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The $599 price for the Wi-Fi only Xoom tablet from Motorola Mobility has triggered an online debate about whether it's competitive with Apple's iPad 2 or way overpriced.
Motorola announced that its Android-based tablet, with a Wi-Fi radio embedded, will go on sale March 27 for $599. Here's what you get for the money: a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 10.1-inch display with 1280 x 800 resolution, and a 5-megapixel autofocus camera.
Apple offers a 32GB iPad 2, also Wi-Fi only, for the same $599 price. But the entry model with 16GB is $499.
TABLET TUMBLE: iPad 2 vs. Motorola Xoom
HANDS-ON REVIEW: Xoom battles iPad 2 to a draw
The Xoom's price is a "perfect matching" against of the 32GB iPad 2, says Sean Mccleod at the Wireless Ground blog. "Motorola has announced the details of the Wi-Fi edition Xoom and its price seems just about right," he says.
But a match isn't good enough in this market, says ZDNet blogger James Kendrick.
"This is good news and bad news for those wanting a XOOM without 3G/4G connectivity; while it is good this model is going on sale, it is $200 too much to compete with the entry-level iPad 2 that is selling like hotcakes," he says.
Today's tablet prices are an obstacle to mass adoption, argues Tom Simonite, writing at MIT Technology Review. He says that the Xoom's price is "simply...