[Jonathank]

My dual core PlayBook handles itself amazingly, I have been so impressed. So my question why have a Quad Core if you can't truly multitask?, What do u need that speed for? Angry Birds, Fruit ninjas?? (2 of the worst games EVER) does this ipad really need a quad core? The PlayBook never gives me problems running 7 open programs all at the same time, The tablet does not even lag with all them running, What i have heard is that the ipad is not even truly quad core is that true??

[DAnklaud]

The ipad 3 is a dual core cpu/with quad core Video gpu, and Yes for now dual core is quite fine,fine indeed

[Chaddface]

Quad core needed for the display?

[DAnklaud]

Quad core needed for the display?

Exactly, that's why you cant expect a performance boost,it's just there to handle the 2048×1536 display

[Jonathank]

I looked at the Ipad 2 and looked at the writting on it and I could clearly see that it was not smooth. When I looked at the ipad3 I could defiantly see the difference, BUT GUESS WHAT? when I looked at the PlayBook I did not see that issue like the Ipad2.... The PlayBooks screen is better then the Ipad2 and I would say up to par with Ipad3. I know not as good BUT still better then Ipad2, keep in mind we have 1 PlayBook vs 3 of Apples ipads so you could say $200 vs $2200

[DAnklaud]

1024 × 768 px 132 PPI for iPad2 , 1024 × 600 px at 170 PPI for playbook , 2048×1536 px 264 PPI for iPad3, this techno babble can explain the difference as to why playbook has a nice screen ( in the pixel/per/inch form=PPI)

[littd]

Makes no difference how well a device can multitask if all the apps you use are running in the same android emulator!

[DAnklaud]

Makes no difference how well a device can multitask if all the apps you use are running in the same android emulator!

@$$-u-me-ing all i use is andro apps,but really no i don't and its doubtful many others do either ( i have about 4-7 andro apps , and what i use them for is very different tasks that I'm not likely to be doing at the same time), but ya yer right and that sucks

[kennyliu]

Exactly, that's why you cant expect a performance boost,it's just there to handle the 2048×1536 display

There is ARGUABLY no performance boost, but at the same time there is no performance degradation with that beautiful screen....

[sk8er_tor]

Makes no difference how well a device can multitask if all the apps you use are running in the same android emulator!

Monopoly, Dead Space, Angry Birds, Email, Docs to Go, Facebook, Music, pictures, VEVO, Plants vs Zombies, Frisbee Forever, and I can go on and on are all native apps and multitask perfectly fine.

Really getting sick of people knocking the PlayBook's apps because it's popular to do so at the moment. If you have a PlayBook and don't like the app choices, then you're a moron for not doing your research.

I've had a PlayBook since the beginning, paid full price, have no regrets and absolutely love it.

[Michel Souris]

What multitasking does the PB do? I've asked this before and never got a convincing answer, Yes you can have music in the background and can get new email in the background, but what else? And how is that different from any Android or iOS tablet?

[DAnklaud]

There is ARGUABLY no performance boost, but at the same time there is no performance degradation with that beautiful screen....

As much as i feel like im betraying my Playbook, i must admit that screen IS Beautiful

[Branta]

My dual core PlayBook handles itself amazingly, I have been so impressed. So my question why have a Quad Core if you can't truly multitask?, What do u need that speed for? Angry Birds, Fruit ninjas?? (2 of the worst games EVER) does this ipad really need a quad core? The PlayBook never gives me problems running 7 open programs all at the same time, The tablet does not even lag with all them running, What i have heard is that the ipad is not even truly quad core is that true??

Oh but think of the bragging rights in Redneckville!

In reality the number of cores and the clock speed are almost irrelevant in a comparison between different devices running unrelated software. What really matters is a real world comparison of practical benchmarks using frequently used functions. Something like... how long to get the phone out of standby, and place a call or send a specified email... or load an app and get useful results from it.

Putting it simply, technical specification should take second place to "does it meet user's practical needs"

[itwascasper]

What multitasking does the PB do? I've asked this before and never got a convincing answer, Yes you can have music in the background and can get new email in the background, but what else? And how is that different from any Android or iOS tablet?

Open video chat and start a conversation. Then open 1 or 2 (or 5) other things while continuing to chat. That's the multitasking.

[DAnklaud]

What multitasking does the PB do? I've asked this before and never got a convincing answer, Yes you can have music in the background and can get new email in the background, but what else? And how is that different from any Android or iOS tablet?

with ios and android, multitasking menu is more like shortcuts to restart an app(yes from the begining fresh start) , with QNX, the apps are all running at the same time in Real time,
then again QNX Is a Real Time Operating System=RTOS(yes i own an iOS , Android, and QNX devises )

[kennyliu]

with ios and android, multitasking menu is more like shortcuts to restart an app(yes from the begining fresh start) , with QNX, the apps are all running at the same time in Real time,
then again QNX Is a Real Time Operating System=RTOS(yes i own an iOS , Android, and QNX devises )

I may be wrong DAnklaud, but a Real Time Operating System doesn't have much to do with running apps simultaneously in real time. As far as I understand, ROTS is all about scheduling tasks and terminating them according to a certain algorithm.

