[hpjrt]

Yeah Jafobabe! GREAT picture! Thanks for posting it!

[Mallet21]

$200 for a 2 to 4 hour battery ain't much of a bargain...

Sounds just like my Playbook

[gwinegarden]

I have said it before and repeat it, now. The number of cores is meaningless unless comparing the same architecture and OS.

It's not how many you have it is how well the OS uses them.

[EricB1968]

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDN9y2vTdUs[/YT]

[rotorwrench]

Seriously Rotorwrench ?????

Click to view quoted image

LMAO Yes! Seriously! You feed them and they just get bigger and uglier. Good photo too.

BTW OP, you chose an inappropriate name. I can't speak for your music or poet abilities, but you are definitely not a prophet.

[kennyliu]

I love how specs are manipulated. Would you rather have a dual core running at 2.5 ghz or a quad core running at 1.2 ghz?

Quad core at 1.2 ghz (plus the fifth "service" core) is definitely a better deal if the OS and apps support it (and ICS/Jelly Bean supports multicore CPUs) than a 1 (1.5) ghz dual core. In the simplest words, multiple cores allow you to avoid bottlenecks by assigning tasks to different cores. But again, the advantage of additional cores can only be apparent if the software supports multicore effectively.

Also note that Tegra 3 has a better GPU AFAIK.

[polytope]

With the release of Google 7" tablet at a cost of $199 this will surely be the end of the Playbook. The only reason I got the play book was because of the cost but now why settle for the Playbook when you can get an Android?

Honestly the new tablet will be quadcore with 1gig of ram, how can the PB compete with Android? At least now the PB is small (personally I find 9" too large) and cheap but in a few months it won't even have that.

So this will be the end.

At $199, the Google Nexus 7 has 8GB of storage and no back camera and a low-res front facing camera. It probably has neither stereo mics nor stereo speakers. How is that supposed to beat the 16GB PB?

[balama]

the bigger news is that RIM is considering dumping its hardware division and concentrate on its enterprise BBM secure messaging and BES network products.

its too bad that the BB device,keyboard and secure messaging capabilities are so misunderstood in this ipad/iphone world of BYOD.

I see it eventually going back the other way in the enterprise as its becoming too expensive and too complicated to secure enterprise BYOD with every new toy arising advertising is making execs think they need.

RIM needs to focus on the secure messaging component, ease of rapid one hand texting, and secure integration via bridge with the PB for graphical needs like browsing or document management. along with lower data plan costs.. Microsoft is going after the enterprise with Win8 and surface to integrate the desktop, and mobile/tablet space into a seamless interaction. That's RIM biggest threat not apple or google.

pushing it out as another competing lounge toy was the wrong move. They should have pushed back against BYOD and emphasized their stake in secure messaging. I haven't heard recently or in the past of hacked BBs. Lost ones but never any hacked ones like I do of android apps.

[smithey1981]

I bet google have already got a lot of devs on board and will have an app base unlike the playbook. If rim want to try and make the playbook work, get some decent apps for it that don't cost the earth. And do u really think rim will bring bb10 out for exsisting pb I doubt it

[ralfyguy]

I couldn't care less about any other device, seriously. It functions the way I expect it and if it ever doesn't, I'll look around. People have too much time on their hands to worry about whether a sack of rice in China falls over or not. I want to have these kind of worries instead of the ones I'm having right now.
Seriously, that kind of immaturity is just tiresome anymore...

[pacoman03]

The latest news from engadget-

" Hoo, boy! The hits keep comin.' The good golks at Modaco managed to grab screenshots for the sale page of the Nexus 7, replete with screenshots and specs. Turns out, the tablet has a 1280x800 IPS display coated in "scratch-resistant Corning glass," which we presume is of the Gorilla variety, plus a front-facing, 1.2-megapixel camera. Within its 198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm case lies either 8 ($199) or 16GB ($249) of storage, plus 1GB of RAM, and NVIDIA's quad-core Tegra 3 SoC. Connectivity comes courtesy of GPS, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Micro USB, plus it's got NFC for all your Android Beaming needs. Rounding things out is a 4325mAh battery and the usual spate of sensors: accelerometer, magnetometer, and a gyroscope."

The advantages of the PB, more storage and rear facing camera, will likely keep it alive. Maybe the better question is, why would anyone buy a Kindle Fire or Nook Color once this is released?.

[SifJar]

At $199, the Google Nexus 7 has 8GB of storage and no back camera and a low-res front facing camera. It probably has neither stereo mics nor stereo speakers. How is that supposed to beat the 16GB PB?

I have never really used the rear facing camera on my PB (couple of times to try it out), and without decent video chat services like Skype, the front cam remains in a similar state of disuse. I would say it is quite possible the Nexus 7 will have stereo speakers, as it is clearly aimed as a direct competitor to the Kindle Fire, primarily a media device. For decent media playing, stereo speakers are essential. Stereo mics may not be there, but again, without Skype I don't use that on the PB where they are present. Having the hardware isn't much of an advantage without decent software to make use of it. (Obviously other people will have plenty of uses for the mics and both cameras, but I'm just sharing my experience). The storage comparison is of course completely valid, although there is a 16GB Nexus 7 for $50 more. (Dunno if either model has micro SD support, which many Android devices do).

