[zorecati]

If anyone thinks the Playbook, even with OS2 is in the same league as the iPad 2 they are having a laugh. The ONLY thing in its favour is the price. And even that doesn't apply to those who paid full price six months ago.
As others have said, it's ALL about the apps. Gorillaz made their entire album on an iPad. And it's an amazing album. Can you imagine making an album on the PlayBook? With the Drums app and the Piano app? That right there summarises the huge difference between the two tablets.
Worlds apart.

Someone is looking for a cookie. Thanks for beating the dead horse of threads yet again.

[I am JT]

I agree with this analogy. So why are CrackBerry trying to compare the two?

If you would think about it, you would see how silly your question is. I could just as easily ask why you started this thread. The answer to both questions is pretty obvious.

[Toodeurep]

Seems to me they can be compared because that is what is happening here.

Since the two companies are different, one cannot simply compare profit margin or units sold. There are many reasons why people buy Apple products. My brother does because he was "anti-establishment" and went with a Mac thus he is all Apple and is passing that along to the rest of us.

Has Apple really moved more units than RIMM? I have always wondered what the overall numbers show. "Apples for apples" if you will. Apple's phone + Apple's tablet sales compared to Rimms. Not pcs, laptops, media players or softare just hardware.

Apples cloud services do not need Itunes? I wasn't aware of that so I guess i learned something new. For me it was simple, my PB was made in May and just needed to connect to the internet my 9" Ipod was made in October and needed to be connected to a PC with Itunes.

[Hawkeberry]

I just tried to write my magnum opus on my toaster. It occurred to me the toaster is never going to compete with my typewriter for writing. Clearly the toaster is inferior.

but the pistachio pudding beats both the typewriter and toaster

[ODAAT]

It cannot do anything because it needs to be plugged to a desktop first via iTunes.

Hmm. Well let me think.

Ummm.

No.

This is not true. Not since iOS 5 which came out some months ago.

[alnamvet68]

Surveys show people want native apps. Of course, developers would rather make HTML5 sites for cross platform use. Unfortunately consumers aren't playing ball.

And a comparison of Apple's and RIM's profit margin and units sold backs this argument up.

I don't even own an iPad (though I do use them at work) but I also live in the real world. You can't compare the two devices.

And no, you don't have to plug an iPad in to anything to get it to work anymore. Everything is done via iCloud. In fact even without apps, it competes well with the PB. Flash is the only thing it wont do, or obviously bridge with a BB but many phones can be turned in to wi fi hotspots anyway.

Caveat emptor: while you can use your phone's hotspot, it will cost you an additional data plan in the lower 48; this is where Bridge gets the 2 thumbs up.

It cannot do anything because it needs to be plugged to a desktop first via iTunes.

To be fair, the PlayBook also has to be connected to the DM during initial setup before it can do anything as well.

[SifJar]

The ipad is just a half assed delivery device forcing companies to develop apps so Apple can take their 30% cut of the pie. People will eventually start waking up and realize that instead of building apps that you need to constantly update on multiple platforms, just build a website that is optimized for mobile platforms. Then you wouldn't need an app for everything you wanted to do with an ipad. Probably would cut the app store inventory in half.

Nothing is forcing companies to develop apps. And some sites (there was a big name newspaper...Wall Street Journal maybe?) have gone the route of a web app after having bad experiences with the App Store (stringent restrictions on subscription content etc.).

There's even a fairly impressive app store for online apps : OpenAppMkt
Once installed, the store and the apps available there look very much like native apps. If you installed a few apps through the service on someone's iPhone or iPad, they quite possibly wouldn't even notice the difference. They run in a fullscreen version of the browser, so there's no big tell tale sign.

[alnamvet68]

Soooooo, what I'm trying to get at, once both the PlayBook and the iPad have been set up, and both remain stock units (meaning no additional apps installed), when taking both, say to a Starbucks to use their free wi-fi, what can the PlayBook do or not do as compared to the iPad can and can'ts?

[mikegcox]

I bought an iPad just to get Garage Band. I am not much of a musician, so it was perfect for what I wanted to do. The PlayBook is my goto tablet though and now with OS2 I have no hesitation recommending it to people over the iPad. I first assess their needs and then make a recommendation.

That was the friendly logical part of my comment, now for the part that people find fun iPad like popular... Go f%~� yourself troll!

[jthep]

OK, so to all the aspiring musicians out there, get an iPad to record and write your album on, bc that is really practical and everyone in the music industry is already doing it!

Look, people use tablets for different reasons. For me its a good alternative to lugging around a laptop with a weak battery. I use my Playbook for web browsing, email, facebook, youtube, and when I am bored with nothing better to do stuck somewhere... games. I will be the first to admit, I wish their was more media content made available on PB whether through site functionality or dedicated apps, but even without it, its still a great tablet for me.

