[Rwil85]

I have a BB 9930 and have certainly been intrigued as of late by all of the PB 2.0 talk, it's capabilities, etc.

I was able to acquire a 32GB Touchpad during the firesale and have Android running on it (fairly well, with a few quirks)..I do enjoy it - and the 10" screen.

However; am I crazy for not dumping the Touchpad somehow and getting a Playbook?

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[swyost]

Why would you be crazy if the touchpad works for you?

[kennyliu]

I have both. PB is almost the same as the Touchpad UI-wise, but TP is considerably slower (even if overclocked). The browser on the PB is hands down better/faster than on the Touchpad (webOS).

App selection is quite limited on both, but a bit better on the PB. The TP has Skype integration though. Of course, with CM, apps are not an issue on the TP (although AFAIK the camera and mic still don't work).

Hardware-wise, the touchpad is quite bulky compared to the PB or most tablets for that matter. Of course, the screen is larger (although grainier even with a slightly more vertical resolution). Build quality of the PB is better.

Let me know what else you'd like to know or want me to test for you.

[tjwplaybook]

I've had both too:

The PB has WAY better speakers. The HDMI out works better/easier. The battery life is significantly better (1-3 hrs in my experience, more if the TP was overclocked). The device feels more "solid" (not just my opinion either, the TP has a lot more flex). Even though software support is lousy for both, the PB at least is still being talked about going forward...

If you can live with the screen size (or prefer it, as I do), and Skype isn't a deal breaker (Skype ran pretty crummy on my Dad's TP anyway... dunno if it's gotten better), the PB is hands down the way to go.

Ironically enough, I think the speakers stand out the most to me. I use headphones a lot, but when I don't it's incredible to get decent STEREO sound from a 7 inch tablet. No bass of course, but the rest is impressive (and rarely talked about).

I can't remember, but doesn't the TP only have 512MB or RAM? Sure felt less "snappy" (but that IS just my opinion...).

Tim

[grover5]

I can't believe you replaced a beautiful OS like WebOS with android. How unfortunate.

[Rwil85]

Why would you be crazy if the touchpad works for you?

I was looking for responses exactly like Tim and Kenny provided. Something that would point out disparities between the two from users who have actual experience with both - so, I could decide which might be better.

I think the Bridge capabilities alone were reason to strongly consider getting a PB - but, learning things such as it's snappier than a TP, browsing is better, etc., make me feel like I should certainly get one. 7" vs. 10" irks me a bit, though - although, I have never had a 7" device.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[VanCity778]

When i saw the title of this thread i thought "OH no. Here we go again".

But it's not as bad as i thought.

[Rwil85]

When i saw the title of this thread i thought "OH no. Here we go again".

But it's not as bad as i thought.

Genuinely trying to get some input on the PB (comparisons to the TP are helpful as I own one) to help me decide whether or not to buy one - that's all.

And..thank you for your blessing, lol.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[madman0141]

I have a 9930 and use the PlayBook 64gig. The PlayBook is perfect with my 9930 and the size of PB is perfect to carry around without looking like your carrying a laptop. I understand you may listen to reviews by Apple infected folk but other than not having 1 or 2 toy applications like skyhype or whatever it is called the PB is a beast. What you are doing right now is like buying a Corvette and taking it to a Toyota dealer for service. Take the step and get a 64gig PB you won't be sorry.

[PanaSama]

I can't believe you replaced a beautiful OS like WebOS with android. How unfortunate.

Yeah +1, TP hardware wasnt anything to write home about, it's main feature was WebOS.

[shingi_70]

Assuming he's running ICS its just as good of not better than webos. (Both are by the same guy).

But yeah to compare them. I personally like the design of webos and the touchpad better but qnx is overall faster,quicker, and far more solid hardware.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2 Beta-4

[bbnsol]

I've got both and I think they both have a place in your gadget arsenal!

TP has the bigger screen and Skype available and WebOS is a good OS. I still grab it if I'm doing some online shopping or something a bit more involved than just browsing.

