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My main focus for this review is how the Xoom handles the playback of movies and TV programs. Therefore, I am concerned with the audio and video quality of this tablet.

After a couple of weeks of testing, I was ready to say that the Picture Quality was lacking. The display just didn't have the punch that I have seen in better HDTVs that I have reviewed and more specifically, the screen just did not produce as deep and rich of an image as the iPad.

But just tonight, in a darkened office, I was testing the Xoom with a few clips from YouTube and the results were better, perhaps because the ambient light was so low.

I still feel that the Xoom's PQ could be fuller. I wish it produced a more solid black. I tried lowering the Brightness, but if I go too low, I begin to crush the shadow detail.

The Xoom display is good, and under certain conditions, very good, but it just doesn't produce the consistent pop like the iPad.

I'm sure some will disagree with that statement. Be that as it may, let me reiterate what I said about the iPad. It's obvious that no matter how good the picture quality, the Xoom's screen is still only 10". I know when compared to an smartphone, that must seem huge, but I just finished reviewing a 65" HDTV.

When we are talking about low resolution videos of remixes of Rebecca Black's "Friday", a 10.1" screen might be too large. But for a movie like Tron Legacy, detail is lost when you stuff the picture into the Xoom display.

This tradeoff for the Xoom's portability is one that I am more likely to make if I am watching a podcast or a comedy like 30 Rock. But for programs like Game of Thrones, I would rather wait to see them on a bigger screen.

And don't confuse portability with lightness. Motorola lists the Xoom as weighing 730 grams (about 1.61 pounds), which might seem a mere feather until you try to support it in your hands for a half hour show.

If you are planning on watching a long form program, figure out a support system. Your forearms and shoulders will thank you.

As for audio, I sympathize with tablet designers and engineers who are tasked with squeezing any respectable sound out of this thin form factor. With that said, I think Motorola exacerbated the situation by placing the speakers on the back of the tablet.

It makes no sense to me and the audio quality suffers. I assume that the designers figure that you will be using earbuds for any serious listening. And with a good set of earphones, the sound is quite satisfactory.

As a portable media player, I prefer the Apple iPad over the Motorola Xoom because the iPad's screen delivers a deeper black, punchier image. Also, currently there are very few streaming movie apps for the Xoom, for example, no Netflix, no Hulu Plus.

As a tablet used for other tasks, it's a toss-up, though I prefer the openess of the Xoom's Google Android Honeycomb operating system.