Keep in mind I am a BB user, so the bridge features actually make the PB a much practical tablet to own than the iPad due to free data/file sharing everywhere! It does make the Playbook more portable not just in its size, but in what it can do when not in in a wifi area.

I refuse to pay for a dedicated data plan for a tablet or pay extra to unlock wifi hotspot or tethering on a phone, so for me the Playbook is clearly a more practical device to own.
Oh and I can carry it everywhere and conceal it in my coat pocket, without worrying about theft.

But yes, iPad has much better overall functionality and app support...

[oilgeo10]

50% iOS Applications: Garbage
30% iOS Applications: Scam
20% iOS Applications: Useful

Read that there were 500k apps in the ipad app store.
If I were a developer, would probably think about a place where there is less competition and more chance for users to see & try/buy my work.
Now hearing that developers are doing things on the sly to get there apps in the featured zones at the ipad store.

BTW, really liking this predictive text feature in OS2! It picked up most of the words in this reply.

[conix67]

The ipad is just a half assed delivery device forcing companies to develop apps so Apple can take their 30% cut of the pie. People will eventually start waking up and realize that instead of building apps that you need to constantly update on multiple platforms, just build a website that is optimized for mobile platforms. Then you wouldn't need an app for everything you wanted to do with an ipad. Probably would cut the app store inventory in half.

You think RIM lets developers post apps for free?

[jamesbondOO7]

I just tried to write my magnum opus on my toaster.

Why would you do that? With the PlayBook, one can use the virtual keyboard or use one's BlackBerry phone's keyboard via the bridge.

[Hawkeberry]

Why would you do that? With the PlayBook, one can use the virtual keyboard or use one's BlackBerry phone's keyboard via the bridge.

hey why not? it is cool to do things the tough way.. like it is cool to record an album using a tablet

[jamesbondOO7]

To be fair, the PlayBook also has to be connected to the DM during initial setup before it can do anything as well.

Sorry, but not true. Mine has never been connected to DM.

It does need a wifi connection though.

[anon3969612]

2nd that... Set up my 64G on the kitchen counter while making supper one night. 45 minutes later, I was rocking the 1.0.8 software and some nice veal parmignon.

Contrast that to the 4.5 hours it took to update my ipod touch to OS 5:



OP is correct, there is no comparison.

[alnamvet68]

Sorry, but not true. Mine has never been connected to DM.

It does need a wifi connection though.

uhhhhh, not so. I have set up 3 PlayBooks. First step out of the box is to get a wi-fi connection, where the PB will prompt you for whatever questions it has, while installing whatever it is that needs installing. At the end of this process, you are prompted to connect the PB to the DM ( a prompt to install the DM on your pc is observed). You then connect the PB to your DM, sync and backup, and perhaps another OS or software update will occur. Once done, you now can Play with your Book.

[jamesbondOO7]

No.Never connected mine. Sorry.

[jamesbondOO7]

I also set up a friend's and she did not have DM on her desktop.

[musical1806]

The real comedy is that people still compare these two devices. Make your choice and buy your tablet. Damn do you guys spend all day driving round looking at other people's cars crying mines better than yours. The article was insightful but was still only one person's opinion.

I like to think of my PB as a professional device and rue the day I see an app developed for my pet to play with (yes there is an Ipad app designed for cats). As for the whole who has more app its is only a small part of the argument. Which is mute as the OPEN has never has an Ipad so really has no first hand experience upon which to make any argument. Fair play on the post though your entitled to your opinion.

[kbz1960]

Soooooo, what I'm trying to get at, once both the PlayBook and the iPad have been set up, and both remain stock units (meaning no additional apps installed), when taking both, say to a Starbucks to use their free wi-fi, what can the PlayBook do or not do as compared to the iPad can and can'ts?

I'd like to hear about this also.

[mathprof08]

What an original thread. Thanks for wasting our time and bandwidth, Mr. Troll. See you in h3ll.

[ODAAT]

Okay. I am not a troll. I just thought I would start a discussion based on the smackdown on the front page. And as we are up to page 4 now, I guess other people would like to discuss it too. And I am sorry for not realising your time and bandwidth was that precious.

And as someone else pointed out, I don't own an iPad but I do use them at work. I teach special needs kids- autism, kids with disabilities. And for engaging the kids, the iPads are amazing. The apps are amazing.

Maybe that is why I am defensive of them.

[Hawkeberry]

being defensive is fine.. but that's not the same as totally ignoring all the positives of playbook. Is it?

[ODAAT]

being defensive is fine.. but that's not the same as totally ignoring all the positives of playbook. Is it?

No. I just don't think RIM realise how far behind the iPad they are sometimes.

Or maybe they do but can't do anything about it.

Either way, my original point still stands. It's all about the apps. That is what turns a web browser and email checker in to something else.

And don't forget, when the iPad 3 comes out, the iPad 1 will be selling for peanuts. With all those apps available.