While the iPad 2 was not available for a full review, we were able to borrow one for testing for about two hours before it was released to the public. Both the Xoom and the iPad 2 work with Wi-Fi and 3G, (we tested the iPad 2 on Verizon Wireless) both are nearly the same size, and both work well as tablets. The differences are minor, and for most potential users, the decision will come down to personal preference rather than some clear advantage on one side or the other.
Tale of the tape
The Xoom is a half-inch thick and weighs just over a pound and a half, which is equal to the original iPad. The other physical dimensions are different however. The Xoom is 9.8 inches x 6.6 inches. The iPad tends more toward the square at 9.5 x 7.31. The iPad 2 is 0.34 inches thick. The screen dimensions tell a slightly different story.
The Xoom's screen measures 5.325 x 8.5. The iPad measures 5.75 x 7.75 inches and weighs 1.3 pounds. While Motorola makes a big deal out of having a 10.1 inch screen vs. the iPad 2's 9.7 inch screen, this difference is because screen sizes are measured diagonally. In reality, the actual screen area available for viewing is nearly the same, with the iPad 2 being about seven-tenths of a square inch less - an insignificant amount.
The primary advantage to the Xoom's wider but shorter screen (if viewed in the landscape mode) is that you might see a larger image when viewing movies and HD video. In the portrait mode, the narrow form factor makes it less convenient to be used as an e-reader. However, the placement of the ports and the power switch on the back make it clear that the Xoom is intended to be used primarily in landscape mode. The iPad 2 doesn't seem to prefer one mode over the other.
The screen resolutions on both devices are appropriate to their size and measurements. The Xoom has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and the iPad 2 has 1024 x 768 pixels. The Xoom has a slightly higher number of pixels per inch, but even on close inspection, the quality of the image depended on the image, not the number of pixels per inch on the screen. There may be a difference on the Xoom when viewing HD video, since the image will probably fill more of the screen, and as a result be able to devote more of its available pixels to that image.
