1. saints26's Avatar
    I am an iphone4 and macbook pro user. I have no desire to own an ipad as it is currently (weight, thickness, and use in one hand seems awkward). I love how thin the iphone4 is, so I find the playbook very intriguing.

    Hardware and browser speed are my most important considerations...then OS and battery life. The playbook seems to have some serious hardware. I love the size (as thin as iphone4 and very light). The browser looks very fast. IOS is great but a little boring after a while. QNX looks very cool. If battery life is respectable I don't know how this thing could not be a winner.

    I'm surprised more initial reviews have not touched on the thinness and weight as a huge selling point, like they do with smartphones. Apps are overrated. There are a handful that you will use and after that it is all about the browser and easy email access. Looks like an awesome choice as an ereader also. Can't wait to see this thing in person and purchase my first blackberry. Let me know your thoughts or have I missed something?
    02-12-11 02:38 PM
  2. mcjohn's Avatar
    Couldn't agree more about apps being overrated. There are a few that are a must, and probably a few more that would be fun to have but beyond that it's all about the browser.

    Battery life hasn't been confirmed yet, but I'm reading they think it will be around 8-9 hours which is more than enough for me.
    02-12-11 02:53 PM
  3. anon(728548)'s Avatar
    I am an iphone4 and macbook pro user. I have no desire to own an ipad as it is currently (weight, thickness, and use in one hand seems awkward). I love how thin the iphone4 is, so I find the playbook very intriguing.

    Hardware and browser speed are my most important considerations...then OS and battery life. The playbook seems to have some serious hardware. I love the size (as thin as iphone4 and very light). The browser looks very fast. IOS is great but a little boring after a while. QNX looks very cool. If battery life is respectable I don't know how this thing could not be a winner.

    I'm surprised more initial reviews have not touched on the thinness and weight as a huge selling point, like they do with smartphones. Apps are overrated. There are a handful that you will use and after that it is all about the browser and easy email access. Looks like an awesome choice as an ereader also. Can't wait to see this thing in person and purchase my first blackberry. Let me know your thoughts or have I missed something?
    i find it funny that the XOOM's tegra 2 dual-core processors may be 1GHz, but the PlayBook's OMAP Cortex A9 dual-core 1GHz processors are actually faster because of the technology in OMAP. makes you wonder what motorola was thinking
    02-12-11 03:24 PM
  4. tachikoma's Avatar
    i find it funny that the XOOM's tegra 2 dual-core processors may be 1GHz, but the PlayBook's OMAP Cortex A9 dual-core 1GHz processors are actually faster because of the technology in OMAP. makes you wonder what motorola was thinking
    Tegra 2 is slower than OMAP? Can I see some references? I've been hearing a lot of the opposite lately.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-12-11 03:26 PM
  5. anon(728548)'s Avatar
    Tegra 2 is slower than OMAP? Can I see some references? I've been hearing a lot of the opposite lately.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

    Here is what Crucial_Xtreme had to say:

    For the record, the TI OMAP is and has the ability to be a much better processor than the Tegra 2 in the Moto Xoom and other products using said SoC.

    The OMAP has NEON whereas the Tegra 2 only has a non-vector FPU. When coded & optimized properly the difference is significant and the Tegra 2 simply can't keep up(do your research if unfamiliar with the subject). This just goes to show that while NIVIDIA might rush out projects/chips(especially the Tegra 2) instead of putting out a polished product, other chip makers & manufacturers do not...
    02-12-11 03:32 PM
  6. saints26's Avatar
    Do ya'll agree on size? Or would you rather it have a 10 inch screen?

    I prefer the portability and weight, seems like a good compromise. Although I own neither, upon looking at the galaxy tab vs ipad I prefer the tab's size/weight combo.

    I have never owned an android device so i can't give an opinion on the os. The tab just felt good in the hand....ipad owners seem to always place it on a table or their lap, I prefer holding it. If I have to put it down in order to use it why would I not use my laptop?

    I also like that they included the "soft rubber" feel on the back of the device. Long time ago owned a samsung Blackjack and it had the soft rubber feel, felt awesome in your hand.

