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Modern Bluetooth is a big advance on the early technologies. Pairing the Xoom with a compatible Bluetooth device is as simple as telling it find nearby devices. If there is more than one, you select the one you want to hook up to from a list. The whole thing takes a few seconds.
When you are hooked up you will find some lag on some devices but generally speaking lag is a thing of the past. A quality Bluetooth keyboard will have you speed typing on the Xoom. You can expect great range too, with thirty feet being not that uncommon.
Compatible Devices
The Motorola Xoom uses Bluetooth Version 2.2 and is compatible with devices running 2.1 or 2.0.
There are plenty of profiles available on the Xoom including:
Human Interface Device Profile (HID)Object Push Profile (OPP)Personal Area Network Profile (PANU and NAP)A/V Remote Control Profile (AVRCP)Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP)Headset Profile (HSP)If you are ever unsure that a device is compatible, check the profile list above against the manufacturers specification.
One profile that the Xoom does not support is HFP (Handsfree Profile). Unfortunately, this means no audio through Bluetooth headsets if you are making a making a video call on Google talk. This is a serious shortcoming plenty of people are hoping will be addressed soon.
Bluetooth Keyboards for the Xoom
Bluetooth keyboards dramatically boost productivity. A full sized keyboard like the Microsoft Bluetooth Keyboard will make typing on the Xoom pretty much the same as typing on your PC. Three quarter size keyboards are also pretty fast and if you used to a laptop, you will get the same experience.
There are some mini keyboards where you type with your thumbs. This can still be quicker than using the Xoom's virtual keyboard.
I like folding keyboards like the Verbatim. They are a good size when open but fold up into a neat carry case that you can put in your pocket.
A special mention should be made for the Motorola Bluetooth keyboard. It has great keys that are comfortable to use. It is very thin and very light. Best of all, it has a row of special buttons at the top that make controlling multimedia and navigating apps very easy.
Bluetooth Stereo Headphones
The best Bluetooth headphones like the Rocketfish have a built-in equalizer to get the best from different kinds of music. They give audio warnings of range issues, too. Best of all they have sound comparable to wired headphones.
You choice will depend on many factors but these are 2 common issues:
Do you like earbuds? These slip into the ear and help cut surrounding noise but can be painful for some people.
Are very conscious of how you look around town? Go for smaller, later models like the Jabra clip which is very discrete.
Headsets
Headsets are usually mono(one ear only) and are used for phone conversations as well as music (if you like music in one ear only!). Manufacturers have been struggling to make these more appealing to the fashion conscious lately- you can look pretty dorky with one of the older models.
Jabra, Motorola and Plantronics are the biggest names in this area. The Plantronics Jawbone is still one of the best for pure call quality. Many more recent models use noise cancellation technology (that works!).
Jack Arthur writes extensively on new technologies
If you want to look at more accessories for the Xoom you could try the Best Xoom Accessories guide. You might also be interested in Best Xoom Apps.
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