[Richdog-]

I was at Best Buy, my least favorite electronics shop but that's irrelevant, and had a chance to test several competing tablets, the Acer Iconia, an Asus and the Nexus 7.

What a shock! There was no comparison with my PB 64gig. These units were blazingly fast, smooth as butter, and when it come to multitasking, I loaded them up with 8-10 apps and they didn't blink. Maps loaded in seconds, including my location in the store (at least 50 metres from the nearest exit). Browser, gmail, videos, Kindle and more -- they all loaded almost instantly. Kindle, in particular, was no comparison with the dog it is on PB. These machines just felt like my laptop, not what I thought, from my experience with my PB, that a tablet must be. Or rather, it felt like comparing my five-year-old dual-core, two gig ram laptop to my year-old quad-core six gig laptop (both Acers).

I did not do an in-depth look at all of their features, but nevertheless came away with the distinct impression that any potential shopper testing these units, which were all priced competitively, to the PB would not give the PB a second look. And while the PB's swipe feature is nice, I quickly learned and adapted to how these android devices operated and felt there was nothing awkward about them. Different but just as workable.

I've had my beefs about my PB (as we all have had), though felt the latest update had helped with native email and the browser. But this comparison was an eye-opener for me. My PB simply felt like old technology when I had one of those devices in my hands.

I'd don't know what BB10 will or can do to turn the PB into something comparable, but I suspect only PB LTE, with its faster processor, can begin to compete. Even then, without a better app ecosystem and the ability to run more than three or four apps at a time, I don't see a smooth road ahead.

I've read the posts praising the PB and I have no issue with satisfied owners. I just think we should be aware of what the PB faces out there, and simply running down the list of specs on various tablets is not the whole story.

Another person sees the light and has educated themselves by thinking objectively and taking their blinkers off. Only a hundred thousand to go...

[Hawnz]

Funny, after reading this thread, I went to theverge.com. They have an article that says Android tablets have been failures too, just like the PlayBook. These would be the Google Android tablets, as compared to a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet.

The end of Android tablets: can Google match Amazon's success before Microsoft closes the window? | The Verge

[DJBS4LIFE]

Love the PlayBook. BB10 FTW! Period, end of discussion

[baolam86]

I'd don't know what BB10 will or can do to turn the PB into something comparable, but I suspect only PB LTE, with its faster processor, can begin to compete. Even then, without a better app ecosystem and the ability to run more than three or four apps at a time, I don't see a smooth road ahead.

I've read the posts praising the PB and I have no issue with satisfied owners. I just think we should be aware of what the PB faces out there, and simply running down the list of specs on various tablets is not the whole story.

The first part of the BOLD sentence, i agree. The second part? not so much, i attached the screenshots of my PB, i usually run around 4 apps at the same time and switching back and forth without it crashing, yes it does but rarely. I dont know what is wrong with your PB but im sure many people own the PB and run at least 3 or more apps @ the same time with no problem at all.

Before jellybean(not even ICS), android just plain sucks. I own a Asus TF101 10.1 tab and an ipad 1, not much to say about the ipad, but the Asus TF101 crash frequently or force closed when you open like 4 -5 apps and use for a period of time it would suck the RAM dry and start crashing then i have to use Android task killer to free up those RAM. It's very annoying actually .

The ease of using gestures to wipe back and forth between apps is another plus for PB. Using widgets, back button, or recently opened tab is not that intuitive you know ?

The PB is efficient in multitasking for sure right now. The OS is smooth, nothing to deny. When the time comes, the PB would run on BB10 OS which RIM has put so many efforts and resources in to make it successful, i don't think PB will be incomparable to other tabs (it's already comparable to many high-end tab atm imo )

Im sorry that the PB doesn't meet ur expectation, perhaps you can sell it and get those android tab you fond of ?

[varunsain]

No worries OP, tomorrow you can buy the Motorola tablet and then after that the LG tablet.. Meanwhile Samsung will launch a better device and you can jump the gun there again.. iPad 5 will keep you entertained when nothing else does.. when you're bored of it all you can buy the Galaxy S10.

In that time.. we here will just be stuck with our PlayBooks..

You have been bit by the 'Bigger is better' bug.. find a cure.

[kdeckels]

If someone were to "give" me a tablet of my choice, I would request an Ipad3 64 gb 3g (4g?) model. Since that ain't gonna happen, I am happy with my 64gb PB - for the foreseeable future.

[bitek]

I was at Best Buy, my least favorite electronics shop but that's irrelevant, and had a chance to test several competing tablets, the Acer Iconia, an Asus and the Nexus 7.

