The Tablet Thread

[Andrew]

The BlackBerry PlayBook Review

Long review.

[Mahdi]

A fair one too. 7/10 seems to be the usual rating, and mostly because of the lack of an e-mail client. If it had one it would be pulling in 8.5 and 9.

Ignoring the e-mail client - which I personally don't see is an issue - the only complaints are the power button being to small, the os closing some apps without asking you when you run out of ram, the lack of apps (although the playbook has more apps than the ipad or first android tablets did when they were launched) and the screen size (like the apps, I don't feel that is a legit criticism - it's a 7 inch tablet, did they expect it to grow in their hands?)

On the plus, even the most negative review says that the OS is bullet proof, the ui is incredibly smooth, the web browser is the closest to a desktop browser available on a mobile device (although that is also why it is slightly slower than apple/android browsers), the speakers, camera, screen are all the best available, and that in a couple months when the OS is more developed and the e-mail client is made available it could be the best tablet available (and is already the best 7 inch tablet available). The multitasking is great although not all that RIM promised (yet, mostly due to the browser using a ton of ram). The output to an hd tv while being able to do anything else you like on the playbook is great, the fact your computer recognizes it as another drive and wirelessly will transfer files, even while the playbook is asleep is looked upon as a big plus. Half say the 7 onch is better because it is more portable and easier to type on, the others say it's too much lost screen and 10 inches would have been better.

Watching some of the videos I am super impressed with how quick and responsive the playbook is. I don't think I will be regretting my decision although I can completely see why others would want to stay away for another couple months until rim puts out some software updates/e-mail clients-the new galaxy tab is released.

[gryphon]

I came across the Engadget review today enroute to work.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/13/blackberry-playbook-review/

If everything goes as planned we'll be selling the Playbook in our stores. If so I must snap one to play with for a while. :-)

[Mahdi]

Engadget has a distinctive Apple bias, same with Gizmodo. That said, I do think the most damning review of the playbook has come from Crackberry. The reviewer has changed his tune a bit since he got the new upgrades and has had time to play with it, but you can tell he definitely prefers his ipad - mostly because he hates the 7 inch form factor.

[Mahdi]

I'm posting this from my new Blackberry PlayBook!

Super cool so far!

[Andrew]

Can it play 1080p youtube video!?

Try this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO0yXC0oyIA

Plan on hooking up to stream video from laptop or anything?

Netflix available for it?

Do give a small review at some point. How you use tablet vs laptop.

EDIT:

ew inline youtube video. copy/past link

[Mahdi]

I haven't seen an option for streaming from a laptop yet, nut i have tried wirelessly transferrifng a 550 mb file and it took about ten min. There is an option to stream from your phone but it is not active yet. im really loving it although typing will take a little getting used too. My fiance really loves it too. The bridge was a bit more comlicated than it should be and they need better notifications but i am sure that is coming.

For those of you not lucky enough to have a carrier who has free tethering good news: the bridge does allow free tethering no matter your carrier by "mirroring" the browser on your phone so the carriers can't tell you are terhering - which is probably why AtT (but not tmobile) has the bridge blocked. att are the only ones blocking it.

[Andrew]

BlackBerry PlayBook: Abandon All Hope

Someone doesn't like it.

[Mahdi]

Everyone is entitlted to their opinion. Personally I am loving it (typing this message using ir) and it is now my primary computing device for personal entertainment. New features are showing up all the time - now when someone calls my cell pjone i get an alert with caller id on my tablet and the option to turn off my phones ringer. Coming soon is the ability to actually make and recieve calls on the tablet through my phone. Still no smsing though, which I would like asap.

[Andrew]

Still no smsing though, which I would like asap.

Is that regular SMS, or the blackberry specific one (I forget what its called).

[Mahdi]

BBM is the blackberry specific one and it is coming for sure but is not here yet. I am talking about regular texting though as I only have one friend i text who uses bbm, the rest have iphones or android phones.

[gryphon]

Although I refuse to use it WhatsApp it what everybody around here is using...

http://www.whatsapp.com/

[arnoldo]

Most tablets seem to be a bit overpriced but the new Galaxy Tab (WiFi Only) is more budget friendly. In the meantime, I'm sticking to using the Nintendo DSi Opera Web Browser as a cheap alternative to getting a tablet. Accessing web pages designed for mobile web applications makes the Opera browser even faster.

[Andrew]

Since HP webOS has been sent to the graveyard they are having fire sales on their tablets.

16gb for $100 and 32gb for $150.

16GB, 32GB HP TouchPads Drop to $99, $149 Starting Tomorrow

This is at futureshop / best buy / staples possibly others ("the source" I think). EDIT: costco

Very cheap.

Any idea if android can be installed on these devices? I'd buy one as long as I could install android at some point since webOS is discontinued.

They'll probably be sold out by the weekend.

[gryphon]

They did they right thing I presume. If you find out that your OS (WebOS) runs twice as fast on competitor hardware (iPad2) it's time to cut your losses...

[Mahdi]

I tried to get a couple of them for family but couldn't - sold out everywhere and I startedlooking before the stores opened. I think the staffs themselves were buying them and putting them on kijiji for $250 - $300.

[Andrew]

Staples in USA selling Blackberry Playbook 50% off two day sale.

Playbook sale through Staples 50% off 2 days only

Hopefully happens in Canada. Looks like Blackberry trying to get people to buy it.

Does this mean new models? Are they getting screwed like HP tablet and exiting the business?

Meanwhile iPad still charging high price and people are buying it, and has most of the market.

Will be sad if only iOS and Android survive (webOS and blackberry dead).

[Mahdi]

Blackberry won't be abandoning the Playbook. The playbook is where they are working out all the kinks for the next generation of smart phones (as good as the bb 7 phoens supposedly are, I wouldn't be buying one with QNX coming in the next year). It is RIM's future.

[arnoldo]

After much consideration, I have pre-ordered the Amazon Kindle Fire. Even though it may not be as powerful as other tablets out there it seems to give the most value for it's price.

[Mahdi]

The Fire is a stripped down playbook running a stripped down android OS for not a whole lot cheaper than a current high end android or rim tablet - and more expensive than a cheap android tablet. The only thing it has going for it is this supposed smart browser which guesses what page you are going to next and loads it in cache while you are on your current page. Which might not be so hot if it is wrong.

[Andrew]

OS 2.0 released in February 2012

16+32gb playbook currently selling for $150. 64gb for $200

Crazy cheap prices.

[Mahdi]

Yeah, the prices have been ridiculously low since before Christmas. They give them away for free to anybody who attends thier conferences. It's for a couple of reasons:

1) They didn't sell at the original prices, which, even though I pre-ordered, were overly high

2) They need to build up a user base. Developers won't waste their time making apps for a platform unless it has enough users to make it worth their while. And RIM needs the apps before they release the BB10 super phones. So give away the playbook at a loss to generate interest in developers and to get customers who own another brand of phone to try a RIM product that will essentially be the same as the next gen RIM phones, thereby maybe convincing some of them to get a BB as their next smartphone.

3) They need Android apps repakaged before BB10 hits, so they need the playboom out their in xeveloper and consumer hands testing out the bugs and converting Android apps to blackberry.

4) The new Playbook is coming out soon. It's essentially the same but with LTE and a faster processor (although the processor isn't the problem with the current gen hardware -its the lack of enough ram). With a built in LTE chip carriers will support the playbook. They hated the original one (which I am actually typing this on) because they couldn't sell any data plans with it and because of the bridge feature, they looked upon it as actually taking business away from them.

5) There is a true next gen Playbook (10 incher) coming out later this year as well