The screen is slightly larger so it does have a larger pixel count. At that size, it's not that noticeable. Slight edge to the Xoom.
512MB is not set in stone. That's speculation given that the first gen iPad had 256MB and the iPhone 4 had 512MB. Either way, I haven't seen any apps on Android that would even require that much RAM. We've got games like Infinity Blade and Rage running on the first gen iPad and there is nothing that demanding that I've seen on Android. If anything, with the way Android saves your application state, it's required for it to have more RAM than an equivalent iOS device to maintain performance. I can't see this one going to Android. At best a wash. And if the iPad 2 has 1GB RAM, I'd give the edge to the iPad 2 for the reasons given.
Honestly...this is not a big deal. You're thinking like a techie here. For general consumer use you'd be surprised how small of an amount of people would care. For those that do, there is an optional $30 sd card reader. Again, I can't label it superior. I'd give the edge to Xoom.
Negligible. I doubt anyone would notice except if you had them side by side. A better comparison would be screen quality. Just as a most people consider a TFT screen to be inferior to an IPS even if size and resolution are the same.
I think you meant the feel of the Xoom not the form factor. If you're talking form factor, they're both rectangular slabs of glass, plastic and metal.
Again, you're speaking from the perspective of a techie. Apple's attempt was a smooth and easy to use OS and you gotta admit iOS does that in spades. I have used Android devices, my brother has an Android phone. In all honesty, it's not that difficult to use but it does take a few minutes of playing around with it to understand how it works. iOS on the other hand will take less than a minute and is almost idiot proof.
Apple also tries to spit shine their OS and while nothing is ever bug free, I've seen less news of iOS issues like crashing and hanging than on Android. I know you're trying to give intelligent replies and are not one of those trolls but we all know there is a small contingent who are hell bent on crapping on Apple and anyone who uses Apple products so we would have heard about any major iOS issues.
Well, with Apple's huge user base and how well integrated it's integrated with iTunes, it just makes looking for apps and music to purchase very easy. The fact that developers don't have to worry as much about advertising their apps makes it a higher priority for app development. The new Android Market is better but it's still got a ways to go before it matches iTunes.
Software is really the strength of the iOS devices. From the iOS software which is drop dead easy to use and the ease of looking for and purchasing apps and music.
The Xoom is a decent device. It has it's pluses as well ans it's minuses and it's definitely a nice device for certain people. All in all, Xoom has a slight edge in hardware, the sizable edge in software for the iPad. But again, I can't label the Xoom superior. Better in some ways, inferior in others. But definitely not superior. For the Xoom to be labeled superior, it'd have to have a definite quality about it that makes someone say the iPad can't touch that. It just doesn't have that.