We mentioned here before of Motorola’s intentions of coming up with a special edition version of its XOOM tablet PC named ‘Motorola XOOM Family Edition.’ Well, we have got the launch dates here now, October 16th with Best Buy as the exclusive retail partner. As for price, the XOOM in its Family Edition avatar has been priced a convenient $379, which makes it a bit cheaper than even the Wi-Fi only version of the XOOM.
While the price does seem lucrative, there is a slight compromise to be made with the Family Edition compared to the standard XOOM models. For the Family Edition comes with 16 GB of internal memory which is half of what the cheapest standard XOOM with Wi-Fi comes with but costs a lot more at $499. What this translates to is that opting the XOOM Family Edition does make a lot of sense. More since everything else with the XOOM has been kept untouched. As such, the XOOM Family Edition too boasts of the same 1GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 10.1 inch IPS display along with a 5 megapixel camera as well that is capable of recording 720p video.
Motorola has also tried to impart a family ‘touch’ to the XOOM by including Kid Zone software which comprises of educational games aimed at kids. Then there also is a parnetal control feature included which parents can make the best use of to ensure their wards are only viewing things on that tablet that they approve of. Among the games that the XOOM Family Edition will come pre-installed with include Asphalt 6 from Gameloft and SIM City Deluxe while essential apps that should be handy for the entire family include Quickoffice Pro HD. Motorola claims the XOOM Family Edition comes pre-installed with $40 worth of games and application.
“Nowadays, everyone from mom, dad to the youngest child use the same tablet device. We set out to design a device that’s kid and family-friendly yet versatile enough to handle your business needs,” said Jim Hamilton, corporate vice president, global retail & distribution, Motorola Mobility, explaining the company’s move to launch such a version before also adding: “The Motorola XOOM Family Edition offers a world of games, shows and video tools and because it’s from Motorola, you know it’s durable and will last for years to come.”
The XOOM Family Edition can be considered a desperate attempt on part of Motorola to bring some respectability to the XOOM sales figures which has never really taken off in a big way. This until Motorola is ready with XOOM 2 to take their tablet dreams forward.
[showhide type=’pressrelease’]Motorola Mobility and Best Buy Announce Motorola XOOM™ Family Edition – For Kids of All Ages
Special edition tablet exclusively for Best Buy customers is built to last and loaded with fun to bring the family together again
Oct. 14, 2011
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Oct. 14, 2011 – Grab the popcorn, hit the lights and cuddle up on the couch with the new Motorola XOOM™ Family Edition, the HD tablet built for your entire family. Available exclusively through Best Buy starting October 16, the Android™ 3.1-powered Motorola XOOM Family Edition will entertain everyone in the house with TV shows, thousands of movies, and fun, educational games for kids of all ages. And with the award-winning Zoodles™ application, parents can rest easy knowing their kids are safe from inappropriate content. It’s an affordable way to bring everyone together into the twenty-first century.
“Nowadays, everyone from mom, dad to the youngest child use the same tablet device. We set out to design a device that’s kid and family-friendly yet versatile enough to handle your business needs,” said Jim Hamilton, corporate vice president, global retail & distribution, Motorola Mobility. “The Motorola XOOM Family Edition offers a world of games, shows and video tools and because it’s from Motorola, you know it’s durable and will last for years to come.”
“Tablets continue to generate excitement and we are thrilled to be able to offer the Motorola XOOM Family Edition to Best Buy customers,” said Scott Wallace, senior director of tablet merchandising at Best Buy. “We think these devices are great for kids and families, and offer something for everyone. At Best Buy, we’ve long stood for choice and are delighted that the new XOOM Family Edition will be part of our selection.”
Motorola XOOM Family Edition comes pre-loaded with almost $40 worth of applications and also features the award-winning Kid Zone™ by Zoodles™ that locks the home button and allows your kids to only access the content you deem acceptable, like educational games and movies. It also sports MotoPack by Motorola, which makes it simple to find and download apps that help you do more—and have more fun—with your tablet. MotoPack by Motorola showcases a selection of high-quality, popular apps that have all been fully tested on Motorola tablets to ensure an exceptional experience. Simply select the apps you want and download them directly from Android Market™. New apps and special promotions will be featured in the MotoPack by Motorola on an ongoing basis, so be sure to check back regularly.
And after the kids fall asleep, Motorola XOOM Family Edition lets you get back to work with email access, document editing capabilities with Quickoffice® Pro HD, and Web surfing that looks just like a PC, with tabbed browsing and Adobe® Flash® Player. Then access more than 250,000 other apps, as well as new cloud services from Google Mobile™ Services, Amazon and more.
Featuring a 10.1-inch widescreen HD display and battery life that lasts through a day of road tripping or a marathon game night, everyone will get a kick out of the entertainment possibilities with the Motorola XOOM Family Edition. Watch videos on YouTube and access millions of books while you hunt down the perfect bedtime story through Android Market™. With 16GB of on-board storage, everyone in the family will have space to store their favorite songs, photos and movies – even Grandma.
With a 5-megapixel rear camera and front-facing webcam, the entire family can video chat with aunts and uncles across the country. Remember the ancient days of camcorders and VHS tapes? Well those days are long-gone when you use Motorola XOOM Family Edition to record family videos and share them in a snap. Forget uploading to a PC—play your videos back on the tablet, view them on your flat-screen TV with HDMI® or post your masterpieces straight to YouTube™, Picasa™, Facebook® and more.
Want the details? Here’s a list of the facts:
Runs on Android 3.1, built specifically for tablets
1GHz dual-core processor for lightning-fast responsiveness
10.1” HS IPS HD screen display with capacitive multi-touch
5MP back camera with flash, with 720p video webcam
Preloaded with almost $40 worth of applications, plus Zoodles™, the award-winning Kid Mode application
Preloaded with MotoPack by Motorola XOOM (App Downloader by Motorola)
·Preloaded with Quickoffice™ Pro HD for seamless productivity at work
Preloaded with MotoPrint – the application that allows you to print straight from the Web browser
Preloaded with fun games like Asphalt 6 from Gameloft and SIM City Deluxe
16GB built-in memory
Battery lasts up to 10 hours for video playback and Web browsing
Access to more than 250,000 apps in Android Market™
Availability and Pricing
Motorola XOOM Family Edition will be available exclusively at all Best Buy stores nationwide and online at BestBuy.com for a limited time value price of $379 starting Oct. 16. [/showhide]
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
