1. HighlandBerry's Avatar
    Hello Folks. I would like to confess. I am in love. I got my 32Gb Playbook from Best Buy (originally ordered the 64Gb but my order was cancelled). I have been looking for a tablet for almost a year now and it seems I have tried all of them (I am sorry Walmart, Best Buy, Staples, and RadioShack for so many returns). However, I have never seen a working Playbook and didn't have a chance to play with it until I finally pulled the trigger and ordered it online. I was readying myself for another disappointment but the Playbook has exceeded all my expectations. It really is a truly professional tablet that is just perfect. Everything about it is superb. So, I decided to write this mini-review for all those who are hesitating as to whether to get one or not.

    Hardware:

    - Best screen ever. I don't know what the Playbook's display technology is but I have tried all 10-inch tablets but haven't seen a screen so bright with such great viewing angles. It looks like it's the best screen in terms of resolution as well (not that pathetic 800x480 on the Streak). So you are getting the highest possible resolution on a 7-inch tablet. Although I have a word of caution, my first one had both a dead and a stuck pixel. Had to exchange.

    - It sports a DUAL-core processor, which is rare among tablets. For comparison, this is as many cores as I have on my desktop computer. I have seen people going for the HTC Flyer just because it has 1.5Ghz processor and those people were so dumb that they didn't know that the Flyer's CPU is single core, i.e. equivalent of 0.75Ghz dual-core.

    - It has the best camera, which takes absolutely stunning pictures even in low-light. I would say the quality is not worse than that of DSLR cameras. And 1080p video. That's another WOW. Now, I am really thinking of selling my Canon S95.

    - It has twice as much memory than the iPad. 512Mb? You must be kidding. What is it? 1998? No wonder the iPad 2 is so super laggy compared to the Playbook.

    - It has GPS, where all other tablets fail.

    - It has the best speakers. Period. No other tablet has speakers comparable to those on the Playbook.

    - It has HDMI. No other tablet has an HDMI out. So I will probably end up selling my Roku 2, too.

    - It has the Bridge. My brother-in-law also bought a Playbook and he owns a Blackberry phone. So I was sold on how great the Bridge functionality is. I am going to sell my phone and buy a Blackberry. Of course, it's another $300-400 but imagine how much money you will save. You don't have to buy an on-contract 3G/4G tablet to access internet. So you will be connected to the internet no matter where you go. I don't know if it is possible to connect other tablets to a phone but, even if so, you'll have to pay for a data plan, whereas the Bridge is free. So this alone saves you $400 in one year.

    - Battery life is fantastic. Not worse than that of the iPad or the Galaxy Tab or other Android tablets. Definitely better than the Streak's.This thing never dies.

    - One downside in terms of hardware is the power button that is hard to press. You really don't need to use the power button though as you can wake the Playbook by simply swiping the screen. It's definitely not as big of an issue as all "expert" reviews claim it to be. This is just an indication how nitpicking those reviewers are.

    Software:

    Here's where the Playbook really shines. It's all about being a professional tablet vs a toy tablet. Yes, other tablets have features but those features are useless. I have to compare the Playbook to other tablets here.

    - iOS is boring and too simplistic. And what's pathetic about the iOS is that there is no way to customize it.

    - Android is more customizable but who cares about live wallpapers. Live wallpapers are one of the features that don't provide any benefit. It's just eyecandy like Compiz Fusion on Linux. Again, useless.

    - Yes, the two platforms above have large app markets but most of the iOS and Android apps are stupid and useless.

    - Now, QNX (or is it BBX?) on the Playbook is a absolutely fabulous. It's simple and efficient. I have already shown the demo mode live preview of a playing video in the background to my friends and they said they would be buying the Playbook as well. So we have a few android and istuff converts here
    I've also read that QNX is based on microkernels and therefore can run on any type of CPU (ARM, X86, X64) where other tablet platforms can't. So this is a huge benefit to the end user.

    - I was impressed by the offerings in the App World. I have just one word to say - Dead Space! Other than the available great games, there is also a large selection of pretty useful apps. Besides, the Playbook will soon run all Android apps, which is another great thing about the Playbook.

    - The browser on the Playbook is the best. It actually shows pages with Flash! Yes, Flash!

    - It has many great preinstalled apps. Video chat is one of them. No need to download a third-party chat app. It also has a few great games preinstalled for free. It also has apps for Windows Email, Yahoo Email, etc.

    Finally, the Playbook is made by RIM a leader in innovation in the market. It's a dependable company unlike other no-name or foreign companies.

