1. netizensmith's Avatar
    Build quality??
    Yes, build quality. The nexus 7 feels like lightweight plastic crap by comparison. The playbook feels sturdier and more solidly built. I'm not talking about reliability or quality control or how likely they are to survive a fall. I suspect the playbook is less likely to survive a drop than a nexus 7 just like an iPhone is less likely to survive a drop than my Xperia but the iphone and playbook both feel like they are better built.
    10-10-12 10:29 AM
  2. BlastTyrant's Avatar
    Yes, build quality. The nexus 7 feels like lightweight plastic crap by comparison. The playbook feels sturdier and more solidly built. I'm not talking about reliability or quality control or how likely they are to survive a fall. I suspect the playbook is less likely to survive a drop than a nexus 7 just like an iPhone is less likely to survive a drop than my Xperia but the iphone and playbook both feel like they are better built.
    When did heavier become a good thing in portable devices? And you're also going on an assumption...it "feels" sturdier. No drop test figures? There's no gaps where 2 materials meet....there's no moving parts to wobble...let's see some strength tests on the materials used. Then you can determine which device is sturdier. Instead of just a "feeling"
    10-10-12 10:41 AM
  3. cmscritic's Avatar
    I wanted to just throw my opinion in here amidst the arguments. I've had a Nexus 7 and i've got a PB with the bluetooth keyboard and I have to say I prefer the PB. I love android and have an S3 but I find that phone wise, Android is my preference for now and tablet wise, it's the PB. Main reasons are the gestures on QNX, the multitasking and the fact that (as much as some people will disagree) the PB still to me feels more premium. I know some people will disagree there but that's just my opinion. When combined with the keyboard / case combo with touchpad, the PB becomes an easy replacement for my laptop. I know you can get them for the nexus 7 as well but I find the entire combination on the PB more satisfying. I also prefer the notification system on the PB. that's huge for me.

    Just my thoughts.
    10-10-12 10:54 AM
  4. littd's Avatar
    So it's been just over a week since I started comparing. In that time the OS for both devices has been updated (Playbook to 2.1, Nexus 7 to 4.1.2).

    The bottom line is I have got used to some of the quirks of Android and I'm finding it more reliable, more snappy, more responsive. It's been faster to load web pages, better at reliably connecting to my WiFi and WiFi extender and the battery life has been better as well. Sound is "good enough", the screen is okay (not better than Playbook). I have external storage working pretty well so despite the fact it's only 8GB I am doing okay with it. Despite only having 1GB ram, the Playbook I have can't handle more than a few open apps before it starts closing them down. The Nexus 7 allows me to run as many as I like (though they're not really being multitasked).

    The Playbook is consigned to eBay or maybe for those occasions I need the HDMI output.

    It's a little sad really. The Playbook still sort-of feels better (I think the weight is balanced better or something) but ultimately it came down to reliability and speed, not apps. It's a surprise to me - on Day 1 I didn't think I'd switch to Android.
    randall2580 and BoldtotheMax like this.
    10-12-12 05:51 AM
  5. twdawson's Avatar
    I have had my nexus for a couple of weeks now and in that time the playbook has not been switched on at all.
    Last edited by twdawson; 10-14-12 at 03:18 PM.
    10-12-12 06:07 AM
  6. ryder4587's Avatar
    Apps matter, and on Android not only are the apps regularly updated, there are cool bizzare apps you won't expect. Just installed anti theft for my nexus 7 that sounds an alarm when the phone is moved. Random apps like that make the tablet a whole baggage of fun.

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
    10-12-12 08:20 AM
  7. alan510's Avatar
    So it's been just over a week since I started comparing. In that time the OS for both devices has been updated (Playbook to 2.1, Nexus 7 to 4.1.2).

    The bottom line is I have got used to some of the quirks of Android and I'm finding it more reliable, more snappy, more responsive. It's been faster to load web pages, better at reliably connecting to my WiFi and WiFi extender and the battery life has been better as well. Sound is "good enough", the screen is okay (not better than Playbook). I have external storage working pretty well so despite the fact it's only 8GB I am doing okay with it. Despite only having 1GB ram, the Playbook I have can't handle more than a few open apps before it starts closing them down. The Nexus 7 allows me to run as many as I like (though they're not really being multitasked).

