(I think this is the definition of irony - the Motorola Xoom can’t even access it’s own website.) While we were driving around the other night, I noticed that the Borders in our area is one of the stores that happens to be closing down and that everything was on sale. Since I had accumulated a few gift cards over the years to Borders, I decided to stop by after work yesterday to see if there was anything I could buy. I ended up getting two books, iPhone App Development: The Missing Manual by Craig Hockenberry (on the recommendation of Marco Arment in his podcast with Dan Benjamin) and The DSLR Field Guide by Michael Freeman (because it was the only decent looking photography book left). As I was leaving Borders, I remembered there was a Best Buy nearby, so decided to head there to try to check out the Motorola Xoom, which I had been meaning to do since it came out. I read a lot of the reviews of the Xoom back when it came out and remember that many of them wondered why anybody would choose to purchase the Xoom over the iPad. The iPad has been out for almost a year and has gained a very good reputation, so what killer feature of the Xoom would cause people to decide to buy that? Another reason I think that the Xoom may have a hard time is the overall shopping experience. I walked into Best Buy and turned towards my right and immediately noticed two things: the mobile phone section and the Apple section. Then I thought to myself: Where will the Xoom be? In the mobile phone section like the Galaxy Tab was? Somewhere in the computer section? Somewhere else completely? I decided to start in the mobile phone section since that is where the Galaxy Tab is … with no luck. Then I walked around the computer section a bit before getting tired of looking and moving on to look at external hard drives and a couple other things I have been meaning to buy. Finally, after shopping around a little, I was about to leave the store. I then saw an employee with a box that looked like it said Motorola on it. I followed him back into the computer section, where I finally saw the Xoom mixed in with a bunch of other laptops and notebooks. It was way in the back of the computer section. It would be very difficult for anyone to just come across it. The iPad, on the other hand, was front and center in the Apple section, which also happened to be front and center in the computer section of this particular Best Buy. While the iPad was one of the first things I saw when I got to Best Buy yesterday, the Xoom was nearly impossible to find. This is yet another reason I think that while the Xoom is an impressive piece of hardware, it is going to have a tough time in the market.

(I think this is the definition of irony - the Motorola Xoom can’t even access it’s own website.)

While we were driving around the other night, I noticed that the Borders in our area is one of the stores that happens to be closing down and that everything was on sale. Since I had accumulated a few gift cards over the years to Borders, I decided to stop by after work yesterday to see if there was anything I could buy. I ended up getting two books, iPhone App Development: The Missing Manual by Craig Hockenberry (on the recommendation of Marco Arment in his podcast with Dan Benjamin) and The DSLR Field Guide by Michael Freeman (because it was the only decent looking photography book left). As I was leaving Borders, I remembered there was a Best Buy nearby, so decided to head there to try to check out the Motorola Xoom, which I had been meaning to do since it came out.

I read a lot of the reviews of the Xoom back when it came out and remember that many of them wondered why anybody would choose to purchase the Xoom over the iPad. The iPad has been out for almost a year and has gained a very good reputation, so what killer feature of the Xoom would cause people to decide to buy that? Another reason I think that the Xoom may have a hard time is the overall shopping experience.

I walked into Best Buy and turned towards my right and immediately noticed two things: the mobile phone section and the Apple section. Then I thought to myself: Where will the Xoom be? In the mobile phone section like the Galaxy Tab was? Somewhere in the computer section? Somewhere else completely? I decided to start in the mobile phone section since that is where the Galaxy Tab is … with no luck. Then I walked around the computer section a bit before getting tired of looking and moving on to look at external hard drives and a couple other things I have been meaning to buy. Finally, after shopping around a little, I was about to leave the store. I then saw an employee with a box that looked like it said Motorola on it. I followed him back into the computer section, where I finally saw the Xoom mixed in with a bunch of other laptops and notebooks. It was way in the back of the computer section. It would be very difficult for anyone to just come across it. The iPad, on the other hand, was front and center in the Apple section, which also happened to be front and center in the computer section of this particular Best Buy. While the iPad was one of the first things I saw when I got to Best Buy yesterday, the Xoom was nearly impossible to find. This is yet another reason I think that while the Xoom is an impressive piece of hardware, it is going to have a tough time in the market.

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