    Last thing they need to get right is the touch interface which it appears they have. Tab sometimes needed multiple "taps" to register where the iphone4 and ipad are extremely responsive. I hope that they get it right because I am sold on everything else.
    Last edited by saints26; 02-12-11 at 03:51 PM.
    02-12-11 03:44 PM
  7. _StephenBB81's Avatar
    Tegra 2 is slower than OMAP? Can I see some references? I've been hearing a lot of the opposite lately.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    my speculation is that you are hearing how much Better the Tegra 2 is vs the OMAP 3 processor, the Playbook has the OMAP 4 in it,

    Here is a link to a comparison of processors, the Tegra 2 and OMAP3 are included
    Hummingbird vs. Snapdragon vs. OMAP vs. Tegra 2: ARM Chips Explained - Tested

    Do ya'll agree on size? Or would you rather it have a 10 inch screen?

    I prefer the portability and weight, seems like a good compromise. Although I own neither, upon looking at the galaxy tab vs ipad I prefer the tab's size/weight combo.

    I have never owned an android device so i can't give an opinion on the os. The tab just felt good in the hand....ipad owners seem to always place it on a table or their lap, I prefer holding it. If I have to put it down in order to use it why would I not use my laptop?

    I also like that they included the "soft rubber" feel on the back of the device. Long time ago owned a samsung Blackjack and it had the soft rubber feel, felt awesome in your hand.

    Last thing they need to get right is the touch interface which it appears they have. Tab sometimes needed multiple "taps" to register where the iphone4 and ipad are extremely responsive. I hope that they get it right because I am sold on everything else.

    I am a FIRM 7" is better than 10" believer, I have very little interest in a 10" tablet, I have an 8" media tablet that is approx 1/2" thick, it is a pretty good size, and I figure the playbook will fall just in their.
    02-12-11 03:54 PM
  8. barrist's Avatar
    Tegra 2 is slower than OMAP? Can I see some references? I've been hearing a lot of the opposite lately.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    This is what I expect in terms of processing power at the same clock speed:

    1. Samsung Orion
    2. Qualcomm MSM8960 (Cortex A9 based dual-core processor with Adreno 220 GPU)
    3. Texas Instrument OMAP4 series
    4. NVIDIA Tegra 2
    5. Qualcomm MSM8260/8660 (Cortex A8 based dual-core processor with Adreno 220 GPU)
    OMAP4 (OMAP4430/OMAP4440) vs other dual-core processors - Smartphone Benchmarks (SmartBench 2010/Quadrant) Forum
    02-12-11 03:54 PM
  9. howarmat's Avatar
    they are both 1ghz processors. Some test will probably have the OMAP on top and others the tegra on top. its a toss up unless you NEED special processing for something specific. For the average public the software will dictate how fast the device seems, not the differences in processor architecture.

    the orion should be blazing fast though from what i have read.
    02-12-11 04:35 PM
  10. T.roy's Avatar
    We'll have to see how the OMAP4 performs when running the QNX OS. I remember Dan Dodge talking about some of its advantages over the competing OS's. I can't seem to find the interview but berryreview has an article that offers some of what he was talking about
    Applications and drivers all reside in their own memory protected address space and use well define message interfaces. Because all of this messaging and segregation then the OS and applications become distributed allowing for efficiency. They also have the concept of multiple microkernels that allow machines to communicate over a network for encrypted transport. It will allow devices to communicate on a whole new level. So it does both multi threaded in the dual core up to 32 core processors or it can do distributed and speak between multiple devices that would not know that they are on different devices. For example, your PlayBook could just speak directly to your BlackBerrys bluetooth or cellular radio or even its GPS.

    Advanced memory management is also very useful since the way most OS�s manage memory causes a 20-30% performance hit especially on ARM processors. That is why QNX changed how applications work with memory pages allowing for larger memory pages from 4k to 1m pages adding 10-30% performance. This will let them use a 1GHz processor act like a 1.3Ghz processor. This is baked into the technology and is something that can only be baked in and not added to other platforms easily. RIM is getting another thing competitors cannot easily copy.
    HOT! QNX Tablet OS - A Deep Dive Into How It Works! - BerryReview
    02-12-11 04:38 PM
  11. barrist's Avatar
    NVIDIA claims implementing MPE would incur a 30% die penalty for a performance improvement that impacts only a minimal amount of code. It admits that at some point integrating a SIMD engine makes sense, just not yet. The table above shows a comparison of instruction latency on various floating point and SIMD engines in A8 and A9. TI’s OMAP 4 on the other hand will integrate ARM’s Cortex A9 MPE. Depending on the code being run, OMAP 4 could have a significant performance advantage vs. the Tegra 2. Qualcomm's FPU/NEON performance should remain class leading in non-bandwidth constrained applications.
    LG Optimus 2X & NVIDIA Tegra 2 Review: The First Dual-Core Smartphone - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News
    02-12-11 04:43 PM
  12. barrist's Avatar
    We'll have to see how the OMAP4 performs when running the QNX OS. I remember Dan Dodge talking about some of its advantages over the competing OS's. I can't seem to find the interview but berryreview has an article that offers some of what he was talking about
    Yeah Kevin mentioned it in the last CB Podcast also.. can't wait to see
    02-12-11 04:44 PM
  13. jhimmel's Avatar
    Do ya'll agree on size? Or would you rather it have a 10 inch screen?
    Yes, I agree. For my personal intended use, the iPad is too big. A 7" tablet will be far more convenient.

