The Motorola Xoom seemed to be almost everything anyone could have wanted in an Android tablet at this point. It will be running the tablet-optimized version of Android, Honeycomb, and sports a dual-core processor.

According to a leaked Best Buy ad for the Xoom, this not-so-little tablet is going to run for $800. Let me spell that out for you: eight hundred dollars. For that kind of dough, you can buy a very capable Windows laptop, and for $200 more you can spring for a MacBook Air. Who on earth would fork over $800 for this thing when every single current iPad version except for the 64GB 3G version is less than that?

Moreover, we are hearing that Wi-Fi will be locked down for the first month at Verizon. What does that mean? The leaked Best Buy ad says the following:

“To activate WiFi functionality on this device, a minimum of one month data subscription is required.”

Now that you have picked yourself up off the floor, you can feel free to rant and rave in the comments about this move. But before you do, its worth considering that this just might be something Best Buy is doing not necessarily Verizon. Best Buy does have to activate these in order to sell them, and perhaps its an incentive to activate the Xoom with a data package thats good for at least a month.

The Motorola Xoom is set to launch February 24 according to the Best Buy documentation, but do not go running to retail stores all at once now.

We have already seen a preview of Motorola Super Bowl Ad so far, and we even got some hands-on with the  real deal, but the full Super Bowl Ad has finally been posted online, following the Android tablet’s commercial debut in front of millions of Packers and Steelers fans. The ad evokes solidarity against the prevailing domination of Apple iPad, channeling the iPhone-maker own 1984 anti-Microsoft commercial.

Since we have already seen a good chunk of this ad before, we are not surprised with what we see. The actors wearing the all-white cloaks are obviously Apple customers, seemingly living out their existence as mindless Apple clones. The rebel actor is the guy with the Android-powered Xoom tablet. Its clear that Motorola is telling the world that there are more options available than what you will find in Apple walled-garden, and that its Android offerings will help you break free of Apple growing role as the new Big Brothee of tech. The message in the ad is clear, and Motorola is not ashamed to push that message to the millions of Super Bowl XLV watchers.

As for the specifics, the commercial backbround music works really well with the cinematography to evoke certain emotions curiosity, desire, and anti-Apple rebelliousness. The ad shows the guy with the Xoom in his efforts trying to woo the i-Girl he works with, and does so by making a video on the tablet for her. We really were not expecting the ad to go in this direction, as you really do not know anything about the tablet besides a couple of features, like a camera.

Either way, we are glad we can finally enjoy the the whole ad. Hopefully this will be the beginning of many more Xoom ads before it hits Verizon shelves. Until then, however, we will just keep watching our hands-on video that gives you a better feel for what this powerful Android Honeycomb tablet can really do.

We have new launch dates for two of the hottest gadgets on the market. Engadget source says that Best Buy will get the Motorola Xoom on February 24th and HTC Thunderbolt on the 14th. Sure these are not the first leaked launch dates for two Android devices, but since we are talking about such "objects of desire" we just could not help it but write about the "rumor date" again.

Previously, we have heard that the LTE-enabled Thunderbolt will start selling on February 24th. The new information says that could happen 10 days before. When compared to ATT offering, thats one day after ATT will launch the Inspire 4G and that kinda makes sense.

Both Thunderbolt and Inspire 4G are basically versions of the HTC Desire HD customized to take advantage of Verizon and ATT networks, respectively. Motorola Xoom, on the other hand, will be one of the first Android 3.0 Honeycomb-powered tablet.

The already eagerly awaited Motorola Atrix is making headlines again this time making a hint of 1080p video capture. Having a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU roaring inside, it should come as no surprise that this monster droid would offer Full HD recording much like the Optimus 2X, for instance.

The device is set to initially come with 720p video recording and 1080p playback via its HDMI port but a vigilant read spotted a remark in the manufacturer specs that promises 1080p video recording via a post-launch software update. So far information on the update concerns only the ATT version, the Atrix 4G, so we cannot be certain if it will be available for the European version as well. Its some great news for the fans waitig eagerly for the official launch of the Atrix, especially now that the Tegra-loving LG Optimus 2X is already flaunting its fullHD capturing capabilities.

Since the 1080p video capture will probably be a major selling point of the Atrix 4G, we really hope Motorola does not take long with the update as it did with the updates of most of its other GSM Android smartphones.

The Moto XOOM tablet is increasingly looking like it will have a hefty price tag when it launches, probably somewhere in the £700 region (825 Euro).

Online retailers are already offerring pre-orders for the XOOM at prices above £700 and Andrew Moreley, Moto vice-president for International Marketing was not doing anything to suggest that such prices will be anything but normal for the XOOM:

"While we have not announced the price, the Motorola Xoom is clearly a premium device with premium pieces inside. This will show in the cost too however, at the price level we believe it will be successful."

It's that last part of the quote that raises some questions because the tablet market is becoming increasingly crowded. The Samsung Galaxy Tab launched with a fairly high price, but given that the market was composed of pretty much just it and the iPad it could get away with that. With manufacturers all jumping on the tablet bandwagon price is going to be an increasingly important consideration.

The LG Optimus Pad is thought to have a lower price than the XOOM, for example, even though the specs are similar. Moto might find that it has to cut its profit margins on the device somewhat if it expects its premium product to be a premium success.