[codiak]

Having switched to the Nexus 7 all I miss are the gestures to wake the device and some of the convenience of bridge when the BlackBerry is on charge.

Web browser is much better on the Nexus without doubt. DLNA is super handy too.

Such a shame BlackBerry didn't make a better go of the PlayBook. I just got bored of waiting for DLNA. No new news of a tablet strategy hasn't helped either!

Posted via CB10

[rdm101]

Is it a fair comparison - the playbook is coming up for three years old, a long time in a developing market like tablets, the nexus 7 is fresh out. I haven't used the nexus 7 but I have tried several different android tablets, and an iPad, but nothing makes me want to put the playbook out to pasture. I like the sound quality and sound volume, the relatively high camera resolution, the screen brightness and colour intensity, the feel of the unit is reassuringly robust. I like the gps capability, the virtual keyboards, and the fact that the os never falls over. I wish it had a vlc port and a few more codecs.
I realise that it is now a dead end but it still works well for me.

[Old_Mil]

The one thing that you still get with the Playbook is control...when you install those apps take a minute to read the user agreements that you are clicking on... There are about a half dozen apps that I miss on the android platform but still have on my curve...

[codiak]

I always do, the number of PlayBook apps I have declined is also quite a few. Wanting a little too much access to files or GPS location. But thanks anyway!

Posted via CB10

[mikeplus1]

I sold my 64gb playbook with leather case and couple of chargers for almost enough to get a 2013 2nd gen 32gb Nexus 7 on a great sale for $199 that I could not resist. While I do miss some of the gesture features of the PB, that is about it. I was up and running in no time with tons of apps, mostly free, some paid, biggest problem was sorting which ones to get, almost too many choices and so few reviews on many of them. After owning a 16gb PB as my first tablet and upgrading to a 64gb one later, I never thought I would switch, even developed a couple of apps for PB, but I will never go back now, the Nexus is so much nicer, lighter, faster, great screen, loved my PBs, but loving this Nexus more. I used to hate these type posts, lol.

Posted via the Android CrackBerry App on a 2nd gen Nexus 7 32gb tablet when I'm not on my BlackBerry Z30!

[Orange UK]

Tesco is selling Asus HD7 for �69 reduced to clear, might get one and just use PB for security/BIS and it may last longer than everyday use

HD7 review:
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 Review | iPad and Tablets | CNET UK

[codiak]

Yea I wasn't one for these types of post either, but the PlayBook has had it day for me really.

I think I gave BlackBerry long enough sticking it out this long.

Posted via CB10

[miss_morgana]

First of OP congrats and have a pleasant time with nexus..
I still consider that android is good only on tablets.. the phones in the other hand are a mess..
Sure the samsung galaxy note 1 , 2 and 3 are the best I've ever tested in the droid section..but overtherall after a week with a droid phone things always get sloppy.. lags.. huge cash.. and so on..
One gets tired to kill tasks every time and clear the memory ram..
I still consider de playbook the best tablet.. very good speakers, a true love on battery life(when I owned the playbook I always got a full week on medium use and 2-3 days of heavy use) and not in least.. the bridge with the legacy was just amazing for me.. I was watching movie online all the time on the playbook via BIS
Nexus I find them as the droid lords.. pure in every way... no bloatware no nothing..

Posted from Blackberry Q5 via CB10

[djnixtre]

Obviously not bridge, but you just have to unlock the Nexus 7 and there are a couple handy hacks straight out of the gate including swipe to wake AND double tap! Yes, they are hacks, but that's what blows PBs out of the water for me when it comes to most Androids - hackability! Especially Nexus 7 2013 version - wicked hardware coming straight from the OS jockys. I still have 2 PBs sitting here doing nothing at all, just waiting for an unlock hack to be discovered to start making some use out of them again.

[sigint99]

Obviously not bridge, but you just have to unlock the Nexus 7 and there are a couple handy hacks straight out of the gate including swipe to wake AND double tap! Yes, they are hacks, but that's what blows PBs out of the water for me when it comes to most Androids - hackability! Especially Nexus 7 2013 version - wicked hardware coming straight from the OS jockys. I still have 2 PBs sitting here doing nothing at all, just waiting for an unlock hack to be discovered to start making some use out of them again.

