[mypb16]

Seems that companies are trying to stabilize the price of non Ipad tablets to a better more competitive price. At least PB price drop is just temporary reduced for now. The Flyer that released 1 month after the Playbook gets already a permanent price drop. Probably Htc attempt of clearing them all out of the stores to get ready for their dual core tablet. So my fellow Playbook owners don't get sad cause our beloved PB is on sale right now. This is actually good news as it lets a lot of more people buy them which makes out community bigger and stronger. Long live the Playbook!

Best Buy slashing HTC Flyer permanently to $299 on 1 October | ZDNet

[guerllamo7]

Interesting... I think the fact that no one will say that HTC is getting out of the tablet market is a prime example of how people are deliberately targeting BlackBerry. With 70 million users worldwide it is a juicy target for anyone.

The fact is that the Flyer has lower specs. This is why I think people should consider the Playbook when looking at any tablet.

The Playbook has advantages and disadvantages. Let me just say both the iPad2 and the Playbook are really nice tablets.
Here is a quick comparison to help undecided people a bit.

The spec superior Playbook has a 10% faster processor, better cameras, better front facing, dual, stereo speakers.

The content superior iPad2 has more apps and media options.

The Playbook has enough to get you going with a book reader, fast web browser, great games, great music player and store, capable of 1020p HD video and Video Chat and apps that let you check your e-mail, just like you do on your computer. But, the iPad does have more choices. However, consider this. Software can be upgraded but hardware can't. The Blackberry has great new content added daily to include the upcoming BB Movies and android player. I believe this month of October. The iPad2's specs can't be upgraded. Just ask the iPad1 buyers without cameras. No software upgrade will allow them to enjoy video chat.

The Playbook is the only tablet that has military grade security. This matters if you are making online banking transactions or other stuff that exposes your information. I think it matters.

The iPad will allow you to sync all your media with all your apple products. So if you have a Mac then that is a clear advantage assuming you want to back up all your pictures and you are willing to commit to using apple products forever.
The Playbook has cloud storage for music and BlueBox and other apps to backup your pictures. Also, all of your Amazon and Google movies and videos, which you can watch on the Playbook via the full flash browser are stored there and you can enjoy them on any device or computer not just apple products.

On Going Costs. The Playbook is the only tablet that allows you to access your e-mail, bbm, calendar and web without a 30-50-70 dollar a month plan via the BB Bridge. This amounts to buying a new tablet every year. But you can only do it if you have a BlackBerry phone.

Here is the bottom line.
Both tablets are nice and I love my Playbook but if you have apple products and use nothing else then the iPad2 is worth a good look. It will cost you as much per year if you want non-wifi access but it is worth considering. Also, the content advantage will probably remain for a while.

If you don't have all apple products you may want to consider the playbook.
1. Close your eyes and listen to the speakers of both. Hands down Blackberry.
2. Consider the security and knowing that no one will ever be able to crack your messages or device. Hands down Blackberry.
3. Consider the portability. See yourself pulling the Playbook out of your pocket and capturing you son's/daughter's game on a manageable size device or pulling out an iPad2 to do it. Steve Jobs said it would be like taking a picture with a clipboard (but that was during the iPad1 that did not have any cameras. Hands down Blackberry.

4. If you have a BB you should look at both but the monthly cost savings and convenience is very much an advantage for the Playbook. Still, I like having choices and if 600 bucks a month for 5GB is no object then both are very nice. If you have not upgraded to the OS7 BB that may be worth considering. If you are leaving BB in the near future then it is not an advantage. If you are staying with BB then you are going to love the Bold 9930 or Torch 9810. Again, choice is good.

5. Cost. With the current sale, you can buy 2 Playbooks (one for you and one for your spouse maybe) for the price of 1 spec inferior iPad2. That is hands down an advantage.

I am biased towards the Playbook because I have a Bold 9930 (and love it) but I did try an iPad1, and iPad2 as well as a few droids. I did a great deal or research and I believe the facts above are that. Facts and not bias. Hope this helps.

Go out there and try them both. Don't just accept what others tell you. We are all biased to include the sales people you talk to. What works for one does not work for another. Choice is good. If you pick the right tablet you are going to love it, take it everywhere and wonder what took you so long to get one. If you pick the wrong one it is just going to sit unused somewhere. That will be one expensive paperweight. good luck and enjoy the right choice for you.

