The computer tablet market is on fire. Apple Inc’s latest version of iPad has already created so much excitement and hysteria around gadgets and gizmo buffs that other companies too are keenly eying a large pie of the growing tablet market.
In a latest development, Motorola Mobility says it will start selling a Wi-Fi-only version of its Xoom tablet computer at a price tag of $599 from March 27 across the United States. The Xoom tablet will come with WiFi connectivity, no monthly wireless contract, and 32 GB of storage, just like the $599 version of the iPad 2.
The arrival of Xoom becomes especially important given that Apple has not been able to fulfill early supply of iPad 2. Estimates put iPad 2 sales at anywhere from 1 million to 1.2 million. An expert said: “Apple left a lot of money on the table when it could not deliver sufficient launch volumes for its new tablet.” The wait time for an iPad 2 is up to five weeks at Apple.com. So many see it as a good chance for Motorola to putting Apple off balance.
One of the drags that Motorola may face is that it hasn’t still fixed some of the issues prevailing with the Xoom, and moreover, the 3G version still costs more than the equivalent iPad. Though Xoom does have better cameras and more RAM memory than the iPad 2, but Apple's tablet is much thinner and lighter.
The Xoom is a prominent competitor to Apple Inc.'s iPad. A version with cellular broadband access went on sale through Verizon Wireless last month for $800, or $600 with a two-year contract.
The iPad 2 and Xoom both have fast dual-core processors and two cameras. But the Motorola Mobility Inc.'s tablet runs Google Inc.'s Android software, while the iPad runs a version of the iPhone's software.