    The Playbook is consigned to eBay or maybe for those occasions I need the HDMI output.

    It's a little sad really. The Playbook still sort-of feels better (I think the weight is balanced better or something) but ultimately it came down to reliability and speed, not apps. It's a surprise to me - on Day 1 I didn't think I'd switch to Android.
    Funny, after your original post, I am not surprised you reached this conclusion and decided to go with the Nexus 7.

    I chose the PlayBook route and returned my Nexus 7. I guess it depends what you want to do with the device. The Nexus 7 had a lot going for it but I liked the PlayBook UI better. I liked being able to watch video on my big screen TV by using the Hdmi. I liked taking videos with my PlayBook. I know how to get around my city without needing navigation aids. (If I do need this feature I can use BlackBerry Traffic which works for me). My email works better and my PlayBook comes with Docs to Go and works well with Box. All in all, for me, the PlayBook had what I needed so the Nexus went back.

    As many people have pointed out, it's all about what the device can do for you. It is a personal choice and one size does not fit all. I shudder to think of a day when we consumers don't have choices and cringe when I hear about large companies trying to destroy competition and create circumstances where they decide what we want rather than us telling them what we want. So enjoy your tablet. I enjoy mine. Thanks for trying out the PlayBook; I'm glad you had that choice.
    10-12-12 09:32 AM
  8. masqueofhastur's Avatar
    basically everything you said is your opinion though...we can all express our opinions and there is nothing wrong with that. Everything i bolded is your opinion and not fact. We all need to just let opinion be and not try and get in a war over whose opinion is better.
    You're not very smart if you think that's opinion. PlayBook is better than Nexus 7 in landscape mode is an undeniable fact. That most people will say Android tablet apps are inferior to iOS is an undeniable fact (most people will say that). Consistent UI behaviour being an advantage is an undeniable fact. Nobody prefers inconsistent over consistent.
    10-12-12 10:50 AM
  9. Tre Lawrence's Avatar
    Nobody prefers inconsistent over consistent.
    Plenty of people prefer RIM over the competition....
    10-12-12 11:01 AM
  10. howarmat's Avatar
    You're not very smart if you think that's opinion. PlayBook is better than Nexus 7 in landscape mode is an undeniable fact. That most people will say Android tablet apps are inferior to iOS is an undeniable fact (most people will say that). Consistent UI behaviour being an advantage is an undeniable fact. Nobody prefers inconsistent over consistent.
    if its a fact then prove it to me? Show me factual evidence that proves undeniably that the playbook is better in landscape? you cant because it is an OPINION!
    esk369 likes this.
    10-12-12 12:46 PM
  11. littd's Avatar
    The advantage in landscape with the Playbook is available space. Android's big black nav bar spoils it and I personally think PlayBook's swipes are more elegant. I've just had to switch to portrait to type this on the Nexus, for example.
    10-12-12 01:47 PM
  12. airbbtran's Avatar
    You're not very smart if you think that's opinion. PlayBook is better than Nexus 7 in landscape mode is an undeniable fact. That most people will say Android tablet apps are inferior to iOS is an undeniable fact (most people will say that). Consistent UI behaviour being an advantage is an undeniable fact. Nobody prefers inconsistent over consistent.
    love the irony in this post. always funny to read someone calling another person dumb when they're not that smart themselves. if that's not opinion why don't you show some evidence to the "undeniable fact".

    its like me saying your post is dumb and is an undeniable fact.
    10-12-12 01:47 PM
  13. ryder4587's Avatar
    Plenty of people prefer RIM over the competition....
    Plenty people? What are the numbers saying

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
    10-12-12 06:49 PM
  14. Tre Lawrence's Avatar
    Plenty people? What are the numbers saying

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
    You missed the joke... look at what I quoted...
    10-12-12 06:55 PM
  15. randall2580's Avatar
    I have to say the N7 is the tablet I had hoped the PlayBook would be when I bought it, then when they updated it and promised Android apps to fill the void (which didn't), and now with 2.1 I still cannot do things with the ease of use I can on the N7. I can site a few examples:

    1. I am sorry Skype is important to me and I use it on the N7. Is it perfect, no. But it's better than the alternative on the PB. I travel for business and it's nice to take the Tablet on overnight trips and leave the laptop home.
    2. I am a sports fan. I get the MLB and NHL apps and watch the games easily on Android. Unfortunately with the NHL strike I can't say how well the games work on the N7 but the MLB games are great and with the MLB app for Android it's easy to go from game to game and look in and see whats up. I play fantasy baseball and it's a nice way to check up on my team even when I am sitting on the couch and the girlfriend wants to watch a movie or one of her shows on the big screen, oh Miggy Cabrera is up lets see what he's gonna do...Can't do that easily on PB and by the time you did probably too late. You can't watch baseball at all on the native browser, hockey either. There is a "work around" using simple browser but it's virtually impossible to flutter in from game to game.
    3. I know there are ways to side load popular apps like WWF and Kindle but my experience with multiple Android apps on the PB has been a PITA - though I am going to give PB another chance now with 2.1 and see if the ability to open multiple Android apps is any better now. I had taken the Android apps off PB but I am devoting Saturday morning to giving it another go and reload. However, it goes without saying if I want to go from WWF to Kindle to the Baseball game back to the Kindle its super easy on the N7 just hold the home key and go from app to app.
    4. This one probably isn't fair but I use Google services a lot and GDrive, G+ and GMusic just work better on Android. Box or Dropbox is fine for somethings I like GDrive better. Personal preference.

    Those are just a couple/three/four instances that come to my mind - I am sure I can find more if I want to. I believe those who say that "email is better on the PB" I not sure I understand what you mean. Both use the same ActiveSync and they work virtually the same IMHO. We use a MS Exchange server and I guarantee you I get my email on the N7, my 9810 and my PB at about the same time mas o menos and they all allow me to do most of the same things, the PB and N7 are virtually identical in the way they deal with email. I also have a POP personal account and feel the experience is identical. I can't speak for IMAP.

    I sideloaded Flash and simply with FireFox beta have no troubles watching Flash at all not sure what troubles others are having, and I love the ability to sync Chrome to all of my devices I wish we had that ability on PB, not to mention I like the way Chrome uses traditional tabs in the browser I am not a fan of the way the PB browser does it.

    I have my PB until BB10 comes out because I believe that finally after 2 years BB10 will solve many of my problems and I will finally see a BB tablet that I had hoped I would get when I paid a lot of money for the PB back in Nov 2011. I have been a vocal critic of the PB in this forum I believe the device has so much unused potential its really sad the PB had to take a back seat while RIM goes full bore on BB10 (which I understand and support - PB was wrong place wrong time).
    BoldtotheMax likes this.
    10-12-12 07:49 PM
  16. ryder4587's Avatar
    Exactly. I don't know what they mean by email is better.

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
    10-13-12 11:24 AM
  17. Jonesy1966's Avatar
    I ordered a Nexus 7 but ended up sending it back after 2 days. There was severe light bleeding from the upper and lower horizontals which made reading anything on the screen most uncomfortable and sometimes impossible. I also experienced awful ghosting where the previous image would leave a shadow on the current page. A colleague had the same issues plus untightened screws and a screen so poorly placed it was half a centimetre proud on one side. As much as the PlayBook was unfinished at launch I've never experienced any build quality issues and I genuinely think it's matured into one of the best tablets out there. The Nexus? I probably would have ditched it anyway, the speaker was truly awful, making video watching a chore unto itself. Let's hope Samsung has better QC for the 10" than Asus does for the 7".