[mccs]

Thanks for your Playbook comparison to the iPad...but in comparison to the Playbook, the HTC Flyer does have one thing going for it -- the ability to use removable media.

I would LOVE it if the Playbook was able to complement it's 16/32/64gb's of storage with the ability to expand even further. That simple little item, for me, could almost be a make-or-break deal.

Looking at the HTC Flyer -- which at its new price (and arguably the new standard for tablet pricing, thanks to the Kindle Fire announcement) seems like a very good deal -- compared with the Playbook, it's the features that matter to me now, not something I may/possibly/"promise for realz this time" get later.

What comes out of DEVCON and what really materializes in the form of OS 2.0 may sway me but if I were to buy on impulse, right this minute, it would be the Flyer and simply because I can put my micro sd cards to some pretty good use...

(Good thing Best Buy won't ship to me here in Afghanistan right now...gives me a reason to wait and see and maybe get that Playbook I really want. )

[mypb16]

I own the PB and love it. But I agree with you. I would have loved a micro SD port in the PB.

[NickA]

Interesting... I think the fact that no one will say that HTC is getting out of the tablet market is a prime example of how people are deliberately targeting BlackBerry. With 70 million users worldwide it is a juicy target for anyone.

I said the same thing in another post. No one is saying HTC is getting out of the tablet market. No one is saying how poor the Flyer sales are, no one is saying HTC is going out of business or having a fire sale.

No one, including this site. This site was all over the BGR report about RIM ditching the PB.

It goes to show you how powerful RIM is and what a good product the PB is. In my local Best Buy, the PB is sitting right next to the Flyer. $499.00 and $299.00, which would you choose? Of course now the Flyer is 299.00, but that just started today.

I'd love to see a CrackBerry headline that reads: "HTC lowers their price in response to increased PlayBook sales"


So yeah, people are deliberately targeting BlackBerry.

[mypb16]

Can anyone please find me reports on how many Flyers sold? Sorry can't find any.

[NickA]

Can anyone please find me reports on how many Flyers sold? Sorry can't find any.

Good luck finding a report on how many of any Android tables sold. The only report of those kinds you will find will be on the iPad.

The general consensus is, it's not a lot. The market is saturated with them now so there will be no clear cut winner, although the Asus Transformer is said to be among the best seller so far. No numbers released though.

[Dapper37]

I said the same thing in another post. No one is saying HTC is getting out of the tablet market. No one is saying how poor the Flyer sales are, no one is saying HTC is going out of business or having a fire sale.

No one, including this site. This site was all over the BGR report about RIM ditching the PB.

It goes to show you how powerful RIM is and what a good product the PB is. In my local Best Buy, the PB is sitting right next to the Flyer. $499.00 and $299.00, which would you choose? Of course now the Flyer is 299.00, but that just started today.

I'd love to see a CrackBerry headline that reads: "HTC lowers their price in response to increased PlayBook sales"


So yeah, people are deliberately targeting BlackBerry.

Agreed!!++ I've said it for a long time. its also a testament to the platform that all the negatives are pointing BlackBerrys way. The truth is if it wasn't relevant and powerfull nobody would bother to try and smear it. We just have to stick with it. Devcon is going to be huge this year.. The NDK is here. Android apps are going to be pouring out of DC.

[mccs]

You won't get much interest in how many Flyers sold and whether or not HTC is on the ropes because of those poor sales because HTC is more diverse in the hardware game -- they make many models of android phone; are a WP7 player and i'm sure have their hands in a few other things.

RIM and the Blackberry brand get the attention because they are niche (and I'm not saying that to minimalize it). no one else makes a Blackberry or PB other than RIM so when a BB product doesn't do well, there's only one place to point the finger...

And because of that, they are more closely scrutinized than say HTC or Motorola or LG or Samsung -- if an android product doesn't do well where does the finger get pointed at?

Think about Nokia -- they received the same kind of scruitiny because they stayed and were inbred with Symbian and when they started slipping because they couldn't adapt quickly, what happened? The industry sharks started circling.

I don't think RIM will ultimately fail but they will fall but I think they will always remain niche -- unless they can adapt quickly.

