Quote:
Originally Posted by JerseyBiker
mgmueller I have been following this thread for some time and I a enjoy reading your reviews and comparisons. I didn't feel I had use for a tablet but after playing around with a couple of them owned by family members I now have the bug. I have been sort of researching them the last few days and there are 2 left on my list. The Motorola Xoom and the Toshiba Thrive. Of the 2 which do you prefer and why. I'll appreciate suggestions from anyone. Thanks
~eddie
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Hi again. How's your boat?
I thought the same as you ("no use for a tablet") in the beginning. And for quite some time I've used tablets and dedicated readers in parallel. But quite frankly, those readers are getting less important for me day by day. In fact, 2 weeks ago I've installed calibre again and prepared my library for iRex 800, one of my favorite readers only a year ago. I was quite surprised. Compared to tablets, I found the background rather dim/gray. Okay, battery and weight are arguments. But when having my tablet with me anyway, why should I take an additional reader with me?
So, when traveling, I usually take 2 or 3 tablets with me and only rarely a dedicated reader (usually Kindle DX Graphite).
And - one of those 2 or 3 tablets almost all the time is Motorola Xoom.
I like the form factor, prefer 16:9 of Xoom over the 4:3 ratio of iPad.
I'm not using a cover, but the gel sleeve which adds only little bulk. I find it very convenient to hold. I've seen negative reviews about the display quality, but I'm absolutely fine with it.
I've seen Toshiba Thrive in German Media Markt. I didn't like it at all. And (coming from me, this really means something
) I was not compelled at all to buy it. In fact, I've googled, whether this really was Thrive or any other Toshiba model. After some favorable reviews, I had expected so much more. I don't like the looks of it. It seems bulky and "low end". I didn't like the display quality, compared to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9" which was next to it (and which I bought 2 weeks later).
So, if it's between Xoom and Thrive, personally I'd always go for Xoom (although I'm not a Motorola fan in general). I've got the Xoom 1, but I probably will go for the Xoom 2 in addition.
If you're open for other units as well, I like:
BlackBerry Playbook = Phantastic display, best OS in my opinion and kind of Android compatible. You can have it rather cheap now, as it's obviously not a bestseller.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 = very slim and surprisingly elegant. Great display and relatively cheap.
And I like HP TouchPad, but I'm not sure about it's future. But it's unbelievable cheap to get.
As always: It depends on your needs...