his salespitch seemed to indicate that both Flash and the 4G were already in the Xoom that he was trying to foist to clueless consumers.
And, the old guy looking at the Xoom actually believed the sales pitch.
CGC
Wall Meet Shit.
Apply liberally and often.
End
That's just weird. If the Xoom was such a bad-ass, competitive product, why would it need a product revision this soon? It's not like the hardware is weak: losing some graphics benchmarks to the iPad 2 is nothing to be ashamed of. The other thing I don't get is the reduction in orders. Why do that if you anticipate stronger channel sales as the platform gains momentum?
The hardware may not be that weak, but when you lost out graphically to the iPad 2, who's performance INCREASED slightly when the scene was full-scene anti-aliased and beat you anyway from between 3-5x because it's effectively got two of the GPUs the Xoom has, and STILL NOT be able to undercut the iPad 2 on price, something has to be seriously wrong.
Only the cameras and an ever so slightly higher resolution display make Xoom even vaguely better than the iPad 2. Add to that crapper RAM in the Xoom, it's not looking pretty, and then the complete lack of form factor specific applications and it's pretty much dead!
This is the difference between Apple and the clowns out there.
Apple will build a product from the ground up with almost un-parallel precision of it and finish while the competition just trolls out a ME TO device.
Apple controls their hardware and software. On the other hand Moto and Sammy just cranks out hardware with a 3rd party OS and hopes for the best. And this will be a continuing themes throughout this tablet zeitgeist.
I wanted to post something like this, but I could not beat this articulation!
Mar 22nd: Xoom production ramping down
That could be the shortest lived product since New Coke.
meanwhile people are still lining up daily to get iPad 2s
crazy that they are ramping down production while preparing for the release of the WiFi model.
Motorola will reportedly reduce orders for its Xoom tablet starting in the second quarter of 2011, and no orders are apparently scheduled past June, suggesting a Xoom successor and newer competitor to Apple's iPad 2 is already in the works.
Or indicating it's not selling and they are worried about having to pull an Atari in the Arizona desert...
. Xoom's features put it in the same class, as well.
Hardware maybe, but not in software.
And it still costs more.
Yup, that's going to be successful...