However the PB is way slicker, the screen is nicer to look at,the browser is better, it feels quicker and so far I haven't experianced any crashes or issues. Also there are tons more apps now you can sideload from Android.

Overall if I had to keep one it would be the PB. Just that bit more polished and is still supported! Don't be put off by the 7� screen. You hardly notice and it is much lighter and more portable.

[jthep]

I got a HP Touchpad during the fire sale and I hardly use it any more. I was intrigued by the homebrew jailbreaking possibilities, but so far have not been impressed with those free independent apps.

The TP was the first device I used that had WebOS on it and I have to say it is a pretty good OS and I can see where QNX/BB10/2.0 or whatever you want to call the Playbook OS got a lot of ideas from. The gestures and minimizing then flicking the page off the screen is very similar to what the Playbook does. I do like the use of the bezel better on the Playbook, but WebOS is navigated in similar ways just on screen with multiple boxes and scrolling through them.

The Playbook has an edge on apps, the Playbook has slightly better speakers, slightly better looking screen (but smaller), its slightly faster, and even though I never really use them, the Playbook has a front facing and rear facing camera, the TP just has one camera.

I use and like the Playbook a lot more than my TP, but I will say the TP does have a a slightly better on screen keyboard. I personally prefer the 7'' screen to the 10'' screen and bc of Bridge and the more compact size, I take the Playbook everywhere and leave the TP at home.

I do think HP gave up on the TP too quickly and for that matter the excellent WebOS too. Its a shame bc WebOS with some updates over the years could have really been great mobile OS if only the devices caught on. WebOS suffered from lack apps and lack of popularity, but there really was a lot of potential there...

[tmelon]

I have a Touchpad and I'd agree that webos is nice, but the hardware isn't anything special. I've gone through 6 different units because of various hardware problems. (Hard to find a good one now that the device has been discontinued.)


Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

[Unsure2]

I've used both, and comparing the TP to the PB is comparing apples and oranges, given the size difference. Go to Best Buy and play around with the tablets there, to get a feel for 7" vs 10", Android (Samsung, Asus, etc.) and iOS (Apple) vs. QNX (Playbook). Remember that Amazon now has a $200 7" Android tablet; while it doesn't have all the hardware features of the Playbook, it isn't far behind.

Browsing is much better on 10", in my opinion, as are most but not all games (yes, some disagree). But, 7" will fit into a large pocket, and works fine for checking email and calendar and occasional browsing. Both are fine for reading books.

The PB does not have a native Kindle app; but, since OS2, the PB runs many but not all Android apps (unless they are converted and made available by their publishers through App World, they have to be side loaded, which isn't hard), including the Android Kindle app, which actually works quite well.

The PB has excellent speakers (best I've heard on a tablet), but people usually use earphones/headphones on a tablet, so this may not matter--with headphones, PB is no better than the rest. The PB has good cameras. The PB has a micro HDMI port, over which you can play movies, etc., to your TV (works very well for me). But, Netflix is not available on the PB, and there are no good workarounds that I know of. So far, there isn't a good stand-alone GPS app for the PB (that will let you use it as a car GPS without a Wifi connection)--these are available on Android and iPad tablets. The PB does not have an SD car slot or similar. It's micro USB can be used to transfer files to/from your PC; but, does not work with flashdrive.

If you want access to a full line of apps, you probably don't want the Playbook, as, so far, apps for QNX are very limited compared to Android tablets or the iPad. We also don't know for sure that RIM will go on supporting the PB, given the uncertainties about RIM's current business model. (But, RIM will probably go on supporting the PB long enough to come out with bug fixes for OS2.) Also, if 7" does not work for you, you obviously don't want the PB.

Bottom line, try the Playbook at Best Buy or some other store, and make sure that it will work for you as it is, with the currently available software. If it does, at $200, it is a bargain.

[jthep]

I would agree with much of your post unsure2, but I do like the 7'' tablet size better. Also when you say 10'' tablets are better for games, I strongly disagree, you hold the larger tablet as like a virtual controller and your hands get tired and the 7'' tablet feels more like the size of a gaming controller, you hold each end closer together, it just feels better.