    To summarize: if you are still hesitant, don't be. Don't even think. Buy the Playbook. You will not regret. You will regret if you buy anything else. I have wasted a year of my life looking for a good professional tablet and I don't want you to go the same path. Besides, $300 is well below of what's the Playbook is actually worth. I love my Playbook and I am confident that you will love yours too.
    livejam, danield76, KRol and 25 others like this.
    11-26-11 12:42 AM
  2. blackjack93117's Avatar
    Happy to have happiness !

    Welcome to Crackberry

    Thanks for the report.
    11-26-11 12:44 AM
  3. Megacharge's Avatar
    Welcome to the club!
    11-26-11 12:49 AM
  4. HighlandBerry's Avatar
    Thank you. One thing I missed in my review is that Playbook community is great and helpful Have to go over the forum now and see what people say.
    Berrimad likes this.
    11-26-11 12:57 AM
  5. blackjack93117's Avatar
    11-26-11 01:11 AM
  6. jafobabe's Avatar
    Excellent Report! Welcome to Crackberry and learn from these great posters that know their stuff!
    11-26-11 01:24 AM
  7. Jake2826's Avatar
    Thanks for the review.
    11-26-11 01:37 AM
  8. jamesbondOO7's Avatar
    I know the feeling. Welcome.
    11-26-11 02:16 AM
  9. anon(226560)'s Avatar
    While I do like my new PB, I must say you sound like you're a RIM employee or paid reviewer because your review is incredibly flawed.

    "- It sports a DUAL-core processor, which is rare among tablets."
    The iPad 2 and the newer Galaxy Tabs (10.1, 8.9, etc) sport dual-core processors.

    - It has the best camera, which takes absolutely stunning pictures even in low-light. I would say the quality is not worse than that of DSLR cameras...Now, I am really thinking of selling my Canon S95.
    Your camera isn't in any way shape or form a DSLR. An actual DSLR such as the Canon T3i takes far better pictures than the PB could ever dream of.

    "- Battery life is fantastic. Not worse than that of the iPad or the Galaxy Tab or other Android tablets."
    PB clocks in at about 7 hours while iPad 1&2 and aforementioned Tabs have battery lives of 9+ hours.

    "- iOS is boring and too simplistic. And what's pathetic about the iOS is that there is no way to customize it."
    Customization on the PB is right on par with iOS which is to say non-existent (not taking in my how much you can do with a jailbroken device once WinterBoard is installed).

    "- Android is more customizable but who cares about live wallpapers."
    You don't seem to have really used Android for it can do so much more than LW. Ever heard of LauncherPro, ADW Launcher, GO Launcher EX? How about widgets or ROMs?

    "- Yes, the two platforms above have large app markets but most of the iOS and Android apps are stupid and useless."
    This is you're most laughable statement. If this were the case why would RIM bother with an Android app player?

    "- I was impressed by the offerings in the App World."
    You my friend are among the few, again I must questioned whether you've actually seen any other app store/market. I could almost say W7 has better offerings.

    "- The browser on the Playbook is the best. It actually shows pages with Flash! Yes, Flash!"
    So does Android although I much prefer the stock browser of the PB.

    "- It also has apps for Windows Email, Yahoo Email, etc."
    Not apps just links to the online versions as sadly RIM has yet to fulfill its promise of an email client.

    "Finally, the Playbook is made by RIM a leader in innovation in the market. It's a dependable company unlike other no-name or foreign companies."
    Not quite true as the PB's as-of-yet undelivered promises are proof enough of how "reliable" they are.


    Would I recommend the PB? At its current sale price of $199 it's an absolute no brainer, but if money wasn't an issue than go for more fleshed out tablet OS's like Android or iOS and their respective tablets. However, I do hope that RIM makes good on its February release for OS 2 and that their new BBX devices more than deliver - if only because RIM is a Canadian company
    Last edited by parcerita; 11-26-11 at 02:48 AM.
    11-26-11 02:30 AM
  10. jamesbondOO7's Avatar
    Here we go again........
    First post and it is all against. On the other hand, the OP was perhaps overly positive???
    Last edited by jamesbondOO7; 11-26-11 at 02:36 AM.
    bjw408h likes this.
    11-26-11 02:34 AM
  11. anon(1603170)'s Avatar
    Here we go again........
    First post and it is all against. On the other hand, the OP was perhaps overly positive???
    Its not like he is lying... you want arguments against it in such quantity to stop, then tell the blind devotees to at least stop passing opinion, misinformation and contradictions as facts...

    Just by reading this "It sports a DUAL-core processor, which is rare among tablets", its pretty obvious the amount of ignorance he has on the subject. Not lightly biased, which is fine, but extremely biased up to the point of lying to the ridiculous level to try to prove something that is not close to being provable.