Nexus 7 looks like it'll be a great tablet, but I won't be selling my PB for one (partly because I wouldn't get enough for my PB to buy one, but that's not the only reason).

[panterarck]

I bet google have already got a lot of devs on board and will have an app base unlike the playbook. If rim want to try and make the playbook work, get some decent apps for it that don't cost the earth. And do u really think rim will bring bb10 out for exsisting pb I doubt it

You apparently aren't aware then that Rim WILL be releasing BB10 for the PlayBook. Its been stated numerous times. So yea....put your doubts to rest as that is a fact!!!

[drudometkin]

If they keep up support ill stick with rim for tablets. The 199 nexus tablet won't do for me with the low storage. I'd have to get the 32gb model or another more expensive tab.

[polytope]

Nexus 7 Tech Specs

[moretreelessbush]

I don't see any hope RIM can compete with Google, who like Amazon is probably selling this for a loss to grab the ads/media/app market share.
RIM doesn't have a concrete plan on any future tablet, what will it have to compete with Google anyway?

[Sprawl]

I hate these stupid threads. And the OP is dubious at best.

But there's a good point in all this. Even actual technology aside. There is a significant lack of stuff out of RIM lately.

In the last month we have seen the major players in the mobile platforms have multiple large press conferences. We have seen release dates, price announcements, product launches, feature updates announced by both.

Sure we're not getting the magical iphone 5. But Apple did have products to announce. updates. iOS6, the list goes on.

Google today not only has a tablet, Has a home media device launch, Google glass demonstrations and so on. All with pricing and expected release dates (for products being released)

What has RIM given in the last month? what have they announced in the last 2 or 3?

we have had nothing but a dozen screenshots or less. We have no hardware demoed. We have no dates, No details and no specs

We are being told the exact same thing we've been told for 2 years. "SOON™".

if RIM doesn't come to the table really really fast. Yes, This may very well be the end. There's no buzz around BB10 anymore outside those of us who are BB followers or those who are heavily involved in watching the tech sector. The average consumer now just doesn't care!

BB10 might be a homerun. it might be the most groundbreaking platform ever written. But if nobody cares anymore because they moved on elsewhere, it'll be too late.

I fear now more than ever, that we may have already crossed that point.

[hpjrt]

I don't see any hope RIM can compete with Google, who like Amazon is probably selling this for a loss to grab the ads/media/app market share.
RIM don't have a concrete plan on any future tablet, what will it have to compete with Google anyway?

How do you know what plans [concrete or otherwise] RIM has for a future tablet? Just because there hasn't been a press release about it doesn't mean that there aren't plans.

Whether RIM does or doesn't have plans for a future tablet is unknown to me ... but perhaps you have the inside track?

[playpen007]

If RIM didn't mess up with the release of Playbook, I think it is the best tablet on the market today. When Playbook releases with BB10 software, it will blow competition away. Even with the software right now, I am addicted with this device. It works with almost any videos on the internet. I bought two of these and will buy another one when it comes out with BB10 software.

[moretreelessbush]

Sure we're not getting the magical iphone 5. But Apple did have products to announce. updates. iOS6, the list goes on.

Google today not only has a tablet, Has a home media device launch, Google glass demonstrations and so on. All with pricing and expected release dates (for products being released)

Not just that. Like Apple, Google is making products available shortly after the announcement. So don't count out iphone 5, Apple can announce it anytime, and have it for sale a couple of weeks after.

[polytope]

RIM needs content and Amazon needs a great device. Nexus 7 as I predicted has no stereo mics and no stereo speakers. So the PB can still put up a fight AS LONG AS it has content.

[smithey1981]

You apparently aren't aware then that Rim WILL be releasing BB10 for the PlayBook. Its been stated numerous times. So yea....put your doubts to rest as that is a fact!!!

Lol rim say and promise a lot and they are very good at that, shame they either never deliver or do a year or so later.

[jeroen_13]

we've to wait till BB10 comes out

[Darlaten]

I have never really used the rear facing camera on my PB (couple of times to try it out), and without decent video chat services like Skype, the front cam remains in a similar state of disuse....Having the hardware isn't much of an advantage without decent software to make use of it.

Very well said. I've used the rear camera a few times to take pictures but beyond that, not to much. I've used the front camera once just to make sure it is working, but seeing how no one I know has a Playbook to video chat; and no other decent video chat service exists - it's utterly pointless.

And this brings us right back to the tired phrase that appears on these forums so often - "but the Playbook has great hardware". So what! Without the software, the hardware is irrelevant.

Sadly, I used to be in that camp whereby I praised the Playbook's hardware. The more that I use other tablets/devices, the more that I've learned that the hardware doesn't matter if you have software that performs exceptionally well.

As to Google's new tablet; regardless of what the hardware is, and how it competes to the specifications of the Playbook or any other device, one thing is for sure - it will have the software that people are looking for and wanting to use. And therein, is RIM's Achilles heel.

[Skeevecr]

This nexus tablet won't change anything for the playbook, it has clearly moved beyond them hoping for it to be a commercial success and at this point is serving as an interim userbase to encourage devs to develop stuff prior to bb10 arrives.