What a shock! There was no comparison with my PB 64gig. These units were blazingly fast, smooth as butter, and when it come to multitasking, I loaded them up with 8-10 apps and they didn't blink. Maps loaded in seconds, including my location in the store (at least 50 metres from the nearest exit). Browser, gmail, videos, Kindle and more -- they all loaded almost instantly. Kindle, in particular, was no comparison with the dog it is on PB. These machines just felt like my laptop, not what I thought, from my experience with my PB, that a tablet must be. Or rather, it felt like comparing my five-year-old dual-core, two gig ram laptop to my year-old quad-core six gig laptop (both Acers).

I did not do an in-depth look at all of their features, but nevertheless came away with the distinct impression that any potential shopper testing these units, which were all priced competitively, to the PB would not give the PB a second look. And while the PB's swipe feature is nice, I quickly learned and adapted to how these android devices operated and felt there was nothing awkward about them. Different but just as workable.

I've had my beefs about my PB (as we all have had), though felt the latest update had helped with native email and the browser. But this comparison was an eye-opener for me. My PB simply felt like old technology when I had one of those devices in my hands.

I'd don't know what BB10 will or can do to turn the PB into something comparable, but I suspect only PB LTE, with its faster processor, can begin to compete. Even then, without a better app ecosystem and the ability to run more than three or four apps at a time, I don't see a smooth road ahead.

I've read the posts praising the PB and I have no issue with satisfied owners. I just think we should be aware of what the PB faces out there, and simply running down the list of specs on various tablets is not the whole story.

this is soooooooo not true. android feels awkward and disorganized. qnx is clean, simple and powerful. apps do not load as fast and many do not work on tablets. Those that do work on tablets and are designed for phones look bad. android is nothing special. i know that because i had samsung tablet for two weeks and seriously it did not impress me at all. playbook is way better.

[brianatbb]

this is soooooooo not true. android feels awkward and disorganized. qnx is clean, simple and powerful. apps do not load as fast and many do not work on tablets. Those that do work on tablets and are designed for phones look bad. android is nothing special. i know that because i had samsung tablet for two weeks and seriously it did not impress me at all. playbook is way better.

You are in deep denial, my friend. But if that keeps you going, no problem. It's Rim that concerns me, not the fanboys.

[brianatbb]

Funny, after reading this thread, I went to theverge.com. They have an article that says Android tablets have been failures too, just like the PlayBook. These would be the Google Android tablets, as compared to a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet.

The end of Android tablets: can Google match Amazon's success before Microsoft closes the window? | The Verge

Read the article (which doesn't even mention Rim or PB) a little more closely and you'll find it talks in the context of tablet-as-laptop and hypes Windows' upcoming offering. But if android tabs aren't quite laptop comparable, what does that say about the Playbook, which was the basis of my comparison.

[brianatbb]

The first part of the BOLD sentence, i agree. The second part? not so much, i attached the screenshots of my PB, i usually run around 4 apps at the same time and switching back and forth without it crashing, yes it does but rarely. I dont know what is wrong with your PB but im sure many people own the PB and run at least 3 or more apps @ the same time with no problem at all.

Before jellybean(not even ICS), android just plain sucks. I own a Asus TF101 10.1 tab and an ipad 1, not much to say about the ipad, but the Asus TF101 crash frequently or force closed when you open like 4 -5 apps and use for a period of time it would suck the RAM dry and start crashing then i have to use Android task killer to free up those RAM. It's very annoying actually .

Not sure why your experiences are the mirror image of mine. I can run 3-4 apps (not androids) on the PB but at that point it becomes unstable and likely to close one, esp. if one of them is the browser. Beyond four and all bets are off. On the androids I tried, I had 8-10 apps running with no lag at all and no crashing.

The ease of using gestures to wipe back and forth between apps is another plus for PB. Using widgets, back button, or recently opened tab is not that intuitive you know ?

Personal preference, I guess. In the few minutes I had with the androids (my first experience with it) I had no problem picking it up and it did not feel awkward. I esp. liked the fact I could see at a glance all the apps running, unlike on the PB where you have to swipe through them.

The PB is efficient in multitasking for sure right now. The OS is smooth, nothing to deny.

Sorry, but that is anything but my experience or the experience of many others who have posted on various CB forums.

When the time comes, the PB would run on BB10 OS which RIM has put so many efforts and resources in to make it successful, i don't think PB will be incomparable to other tabs (it's already comparable to many high-end tab atm imo )

With Rim's reputation for meeting deadlines and delivering flawless software, I'm not holding my breath.

[brianatbb]

No worries OP, tomorrow you can buy the Motorola tablet and then after that the LG tablet.. Meanwhile Samsung will launch a better device and you can jump the gun there again.. iPad 5 will keep you entertained when nothing else does.. when you're bored of it all you can buy the Galaxy S10.

In that time.. we here will just be stuck with our PlayBooks..

