I can remember watching the original iPad media event, "Cool device, but who the heck would really want one of those things."
Fast forward to the iPad 2 launch day, "Me, I want one of those things." and came home with a brand new 32G iPad 2, and absolutely love it.
That brings us to November 2011, I'm tablet name dropping to my girlfriend about the iPad, Android and PlayBook tablets. I've decided I'm going to get her a tablet for Christmas and I'm trying to get a feel for which one she wants. And yes, I'm guilty, I'm extolling the virtues of the iPad trying to lead her down the walled-garden path.
She will have none of that, for her, it's a PlayBook or nothing. She's a torch user. Forgive her, for she knows not what she does. OK I'll get her a PlayBook for Christmas. Her loss.
A few days later I'm on a somewhat long out of city drive and I get a call from her, "The PlayBooks are on sale for $199". Holy Crap, that's $300 off the regular price. Remembering the HP TouchPad fire-sale, I knew I would need to get one right away they'd be out of stock and I'd never get her one.
So I GPSed the nearest Futureshop, pulled in and headed directly to the tablet area. There were three 64G PlayBooks left and four salesmen talking with customers who were hmmmmming about getting one. Finally one of them cracked, the salesman unlocked a glass cabinet and pulled out a 64G PlayBook. There's my opportunity, I leaned over, "You may as well take out another one while your at it."
Got one, she'll be thrilled.
A couple weeks later I happened to be in TheSource and they had a 32G PlayBook. "Hmmm, that price is really too good to pass up, and my iPad really is to big and bulky to be portable. A 7" tablet has it's merits." I bought one for myself.
Well I absolutely love my new PlayBook. The bezel gestures make so much sense, I now hate that darned stupid iPad home button. Connecting to the PlayBook over WiFi and accessing the file system with Windows Explorer is to die for. Swipe to bring it out of Standby. And what is it with the iPad's silly single icon height for managing paused apps, there's a whole screen to use, like the way the PlayBook does it.
The thing is great, and it's portable.
I still use my iPad occasionally and chuckle to myself when I want to close an app by swiping up from the bezel, and then remember I need to press that darned stupid home button.
My PlayBook is quickly becoming my "goto" device.
Last edited by NakedPaulToast; 01-01-12 at 11:47 AM.
Good article. The playbook got off on the wrong foot.. I think now with this word of mouth and the amazing sale on they are starting to make a name for itself.. I think now is the time to start a few commercials, and promote the new update.
happened to me as well. im an apple tech and i have all their toys. bought the playbook on sale and loved it. the size, the screen, real stereo speakers. soo much to like but the real deal is bridging to a BB phone, i sold my iphone to do it. now with sms bridge installed on my BB phone i can surf, email and text all right on my beautiful playbook.
happened to me as well. im an apple tech and i have all their toys. bought the playbook on sale and loved it. the size, the screen, real stereo speakers. soo much to like but the real deal is bridging to a BB phone, i sold my iphone to do it. now with sms bridge installed on my BB phone i can surf, email and text all right on my beautiful playbook.
I think he meant bbm bridged. The sms bridged will prayerfully be released in the OS2 update. What has me hopeful is that RIM asked if that was a wanted feature in that survey they did a lil while ago. Lets cross our fingers.
*EDIT*
I see that there's a smsbridge app for the phone in app world, but that just seems to be a "workaround". For 4 bucks, I'm looking for something more native-like.
i too have an ipad2 and it has become a slacker radio player in the upstairs bathroom because i just dont like using it as much as my playbook. its funny too that i always try to use swiping gestures on it too. playbook all the way.
i too would like to know about this sms bridge ability. thanks
The bezel gestures are awesome. Every time I use my wife's iPad I get pretty aggravated with the interface and home button. Something about viewing the opened apps and closing them out just bugs me. Double clicking the button, then holding the icon until it jiggles, then touching the "x".
The PlayBook is just so graceful in comparison. Swipe. Flick.
hahaha nice story.
I love the bezel on the playbook so much.
I was using my friends Android tablet the other day and found it
so annoying not being able to just swipe away.
