[barskin]

How about that for a tease?

So, as I said, I have gotten the chance to use this Android, and well, it's nice. It does have the apps, and don't pooh pooh the availability of apps - it's a good thing. Though, I have to admit, the photobucket app is terrible. But, still, having the Android app store, with all its offerings can be wondrous.

BUT, there is no comparison to the fluidity and ease of use of our operating system. Wow. I have come to really be able to appreciate the elegance of our PlayBooks. Everything thing about them screams quality. Closing an application in the Android device (and in the highest operating system, 3.2 with the very latest firmware) is a terrible pain, as opposed to our quick swipe of the finger. Don't get me wrong, the Android is a nice tablet, and it Skypes and gets Netflix. I see why it's popular. But I can appreciate even more now what a great device we have.

[kingbernie06511]

thx!

now lets hope RIM's hardware division gets its fingers out of its nose and gives us PB2, with more GZ, more cores, new screen sizes and 4g connectivity!

[RWD]

I played around with a honeycomb tab for a bit. I liked the active desktop (moving image). Other than that I wasn't impressed. It does have access to a lot of apps, though...

[barskin]

thx!

now lets hope RIM's hardware division gets its fingers out of its nose and gives us PB2, with more GZ, more cores, new screen sizes and 4g connectivity!

"No apps for you!" Too Funny!!

I want to mention that I did not mean to get into a brawl with Android fans. It's a great tablet. But I have come to see how much to prefer the QNX, even with our limited access to apps (which, I hope, will be changing, anyway).

[123berryaddicted]

Thanks for the post. Hopefully it can stay clear of fanboys and trollers for a few min.

Quick question, as I am a playbook owner but am seriously considering the purchase of a android tablet (samsung 10.1):
1. How is it (android os)for connection to larger screen? (Hdmi out)
2. How are the bluetooth mouse and keyboard functions?
3. Have you encountered many bugs (hour glass, etc) while normal usage.

I realize that some would say this is out of place (blackberry forum and all), but I just wanted to say - I'm a playbook owner and blackberry enthusiast FIRST, but also out of necessity possible an android user SECOND.
Thanks

[barskin]

Thanks for the post. Hopefully it can stay clear of fanboys and trollers for a few min.

Quick question, as I am a playbook owner but am seriously considering the purchase of a android tablet (samsung 10.1):
1. How is it (android os)for connection to larger screen? (Hdmi out)
2. How are the bluetooth mouse and keyboard functions?
3. Have you encountered many bugs (hour glass, etc) while normal usage.

I realize that some would say this is out of place (blackberry forum and all), but I just wanted to say - I'm a playbook owner and blackberry enthusiast FIRST, but also out of necessity possible an android user SECOND.
Thanks

Well, I certainly cannot answer those questions, myself. And this is not the forum for those questions. You really need to ask at a forum dedicated to Android use.

[Darlaten]

I also tried Android over the Christmas holidays on three separate tablets; the app ecosystem is very nice. But in terms of OS and hardware; I really enjoy the build quality of the Playbook and the smoothness/fluidity of the OS. About the only thing OS wise that I liked better on the tablets that I tried was the ability to set the device to stay awake for up to 2 hours. As I lecture with a tablet, this was a godsend to me.

[KennethD]

Thanks for the post. Hopefully it can stay clear of fanboys and trollers for a few min.

Quick question, as I am a playbook owner but am seriously considering the purchase of a android tablet (samsung 10.1):
1. How is it (android os)for connection to larger screen? (Hdmi out)
2. How are the bluetooth mouse and keyboard functions?
3. Have you encountered many bugs (hour glass, etc) while normal usage.

I realize that some would say this is out of place (blackberry forum and all), but I just wanted to say - I'm a playbook owner and blackberry enthusiast FIRST, but also out of necessity possible an android user SECOND.
Thanks

OK I have a toshiba. I have had it since the day of release in July. I will answer your questions the best I can.
1. Perfect, as the thrive has a full size HDMI port.
2. I have not tried the Bluetooth mouse and keyboard seeing as I can plug a USB hub and use any keyboard and mouse I like.
3. Yes there are bugs. I get them ocasionally not continually. Some time you have to reboot some time just wait a few seconds and android will catch up its no worse than windows was a couple releases ago.

Before I get flamed let me say I bought a pb a couple weeks ago when office depot blew em out for 199 and I love it. My employer supplies bb phones and for that price I gave it a try. The UI is is superior and the display is brilliant. If 2.0 is released this will be the best device on the market hands down.
When I get home I put my bb and pb on charge and pick up my thrive.
I have also convinced two people at work to pick one up. If I had to choose one I would keep the pb.
Fortunately I don't have to do that. :-)



Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk

[alnamvet68]

Oh wow, for a nano second I was gonna' go all Mordechai the Mohel on ya' until I read the whole post.

[sjefferson21]

thanx for this. ive always appreciated my pb. android is ok.. but ill stick with my pb!

[KennethD]

Oh wow, for a nano second I was gonna' go all Mordechai the Mohel on ya' until I read the whole post.

I appreciate that.

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk

[thymaster]

Yea I own an Android tablet as well and I'm not a fan at all.

[TheScionicMan]

I've never used an Android for any real length of time but the OS doesn't really excite me and it is hard to get the feel of the hardware for many of them because they are bolted down. I see the Thrive quite a bit on Woot. com. It's still there, for $279, not a bad price:

Woot� : One Day, One Deal

The PB is so natural after a little use. I laughed earlier when we were testing something on an iPad and I swiped the screen to wake it up. After wondering why it didn't respond, I saw the Home button staring at me...