You have been bit by the 'Bigger is better' bug.. find a cure.

Hardly. I am comparing what is available for first-time buyers, you know, the people Rim needs to convince if it wants to survive. And all I'm saying is that it lags seriously behind in ways that matter to buyers.

[kboya]

ok, I've watched this thread, and am going to declare my interests before going any further. I like android, I've followed it since eclair, and had multiple devices. I like apple products, they're very nice, but I deeply dislike itunes as a resource hogging albatross (on pc at least) and the overly restrictive 'walled garden'. up til recently I had no opinion on BB, all I saw seemed fine, but not outstanding.

I now have a 64gb pb that I bought simply due to the price and insurance policy thru dixons in the uk. I also own an N7 16gb. I kinda like the pb for a number of reasons,but mainly as media device at a good price. unfortunately, the N7 takes the pb to the cleaners in all manner of ways: apps, flexibility, speed, futureproofing, root benefits and OS. The pb has the benefit of fantastic build quality (this is a solid piece of kit), storage space (N7 does do reliable USB OTG), decent stereo front facing speakers (best tab ones I've heard), wifi file sharing and HDMI out.

however, the current OS on the pb (2.0 or 2.1; currently, I am running the latter) despite its ability to multitask, which it does well, is kinda rubbish. it is prone to crashing in ways android hasn't for at least 3 iterations (I can't speak for honeycomb, other than phone ports), and that had been the way since first taking it out the box (beginning with the 300001 update error on first boot: good start!) rather than only in 2.1 beta. the apps in the 'world' are fairly poor (I am using android player to write this via a ported tapatalk!). BB's own 'walled garden' is stunningly good at denying flexibility, and rooting has very little benefit unless, I suppose, you are a dev (but I am not sure even that makes a diff). the email client is great once you start it up, but holds nowt locally making offline reply drafting impossible. and so on and so forth... there are a large number of issues with this device (as I type while playing music, every keystroke gives a small amount of distortion with haptic and key tones disabled.

Quite frankly, this fabled BB10 will have to be some beautiful piece of work to make much odds. this post is not meant to be a pb slater, or slating RIM for that matter, as I hope they continue to serve their many punters well (myself now included). The fact is, however, that this piece of great hardware is sorely let down by its software. nevertheless, as a semi flexible, beautifully built, sturdy, nicely designed and well proportioned media player it is damn good. If BB10 does what many posters seem to hope for and expect (and I certainly hope for this, too) then it'll transform the PB into a fantastic tablet in this form factor. Until then, this will take second place to my N7, and a whole host of competing tabs for other users. Shame, really, as it has a big bunch of great points that need to be exploited.

(BTW, even the keyboard fails to make auto capitals after full stops/new paragraphs, but that may be down to the android player. nevertheless, it is frustrating on a device like this)

[rcm1301]

I have a feeling the diehard PB fanboys are defending the PB soo much even though they may not have played with a Nexus 7 yet.

[kbz1960]

Not this again.

[baolam86]

Not this again.

Click to view quoted image

:d it is indeed

[axeman1000]

Sure they are fast in the store but load them up with all on your playbook and see what they really do. Probably not so fast anymore.

[skyrocket9]

Acer is junk, you say, but my acer laptop is still running sweet as it approaches its fifth birthday. I haver had a desktop computer that made it past four without major upgrades.

I just love people who love to draw conclusions from generalizations. Glad you like your PB and think an ipad (which I have never tried) is no better. Suit yourself. All I'm saying is Rim faces tough competition in the tablet market and needs to step up its game, hardly a revelation to most PB owners.

I say Acer is junk because I have owned two, Acer aspire x1800 and a laptop. Both died in under a year, and I bought HP which is on its fourth year. I wouldn't touch acer with a stick, ty companies like acer make cheap alternatives. Im not trolling acer, I was a customer and what I bought was junk. I have owned all sorts of products, so Im not some type of fan boy And as for ipad, Its a nice tablet but its no better than the playbook in any way. Itunes is so annoying, and I never use the apps. If people like you troll specific brands like the playbook then others who have never tried them won't bother buying. Instead they will buy ipads and find out its not for them, just like I did. No one product is better than another, its up to the consumer to suite their needs with available products.
Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[bdegrande]

I have a feeling the diehard PB fanboys are defending the PB soo much even though they may not have played with a Nexus 7 yet.

You can have whatever feelings you want. I compared the PlayBook and Nexus 7 and bought the PlayBook - and I don't consider myself a fanboy, I have criticized in in my posts.