I am not saying the Playbook has a better selection of games than say the iPad, but the games that are on both, I prefer the way they play on a 7'' tablet in how you hold the tablet to play.

[goku_vegeta]

I've used both, and comparing the TP to the PB is comparing apples and oranges, given the size difference. Go to Best Buy and play around with the tablets there, to get a feel for 7" vs 10", Android (Samsung, Asus, etc.) and iOS (Apple) vs. QNX (Playbook). Remember that Amazon now has a $200 7" Android tablet; while it doesn't have all the hardware features of the Playbook, it isn't far behind.

Browsing is much better on 10", in my opinion, as are most but not all games (yes, some disagree). But, 7" will fit into a large pocket, and works fine for checking email and calendar and occasional browsing. Both are fine for reading books.

The PB does not have a native Kindle app; but, since OS2, the PB runs many but not all Android apps (unless they are converted and made available by their publishers through App World, they have to be side loaded, which isn't hard), including the Android Kindle app, which actually works quite well.

The PB has excellent speakers (best I've heard on a tablet), but people usually use earphones/headphones on a tablet, so this may not matter--with headphones, PB is no better than the rest. The PB has good cameras. The PB has a micro HDMI port, over which you can play movies, etc., to your TV (works very well for me). But, Netflix is not available on the PB, and there are no good workarounds that I know of. So far, there isn't a good stand-alone GPS app for the PB (that will let you use it as a car GPS without a Wifi connection)--these are available on Android and iPad tablets. The PB does not have an SD car slot or similar. It's micro USB can be used to transfer files to/from your PC; but, does not work with flashdrive.

If you want access to a full line of apps, you probably don't want the Playbook, as, so far, apps for QNX are very limited compared to Android tablets or the iPad. We also don't know for sure that RIM will go on supporting the PB, given the uncertainties about RIM's current business model. (But, RIM will probably go on supporting the PB long enough to come out with bug fixes for OS2.) Also, if 7" does not work for you, you obviously don't want the PB.

Bottom line, try the Playbook at Best Buy or some other store, and make sure that it will work for you as it is, with the currently available software. If it does, at $200, it is a bargain.

I agree with some of the points presented here, also its noteworthy to consider that HP has discontinued the TouchPad although that doesn't mean its "dead" (yet). I believe the latest software update was from January 2012. I'm thinking perhaps HP will get back into the tablet game soon enough. As of right now, with the PlayBook getting an increasing number of apps, soon it won't be an issue of apps. As long as we get the major players that users keep asking and the steady stream of apps keeps coming into BlackBerry App World, typical everyday users should be satisfied (as long as the apps they need/use the most aren't exclusive to one platform). The PlayBook is an outstanding deal on its own, with the 64 GB at 299, as well as previous sales from TELUS dropped the price of a 32 GB to a record low of 149.99 (I wonder how many people actually did get this nice discount, Blacks Photography sold out nationwide). The hardware is still fairly decent, the OS is quite nice, app support has gotten SIGNIFICANTLY better in OS 2.0. In the end it is your choice after all and what works for me won't always work for you and vice versa. So OP, the bottom line would be your preference.

[greatwiseone]

I have both and spend a lot more time on my PB given its size and ability to work with my work BlackBerry. The Touchpad's nice for its price, but I find that there are very few apps coming onto the HP catalogue now. There's a lot of work that needs to be done on webOS on the touchpad to make it more fluid and responsive, but doubt it'll ever happen.

[eblade]

I don't know that it'll ever become fluid and responsive as QNX or as iOS -- QNX is designed as a real time system, it's not designed for user interfaces, but it sure can make a nice smooth one when you set the right programmers to it. On the other hand, Linux is totally not built for smooth UI. I don't think anyone has ever built a smooth UI on Linux .. and I think the webOS people are the only one's who've built one that actually makes sense and has a modicum of consistency throughout (on Linux anyway)

I think the 7" size is better for games, but for just about everything else, the aspect ratio on the playbook is just wrong.

