The following is a bit of a reaction piece, and it’s chock full of opinions, all of them my own, so beware of that before you continue on. What we’ve just received from a faithful one of yourselves, the readers, is a set of three images, three photographs collected today from a Target superstore in mid-Minnesota. What you’ll see is a display of two tablets, both of them Android, and both of them models that we’ve reviewed here before on Android Community. Have a look here and see if you can tell why I’m of the opinion that if this is how these manufacturers intend to sell their product, they’ve got no chance.

Perhaps a little more information on what you’re seeing here will help you set a spark: this is the Motorola XOOM on the left and the Acer Iconia Tab A500 on the right. Both of them are relatively new tablets running Android 3.0 Honeycomb, and they’re both relatively awesome to use and behold. How they’re displayed here is inside some rather basic black metal claws, essentially, with only the volume tabs and the power buttons available for you to be pressing.

As you can see on the Iconia tab, you’ve got a sticker strip with an Android character at the top offering advice on the specs of the tablet. This strip is vital since, if our source is correct, the tablet is neither charged, nor is it plugged in. All the information you’ve got on the tablet is what’s written and what you can glean from the physical presence of the hardware. No screen for impressions galore!

Then the XOOM tablet is in a slightly better situation with a bit of some juice left in her, but because the power button in is such and odd place, (on the back of the tablet), noted by the big white arrow and directions sticker on the left of the display. This tablet does power on, but because it too has not been charging, it warns the user that there’s not much time left for them to be checking out the software before they’re out of luck.

In the next aisle, if I’m not mistaken, since this is what goes on in every Target now, there’s another display with a rather well-situated tablet that’ll knock the socks off of any passerby. This is the iPad 2 display. Everyone understands that they can go to an Apple store to see how the device works or they can simply purchase it here, but none of that matters because it’s under a case. Apple promotes their iPad devices so well that they don’t even need to allow you the ability to touch and feel the software for you to want to purchase the iPad 2 in the store.

Now this is an Android blog, certainly, but one cannot deny the situation here, that being one where Apple is the one with tiger blood. Acer, Motorola, you’ve got to up the ante in Target. You’ve got an alright situation going on with your displays in the carrier stores, sure, but Target is more than just a place where people purchase products. It’s a place where people walk through on the daily, seeing products and learning what they’re all about in a friendly, warm environment. You’ve got to take the time to work out a deal with the store to hold your heads up higher.

Have some pride in Android!

Or at least make sure they’ve got the darned things plugged in.

12 COMMENTS

  1. So I work at Target yeah…. *moment of silence* Okay I’m good. The reason they were off was because a few days after we set them up we had a company wide memo go out that said people were tethering them and looking up inappropriate content which led to a total shutoff, they said it was temporary until software modifications could be made in order to prevent this. Hell it was the first thing I did after my co-workers turned them on. (If a etl/tl reads this, I was off the clock.) Also speaking from a team member view, at my store they are facing the TVs and Kindles and gain some notice from being placed there. Also proud to say I’ve had quite a few Android faithfuls come in asking specifically for them.

    • Good post Icee071, but i agree with Chris Burns. the setup was mediocre, display did not catch my attention at all and it was hiding in a isle. But I knew what i was playing with which keep me in front of the Xoom for a while. I can see customers walking right past it if they did not know any better. If you notice, at Walmart, they have the iPad 2 in a closed in case displaying the hell out of it. You can’t play with it but they put it up on a pedestal like if it was a golden egg. I also think Target should make the display a bit more appealing too.

  2. So I work at Target yeah…. *moment of silence* Okay I’m good. The reason they were off was because a few days after we set them up we had a company wide memo go out that said people were tethering them and looking up inappropriate content which led to a total shutoff, they said it was temporary until software modifications could be made in order to prevent this. Hell it was the first thing I did after my co-workers turned them on. (If a etl/tl reads this, I was off the clock.) Also speaking from a team member view, at my store they are facing the TVs and Kindles and gain some notice from being placed there. Also proud to say I’ve had quite a few Android faithfuls come in asking specifically for them.

  3. GOD Americans hate paying for shit… I got an Iconia for $420 in Australia with $100 cash back from Acer. $320. That’s a good price IMO.

  4. GOD Americans hate paying for shit… I got an Iconia for $420 in Australia with $100 cash back from Acer. $320. That’s a good price IMO.

  5. I bought a Xoom a couple weeks ago from Best Buy – I was specifically intending to get the Xoom, but had similar thoughts comparing the Xoom display to the iPad2 a couple aisles over. The Xoom display looked and felt low-budget compared to Apple’s. Even the charging / security harness – the Xoom feels like it weighs 20 pounds with that thing on, whereas the iPad’s is super light. It all leads to a far superior impression in the store.

  6. I have seen these same two tablets sitting on the aisle between the video games and the iPad at my Super Target in Roswell, GA (Atlanta). I have been there several times (as the author writes, I am there on the daily) and neither unit can be tested. The chargers aren’t plugged in. The Xoom has been this way for weeks. The Iconia has only been there for a couple of weeks. I don’t think the placement of the tablets are at fault – they are in a pretty central area. But to not even have them plugged in? I have since bought a tablet at BestBuy – after I had a solid 10 minutes with a working unit.

    Pretty much, Target is not doing Motorola or Acer any favors here by having dead display units. I hope they can remedy the problem soon before more tablets suffer the same treatment.

  7. I saw the Android tablets in Target and about 10 iPad2 in stock. I think it’s just the Target’s way to say these tablets. And Target is not doing good at this, including iPad. 

  8. That’s exactly how it was at the Target by me in Rancho Cucamonga, CA the other day.  I was like hey, let me check out this Xoom and play with it, oh I guess not.

  9. Funny how I saw the exact same thing in a Target store here in Brooklyn NY.. I walked away thinking the exact same thing! 

  10. That’s nothing! I went to a RadioShack that had most of the tablets on display…. they were all “cemented” in place and weren’t turned on. What is the point!? To look at its shell? How stupid was that design!? Plus, 3 tablets were bolted on display that was about 3 feet above my head! How is anyone supposed to even look at those?!

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