[Mystic205]

..and you are
Any operating system can schedule tasks and terminate them according to a certain algorithm.. the fundamental difference for an RTOS is that such activities are deterministic, not random/approximate. Thats the RT part of the RTOS

I may be wrong DAnklaud, but a Real Time Operating System doesn't have much to do with running apps in real time. As far as I understand, ROTS is all about scheduling tasks and terminating them according to a certain algorithm.

To the thread topic, a simple multi core processing setup is straightforward enough..one core for system, and one core for apps...(so to apps a dual core kinda isnt).
Now, when you get to quad cores, now you need apps designed to run on multi cores..and there are very very few of those. When you look at GPU, multi cores is easier to manage.. its bit manipulation in fixed clock cycles.. and fwiw nvidia has GPU they could market as 256 core..
In real life, there are plenty of dual cores that run better (more efficiently as observed by a consumer) that quad cores.. and some quad cores are 5 cores and some cores arent always a core...oh it goes on.......lol ..
The best thing is to completely ignore all technogarble and see how the device performs in your hands or on useful benchmarks

[kennyliu]

..and you are
Any operating system can schedule tasks and terminate them according to a certain algorithm.. the fundamental difference for an RTOS is that such activities are deterministic, not random/approximate. Thats the RT part of the RTOS

So RTOS is about multitasking (i.e. running apps simultaneously in real time)?

I am just trying to understand why I can multitask on non-RTOS OSs (e.g. Windows, most Linux distros, etc.)

[Mystic205]

Not all RTOS are about multi-tasking, however RTOS do make multi-tasking easier to implement..

let me try another (simplistic) tack.. general os are interrupt driven, while rtos are event driven. So.... Imagine you are a processor & os.

1. Interrupt driven
You are on the phone, and wish to make several calls. Someone comes into the office. You complete your call then talk to the person. After they leave you then go back to making the next call.

2. Event driven
You are on the phone talking. Someone comes in, you place the call on hold and talk to the person. After they leave, you press hold (apologise like heck) and continue.

In the latter case, the person, or the needs of the person are managed in a deterministic manner, in the former, they are held waiting for an indeterminate amount of time before they get service.

any help?

So RTOS is about multitasking (i.e. running apps simultaneously in real time)?

[howarmat]

with ios and android, multitasking menu is more like shortcuts to restart an app(yes from the begining fresh start) , with QNX, the apps are all running at the same time in Real time,
then again QNX Is a Real Time Operating System=RTOS(yes i own an iOS , Android, and QNX devises )

that really isnt true either. On both android and iOS you are not "restarting" an app at all. If you leave a game, you will resume the game where you left off.

[middbrew]

that really isnt true either. On both android and iOS you are not "restarting" an app at all. If you leave a game, you will resume the game where you left off.

I might be wrong, but isn't that only because it creates a new shortcut on an SD card as to where you start?

[Mystic205]

You can multi task in windows the same way you can multi task as a person... say you have two piles of work, you do a bit from one and then a bit from another.. the piles are there waiting for attention from you.. effectively after each bit of work you interrupt that flow and hop to the other pile.
In the case of a long hard bit of work from one pile, you may feel guilty after a while, interrupt your work put it down and work on the other one.

So, provided you have plenty of excess horsepower to do the job, and the timing requirements of the piles of work are not stringent, you will do each thing in ok time...such is the case with windows.

I am just trying to understand why I can multitask on non-RTOS OSs (e.g. Windows, most Linux distros, etc.)

[togardergrosse]

I don't understand anything about multitasking on RTOS and non-RTOS.
But one thing I know, that the RAM played big part on multitasking.
That's why PlayBook has 1GB of RAM.
But to my understanding, PlayBook compared to any other tablet with similar 1GHz Dual-Core CPU and 1GB RAM, able to utilize the RAM better since it's running on QNX (which is one of the many RTOS out there)

Please CMIIW

Real-time operating system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Mystic205]

it is not a process that is ended... consider the app as being suspended... living in is own little world and the clock stopped... it (the app) really has no clue what is going on..it is simply in limbo.

I might be wrong, but isn't that only because it creates a new shortcut on an SD card as to where you start?

[littd]

Monopoly, Dead Space, Angry Birds, Email, Docs to Go, Facebook, Music, pictures, VEVO, Plants vs Zombies, Frisbee Forever, and I can go on and on are all native apps and multitask perfectly fine.

Really getting sick of people knocking the PlayBook's apps because it's popular to do so at the moment. If you have a PlayBook and don't like the app choices, then you're a moron for not doing your research.

I've had a PlayBook since the beginning, paid full price, have no regrets and absolutely love it.

You could go on and on, but only for another line or two! Docs to go native is very limited (no powerpoint etc) as is Facebook. I personally think the native email client is very good. I can switch between it, the browser and whatever Android app I am using whenever I like!

It is popular to knock the playbook's app situation because it is the weakness. As it stands, I got a good deal on a cheap web browser with a good screen and I am very happy with my purchase. I did my research before buying and I have not looked back. I don't pretend it's a contender, though!

Browser just crashed while submitting. Lol