"Hackability" is what opens Android up to numerous exploits and vulnerabilities. There are a multitude of mods and hacks for different Android forks that are being installed from untrusted sources. On top of that you have clueless idiots installing pirated Android apps/games and spreading malware in the process.

Android is a just one big bloated mess. Google couldn't give a damn about OS security and privacy as Android is nothing more than a data-mining trojan designed to intercept and track mobile user traffic.

[312Lorden]

I realise that it is now a dead end but it still works well for me.

Yes it has reached a (dead) end and it still works for me. But the OP is spot on when he/she mentions the poor browser feature. I have since downloaded the free Origami browser app.

[codiak]

I tried Origami for the last few months but some of the websites I have used seem sluggish there still.

Now that I have everything off the PlayBook I am going to wipe it down and try it again freshly loaded. Maybe it can become a fancy bedside clock with a dock.

The nexus certainly has more grunt for rendering more difficult sites, it's what I need at the moment.

The Facebook app for android is annoying though. I'm always being shown places to rate, people to add or lots of crap suggested to like. I much prefer the BlackBerry 10 app built buy BlackBerry, much cleaner and no distractions.

I will say it again, if BlackBerry had spent the time and resource to finish the job of BB10 on the PlayBook with their new browser and BB10 apps I might not have needed to consider a nexus.

Would love to know what BlackBerry intend for their tablet strategy?

Posted via CB10

[rob c]

Playbook owner from day 1 - April 19... loved the device and stayed with it.
Since getting a nexus 10 early this year... I rarely pick up the playbook..
Shame - as the size is just about perfect and much easier to physically use than a 10" tablet.
(Part of the reason for less use of PB is that our company switched from BB phones to IPhones early in 2013).
Truth of the matter; except for the size, the droid tablet does pretty much everything better than the playbook... (especially painful is waiting MINUTES for the pb to fire up v about 10 seconds on the Nexus.
Still a fan - still check at Crackberry every single day... would love to see them recover... but the love needs to go both directions.

[jjs6w]

I used the Nexus 7 2013 for 6 mths and it went from enthusiasm to simple tolerating it. The one thing I like most about it is that it fits perfectly in cargo pant pockets, so largest possible screen I can carry everywhere.

The build quality at first seemed okay but it really is not the more I use it. Creaks when I press the bezel. Logo in the back can peel off. Buttons feel real cheap.

OS. Like widgets, customization and app support. Dislike with passion the permanent soft menu at the bottom.

[SEAWARRIOR]

my pb fits in cargos pockets even w/ mini keyboard case...

[ibpluto]

Haven't played with the Nexus 7, but did get my daughter a Tab 3, 7.0 for Christmas. I've been playing with it for a bit and as the OP said, I love my PB UI better with waking it up and navigating (tuff to beat the PB UI compared to most any tablet IMO), but you can tell the PB is showing it's age (slow and no more support). I prefer the browser on the PB over the iPad, but I really like this little Tab over my PB.

Thinking about getting one for myself (only $150 here in Canada). Will have to check out the Nexus 7 as well.

CB10'n it via da Z

[Hirazi Blue]

I have been playing with my new Nexus 7 2013 for a couple of days and although it's sort of mean to say so on a Playbook forum, I haven't so far looked back even once. There is just too much to enjoy, so much less annoyances and quirks. Yes, there are some on the Nexus as well, but I'd rate them minor as opposed to the many big ones the Playbook has on offer. And ATM I haven't had time to really get to know the Android OS, so it might well be most of the current annoyances will go away over time. All in all I consider the switch one of the wisest moves I made in 2013 and can recommend it wholeheartedly. Had Blackberry given a bit more TLC to the Playbook OS and its apps it might still have been somewhat of a contender, but as it stands the Playbook is dead, long live Android (or iOS?)…
PS - The first thing you notice is the speed of booting. The Nexus does so relatively instantly, while booting the Playbook was more like issuing a request for the little machine to perhaps boot in the next 24 hours...
PS2 - If you have qualms with Google's world domination the Nexus is right out, but so are all the other Androids then. You'd have to switch to iOS, unless you have qualms with Apple's world domination that is... (in which case you're probably still best off with Blackberry, as they won't be dominating anything in near future, I'm afraid).

