[xanadu5579]

First of all, I could not see a thread to add this to, so if I am duplicating then my apologies.

I have been a playbook user and abuser for well over 18 months now and I recently had the opportunity to obtain an Ipad mini for a very low price, so thought I would give it a go.

First of all turning the devices on I notice the ipad is quite quick at booting, but my playbook seems to have a nap half way through, before realising it should be turning on. Although once it is booted up it does make up for itself

I have always found the apple layout to be clinical and medical and frankly boring. the playbook however seems to be much more homely and friendly, in addition the Playbook has swiping and multitasking down correctly, it is so natural to me now I found I was confused with the Ipad mini pressing the home button to move around.

Next up on my test was the browsers, I am sorry to say safari is much nicer for me to use than the native playbook one. Often the playbook browser stops after you type www. meaning you have to drag it back down again. The upside of the playbook browsers is flash however which speaks for itself. Both of them have their own uniqueness for browsing but I can't help but prefer the apple offering.

I did download a couple of games but to be honest I am not a gamer really and I could not work out which device I preferred there.

Music was interesting, the apples music player is nicer to use but the playbook was louder and as I have been using it for ages it was familiar for me as well, which made sense.

Video playbook I have not yet compared, I may update when I have had the opportunity to, I am unfortunately expecting the ipad to be better simply based on the screen quality, but I cannot be certain.

Apps, I am not comparing the volumes of apps available, that would be silly, but more the downloading and installing. Assuming both have the same available then the playbook store seems in a small way to be a little bit childish in how it is setup, whereas again apple make it clinical, I am not sure which I prefer here. I do however like sideloading apps on the PB, it makes you feel like BB have given you that little extra sprinkle.

I put both devices in the same location to see if I was drawn to either subconsiously and I found I wasn't, I used them both equally, one time it would be the pb, the next it would be the ipad, also depending on what I was doing.

Now I have used both I have come to the conclusion to make my life happy I need a tablet of the 2 merging, so if any developers are looking to manufacture a playpad mini, let me know i'll beta test. Alternatively I have not looked at bb10 so it is possible that could make everything above null and void

Thank you for reading this rather long post, if you have got this far then great.

I appreciate that this is not a concise report on which is better at what and why post, but only my own personal findings. I know some people will disagree with me and my findings, I know I will be wrong here and there

[DYLANHABKIRK]

I have both as well, PlayBook 32GB, iPad Mini 64GB. I have to favour the Mini over the PlayBook for a few reasons. Primarily due to battery life. You can easily squeeze more than 10 hours w/ the iPad, but its definitely not as great on the PlayBook. I love the PlayBook mainly because of BlackBerry Bridge w/ my Z10, and its small form factor, and its easily more grip-able. Over all, I have to go with the Mini however. Apps, Battery, thinness, and speed. Most important things to me in a tablet.

Great post!

[Barracuda7772]

great post, its undeniable apple makes a.pretty good product. but id have to choose the playbook mainly becaue I don't hqve the money to buy new tech both seem great in their own ways

[benmhall]

I've had a PlayBook for about two years now. In fact, I found a 16GB in a local store the day befire it was released!

It's one of the few devices that has gotten much better over time. OS 2.0 was a major upgrade, though 1.x was great if you were using Bridge to a BB.

I sold the 16TB to a friend, who is still using it to this day, and now have a 64GB at home and a 32GB at work. They're just so cheap these days, why not?

I still think the browser is great, but the Calendar in 2.0 is what really takes the cake. On top of that, the amazing speakers, great outdoor-usable screen, and the leather standing case make the PlayBook my go-to tablet. I use it in the kitchen, outdoors doing house projects, everywhere at work; it's just great! By comparison, my iPad 3, admittedly with a superior battery, sits largely unused. I don't take it anywhere that may be in any way dangerous to the device, as it's too expensive to replace. Also, when on the go, I absolutely prefer the size and build quality of the PlayBook to the iPad or the Nexus 7.

I often recommend the Nexus 7 or an iPad if the person in question wants esoteric apps and games, but for a usable, day-to-day device, I still think the PlayBook can't be beat.

[kirikouestpetit]

I've had a PlayBook for about two years now. In fact, I found a 16GB in a local store the day befire it was released!

It's one of the few devices that has gotten much better over time. OS 2.0 was a major upgrade, though 1.x was great if you were using Bridge to a BB.

I sold the 16TB to a friend, who is still using it to this day, and now have a 64GB at home and a 32GB at work. They're just so cheap these days, why not?

