[Momo13Drums]

Hey guys,

I know a lot of you guys are on the fence about these two devices, or just even have a curiosity between the two - or maybe you've never seen either one in person. I think a lot of people will be surprised at the sizes of these devices who haven't seen them! Either way, I thought these might be helpful with some people making their decisions. The point of this thread is just to help people make their own informed decision, because let's face it, whether its a PB, iPad or Xoom... $500+ is a lot to throw down on something you've never seen or held. Hopefully this can help.

I know someone made these before, but I couldn't find them - and I figured grouping them into one place would be easier. If anyone wants an actual-scale image of any other tablet, let me know in this thread.

Instructions:
Download and save the images in this thread.
Open each image in a program such as photoshop if you wish, to make sure the dimensions are correct.
If you open in photoshop or similar, make sure image resampling is OFF.
Print.
That's it

Battle!
Before I start, it's worth noting I own no tablet. Just a PC, my Torch, and a now broken laptop. I have zero brand loyalty. I've never used a Playbook in person. I have used an iPad briefly in person.

Review/Comparison

After printing and cutting both of them out, I can say I was a little surprised how small the PB is, or rather, the actual screen size. That said, the iPad is also surprisingly small. It's important to keep in mind for these devices, the weight, bulk, and final product will make it feel different. Also, the screen resolution will play a big part in how "viewable" it is.

With these things in mind, I feel like the iPad is viewable, and I predict the PB will be the same- just minus some screen size. But in terms of viewability (if that's even a word) I don't think either one has anything to worry about.

After printing these out and messing around with them a little bit, these are the important things I've noticed:

Typing on the Playbook seems like it will be substantially better overall. The iPad really requires 1-hand holding, 1-hand typing or laying it down. It depends on your usage, but this is something to consider.

Screen Size on the iPad is substantially bigger, even though its only 2.7" larger. Make two copies, and just cut the screen's of them both out and you'll see what I mean.

Note taking is going to be user preference, but I feel like the iPad wins in this aspect. If you're going to prefer typing notes on the touchscreen and holding the device, the playbook wins. If you're going to be in a classroom setting or someplace where taking notes is while you're sitting down, you can easily type the notes on the iPad, OR use a stylus. After seeing the Playbook size... well, let's just say I have SMALL hands and there is no way you could write notes on it with a stylus unless you were just quickly jotting something down. For note taking, the extra screen is welcomed mainly so you can fit your hand/wrist comfortably on the tablet while taking notes (just like a notebook.)

Video/Movie viewing: It's going to be personal preference, but I think it's worth noting that if you watch any movies with subtitles, the playbook is going to suck. I had a 7" Asus EEE PC when they first came out and watching anime with subtitles on that thing was terrible. Also, after a while, the 7" screen will become cumbersome to your eyes. Extra screen real estate is welcomed here.

Gaming: Putting the apps aside, gaming is pretty much the same as movies here. The extra screen real estate is going to be welcomed. That's not to say PB will be bad at it and frankly any "gaming" on a tablet isn't anything serious anyways, so I'd say they both tie here, but anything media-based is going to welcome the bigger screen.

Last but not least- Content Creation:
The 7" screen on playbook is going to be a massive hindrance to content creation apps. Again, I have small hands, but there is NO way you could seriously do any video editing, music editing/creating, etc in a form factor of this size. Everything would be scaled much too small.

Summary:

Both devices are going to be awesome and both are very portable in their own ways.

The way I see it, the Playbook is going to be a very viable option for someone such as a business man or woman who is on-the-go a lot, doesn't need to do much note-taking besides jotting down some memo's on the go, needs something smaller to fit into a blazer pocket to conserve space in their briefcase, whips it out on a 2 hour flight to watch a quick movie, play a quick game, browse the internet a bit, etc. I think it should be noted, unless you have HUGE pants, you're not going to (or you shouldn't) fit the playbook into your pocket. Not only is it going to look ridiculous (see Kevin's recent video), but it will strain the playbook. (again, unless your pants are huge/baggy.)

The iPad on the other hand, while it could be used for all these reasons, I see why people like I mentioned above would want a smaller form factor, but not small enough to be a phone. The iPad is really geared towards media consumption and creation. If your primary use in a tablet is going to be taking notes for college, gaming, watching movies (maybe with another person?), creating music/movies/content in general, etc.. and you have the ability to carry a messenger bag or have room in your briefcase,etc, this is probably a better option.

The Bottom Line:

Business man/woman, light-tablet user, hardcore blackberry user - Playbook

Media consumer, Content creator, Musician, Artist, College Student/Students, Photographer, hardcore apple user - iPad

I hope this helps people make up their minds. Print out the mock-ups and see for yourself what will work best for you!

Playbook:
ImageShack� - Online Photo and Video Hosting

iPad 2:
ImageShack� - Online Photo and Video Hosting