The bezel gestures are awesome. Every time I use my wife's iPad I get pretty aggravated with the interface and home button. Something about viewing the opened apps and closing them out just bugs me. Double clicking the button, then holding the icon until it jiggles, then touching the "x".
The PlayBook is just so graceful in comparison. Swipe. Flick.
I hope RIM patented the touch bezel stuff.
Me too, otherwise Apple will steal it, copy it, call it its own, and then turn around and sue Blackberry for patent/copyright infringement.
I think he meant bbm bridged. The sms bridged will prayerfully be released in the OS2 update. What has me hopeful is that RIM asked if that was a wanted feature in that survey they did a lil while ago. Lets cross our fingers.
That's what I'm waiting for before I buy the SMS Bridge App.
Of course, if it doesn't materialize, I will then find enough pennies to buy the app.
My story is very similar the the OPs. I thought the iPad2 was the best thing since sliced bread and then, Playbook goes on sale. iPad is now a dust collector. Playbook never leaves my side.
My story is very similar the the OPs. I thought the iPad2 was the best thing since sliced bread and then, Playbook goes on sale. iPad is now a dust collector. Playbook never leaves my side.
Actually, if you remove the battery and the glass screen from the iPad, it makes for a great pit bull or Presa Canario frisbee.
Same experience for me with my PB. I still use my other tablet for reading and get quite frustrated with the home button, and the browser crashes. Another annoying thing is when you want to play one of the games without a wifi connection, it tries to connect you to the Game Center and you cannot access the games. Brilliant! NOT!
I don't see this. Although Playbook is good, it doesn't compare to iPad in my opinion. I own both, and without hesitation iPad is my preferred tablet. I find Playbook's interface not as smooth or easy to use. The iPad is easier on the eyes with its 10" display.
The bezel gestures are awesome. Every time I use my wife's iPad I get pretty aggravated with the interface and home button. Something about viewing the opened apps and closing them out just bugs me. Double clicking the button, then holding the icon until it jiggles, then touching the "x".
The PlayBook is just so graceful in comparison. Swipe. Flick.
I hope RIM patented the touch bezel stuff.
And closing the app you are currently using is even more tedious since it won't show in the taskbar. You have to first go back to the Home screen, then double-click, scroll through the open apps, press and hold, and click the x. Not exactly intuitive. So many of my users forget about the multi-tasking, even though we show it to them. They just go to Home and launch it again and leave everything open in the bg... until they complain that it's not working and I show them again that they have 2 dozen apps open...
I've said it before, I don't believe tbat iPad won the tablet wars based on comparison, it was marketing.
And closing the app you are currently using is even more tedious since it won't show in the taskbar. You have to first go back to the Home screen, then double-click, scroll through the open apps, press and hold, and click the x. Not exactly intuitive. So many of my users forget about the multi-tasking, even though we show it to them. They just go to Home and launch it again and leave everything open in the bg... until they complain that it's not working and I show them again that they have 2 dozen apps open...
I've said it before, I don't believe tbat iPad won the tablet wars based on comparison, it was marketing.
Yeah I left out how annoying the single click vs. double click thing is to me. I often single click meaning to see all open apps and end up at the home screen instead. Now I do like the iPad -- it is very nice. I just think the whole app switching/closing thing is one area where Apple could have tried harder. Moreover based on what I see in Verizon stores when playing with the iPhones I would say it is less intuitive to lots of other folks. I always find like tons of app instances open on the iPhones. Whereas on the PlayBook it would be very very difficult to not see how many apps are opened. You are forced to see the carousel when you task switch. Better design.
Yeah I left out how annoying the single click vs. double click thing is to me. I often single click meaning to see all open apps and end up at the home screen instead. Now I do like the iPad -- it is very nice. I just think the whole app switching/closing thing is one area where Apple could have tried harder. Moreover based on what I see in Verizon stores when playing with the iPhones I would say it is less intuitive to lots of other folks. I always find like tons of app instances open on the iPhones. Whereas on the PlayBook it would be very very difficult to not see how many apps are opened. You are forced to see the carousel when you task switch. Better design.
The ios5 ipads use 4 or 5 finger "gestures". This allows you to page through open apps , pinch to minimize, lift to get the app menu, etc. I'll stick with my pb but it was a huge stride for them.
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