I still think the browser is great, but the Calendar in 2.0 is what really takes the cake. On top of that, the amazing speakers, great outdoor-usable screen, and the leather standing case make the PlayBook my go-to tablet. I use it in the kitchen, outdoors doing house projects, everywhere at work; it's just great! By comparison, my iPad 3, admittedly with a superior battery, sits largely unused. I don't take it anywhere that may be in any way dangerous to the device, as it's too expensive to replace. Also, when on the go, I absolutely prefer the size and build quality of the PlayBook to the iPad or the Nexus 7.

I often recommend the Nexus 7 or an iPad if the person in question wants esoteric apps and games, but for a usable, day-to-day device, I still think the PlayBook can't be beat.

I will always have a lot of respect for the passion and blindness of you fanboyz

[Wongsky]

I will always have a lot of respect for the passion and blindness of you fanboyz

That's a very powerful and compelling statement.

Thanks for sharing.

It's been emotional...

[k8bushlover]

Seems a fair comparison.

I'm sad since breaking my iPad2's sound (a hard yank of the HDMI video adaptor, I think, instead of gently squeezing the buttons on the side...oh well, live and learn.)

PlayBook browser does seem sluggish/unresponsive at times, but I do love that it doesn't just stop dead on sites with Flash. I don't have a list in front of me of what sites use it when I'm browsing / linking, so the iPad just frustrates me that way, no matter how sleek the browser.

I did love all my music-making apps on the iPad, but until or unless I replace it, it's a good trackpad and I can read books on it. Only a handful of really good apps in that genre on the PlayBook, imo. But, since iOS supports MIDI and some USB hosting (I can use a Korg nanoKey controller which the iPad powers with a mini-USB connector), it makes for a better target platform for music apps.

[SEAWARRIOR]

.

Often the playbook browser stops after you type www. meaning you have to drag it back down again.

i don't ever type"www.",,, even on my pc,,, try typing addy in without it,,, i don't recall ever having to re-drop address bar un less it was my bad...

[SEAWARRIOR]

I've had a PlayBook for about two years now. In fact, I found a 16GB in a local store the day befire it was released!

It's one of the few devices that has gotten much better over time. OS 2.0 was a major upgrade, though 1.x was great if you were using Bridge to a BB.

I sold the 16TB to a friend,

man, i missed out on those 16"TB" models,,, you could probably store the entire Library of Congress on there w/ room for every movie & song known to man,,, ,,, i know it's a typo, but fun is fun...

[Bbnivende]

My Playbook is in the drawer gathering dust. I hope they offer BB10. I use the PB on trips in the hotel. My wife has a Ipad 2 . Typically though the browser speed is so slow or the page just skips to ads etc that I give up rather quickly. In fact I end up on my 9900 as being a preferable browsing experience and that says it all.

[blueberrymerry]

There are a few interesting tablets in the sub-10" space now: iPad Mini, Nexus 7, Playbook, the new Galaxy Note 8.0 and the upcoming ASUS FonePad.

Each has their own distinctive features but I think the Note 8.0 (digitizer stylus support) and FonePad (a real phone+tablet combo costing less than the iPad Mini) are the ones to look out for. The PB is getting long in the tooth and isn't competitive unless BB10 comes to it.

[RubberChicken76]

Fair comparison. I have both and use both. One is for work, one is personal.

I marvel at the mini's size actually. It's pretty astounding how thin it is. The draw back is that I find it way more slippery due to the finish and the weight compared to PlayBook.

The screens are roughly the same. The PlayBook is a bit crisper to me, though I think that a lot of it is Apple's small font choices. The 7.9: screen is definitely a bit more spacious though I still maintain up and down that Tim Cook's rhetoric about the gloriousness of a 7.9" screen is utter hooey. I can't believe people spew that "look at that magical 7.9 screen and how it provides allegedly 35-50% more viewing area". crap. Like - look with your eyes and use your hands people. The sound on the PlayBook is far superior to the iPad mini though.

Safari's definitely a bit quicker (not a lot quicker), stalls less on sites (some of that may be iPad optimization) and crashes a whole lot less.

I like that I can plug my PlayBook into my TV. i like that iPad can airplay with Apple TV though it flakes sometimes and is kind of useless if you don't have an Apple TV handy.

Like the blinking light better for notifications on PlayBook. They both get the same email, they both get the same calendars and they both get the same contacts courtesy of iCloud. :-)

WiFi syncing with iTunes is pretty slick, but I prefer PlayBook's WiFi Sharing for other file types like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Also liked that I can edit those files on PlayBook out of the box.