    Size/Bulk vs Screen Real-estate is the dilemma facing today's new devices. Striking a balance, and throwing battery life into the equation, is tough. It depends entirely on how and where you plan on using the device. I could see manufacturers including at least two different sizes in their tablet product line. Some will feel they absolutely need the big screen, others will prefer to sacrifice size for portability. That's just the way it is, and you see it in the arguments taking place in the forums. No one is "wrong" about it, it's just different wants, needs, and desires.

    It's just great to see so many choices arriving this year.
    02-12-11 05:07 PM
  14. Intosh's Avatar
    I am an iphone4 and macbook pro user. I have no desire to own an ipad as it is currently (weight, thickness, and use in one hand seems awkward). I love how thin the iphone4 is, so I find the playbook very intriguing.

    Hardware and browser speed are my most important considerations...then OS and battery life. The playbook seems to have some serious hardware. I love the size (as thin as iphone4 and very light). The browser looks very fast. IOS is great but a little boring after a while. QNX looks very cool. If battery life is respectable I don't know how this thing could not be a winner.

    I'm surprised more initial reviews have not touched on the thinness and weight as a huge selling point, like they do with smartphones. Apps are overrated. There are a handful that you will use and after that it is all about the browser and easy email access. Looks like an awesome choice as an ereader also. Can't wait to see this thing in person and purchase my first blackberry. Let me know your thoughts or have I missed something?
    Funny and refreshing to read this from an Apple user.

    ALL aspects you mentionned are EXACTLY why I'm favoring the PB over any other tablets right now.

    I have a jailbroken iPod Touch, so I can get any apps and games I want but after the initial fun for the first two weeks or so, I just got bored and now I don't even bother anymore. Apps are indeed overrated. All I really want is full desktop-like web browsing and portability.

    A 7" seems to be a good compromise: big enough screen to web browse comfortably and small enough to carry around and to manipulate easily with one hand; you can hold it up while lying in bed on your back; you can put it down on the table in a restaurant without the feeling that it's in the way; etc. So much more convenient than a 10".
    Last edited by Intosh; 02-12-11 at 06:12 PM.
    02-12-11 06:02 PM
  15. saints26's Avatar
    I hate how a lot of people take tech purchases as an "us vs them" proposition. If you like something then get it. Personally, there is a lot of devices I would like. Plus each manufacturer/OS has its pros and cons.

    It is childish how the "opposite camps" hate on any news/announcements by rival companies. The playbook gets downplayed on a lot of sites and I can't understand why. It really is esthetically a good looking device. If it had an apple logo on its back or ran android the tech blogs could not get enough of this. Give RIM its due. QNX looks great, the hardware is first rate, and they have packaged together a very solid tablet.

    I hope it does well and plan on purchasing one.
    02-12-11 10:06 PM
  16. sandmanfvr's Avatar
    Of all the tablets in videos, the playbook kicks the most a$$ at anything it does. Honeycomb is pretty good, but still android and multitasking is ok. Webos on the touchpad runs like crap in videos which confounds me and I don't get why, dual 1.2 ghz snapdragon processors. The playbook just zooms around and does it all with great hardware and an os that delivers.

    My wife has an ipad and it a big iphone, that is good and bad. The 10 inches is nice to look at but I think I will be fine with 7 inches.
    02-13-11 12:35 AM
  17. Skeevecr's Avatar
    It definitely comes down to how you expect to use a tablet, for me I like using my ipad at home where I am willing to trade off the reduced portability for more screen real estate, but when I am out of the house my current device of choice is my kindle because it is just so much more comfortable to hold up for an extended period of time when I am reading on public transport.
    02-13-11 06:09 AM
  18. zensen's Avatar
    looking at the new tablets coming out. they are going for the standard landscape look that the playbook has gone for e.g the over priced xoom (can even pre-order the thing at best buy for $1,199) and the samsung tab 2 now have cameras in landscape orientation unlike the ipad and the original samsung tab.
    02-13-11 06:39 AM
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