Motorola’s XOOM tablet PC may impress with its features, but not with its price. This $800 price tag for a tablet may be too big ask. This notwithstanding the fact that the tablet is also the first to come pre-loaded with the first operating system to have been developed specifically for tablet like device – Android Honeycomb. The price quoted is for the 3G version of the XOOM though there is also a cheaper alternative, the Wi-Fi only version of the XOOM that costs a bit more affordable $600.
However, while XOOM’s price is being talked about as much as the tablet itself, Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha seems unfazed as he defended the price tag as being future proof. Sanjay Jha believes the price won’t be as overwhelming if considered in the greater context as a free upgrade will make the tablet compatible with 4G mobile broadband networks.
“We felt that our ability to deliver 50Mb/s would justify the $799 price point. It is 32GB with 3G and a free upgrade to 4G. Being competitive with iPad is important. We feel that from the hardware and capabilities we deliver we are at least competitive and in a number of ways better [than the iPad],” said Jha.
Meanwhile, the company has also drawn up plans to make the tablet available at various locations in Europe which includes Carphone Warehouse, Best Buy, Dixons, Currys, and PC World. The European debut is planned during the second quarter of 2011 though Motorola is yet to come up with firm pricing details of the tablet there.
XOOM pre-order to start from Feb 20 at Best Buy
In another development, the pre-order process for the XOOM at Best Buy is now slated to begin only on the 20th of Feb and not 17th as was earlier envisaged. This was done on a request from Motorola.
XOOM to include Google Music
A XOOM resplendent with Google Music is surely a delicious proposition for music lovers. Google Music is a cloud based feature and has been in the making for quite sometime now. Also being cloud based, users will be able to upload all of their music files in the clouds thereby allowing users access to them just about anywhere and anytime.
via wsj
Sovan Mandal is the senior tablet and tech corespondent for goodereader.com. He brings a international approach to news that is not just applicable to the North American market, but also Asia, India, Europe and others. Sovy brings his own writing flavor to the website and is interested in Science Fiction, Technology and Writing. Any questions, send an email