Apps are definitely better on iPad, though I had something like 160 on my PlayBook including a ton of games.

I don't like the fact that Apple makes you have that lightning cable as opposed to a third party cable. That said, it does seem to sync much quicker than the old connector or MicroUSB in the few times I've done it. A 64 GB PlayBook is the biggest device BlackBerry ever made and backing it up over a MicroUSB is BRUTAL!!!!

All in all, I could recommend either. PlayBook for the price, iPad for the app selection.

[RetroAndreas]

I'm tempted to buy the mini for apps and to control my audio/video system but I really enjoy my Playbook.

Used mainly for emailing/calender for both personal and business and surfing the net reading news. I love the how the PB is always connected to my phone. The phone ring notification on the PB and accessing all the files quickly on my phone makes the device very productive. Just a question, does the iPad notify you when your phone is ringing or let you receive/send sms's. I know my PB needs to be connected to my phone (which it is always) but I think this feature is so cool.

[SteveBB10]

Great post. I came close to getting an ipad mini but i couldn't justifiy the329$ price tag when there is a 32 gb playbook sitting right beside it for 118$

[kirikouestpetit]

I'm tempted to buy the mini for apps and to control my audio/video system but I really enjoy my Playbook.

Used mainly for emailing/calender for both personal and business and surfing the net reading news. I love the how the PB is always connected to my phone. The phone ring notification on the PB and accessing all the files quickly on my phone makes the device very productive. Just a question, does the iPad notify you when your phone is ringing or let you receive/send sms's. I know my PB needs to be connected to my phone (which it is always) but I think this feature is so cool.

No, ipad does not.
When your phone is ringing or you receive sms, the notification is... on your phone !
What a shame

Because getting the notification on my PB is sooooo useful.
It's like my phone is ringing, i heard that and then the playbook remind me that i heard my phone. So it is really great.

I hope my tv will soon do the same and let me know when i receive calls and sms

[thelink74]

I bought the PlayBook on launch date USA 2 years ago and love it! I will be buying the mini in a couple of weeks for my daughter and look forward to my own comparisons. the bridge feature on BlackBerry is so underrated and hopefully when BB10 hits the PlayBook it optimizes this experience and they can throw some marketing dollars on that feature.

[omniusovermind]

Kalemsoft Media Player and Fast Browser are the only 2 things that have saved my pb from being replaced so far. Game selection is pretty hurting though so it's just a matter of a few months before the final nail is in the coffin. Waiting for the 2013 nexus and iPad to come out

sent from pure android on tapatalk. carrier controlled updates is the worst smartphone spec of them all.

[Bbnivende]

I bought the PlayBook on launch date USA 2 years ago and love it! I will be buying the mini in a couple of weeks for my daughter and look forward to my own comparisons. the bridge feature on BlackBerry is so underrated and hopefully when BB10 hits the PlayBook it optimizes this experience and they can throw some marketing dollars on that feature.

This is apparently what the bridge does:

•Use your smartphone’s keyboard, trackpad and touchscreen to remotely control your PlayBook™ tablet.
•Browse the web on your tablet using your existing BlackBerry� smartphone’s connection, if supported by your wireless service provider.
•Get access to your email, calendar, contacts, memopad, tasks and BBM – all on the large tablet display.

Given that the Z10 and Q10 have no trackpad that feature will not work. Who could be bothered to bridge a Z10 to type on a PB ? or from a Q10 either. A tablet with a decent keyboard like the new Surface might be useful.

Bowse the internet .. how is that better than using bluetooth or mobile hot spot.

Access to BB features on a larger screen. This all made sense when BB's had a tiny screen , you had lots of BBM contacts and there was no native e-mail app. I have seen no need to use my PB as a BB surrogate since they upgraded the PB software.

There is no way to bring the PB back from the dead. Advertising will not help. There needs to be a new PB... faster, thinner, lighter, bigger screen, useful high grade detachable keyboard ( or bulit on KB), more memory and SD memory, HD output, USB ports and apps.

They can't make any money by selling cheap Android style knock offs. They need to be back up market.

