So we were able to score a little hands on time with one of the first devices to come out with el-Googs’ newly minted tablet OS Honeycomb courtesy of Mr. Art Samaniego and the Manila Bulletin Techlab, and we came away with mixed feelings. On one hand, we definitely liked the overall look and feel of Honeycomb. It’s really not just Froyo or Gingerbread dressed up – it’s a whole new animal, so to speak. On the other hand, we could feel that the Xoom was faltering, both during the menu transitions and in some of the apps – the software crash we experienced during the video just reinforced that feeling.
Unlike it’s other Android brethren, the XOOM has no hard buttons, save one on the back of the device that serves as the power on/unlock key. Everything is handled on the nice and large 10.1-inch display.
Here’s a view of the backside of this tablet. As you can see, we managed to get a nice looksie when the MB Techlab was still unwrapping the little puppy.
Typing won’t be much of a chore on the device, as the virtual keyboard does its job well.
Video is up!