    There are those who scrutinize the forum looking for something to argue against, then there are those who throw more taurus feces and exaggerate to the point of being fantasy. And well, when these two happen to eye each other, arguments against happen.
    Last edited by gbsn; 11-26-11 at 02:56 AM.
    FF22 and anon(226560) like this.
    11-26-11 02:53 AM
  12. KQ17's Avatar
    I love my PlayBook but I have to agree, this review is incredibly ignorant and biased. On top of my head I can name a couple dual-core tablets: iPad 2, Galaxy Tab 10.1, HTC Jetstream, LG Optimus Pad(G-Slate), Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet, Sony S Tablet, Asus Transformer, Acer Iconia Tab, Motorola Xoom, etc...

    Come on. Be real.
    kbz1960 and anon(226560) like this.
    11-26-11 02:57 AM
  13. PhilUp's Avatar
    Ok I'll bite just because we all know how much we hate disinformation being spread.

    - It has twice as much memory than the iPad. 512Mb? You must be kidding. What is it? 1998? No wonder the iPad 2 is so super laggy compared to the Playbook.

    Show me exactly which instances the iPad2 is more laggy than the PB. In fact show me any instances where the iPad2 lags at all. Maybe when the OS is optimized to run on the hardware, you don't need a ton of RAM or whatever. Also doesn't the PB still suffer from the low memory warning that the phones do when doing heavy browsing? Now that's sad.

    - It has GPS, where all other tablets fail.

    Um, iPad 2 3G versions have GPS. Pretty sure some Android tablets do too.

    - It has HDMI. No other tablet has an HDMI out.

    Wow really? Not only does the iPad2 has display mirroring but also Airplay. Some games also allow 4 iPads to split the same TV screen for multiplayer. Can the PB do that?

    - iOS is boring and too simplistic. And what's pathetic about the iOS is that there is no way to customize it.

    In what ways is the the OS on the PB customizable? Are the themes for BB phones compatible with QNX? No. Are there themes in the App World? No.

    - Yes, the two platforms above have large app markets but most of the iOS and Android apps are stupid and useless.

    Yea all of the several million apps on the other app markets are fart apps. Sure. Again, when is Skype coming to the PB? How about a PDF app that's actually useful and allows annotations and bookmarks? What about a native Dropbox app? Logmein? The list goes on.

    - I've also read that QNX is based on microkernels and therefore can run on any type of CPU (ARM, X86, X64) where other tablet platforms can't. So this is a huge benefit to the end user.

    How is this a benefit to the end user of a current PB? Are they able to crack a PB open and swap out the CPU willy nilly? Like that's even something an end user is capable of? In fact this used to be one of shootscores favorite lines. Interesting...

    - Besides, the Playbook will soon run all Android apps, which is another great thing about the Playbook.

    Again untrue. It was confirmed that certain, if not most Android apps will not be supported.

    - The browser on the Playbook is the best. It actually shows pages with Flash! Yes, Flash!

    Debatable. Lots of users on this forum reporting poor performance necessitating the disabling of javascript and flash for some sites to render in a timely fashion. Also lots of reports of the browser just hanging up a lot in general. Oh yea, the iPad can run flash too thanks to several apps.

    - It has many great preinstalled apps. Video chat is one of them. No need to download a third-party chat app. It also has a few great games preinstalled for free. It also has apps for Windows Email, Yahoo Email, etc.

    Last I checked the iPad2 came with Facetime. Skyoe is free too. Lots of iOS games are free and many more that blow away the PB games. Modern Combat 3 and Infinity Blade2 come to mind. And finally the PB does not have apps for email. It just makes bookmarks for the sites. Still have to be on wifi and login to access your email. A native email app lets you reference emails offline, type drafts that you can send later when you don't have wifi.
    sqa4life, anon(226560) and bjw408h like this.
    11-26-11 03:15 AM
  14. vgwillm's Avatar
    - or + comments either way welcome to the board nad rimpire. For all others please just enjoy you PB.
    11-26-11 03:32 AM
  15. morph_ca's Avatar
    If he meant rare for a tablet in this price range (discounted pricing) then he would have a point. I haven't looked but try to find a dual core tablet in the $200 range even one that is on sale I reckon would be pretty tough.

    Other points raised in the OP are subjective and that's fine, it's his tablet, his opinion. Someone might not care about customizing while others do. Me, I didn't care for native email myself and no 3G but I realize others might.

    I'm just jealous coz I'm still waiitng for mine to come.
    Anyway glad he is happy with his.
    Last edited by morph_ca; 11-26-11 at 03:54 AM.
    11-26-11 03:49 AM
  16. jafobabe's Avatar
    Any Guinness left?
    11-26-11 04:03 AM
  17. HighlandBerry's Avatar
    Wow, I didn't know my review would be so popular And I wouldn't imagine that there would be so many Playbook haters on this forum. I don't know what their problem is but all the criticism they have is ridiculous.