I think I'd like the PlayBook a lot more if there were more native apps, or if the android apps ran better -- however, android apps tend to run like crap on android anyway, so unless they come up with "a better Android than Android" like a certain three letter company did back in the day with Windows, then i think it really just needs more native apps.

(i'd also like it a lot more if mine hadn't broke after 7 days)


Wish we could convince Epic to get Unreal on it

[miata]

First, I have to say that you were crazy for replacing webOS with Android.

I have both the Playbook and TouchPad as well as an iPad 2 3G. There is no perfect tablet, and I use different ones for different purposes, but if I could only have one tablet it would probably be the Playbook.

I only leave the house with the Playbook due to bridge and portability. The Playbook is such a no brainer when I am on the road. I can't understand why anybody with a Blackberry phone doesn't get a Playbook. It is such a logical extension of the phone

That being said, my preferred tablet at home is the TouchPad -- mostly due to bigger display, better virtual keyboard and native apps like Kindle and Pandora Tablet that I use at home. I also love the consistency of Enyo apps with sliding panel GUI like Touch Surf, Communities, Mail, TouchFeeds and News Republic. Finally, it is very easy to move between the Playbook and TouchPad due to the common card based multitasking interface.

I have the iPad which is hardly used at all any more. The killer user case for me is when I want always on 3G internet, with Google Maps, Yelp, etc. I pay for 3G by the month and only use those months when I am on vacation.

[Rwil85]

First, I have to say that you were crazy for replacing webOS with Android.

For clarity, I didn't replace webOS w/ Android; instead, I am dual booting webOS and CM 7 (CyanogenMod Rom for Android).

Also, am I understanding 'Bridge' correctly in that it'll sync all the essential native apps (email, calendar, etc) from my 9930 and can use my BB's data w/o having to have a tethering package through vzw?

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

[miata]

For clarity, I didn't replace webOS w/ Android; instead, I am dual booting webOS and CM 7 (CyanogenMod Rom for Android).

Also, am I understanding 'Bridge' correctly in that it'll sync all the essential native apps (email, calendar, etc) from my 9930 and can use my BB's data w/o having to have a tethering package through vzw?

Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk

Yup. I have the 9930 on Verizon and the combo is puuurfect.

There are a few things like App World that don't work through the bridge, but I even have Android sideload apps like Tapatalk to working through bridge.

[eblade]

I guess I feel the same way about webOS for my tablet, since I now have a webOS phone - I can't seem to find a ridiculously cheap deal on a reasonable BlackBerry development device. With FreeTether and the built in SMS messaging sharing and telephone calling functions on webOS 2.2 and 3.0, it feels like a no-brainer there, too.

I'd be interested in knowing what all can be done with the Bridge on the PlayBook, for sure, though. I do intend on getting a developer phone at some point, but I'm gearing up for a full family move in the next couple of months, which means I really can't spend anything, since we don't really know what our expenses are going to be yet.

It sounds like HP and BlackBerry went after the same idea from completely different angles -- get your tablet to complement your phone. Though honestly I've never setup any of the default accounts on my phone, because I get all that info on my tablet, so I don't need it to be mirrored on my phone. About the only thing that my phone and tablet do have mirrored are the SMS (since the TouchPad can't directly receive it on it's own, except through GVoice) and the Skype account - because aside from the massive battery drain when you have several hundred on your contacts list, and a hundred or so open conversations, having Skype on the phone is -really- handy. I wish T-Mobile would hurry up and get their 3G on 1900MHz here, so I can actually make use of it outside of WiFi.

I really do look forward to getting my PlayBook back from repair and hopefully finding some great new stuff.. and then getting a matching phone for it.

[BBplaybookJS]

I can't believe you replaced a beautiful OS like WebOS with android. How unfortunate.

I was thinking the same thing, and although somewhat similar QNX is vastly superior to WebOS. In comparison Android seems archaic.

[Rwil85]

thanks everyone for taking the time out and leaving some thought out, informative replies..