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9790 using Tapatalk
    10-13-12 11:44 AM
  18. jpash549's Avatar
    My Nexus7 which I bought at Staples has not exhibited any quality problems at this point. It was in the second month (ME370T)production. Many of the first month batch did. If you get a N7 try to get a ME380T or later . The mail app in the N7 does not go to full screen in the landscape mode when viewing emails. This I find quite inconvenient. I also like the way BBPB handles the address list and the swipe down feature to access drafts. True the speker system is not good like the HP Touchpad or the BBPB or so I hear the new Kindle HD.
    10-13-12 01:38 PM
  19. Jonesy1966's Avatar
    I didn't really have too much of a chance to truly try the 7 out, the issues were too severe to make it anywhere close to usable. Having said that, I've been watching the forums and the complaints certainly have dissipated and you're probably right, the second build seems to have addressed the physical QC issues that bugged the first build.

    Sent from my BlackBerry 9790 using Tapatalk
    10-13-12 01:45 PM
  20. twdawson's Avatar
    I have owned the nexus for two weeks now and in that time never had a problem with the quality of hardware and all the apps I need are on the android platform.
    I use all of the Google services so its important that they work right, I have tried using the Google stuff on the playbook and gave up.

    My most used apps are
    Gmail, currents, Flipboard, Google drive, maps and navigation. Non of these work right on my playbook even after the 2.1 update.

    My playbook has not been turned on since I got the 7, no need for it anymore, it I am going to keep it as the are not worth anything anymore with the prices what they are.

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
    randall2580 likes this.
    10-14-12 01:11 PM
  21. alan510's Avatar
    I have owned the nexus for two weeks now and in that time never had a problem with the quality of hardware and all the apps I need are on the android platform.
    I use all of the Google services so its important that they work right, I have tried using the Google stuff on the playbook and gave up.

    My most used apps are
    Gmail, currents, Flipboard, Google drive, maps and navigation. Non of these work right on my playbook even after the 2.1 update.

    My playbook has not been turned on since I got the 7, no need for it anymore, it I am going to keep it as the are not worth anything anymore with the prices what they are.

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
    I guess the Nexus 7 fits your needs better. To each his/her own. I tried it for two weeks. Great looking. But I didn't like not having an on board office suite, didn't have much success with my non-Gmail accounts (though this was more than likely a user problem), speakers were poor, no front facing camera, didn't like the UI compared to my PlayBook. All in all, it wasn't for me so it went back to the store. As I said, each to their own devices. Enjoy your machine; I'm glad I'm back with my PlayBook.
    10-14-12 03:14 PM
  22. Tre Lawrence's Avatar
    I guess the Nexus 7 fits your needs better. To each his/her own. I tried it for two weeks. Great looking. But I didn't like not having an on board office suite, didn't have much success with my non-Gmail accounts (though this was more than likely a user problem), speakers were poor, no front facing camera, didn't like the UI compared to my PlayBook. All in all, it wasn't for me so it went back to the store. As I said, each to their own devices. Enjoy your machine; I'm glad I'm back with my PlayBook.
    Does the PB have one? I truly do not know...
    10-14-12 05:22 PM
  23. mud314's Avatar
    I have had my nexus for a couple of weeks now and in that time the playbook has not been switched on at all.
    Funny I'm the opposite. I found myself really missing the pb more. Lately my nexus has become a g+ updater. I was going to return the n7 but decided to keep it to feed my android interest.


    Sent from my BlackBerry 9930 using Tapatalk
    esk369 likes this.
    10-14-12 05:26 PM
  24. howarmat's Avatar
    I guess the Nexus 7 fits your needs better. To each his/her own. I tried it for two weeks. Great looking. But I didn't like not having an on board office suite, didn't have much success with my non-Gmail accounts (though this was more than likely a user problem), speakers were poor, no front facing camera, didn't like the UI compared to my PlayBook. All in all, it wasn't for me so it went back to the store. As I said, each to their own devices. Enjoy your machine; I'm glad I'm back with my PlayBook.
    plenty of free office suites in the market. Which email accounts did you try to setup?
    10-14-12 05:28 PM
  25. rich_a's Avatar
    Does the PB have one? I truly do not know...
    It does "documents to go" which is also available on Android. It's not very good, though. I use the free kingsoft office on Android, it seems just as featured as the playbook one with the plus that I can use a decent soft keyboard
    10-14-12 05:29 PM
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