I'm here in Afghanistan and believe me, I see many a military, government-type, NGO, other-nation official, whatever, and they all carry some sort of Blackberry with them. There's a reason for that (security, heavy investment in technology and IT architecture). BUT, those same folks also carry their own iPhone, Nokia (like me -- N8), iPad, blah, blah, blah.

I guess this isn't Highlander. There can be more than one...

[mypb16]

Good luck finding a report on how many of any Android tables sold. The only report of those kinds you will find will be on the iPad.

The general consensus is, it's not a lot. The market is saturated with them now so there will be no clear cut winner, although the Asus Transformer is said to be among the best seller so far. No numbers released though.

My Point exactly. Every site I read keeps talking about RIM PB sales are low and etc, but what about other makers sales? Doesn't the media discuss theirs? I think RIM is under a very biased spotlight right now with the PB.

[Economist101]

Interesting... I think the fact that no one will say that HTC is getting out of the tablet market is a prime example of how people are deliberately targeting BlackBerry.

Negative. If RIM were to pull out of the tablet market, that means an entire platform has exited. HTC leaving wouldn't mean Android was out. That's a big distinction.

With 70 million users worldwide it is a juicy target for anyone.

The problem being that even RIM hasn't been able to get its 70 million subscribers to buy PlayBooks.

The fact is that the Flyer has lower specs.

The spec superior Playbook has a 10% faster processor, better cameras, better front facing, dual, stereo speakers.

5. Cost. With the current sale, you can buy 2 Playbooks (one for you and one for your spouse maybe) for the price of 1 spec inferior iPad2. That is hands down an advantage.

Specs don't matter. It's why the iPad outsells the PlayBook nearly 50:1.

The iPad2's specs can't be upgraded. Just ask the iPad1 buyers without cameras. No software upgrade will allow them to enjoy video chat.

At the same time, no software upgrade will allow PlayBook buyers to enjoy a 55% bigger screen. The "you can't upgrade specs" argument works both ways.

The content superior iPad2 has more apps and media options.

Which is what people care about based on sales.

The iPad will allow you to sync all your media with all your apple products. So if you have a Mac then that is a clear advantage assuming you want to back up all your pictures and you are willing to commit to using apple products forever.

Actually iCloud is also compatible with Windows 7, so this is false.

The Playbook has cloud storage for music and BlueBox and other apps to backup your pictures.

The iPad supports DropBox natively today as opposed to the third party BlueBox, and iOS users can already redownload purchased music anywhere they have an internet connection, even over 3G.

On Going Costs. The Playbook is the only tablet that allows you to access your e-mail, bbm, calendar and web without a 30-50-70 dollar a month plan via the BB Bridge. This amounts to buying a new tablet every year. But you can only do it if you have a BlackBerry phone.

A 3G iPad can get online via 3G for as little as $15 a month (250 MB) on a no-contract plan. No additional device is required. Even if you purchase this plan every month for 2 years, the total cost is just $360. Now, can you point me to a single smartphone, BlackBerry or otherwise, that can be had for 2 years for $360 or less? You can't, because it doesn't exist. Also remember that if you're a feature phone user, "tethering" isn't an option. So, if you have a BlackBerry or intend to get one anyway, the PlayBook offers a definite advantage. For anyone not using a BlackBerry phone, a 3G iPad with data is going to be cheaper than purchasing a smartphone tethering plan, and much cheaper than upgrading to a smartphone from a feature phone and purchasing data and tethering.

Steve Jobs said it would be like taking a picture with a clipboard (but that was during the iPad1 that did not have any cameras.

Source?

I am biased towards the Playbook because I have a Bold 9930 (and love it) but I did try an iPad1, and iPad2 as well as a few droids. I did a great deal or research and I believe the facts above are that. Facts and not bias. Hope this helps.

Well if you say you're biased I believe you, but your "facts" aren't all that factual.

[pkcable]

Moved to Android Forum

[Tre Lawrence]

LOL.

For real? HTC is getting preferential treatment now?

If it makes anyone feel better, I think most of the public does not know (and doesn't care) about the PB or the Flyer.

Some of us have a victim complex... let us enjoy what tech we have. If you really, really think there is a media conspiracy to "destroy" RIM, send a letter to your congressman.

[aNYthing24]

They should have reduced the ridiculous price on the Jetstream instead.