[peter9477]

Are there any 7" Honeycomb tablets with at least the screen resolution of the PlayBook?

[KennethD]

Are there any 7" Honeycomb tablets with at least the screen resolution of the PlayBook?

The new 7 inch thrive has the highest resolution of the 7 in tabs but it's bit pricey at 379

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk

[KennethD]

I've never used an Android for any real length of time but the OS doesn't really excite me and it is hard to get the feel of the hardware for many of them because they are bolted down. I see the Thrive quite a bit on Woot. com. It's still there, for $279, not a bad price:

Woot® : One Day, One Deal

The PB is so natural after a little use. I laughed earlier when we were testing something on an iPad and I swiped the screen to wake it up. After wondering why it didn't respond, I saw the Home button staring at me...

It's funny. I've had the thrive for 6 months and the pb for a couple weeks. I keep trying to swipe the screen on my Droid to close apps. Also it's a steel at 279.

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk

[greatwiseone]

Having used a Gal Tab 10.1, I find honeycomb messy (part of it is the Touchwiz interface that Samsung put on it). I get frustrated trying to find the "apps" button on the device and having to press the home button every now and then. The app switcher is slow and not very good.

I'll take my PB any day over the Gal Tab 10.1, even with all its problems and lack of apps....

[azrin640]

I was a galaxy tab user, but once I use the PB browser, GT browser looks like it needs some polishing. Since I surf the web a lot, hence the PB is the best choice.

[AggreX]

5 month owners of 2 Acer Iconia +1 touchPad tablets at my workplace no longer bring them in to surf at work anymore.....collecting dust and lying discharged somewhere. The complaints were poor screen resolution, weight, bulkiness, browser crashes, mobile websites mostly and most importantly, difficulty connecting to the filtered/monitored company wifi. Talk about PB envy in the workplace...

[howarmat]

Just for the record, you shouldnt be trying to close apps on any of the android tablets or phones. Let the OS do it.

[jumbojimbo]

I was sitting in the pub today relaxing with a drink and browsing the web with my new PlayBook. I was alone and minding my own business but bloke sitting at the table next to me kept peering over at what I was reading. It was annoying and I didn't fancy spending the next hour or so sharing my browsing session with some random stranger. So I turned to the bloke, who quickly tried to looked away, and said "You O.K there? Would you like me to zoom in so it's easier for you to read over my shoulder?

"No no no mate I wasn't reading, I was just wondering what it is."

"A tablet!" I flippantly replied

"Ha, ha! I can see that. I meant what tablet?"

I took a deep breath, let out a sigh and replied "It's a BlackBerry PlayBook."

"I heard they're crap, got no decent apps or email and they can't even give them away they're that rubbish. I've got an iPad, it's amazing! Wipes the floor with that. You should've bought an iPad instead of wasting your money on that."

"Thank-you. Thanks for that most insightful review. What I loved most is not how you remained so objective, it's that despite me not asking your opinion you shared it with me anyway. Also, I know you never asked but I already own an ipad2. I'm telling you this so I don't have to spend the next 20 minutes listening to you tell me how and why the iPad is better. And before you ask me why I have both, it's none of your business and I'd appreciate it if you left me alone in peace and quiet so I can finish reading the website we were reading earlier!"

"Alright mate, no need to be so rude about it...."

"Really!? I'm rude? Well I'll tell you what, why don't you just f**k off!"

[kennyliu]

Yes, honeycomb is laggy compared to the Playbook but I am pretty sure they fixed the lag in ICS. However, you are right that it's much much easier to work with apps on the Playbook. Only if we had the apps All in good time, I guess.

[blackjack93117]

Try this on the Android browser .... scroll all the way down to the bottom of a crackberry page, or long page of your choice, then press the back arrow to go back. Where is it?

Oh wow I have to scroll allllll the way back to the top before the back arrow reappears. I really tried to have an open mind until I saw that - no way am I scrolling back up everytime I want to go back to the previous page - Surely there is another browser available though. There just has to be.

and it would be REAALLY hard to give up bezel swiping....its just such a boring UI experience without it. I'm still not tired of swipe-switching apps on playbook after 6 months..it just never gets old.

One swipe? or home, select. I know which I prefer.

.

[blackjack93117]

Just for the record, you shouldnt be trying to close apps on any of the android tablets or phones. Let the OS do it.

So all the apps I have opened should be running all the time? Doesn't that use up resources (memory) and drain batteries? Or are they not truly multitasking?

[Unsure2]

I like the Playbook and would like to see it succeed, but let's not go overboard in bashing other tablets. I have a Samsung 10.1, and contrary to what some here seem to think, both it and Android work just fine. Because of the size differences, it's somewhat apples and oranges to compare the two tablets, but both are good, with good screens and generally good user experiences. The Samsung screen is among the best I've seen--IPS, bright, good resolution and contrast. It's easier on my eyes than the Playbook screen (which is also very good), but that's probably just because it is larger. The Android OS is just as responsive as QNX. With several launchers available, the user interface is more configurable than it is on the Playbook. In addition to the stock Android browser, which works well, there are a half-dozen or so other browsers available. My favorite is one of the Dolphin browsers, which is polished, full-featured and no slouch at all. Because of the larger size, the browsing experience on the 10.1 is better than on the Playbook. The Playbook has some advantages over the 10.1, such as having great speakers (the Samsung speakers are fine but not great), being less noticeable in some settings, and fitting into my coat pocket.