Motorola Xoom review

In contrast, the iPad 2 comes with 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption out of the box. IT administrators may therefore choose the Apple device to avoid having to manually encrypt it before handing it over to staff.

On the Xoom, we were required to set up a numerical password and, once the encryption process was complete, the device would not mount a PC as a hard drive until the PIN was entered.

The Xoom can also be monitored and controlled by an IT administrator via a Google Apps business account. The feature allows admins to erase all data, set password rules, change the screen unlock password, monitor screen unlock attempts and lock the device remotely.

Another impressive feature of the Xoom is its ability to carry out a form of  multi-tasking which, although not quite on same level as the BlackBerry PlayBook, is better than app switching on the iPad 2.

Pressing the 'Recent Apps' button brings up a panel of the last five applications which have been opened. Users can preview the tab before choosing to go into the application. The current application also continues to run, meaning that flash videos continue to play, something rivals can't quite manage.

An area that we feel Google could have improved is the onscreen keyboard. Although the letters are large it is too basic, and typing with one hand while holding the device with the other is difficult for any prolonged period of time.

Those who wish to use the device for longer are advised to purchase the Bluetooth keyboard accessory, which costs £60.

Internet
Surfing the internet is one of the best features of the Xoom and the WebKit browser has been redesigned to offer a desktop-like experience.

Key additions include tabbed browsing and an ‘incognito' mode to keep your history private. The speed improvements in this new version are very clear too, web pages loading fully within seconds.

Flash 10.2 is supported out of the box, although the software has to be downloaded from the Android Market manually. This allows the Xoom to provide a much more complete web experience than Apple's device.

Battery life
Motorola claims up to 10 hours of video playback, which is on a par with the iPad 2. However, as the iPad 2 has a slightly brighter screen and is physically lighter, it can still be considered superior.

Moderate use will see around 20 hours of life out of the Xoom, and this is decent considering the size of the screen.

Overall, while the Motorola Xoom has some flaws, it is still a solid device. Honeycomb is a pleasure to use and the Xoom offers better overall functionality than the iPad 2.