[ToddJack]

"Hackability" is what opens Android up to numerous exploits and vulnerabilities. There are a multitude of mods and hacks for different Android forks that are being installed from untrusted sources. On top of that you have clueless idiots installing pirated Android apps/games and spreading malware in the process.

Android is a just one big bloated mess. Google couldn't give a damn about OS security and privacy as Android is nothing more than a data-mining trojan designed to intercept and track mobile user traffic.

So what's your solution for the PlayBook owners who at this point find their Playbooks software not hardware inadequate?

Sent from my GT-P3113 using CB Forums mobile app

[RubberChicken76]

Interesting thread. I just switched to a Kindle Fire HDX a month ago to try Android. Part of the reason was because I could get a 64 GB model relatively cheaply ... one of the things I loved with my PlayBook.

So far, I like it. I've lost a rear camera and an HDMI out and I really miss the PlayBook's guestures. As I've said before, Android is my least favorite OS from a UI perspective (by a wide margin actually) and it's taken a lot of getting used to.

On the other hand, the updated hardware is nice. I didn't think I'd appreciate a retina display on a 7" screen, but I definitely notice the detail when in apps like the contact apps. It's also nice as there are games and apps that were never going to be on the PlayBook, though I was surprised at how many are missing from the device's default Amazon App Store (vs. Google Play which doesn't run on it officially).

[Dominic Hagan]

Tesco is selling Asus HD7 for �69 reduced to clear, might get one and just use PB for security/BIS and it may last longer than everyday use

HD7 review:
Asus Memo Pad HD 7 Review | iPad and Tablets | CNET UK

haven't seen that anywhere are they returns?

[katesbb]

The build quality at first seemed okay but it really is not the more I use it. Creaks when I press the bezel. Logo in the back can peel off. Buttons feel real cheap.

Is it white one by any chance? Just curious, as I recently watched a YouTube review (forget who now) which mentioned that their black Nexus 7 felt solid, but their white tester creaked and flexed for some reason.

I still prefer the UI and speakers of my PlayBook, but the functions and apps of the Nexus have me using it more often.

[koool1]

I switched to an N7 also. Don't really miss anything other than the speakers, the HDMI out and the email set up.

The N7 is excellent. Always loyal to BlackBerry for my phone but I doubt you will even see another update for the Playbook. Sadly it's dead.

Posted via CB10

[BlackBerry Guy]

I have a 2013 Nexus 7 as well and find it a great little tablet for the price you pay. The toughest thing to get use to is not swiping on the screen to wake it up! There are a few things about it that reminds me a lot of the PlayBook - screen size, stereo speakers on either end, soft touch back to name a few.

I switched to an N7 also. Don't really miss anything other than the speakers, the HDMI out and the email set up.

The N7 is excellent. Always loyal to BlackBerry for my phone but I doubt you will even see another update for the Playbook. Sadly it's dead.

Posted via CB10

The Nexus 7 2013 is capable of HDMI out, you just need a Slimport adapter. Or you can do it wirelessly via Miracast.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[cdnynot]

I've switched to the Nexus 7 - 2013 model also, it's a great machine, and I carry it around everywhere.
I still love and use the PlayBook daily, but the Nexus is my go to tablet now, it's faster, the picture quality is sharper.
On the PlayBook I miss the swipe to wake up, the gestures, the keyboard, the bridge capability (text, BBM from the PlayBook), the proper placement of the speakers, the real multi-tasking. I hate where the power button is on the Nexus, every time I I try to turn up the volume I shut it off.

Post via my ? Z10!

[Georgefly97]

Interesting thread. I just switched to a Kindle Fire HDX a month ago to try Android. Part of the reason was because I could get a 64 GB model relatively cheaply ... one of the things I loved with my PlayBook.

So far, I like it. I've lost a rear camera and an HDMI out and I really miss the PlayBook's guestures. As I've said before, Android is my least favorite OS from a UI perspective (by a wide margin actually) and it's taken a lot of getting used to.

On the other hand, the updated hardware is nice. I didn't think I'd appreciate a retina display on a 7" screen, but I definitely notice the detail when in apps like the contact apps. It's also nice as there are games and apps that were never going to be on the PlayBook, though I was surprised at how many are missing from the device's default Amazon App Store (vs. Google Play which doesn't run on it officially).

Just wondering how much faster is the hdx than the PB overall?

Posted via CB10