Some other threads discussing "full partition" problems loading custom ROMs onto the Xoom led me to some digging around. The short story is that Motorola only allocated 236MB to the system partition on the Xoom, and the current JB stock build (JZO54K) occupies nearly 231MB.
Given that various features were not included in the JB update when compared to the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus, it's all starting to make more sense why. When Honeycomb rolled out for what is now thought to be a public beta test of the Android tablet form factor, the system partition likely had plenty of space for growth. Dial the calendar ahead several months, and ICS emerges with a footprint that is nearing the Xoom's capacity. And the first item to go - face unlock. It's all good, no one really uses it for actual security but is a cool novelty to show your non-Android/non-ICS friends. Then comes Jellybean. And it's BIG. The Galaxy Nexus system.img file is over 400MB for toro (obviously apples and oranges due to its use as a phone, but you get the idea). So, to make it work for the Xoom, a lot of the frills are stripped away - new wallpapers, sound search as a system app, on-device voice search, Google hot word to start a search in Google Now, etc. It all just doesn't fit inside the partition that Motorola assigned in early 2011. Sad when you realize that there is a giant 32GB flash memory chip built in. And I suspect the Nexus S is faced with the same problems - hardware will work, but the system partition is just too small.
And now we hope for custom ROMs for 4.2 that can fit inside that tiny system partition. Based on the current size of CM10 for wingray, I'd say Team EOS has the best possibility from the size standpoint. That shiny Nexus 10 is looking better and better...
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium
Given that various features were not included in the JB update when compared to the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus, it's all starting to make more sense why. When Honeycomb rolled out for what is now thought to be a public beta test of the Android tablet form factor, the system partition likely had plenty of space for growth. Dial the calendar ahead several months, and ICS emerges with a footprint that is nearing the Xoom's capacity. And the first item to go - face unlock. It's all good, no one really uses it for actual security but is a cool novelty to show your non-Android/non-ICS friends. Then comes Jellybean. And it's BIG. The Galaxy Nexus system.img file is over 400MB for toro (obviously apples and oranges due to its use as a phone, but you get the idea). So, to make it work for the Xoom, a lot of the frills are stripped away - new wallpapers, sound search as a system app, on-device voice search, Google hot word to start a search in Google Now, etc. It all just doesn't fit inside the partition that Motorola assigned in early 2011. Sad when you realize that there is a giant 32GB flash memory chip built in. And I suspect the Nexus S is faced with the same problems - hardware will work, but the system partition is just too small.
And now we hope for custom ROMs for 4.2 that can fit inside that tiny system partition. Based on the current size of CM10 for wingray, I'd say Team EOS has the best possibility from the size standpoint. That shiny Nexus 10 is looking better and better...
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium