[GRK69]

I am on the fence, should I get a Playbook or go with the Kindle Fire? I have a BlackBerry Bold 9900 so it seems like the perfect fit, but I am still not sure. It would be great if the CrackBerry Team would do a video comparision (hint, hint). Whats your thoughts Nation? Thanks in advance.

[rsxsniper]

if u can get a playbook for 250 or less, get the playbook.

[Skateman1972]

If you are a blackberry owner i would go with the Playbook. It will give u the possibility of getting online with your tablet using the Bridge functionality. Also u can use your BBM and Mail etc on your tablet... hmm cant think of anything to go for the Kindle.

Its up to you.. :-)

[brucep1]

It all depends on what exactly you want to use it for.

[Phil DeLong]

You more than likely aren't going to get a unbiased answer on the largest BlackBerry forum on the web.

Research what each of them does, compare it to your needs, voila.

[sportline]

if you want to wait till february for an update, get a playbook. otherwise just buy kindle fire. its physically very similar and built by same contractor i believe.

in playbook the only decent news apps is news360. in kindle fire you can have reuters/bloomberg/bbc/fluent news and so forth ( its android market - you can get what you want, basically).

the only major positive side of the playbook is the bridge which may be beneficial if you have a blackberry phone.

[NickA]

It all depends on what exactly you want to use it for.

You more than likely aren't going to get a unbiased answer on the largest BlackBerry forum on the web.

Research what each of them does, compare it to your needs, voila.

Both of these posts are the best advice. I think a lot of people are going to be comparing the PB to the Fire because from the outside they look/feel the same. Not to mention most of the reviews I have read mention how much it resembles the PB. But the comparison stops there. They both do their own thing well.

What is it that you do the most? Read, surf the web, watch movies? Are you looking for apps, or something to make you more productive at work?? Those are the kind of questions you need to answer before making your decision.

[kbz1960]

Are you all ready a big amazon person? If so maybe the fire is the way to go but even though they look the same they are much different. Fire has amazon and everything they offer if that matters to a person. There is less memory, less space, no camera's etc. etc.

On the other hand you can download movies, books etc. from a lot of places to the playbook, it just isn't all in one place yet. You have a bb so you'll also get access where there is no wifi.

The fire has an email client I think and the pb does since you have a bb.

Pros and cons to both so it really is what matters to YOU most.

[gailsher]

I am both a Kindle K3 fan and a Playbook fan.
Both have their places. I was going to buy a Fire for my spouse, but we have opted for another Playbook.

It all depends on your needs, your reading preferences, and factors such as how willing you are to be dependent on the Cloud (if it is fact available where you live)

Read this review fron Engadget

gail

[GRK69]

Both of these posts are the best advice. I think a lot of people are going to be comparing the PB to the Fire because from the outside they look/feel the same. Not to mention most of the reviews I have read mention how much it resembles the PB. But the comparison stops there. They both do their own thing well.

What is it that you do the most? Read, surf the web, watch movies? Are you looking for apps, or something to make you more productive at work?? Those are the kind of questions you need to answer before making your decision.

I mainly surf the web and email. Im not be using it for reading books but I do listen to audiobooks a lot.

[aneftp]

I am on the fence, should I get a Playbook or go with the Kindle Fire? I have a BlackBerry Bold 9900 so it seems like the perfect fit, but I am still not sure. It would be great if the CrackBerry Team would do a video comparision (hint, hint). Whats your thoughts Nation? Thanks in advance.

The bolded and underlined statement are the keys words here.

Get the Blackberry Playbook. Especially wait for the Staples leaked $199 Black Friday Playbook sale. I think Best Buy is having the same type of sale.

Engadget just posted a review of the Kindle Fire this morning.
Amazon Kindle Fire review -- Engadget

Basically said Kindle Fire was "sluggish" doing some tasks. Engadget already stated the average Playbook prices were $349. But if Engadget had compared a $199-250 Playbook vs. $199 Amazon Kindle, I think their thinking would have changed.

I say go for the Playbook "in your case" because you
1. Own a Blackberry already which you can bridge.

If you didn't own an Blackberry phone, I would say go for the Kindle Fire.

Keep in mind, the Kindle Fire (and the BN Nook) both run neutered versions of Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Starting with Honeycomb for Tablets and the merged tablet/phone ice cream 4.0, Google isn't allowing much customizations for running Ice Cream. So not sure when Amazon will update to Google Ice Cream (if at all).

Already, Amazon's timeline map has been leaked and this Amazon Kindle Fire may just be the beginning. They may bring another full feature tablet with all the bells and whistles if the Kindle Fire succeeds.

[Pete6#WP]

Without detracting from the obvious attractions of the Kindle Fire it is perhaps worth mentioning that Amazon have pitched its price quite low in the hope that buyers will subscribe to a number of Amazon monthly services.

I am not sure how much the Fire does on its own, without subscription services. I think that you should carefully look into exactly what you are buying before you jump it.

I am pretty sure that the PlayBook will be available for around the $199 mark by Christmas. So since you have a BlackBerry, and you should be able to run most Android apps (this should include the Amazon Kindle book reader) on the PlayBook from February when RIM release a new OS (OS2) for the device, I would be seriously looking at the PlayBook. However you really MUSt chek out what the PlayBook will and will not do before you buy.

[GRK69]

I am both a Kindle K3 fan and a Playbook fan.
Both have their places. I was going to buy a Fire for my spouse, but we have opted for another Playbook.

It all depends on your needs, your reading preferences, and factors such as how willing you are to be dependent on the Cloud (if it is fact available where you live)

Read this review fron Engadget

gail

I just viewed all the videos on the Fire via Engadget. And now I'm more confused.

[dagerlach]

Wait on both unless you just have to buy now. Have you tried the Kindle?

[FF22]

I have not seen the KindleFire. But they are two very different devices in a very similar package. While I have definitely attacked the pb as unfinished and missing features, it is intended to be an open platform and fully functioning "computer" tablet (while it may fail at the fully part). The Fire is intended to be a device to deliver Amazon content but does other things from what I've read.

DIFFERENT devices.

[bengalt9]

PlayBook has HDMI, Bluetooth, GPS, Front Facing Camera, and a Rear camera capable of recoding in high def. Moreover the best part- BRIDGE. Amazon has none of these. Moreover, from what I have read, I understand that the amazon browser tracks which websites you visit to get information about the users habits- so that they can deliver the right products to you. I personally would not pay someone to follow me everywhere. Also RIM is making all the right steps to make it a proper gaming platform. Yes, it is true that a playbook does not have angry birds (at least on the current OS- you can always play on flash though) but it has games like Modern Combat and Madden- so grow up!!!

P.S. Remember when you buy Fire most of the users will be tempted to pay the $79 per year for Amazon Prime services. That will definitely put a Fire on your wallet!!!!

[GRK69]

Wait on both unless you just have to buy now. Have you tried the Kindle?

I have not tried out the Kindle yet, but it is coming out tomorrow so I was thinking about picking one up or wait for the Staples black Friday sale for the PlayBook. In my opinion the PlayBook is over priced at $499 but $200 is a great price point for any 7" tablet

[GRK69]

PlayBook has HDMI, Bluetooth, GPS, Front Facing Camera, and a Rear camera capable of recoding in high def. Moreover the best part- BRIDGE. Amazon has none of these. Moreover, from what I have read, I understand that the amazon browser tracks which websites you visit to get information about the users habits- so that they can deliver the right products to you. I personally would not pay someone to follow me everywhere. Also RIM is making all the right steps to make it a proper gaming platform. Yes, it is true that a playbook does not have angry birds (at least on the current OS- you can always play on flash though) but it has games like Modern Combat and Madden- so grow up!!!

P.S. Remember when you buy Fire most of the users will be tempted to pay the $79 per year for Amazon Prime services. That will definitely put a Fire on your wallet!!!!

Very good point Bengalt about the browser. We don't need another Big Brother!!

[GRK69]

Wait on both unless you just have to buy now. Have you tried the Kindle?

Why do you say wait on both?

[brucep1]

Yes, it is true that a playbook does not have angry birds (at least on the current OS- you can always play on flash though) but it has games like Modern Combat and Madden- so grow up!!!

PlayBook lacks Skype, Angry Birds, Netflix, and Amazon services. if those features are important to you, pass on the PlayBook.

[lockedtight]

If you wanna use it for browsing the web get the playbook, but the fire seems to have a more grown up amount of apps so if that is what you will use it most for get the fire.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[Blkacesvf41]

I am on the fence, should I get a Playbook or go with the Kindle Fire? I have a BlackBerry Bold 9900 so it seems like the perfect fit, but I am still not sure. It would be great if the CrackBerry Team would do a video comparision (hint, hint). Whats your thoughts Nation? Thanks in advance.

In my case the camera and video recording capabilities with the PB were the clinchers. I have kids so the PB comes with us everywhere and I've taken tons of video of them. As far as the access to amazon video, I already have a prime membership with them so I can access it with the PB. And in reality not every movie there is free specially the recent ones.

[adamman]

PlayBook lacks Skype, Angry Birds, Netflix, and Amazon services. if those features are important to you, pass on the PlayBook.

fire won't have skype either.

@ OP

after reading the engadget review, i'd say I am not impressed with the fire.

i would consider the nook tablet instead of the fire. it has better specs for about $50 more.

but what's more important is that there is a large android developer community for the nook. there is a high chance that the nook will be running cyonogenmod 9 (ics) within a few months, which will make the nook a better option as you will have access to the app market.

now, whether it's nook or playbook, you decide.

[kbz1960]

PlayBook lacks Skype, Angry Birds, Netflix, and Amazon services. if those features are important to you, pass on the PlayBook.

Guess I made the right choice as none of those are important to me. I would welcome them just because but have no use for them. BTW I think you can still get some amazon services on the playbook.

[adamkesher]

Considering the price of the Fire and a year of Amazon Prime is just over half the price of a Playbook, the Fire no question. For me the bridge was mostly irrelevant because the browser was so unreliable.