    How is the Playbook's browser not the best? How can you argue that the Playbook's hardware is not perfect? It has a mix of everything other tablets don't have. And QNX is simply amazing. It really is the only professional platform. Not an iJoke. Maybe I am missing something but I can't find anything the Playbook falls short of other tablets, but find so many things and USEFUL features that other tablets can only dream of. Or is it just the wrong people who got lost and ended up on a BlackBerry forum? iZombies? The blind followers of iStuff that can't really see the truth and can't stand any negative comparison to their beloved gadget?

    Anyway thanks to some of you for the support.
    11-26-11 04:22 AM
  18. nhs_john_doe's Avatar
    What is it with some people ?? The guy likes his Playbook and while I agree some points in his "review" are a bit wide of the mark why does it always turn into a comparison with iPads etc THIS IS A BLACKBERRY PLAYBOOK FORUM !!! If you don't like the Playbook why the **** are you on here ?????? I think Blackjack had point with his post on rival corporations on posting on their competitors forums. Good or bad can we keep our posts to constructive criticism about the Playbook not how good other tablets are !!

    Rant over......
    11-26-11 04:26 AM
  19. blackjack93117's Avatar
    Wow, I didn't know my review would be so popular And I wouldn't imagine that there would be so many Playbook haters on this forum. I don't know what their problem is but all the criticism they have is ridiculous.

    How is the Playbook's browser not the best? How can you argue that the Playbook's hardware is not perfect? It has a mix of everything other tablets don't have. And QNX is simply amazing. It really is the only professional platform. Not an iJoke. Maybe I am missing something but I can't find anything the Playbook falls short of other tablets, but find so many things and USEFUL features that other tablets can only dream of. Or is it just the wrong people who got lost and ended up on a BlackBerry forum? iZombies? The blind followers of iStuff that can't really see the truth and can't stand any negative comparison to their beloved gadget?

    Anyway thanks to some of you for the support.
    There really aren't that many there are about ten well known and persistent and very vocal and hateful ones - you notice one signed up simply to respond to your post?

    see this poll

    http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...aybook-664638/

    Best thing to do is outpost them with playbook love.

    All you have to say is "ipad" and they will gather like flies... its astounding to watch. A strange natural phenomenon.

    .
    Last edited by blackjack93117; 11-26-11 at 04:36 AM.
    modine, bjw408h, Jake2826 and 2 others like this.
    11-26-11 04:29 AM
  20. blackjack93117's Avatar
    ... Good or bad can we keep our posts to constructive criticism about the Playbook not how good other tablets are !!

    Rant over......
    Apparently not, that would be nice wouldn't it? It is my personal goal. Although many would say I am the problem.
    jamesbondOO7 likes this.
    11-26-11 04:32 AM
  21. RoadTowed's Avatar
    It's great for what it's for; BB phone bridge.
    Excellent device!
    However, if you are looking to apply this excellent hardware to an Android ROM migration;
    forget it!
    RIM cannot get their heads around a business model that gives apps away in return for
    advertisement opportunities.
    It is what it is.
    AND that ain't bad!
    Last edited by RoadTowed; 11-26-11 at 05:06 AM.
    11-26-11 05:03 AM
  22. andrew3306's Avatar
    Thanks for the laugh, I actually own both and to say the iPad 2 is laggy makes me suspicious. Are you a RIMM employee? Or what are you smoking?

    I prefer the playbook due to portability, browsing and overall power. The iPad is good but its something about it that turns me off.
    11-26-11 06:35 AM
  23. jamesbondOO7's Avatar

    I prefer the playbook due to portability, browsing and overall power. The iPad is good but its something about it that turns me off.
    Same here, I own both and feel exactly the same.
    JanverKun likes this.
    11-26-11 07:11 AM
  24. kbz1960's Avatar
    Well there is some bias and wrong info in the OP's review that will cause the rebuttales.

    I do agree the playbook is by far the best tablet for me even with it's short comings.
    11-26-11 07:36 AM
  25. RetroAndreas's Avatar
    I prefer the playbook due to portability, browsing and overall power. The iPad is good but its something about it that turns me off.
    Agreed on the portability. Yesterday I was in the Eaton's Centre (Toronto) bridging the PB to my 9900. BBMg, sending photos and reading/sending business/personal emails and not feeling awkward about the size of the device.
    The true multitasking is incredible.

    I find it interesting that what most consumers complain about on the PB or lack of on the PB I have no issues with. Bridging is really cool.

    The PB really is an awesome device and like you said "The iPad is good but its something about it that turns me off". Could be the price because imo tablets at $500 are too pricey. They augment our smartphone and notebook experience and replace neither.
    Last edited by RetroAndreas; 11-26-11 at 07:56 AM.
    rleo25 and smertz like this.
    11-26-11 07:46 AM
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