I have the latest iPad, wanted a smaller form factor, something that could fit in a jacket pocket, and the PlayBook complemented the iPad far better than the N7 did. I wanted to use it quite often for video playback, and the PlayBook had 64GB of storage for the same price as the 8GB N7 - and, since neither has a card slot, the availability of 32 and 64GB models matters more than it might on other tablets. The PlayBook also had HDMI out, which was very useful for my purposes, both front and back cameras - and FAR better quality than the N7's camera (can shoot 1080p video) and the best speakers I have heard on any tablet. I also think the PlayBook's build quality is better. It also has a higher capacity battery - 5300 mAh compared to the N7's 4325 mAh.

Is the software selection much worse than Android's? Absolutely. Do I care? Not one bit, I have an iPad which has a much better software selection than the N7.

So, what may be the best tablet for YOU is dramatically worse for me in a lot of respects - and that's my feeling.

[rcm1301]

You can have whatever feelings you want. I compared the PlayBook and Nexus 7 and bought the PlayBook - and I don't consider myself a fanboy, I have criticized in in my posts.

Not sure what your case is as based on your response none of my post was directed at you. Unless you feel some insecurity and needed to justify something. Weird.

[brianatbb]

I have the latest iPad, wanted a smaller form factor, something that could fit in a jacket pocket, and the PlayBook complemented the iPad far better than the N7 did. I wanted to use it quite often for video playback, and the PlayBook had 64GB of storage for the same price as the 8GB N7 - and, since neither has a card slot, the availability of 32 and 64GB models matters more than it might on other tablets. The PlayBook also had HDMI out, which was very useful for my purposes, both front and back cameras - and FAR better quality than the N7's camera (can shoot 1080p video) and the best speakers I have heard on any tablet. I also think the PlayBook's build quality is better. It also has a higher capacity battery - 5300 mAh compared to the N7's 4325 mAh.

Is the software selection much worse than Android's? Absolutely. Do I care? Not one bit, I have an iPad which has a much better software selection than the N7.

So, what may be the best tablet for YOU is dramatically worse for me in a lot of respects - and that's my feeling.

Given what you were looking for in a tab, I can see your choice. Those are the PB's strengths, after all. But for those of us getting by on a single tablet, many of us sorely miss the app selection and smoother operation of the alternatives.

[basemann42]

I think the Playbook does lacks apps and feels incomplete but hopefully BB10 will fix that. For now though here's why I like playbook..

1. Cameras & Video and HD out
2. Speakers and where they are positioned on the sides
3. Ease of use
4. Build and screen quality
5. I have a Blackberry phone for work and can connect to mail and internet anywhere there is a phone signal FOR FREE. That alone is worth the money compaerd to any other mobile internet and mail solution available.

Oh, and lastly....�129 for 64 mb version.

[bdegrande]

Not sure what your case is as based on your response none of my post was directed at you. Unless you feel some insecurity and needed to justify something. Weird.

You seemed to think that people who bought a PlayBook had obviously never considered the Nexus 7 as an option, and it they had, they would have clearly bought the far superior Nexus. Is that not the impression you meant to give?

[bdegrande]

Given what you were looking for in a tab, I can see your choice. Those are the PB's strengths, after all. But for those of us getting by on a single tablet, many of us sorely miss the app selection and smoother operation of the alternatives.

I just wanted to make the point that there are a lot of respects in which the PlayBook is better, not just "I love BlackBerry and would never buy anything else". I have never owned another BlackBerry product.

I also don't agree with smoother operation. I have used Android since the first version and prefer the Playbook OS to any Android version I have tried. I particularly like the gesture control for switching apps, which I am used to from other operating systems. In fairness, I have not used Jellybean except testing a Nexus 7 in a store, and it is supposed to be a significant improvement in terms of speed and stability, my most recent Android tablet runs Ice Cream Sandwich.

I do feel quite good about RIM upgrading the OS, first to 2.0 and eventually to BB10. I have never owned an Android tablet that has been able to upgrade the OS twice (they might exist, but I have never owned one). Most of the time even to upgrade the OS once I had to root it, which introduces its own problems.

[rcm1301]

You seemed to think that people who bought a PlayBook had obviously never considered the Nexus 7 as an option, and it they had, they would have clearly bought the far superior Nexus. Is that not the impression you meant to give?

No. Some PB owners clearly just downplay the N7 without actually have tested it (you can read it in their posts). You did test the N7, so post is not applicable to you. I hate it when people just shoot a product down (fairly or unfairly) without actually testing it, just because they cannot see the possible flaws or shortcomings in their own product and are so into the "hype" of their own product.
BTW, you will see in my signature I owe a PB.

[hurds]

I never intimated what's good for anyone but Rim.

This is a fan site, not RIMs. Are you gonna send your post to RIM?


Reading it again this sentence confuses me.

" I just think we should be aware of what the PB faces out there, and simply running down the list of specs on various tablets is not the whole story."

So does this 'we' refer to you and RIM?