[menaknow]

I believe I have Galaxy Note waiting to be opened come sunday. My wife always seems to get me the things I fawn over and I've been fawning and hinting ever since its release this side, so much so that when I walk by a store which has it on display I drag her along and ask about the price and fiddle with it.

LOL, hopefully you don't open it up and find it's the Lindsay Lohan bibliography...

[ralfyguy]

I agree with the VHS/Betamax comparison. In fact there was third standard in Europe called Video 2000. From those three VHS was the worst, and it showed over it's lifetime.
Another war was the the BluRay/ HD-DVD war, and I am not sure if the best one won here either. Most popular and best are two completely different things. I usually choose what I like best after thorough examination. I couldn't care less about popularity as this is something in life that is utterly useless to worry about. To each it's own, and that includes myself.

[marksasongko]

Love the size of the note its the perfect pocketable browser.

The digitizer is rather slow on it.

really? it didnt feel that way when I tried it... perhaps, oh I shouldn't say this, perhaps.......... it's because of the android OS???

[houshinto#IM]

Ok TWO515TY, you are unconvinced. That's fine.

A lot of people, including myself, think that the Playbook is better then most of the android tablets out there.

The biggest barrier that I think a lot of people have is the unwillingness to explore and be open minded about the tablet.

When you purposely drive into the potholes on the side, Angry Birds, Native E-mail, calender/contacts/etc., you're obviously oblivious to the open middle road ahead of you. Android Apps in OS2 Beta, Bridge, etc.

The Playbook has been an awesome device and I'm glad at least the OP's referred article's author can see that.

[Unsure2]

I get the feeling most of the posters here have not actually played with the Samsung 8.9. It really is a very nice tablet--very polished, as it represents a 3rd generation Tab for Samsung, in a 'tween size. The hardware is better than that of its big brother, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (which I own). It is sleeker and much more responsive than the original 7" Tab. BTW, as one poster noted, there are USB and HDMI adapters for the Samsung Tab. I did comparisons, and my 10.1 plays movies on my HDTV just as well as does my Playbook.

Anyway, the 8.9 is a high-quality, full-fledged Android tablet, and if it were priced at $200, you can bet it would be selling a lot better than the Playbook. Comparing the two side by side in Best Buy, I wish Blackberry had given the Playbook a slightly larger screen. It could be done without increasing the size of the device, by reducing the width of the bezel a bit. I have a feeling 8" is going to become the new 7" in the tablet world.

[pdzamirski]

Comparing the two side by side in Best Buy, I wish Blackberry had given the Playbook a slightly larger screen. It could be done without increasing the size of the device, by reducing the width of the bezel a bit.

Agreed. I noticed after playing around with it that only the inside ~1/8 inch of the bezel bordering the screen are touch sensitive

[Trevante]

Ok TWO515TY, you are unconvinced. That's fine.

A lot of people, including myself, think that the Playbook is better then most of the android tablets out there.

The biggest barrier that I think a lot of people have is the unwillingness to explore and be open minded about the tablet.

When you purposely drive into the potholes on the side, Angry Birds, Native E-mail, calender/contacts/etc., you're obviously oblivious to the open middle road ahead of you. Android Apps in OS2 Beta, Bridge, etc.

The Playbook has been an awesome device and I'm glad at least the OP's referred article's author can see that.

It's not that I'm unconvinced about the PlayBook itself, I'm unconvinced about the article, the significance of the article, and the general public perception of the PlayBook being negative, despite the PlayBook's many great features. I know I willingly chose the PlayBook over similarly priced and similarly endowed Android tablets (Acer A100 and HTC Flyer for example) because I was amazed by the great hardware and the smooth, clean UI it has. The PlayBook won me over, despite my general preference for Android.

I do agree that a lot of people are not open-minded when it comes to tablets (all my friends say "Just get an iPad" smh), but part of the reason for this lack of open-mindedness is the reputation the PlayBook has earned due to not coming with the basics on day one, or even 8 months later. Some of this is deserved, and some of it is not, but regardless, it's still there.

As far as those "potholes" are concerned, they're quite big potholes, especially for those people who need good email/PIM functionality. I bought my brother the aforementioned A100 because I knew there was no way he would use a tablet without email/PIM functionality. It would almost be useless to him. Assuming RIM gets the email/PIM and Android apps going (and we now have Angry Birds w00t!), what happens next? What will RIM do to actually let people know how awesome the PlayBook is? What will they do to make the PlayBook stand out from the competition? Or will we finally just now be caught up to square one?

As far as Android apps go, they will help out, but the factor that will determine how useful Android apps are is the number of killer apps that actually run on the PlayBook. So far, the only major Android app I actually use enough for me to care about the Android Player is the Kindle app, and that should have it's own native version IMO. Otherwise, not everyone is going to benefit from Android apps if the apps they need don't work on the PlayBook.

Bridge is hit or miss depending on whether you have or want a Blackberry phone. For some people, it's considered a great feature, and for others, it's a crutch to make up for missing functionality.

