Is it possible to develop and compile programs to APK files on my desktop machine and then test them on a non-jailbroken Xoom tablet without going through the Motorola Developer Program and without going through any sort of marketplace?
I have been able to do this with my Android phone (Evo) simply by using a USB cable and the Android development tools to copy apps to the phone for testing.
I’ve searched Stack Overflow, and this exact question has not been asked. Someone asked the same thing about developing for the Motorola Droid, and the answer was
you can compile your programs to .apk files, which you can upload directly to your phone. You can even plug in your phone by usb and debug your code on it, instead of using the emulator.
Does the Xoom behave the same way?
Yes! We received a Xoom at work to test and simply plugged it in, installed the ADB drivers, and were able to install apps to it like we would a phone through Eclipse (or using adb install).