[hreiner1]

for a 2 years old tablet the PB is holding up well, still the problem is apps, like priority apps from banks, investment houses, TV stations, airline, shops, not support there
plus after 2 years the battery life is getting poor, I have to bring a charger as mine does not last the 10 hour day anymore
great syncing with my notebook, can use the PB as a hard drive, great speakers

I bought my wife a Ipad mini 3 month ago, I like it, its fast, fast boot, great battery life
all the Apps one needs
I just don't like I-Tunes, for all the syncing, don't like Icloud, you have to use I-tunes too access, I installed dropbox so i can access it on any computer
the Ipad looks and touches fragile

I will go with an I-Pad mini when the second version comes out, one big reasons is Skype, and I should not have to beg RIM for 2 years to get Skype, it just gets annoying
We compromised too long, regarding OS2 and apps, now we have to beg to get the bridge back
what about OS 10 for the PB, again a miss

[Conan69]

In a quote from Bbnivende
"Given that the Z10 and Q10 have no trackpad that feature will not work. Who could be bothered to bridge a Z10 to type on a PB ? or from a Q10 either. A tablet with a decent keyboard like the new Surface might be useful. "



But the touch screen on Z10 acts like a trackpad, in the same way it does on my 9800 torch touch screen

It's makes it all a joy to sit and surf the net, watch tv in hd, listen to my music andrespond to my emails on my 40" hi Def tv whilst sat on my sofa with a beer in hand
Even it is all done on wifi :-(


Posted via CB10

[Bbnivende]

In a quote from Bbnivende
"Given that the Z10 and Q10 have no trackpad that feature will not work. Who could be bothered to bridge a Z10 to type on a PB ? or from a Q10 either. A tablet with a decent keyboard like the new Surface might be useful. "



But the touch screen on Z10 acts like a trackpad, in the same way it does on my 9800 torch touch screen

It's makes it all a joy to sit and surf the net, watch tv in hd, listen to my music andrespond to my emails on my 40" hi Def tv whilst sat on my sofa with a beer in hand
Even it is all done on wifi :-(


Posted via CB10

So you would control your PB tablet touch device with the Z10 another touch device ??

[Chaddface]

So you would control your PB tablet touch device with the Z10 another touch device ??

I would while the PB is hooked to the big screen via HDMI.

[stberry]

ipadmini lags in proper multitasking.....and that home button sucks !!
playbook need a refined ui and app world(not in numbers) ...I have seen few games in books section....and search engine in world is useless

[BigAl_BB9900]

I may be biased towards the PlayBook, not because I am a Fanboy, but because I have been using the PlayBook 5-7 days/week since shortly after launch. There may be wonderful iPad functionality that I am just not aware of, (because I hate using the damn thing....)

Note:

• I play very few games (except Scrabble, or copy-cats of Scrabble) - and I mainly use a tablet for Email, Contacts, Browsing, and Reading Word, Excel & PDF documents
• The only email account on both tablets is my clients one (Exchange Account, via ActiveSync I think....).... my personal email accounts are on my BB9900 (which is, of course, bridged to my PB)

iPad Mini good points:

• Very light (and slim) - in fact so light and slim, mine got 'lifted' from my outside jacket pocket, in a crowded lobby outside a hotel conference centre
• Battery life lasts for weeks (if tablet is unused)
• SKYPE! and it's bloody wonderful (why is it STILL not on the PlayBook?)
• That's it

Why the iPad Mini drives me round the bend:

• No multitasking - having to constantly hit that bloody button.... (I am used to just swiping up and across to access 3 or 4 constantly available multi-tasking PB apps)
• VK for entering passwords - the numbers and letters are not on the same screen (how annoying)
• Find the iPad VK harder to type on (this maybe just because of what I am used to, but then again, I liked the Z10 keyboard within about 3 minutes of playing with it)
• Can't access iPad VK predictive text (apparently it should be there, so this is probably just user error)
• Doesn't Bridge to my BlackBerry - so I frequently find myself in a connectivity-blackspot (it initially amazed me how much this got to me - just got used to Bridge I assume)
• My BB9900 doesn't have a 'Open on iPad Mini' option in it's menus (so I can't easily open a picture from my personal email on the tablet - I have to first forward the email to my client's email account, etc, etc)
• Speakers are naff compared to the PB (I don't own a TV, I do listen to a lot of classical music, whilst on the move, in hotel rooms, etc)
• For some reason I have problems accessing BBC videos on the iPad, especially iPlayer stuff (again, this may be just some setting I have to play with....)

I'm very happy for people to let me know where I am going wrong!

[blueberrymerry]

A device with a 7" screen and sliding physical keyboard running BB10 should be Blackberry's next move. Why bother doing me-too Android knockoffs with a me-too Android player when they can make something truly special?

At the moment they're competing against the Nexus 7 and other cheap Android tablets solely on price. Nobody would touch the Playbook if it was being sold for iPad money.