Regarding the article, my point was that the way the author said he prefers the PlayBook was the wrong way to go about it. It was an incomplete comparison with little factual information. The article should have mentioned things like:

-PlayBook's great Flash experience, which may possibly be the best on any current mobile device (not sure how the TouchPad compares)

- PlayBook's great speakers - the placement of the speakers is perfect for actually hearing your audio, and the speakers are very loud and clear

- PlayBook's smooth and easy to use UI 

-Easier management of multitasking - I think the multitasking management is much cleaner and easier on the PlayBook than most Android tabs I've used.

- Lack of expandable storage 

- Lack of email/PIM functionality

- Lack of major third party apps

You have to throw in some of the bad with the good also. That's how to make a proper, objective comparison, which I feel the original author didn't do.

[thebranimal]

I'm sorry, but this one crappy, misleading article doesn't yet mean anything. The article is very poorly written, has little factual information or logic, and doesn't actually explain anything. There's no direction, summary, or even major points. It seems like the guy listed the specs, picked one which sounded like it had higher numbers, and then listed it as better without any thought to real life applications, practicality, or actual importance. You think the average consumer knows the practical performance difference between a 1 ghz processor and a 1.5 ghz processor?

Also, why compare the LTE model of an 8.9" tablet, rather than comparing the wifi only model of the similar 7" or 7.7" models?

Until I see more major sites with similar findings, I'd have to say that this article is just the work of a lazy or uninformed author, rather than real proof that the PlayBook's future is really starting to change.

Why not form your own personal opinion and go with that? Who cares what any review says period... in Playbook's favour or not.

If I read the reviews then all my devices would be iDevices. I'm currently using a MacBook pro I bought because Vista sucks, that was the time I needed a computer. Next computer will not be a macbook, experience with this one tells me it's just not worth the money.

Playbook for me? It was cheap with the firesale, the OS is smooth. There is plenty in the works and I wasn't super concerned about the calendar and email, yes of course it will be used when it is available.

[ALToronto]

A friend in the US just mentioned that he was giving up on the data plan for his Droid tablet because the $75/month was becoming unaffordable. Is that what 3G/4G tablet owners have to pay to browse when there's no free wifi?

That alone should put the PB on top, with a free Bridge.

I told him that no wonder the PB has been getting such bad press - cell carriers must have paid some people to write bad reviews for it. And I bet they don't try to sell it to their customers, either.

[RicThot]

+1 for the user experience argument.

I wont brag that I'm a tablet superuser, because I'm not, I ve tried 3 in my entire life, an ipad, an asus transformer, and the playbook.

As far as MY usage is concerned, the pb is best. I travel a lot in buses, metro, train and the small size is a definite +, I can just put the pb in my jacket pocket no problem. it also feels really solid. its actually heavier than the ipad and the transformer, but I think it help the soldi feel that way. the rubbery back is nice, I prefer this over the plasticky feel of the transformer.

As far s os goes, my feeling is that ios and qnx are 2 very nice oses, polished, stable. Android is not bad, but the little time I spent with it didn't kmpress me. I thought it felt too much like a desktop OS, which, IMO, is not fit for a tablet.

Android has a lot more apps, obviously, same with ios. But agaain, for MY usage, I have all the apps I need on the PB.

Speakers and audio chip on the Pb is probably the best of any tablet. The tiny speakers are VERY impressive!!!

There's also avery good review of the ipad2 vs PB on youtube, the reviewer is really fair and gives the win to the ipad, but barely, making sure to mention that he'll revisit his review once os2 is out and more apps have been made availanle, which could really change the final score!

cheers!

[llllBULLSEYE]

+1 for the user experience argument.

There's also avery good review of the ipad2 vs PB on youtube, the reviewer is really fair and gives the win to the ipad, but barely, making sure to mention that he'll revisit his review once os2 is out and more apps have been made availanle, which could really change the final score!
cheers!

yeah +1
my user experience with the PB has been the best.
I played around with a few Android tablets and I own
an Ipad2 and choose the PB.

The tiny speakers are VERY impressive!!!

Yeah man the Speakers are great no need for headphones
while I'm using it in the house.

[brucep1]

A friend in the US just mentioned that he was giving up on the data plan for his Droid tablet because the $75/month was becoming unaffordable. Is that what 3G/4G tablet owners have to pay to browse when there's no free wifi?.

I do not think normal prices are that expensive. I would never pay that for a tablet. Thats $900 a year.

I told him that no wonder the PB has been getting such bad press - cell carriers must have paid some people to write bad reviews for it. And I bet they don't try to sell it to their customers, either.

[Jeovex]

I always try other tablets when I visit stores and my impression is always the pb is better.

In my opinion, no current tablet can match the swiping-OS in the pb. It's the little harbinger

i always do that too, i play around with the other platforms just to make sure I made the right choice. I always get reassured.

[anon(55900)]

A friend in the US just mentioned that he was giving up on the data plan for his Droid tablet because the $75/month was becoming unaffordable. Is that what 3G/4G tablet owners have to pay to browse when there's no free wifi?

That alone should put the PB on top, with a free Bridge.

