MOTOROLA XOOM NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FROM VERIZON, NO CONTRACT REQUIRED TO UNLOCK WIFI

The Motorola Xoom Android tablet is now available for purchase from Verizon Wireless. Best Buy has been selling the tablet to pre-order customers since February 24th. Verizon is also charging $799 for a contract-free tablet.If you sign up for a 2 year data plan you will be able to pick it up for $599.

Meanwhile, Verizon has confirmed that customers who are willing to buy the tablet at full prize will no longer be required to register for a one-month data plan. It was earlier reported that paying for at least one month's data plan is required to unlock the tablet's WiFi functionality. Of course, if you are not interested in using 3G, there is really no point in buying the tablet at the moment by paying the contract-free price of $799, because Motorola has plans to offer a WiFi only version sometime soon. And that model is priced at $599.

In related news, Verizon will reportedly offer free upgrade to 4G in about 3 months. Customers will have to send in their tablets to get the upgrade, though.

DELL UPDATES XPS 15 AND XPS 17 NOTEBOOKS WITH SANDY BRIDGE PROCESSORS

Dell has updated its XPS 15 and XPS 17 multimedia notebooks with Intel's latest 2nd generation Core i series Sandy Bridge processors and new NVIDIA GeForce 500M discrete graphics. The XPS 17 is also available with an optional 3D capable display.

The 15.6 inch XPS 15 L502x and the 17.3 inch XPS 17 L702x also support the NVIDIA Optimus automatic graphics switching technology. Select models also feature the Intel Wireless Display technology and built-in TV tuner. Full HD display resolution is also available as an optional feature. Dell says the new XPS notebooks aren't affected by the recent chipset issue that affected some Sandy Bridge laptops.

The Dell XPS 15 L502x and 17 L702x have a starting price of $1,049.99 and $899.99 respectively. Both models are expected to start shipping on March 15th.

CLOSER LOOK AT THE FUJITSU STYLISTIC Q550 WINDOWS TABLET

Fujitsu showed off a Windows 7 tablet with an Intel Oak Trail processor and a 10.1 inch display at CES in January. However, Fujitsu didn't reveal a lot of details back then. Now it looks like the tablet is ready for prime time. Fujitsu will reportedly show off the tablet at the CeBIT trade show in Germany in March.

The Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 is aimed at business users, rather than consumers. It will run Windows 7 Professional operating system. It will be powered by an upcoming Intel Atom Oak Trail processor. The tablet has a touchscreen display which recognizes both pen and finger input. There is also a fingerprint scanner and a smartcard slot.

The Fujitsu Stylistic Q550 will also have a solid state disk of up to 64GB, front and rear facing cameras, a USB port, and optional 3G mobile broadband. The tablet will reportedly be available in Europe in April. No word on pricing at the moment, but bear in mind that Fujitsu has no history of launching cheap computers.