I told him that no wonder the PB has been getting such bad press - cell carriers must have paid some people to write bad reviews for it. And I bet they don't try to sell it to their customers, either.

The internet tether over bluetooth is nice, allowing internet functionality of PB without wifi! Tmobile has always been very tolerant of tethering of my bb to my laptop, no extra charges and no harassment either. Working from DTM, now I can easily tether pb through phone very easy.

[tmelon]

Read the article. It doesn't say anywhere that the PlayBook is better than the Galaxy Tab. It says that they both have advantages and that the PlayBook is a good value for the deducted price.

[jelp2]

Right, but the problem is that the one website that's said something positive, hasn't actually said it the right way as also mentioned by conix67 in the quote below (emphasis mine). On any other major site, such an article would get torn to pieces because it doesn't actually have any factual information, and isn't even a proper comparison to begin with.

What I'm saying is that we haven't seen any of these rays of lights from anywhere else, meaning that the general public perception hasn't changed much, if at all. Yes people are buying the PlayBook because it's cheaper now, but it's still missing many things that prevent it from being an all-around great buy for the average consumer. When RIM fixes those things and holds on to their lower price point, the PlayBook will a really bright ray of light lol.

General public perception???? Go to any online retailers customer reviews section and look for yourself. Nothing but 4-5 star reviews from the general public... maybe you're confusing the biased media and investors with the general public.

[lynntarbox]

A friend in the US just mentioned that he was giving up on the data plan for his Droid tablet because the $75/month was becoming unaffordable. Is that what 3G/4G tablet owners have to pay to browse when there's no free wifi?

That alone should put the PB on top, with a free Bridge.

I told him that no wonder the PB has been getting such bad press - cell carriers must have paid some people to write bad reviews for it. And I bet they don't try to sell it to their customers, either.

that doesn't even make sense. with bridge, you'd still have to pay for a data plan for your blackberry (if you even still have one).

ANY wifi tablet will be able to be paired with any phone with tethering capability. please knock it off with these nonsense paranoid statements like people getting paid just to trash the playbook. why would ANYONE pay for that? rim, current playbook owners and pretty much every other major tech blog is already doing that for free.

[sam_b77]

The Playbook is great
For all the folks who keep crying about native mail and BBM, get a BB for crying out loud.

I normally never use the Bridge. I really don't want BBM on an all touch device. An all touch device is crap in my world. I would use my BB for BBM 11 times out of ten.

But right now my BB is in its charging dock and my friends are sending me messages, so for this I have bridge to answer my BBM while my BB gets charged.

The delivery is instant. I hear the chime on my BB and I get the notification on my PB. It works seamlessly. I hope they never come up with native BBM on PB. You want BBM, get a BB. If you want to stay with iPhone work with your sh!tty iMessage.

[lynntarbox]

Read the article. It doesn't say anywhere that the PlayBook is better than the Galaxy Tab. It says that they both have advantages and that the PlayBook is a good value for the deducted price.

thats the problem with this forum right now. people are desperate at trying to get ANY positive tidbit from the media. someone here actually posted about BBN giving the playbook 'a thumbs up' and was talking about this video:

http://watch.bnn.ca/featured-bin-/clip589755#clip589755

i dont get how even the most fervent and loyal of RIM supporters could possibly see that video as a good review of RIM/playbook. talk about completing reaching here...

[Unsure2]

No one should be desperately defending the Playbook. A tablet is just an electronic toy, for goodness sake. If you like the Playbook, fine; if you prefer another tablet, also fine. For most tablet users, the Playbook is not even in the running, because of its small size. I was never a fan of Jobs, but he was probably right when he said studies showed most people prefered a larger tablet. That's definitely the case when people, including kids, play around with my tablets. In fact, even those who need a small form factor would most likely prefer a slightly larger screen, if it could somehow be put into that small form factor. I think Samsung got it right, when it decided to offer its tablets in several sizes. Why not? Much of the R&R stays the same.

[papped]

The Playbook is great
For all the folks who keep crying about native mail and BBM, get a BB for crying out loud.

The solution shouldn't be to buy 2 devices instead of one... Especially if the second device requires a monthly service contract easily in excess of $50 a month...

[conix67]

The Playbook is great
For all the folks who keep crying about native mail and BBM, get a BB for crying out loud.

What a great solution! I never thought of this...

[jelp2]

The solution shouldn't be to buy 2 devices instead of one... Especially if the second device requires a monthly service contract easily in excess of $50 a month...

That's true, but since the PB is wifi and without paying for a data plan, BIS, how would anyone expect to get the same features everyone with a BB phone has to pay for? Or I suppose the solution would be to make a 3/4g PB and pay the monthly service fee.

[dosto]

I love my PB. If we could get native Dropbox or Sugarsync app that would automatically sync over wifi, I'd be set. Hoping 2.0 brings added functionality. One more thing, the ability to open multiple pdfs at one time would be a nice feature.

[conix67]

That's true, but since the PB is wifi and without paying for a data plan, BIS, how would anyone expect to get the same features everyone with a BB phone has to pay for?

????? I am not sure if you understand what the other poster is saying..