[mapsonburt]

One of the questions I get asked most often is why I didn't buy an iPad/iPad2. right off the top of my head, I came up with 10 reasons but I'm sure there are more. I'm NOT trying to encourage the fanboys but if anyone is actually considering a tablet, they SHOULD understand what the PlayBook can do that the iPad/iPad2 can't (and vis versa). So without further adeau... here's MY list in order of importance to me.

1) Fits in a pocket / purse - this means it comes with me every where vs staying home with the laptop. It truly is mobile

2) Creates/Edits MS Office documents. The ability to edit & create Word, Excel and Powerpoint is crucial to me. I do a LOT of contracting and look at drafts of documents in change markup all the time. The PlayBook shows this very well and allows me to make changes as necessary.

3) I also love the ability of the PlayBook to display Powerpoint on an external HDMI device (projector, monitor, TV, etc.) while looking at speaker notes or checking with my email/web for quick answers to audience questions. That's brilliant.

4) It acts like a big monitor to my BlackBerry (Torch) and do my email/calendar just like on the Torch and with ONE data plan. Apple is not allowed within our firewalls but the PlayBook fired up no problem and I can use most of the corporate developed web apps (except for the ones that were written to support IE6 and Java clients). I blow away my colleagues when I log on to our corporate intranet with my PlayBook and do things like file expenses. I know our IT group has been trying to get the iPad to pass our security checks for over a year.

5) It runs the REAL web... not some mobile subset. I've found a few sites that don't work but those sites don't work on Netscape or Chrome either. It runs flash out of the box. My 12 year old son was the biggest iFan going and you should have heard him heap abuse on my new PlayBook until I fired up Miniclip and a few of his other sites on it.. he near fell out of his chair and has been begging me to let him have the one I've got ear marked for his mom (and he'd give her his iPad). So much for 300K fart apps.

6) True multitasking and not task switching. Just the ability to do multiple things at once is huge. The biggest use of it so far is when I'm displaying Powerpoint and doing other things on my PlayBook but I use it all the time when testing my application as well.

7) 1080p HDMI video with upcoming DLNA support (means wireless to the monitor/projector!). The video on this thing is astonishing. I spend a lot of time on the road and the ability to plug this into my hotel TV and watch any of MY movies is worth $10/night.

8) USB.... say no more. Even better than USB support in my mind is the fact that this thing fires up as an SMB device on my LAN and I can wirelessly move files back and forth to my PlayBook WITHOUT iTUNES!!!!! I mean, come on, why the heck would I want to use iTunes to move my Powerpoint files? I have sync setup on my Thinkpad and when ever the PlayBook gets in range, it transfers all my document folders back and forth automatically so I'm always up to date. I was at a customer site 2 days ago and they asked me to send them the latest draft of a particular schedule so we could look something up. I had it right on the PlayBook. Blew them away.

9) Its got a REAL camera (well 2 of them in fact) but that 5MB Camera is something else... especially when its shooting HD video. I used it to capture a whiteboard discussion we were having and people were astonished at the picture quality of it. I also love setting the thing up to take front videos and then switching screens to the web or Need for Speed and handing it to a potential PlayBook customer and letting them fool around and then showing them the video it took of them all the while they were opening/closing windows/playing with games, etc. I've had quite a few people ask me to send them the video so they could remember all the things it does.

10) The sound system. Listen to Slacker Radio on this thing sometime... its got very good speakers. The ones in the iPod/iPad's set my teeth on edge they are so tinny sounding. You can use this as a mini TV as well. I've got most of my favorite episodes of my favorite shows on it and will often just set it on it's stand (the rapid charger) and let it play The Glades, or Big Bang Theory while I'm working. The sound system is good enough that I don't use the stereo that's only 10' away from me anymore... I just use the PlayBook's. When they get Bluetooth audio working, I'll probably go back to using the Stereo with it but until then, I'd rather listen to Slacker than the local FM station or my tired old playlist.

That's 10 and there are more I can think of right off the top like one handed typing, I can hold it for extended periods when reading the web/ebooks, the display is SO much better, you don't need iTunes (which is HUGE as far as I'm concerned... I couldn't believe when my son got his iPad, he had to connect it to a PC and fire up iTunes just to turn it on!).

Now, I'm sure there are things that an iPad2 will do that the PlayBook won't (Garage Band looks very cool, you can print using AirPrint, and you can play Angry Birds on it) but none of those things are critical for ME where as I couldn't live with out about half of the list above - I'd have to bring my Thinkpad and isn't leaving your computer behind the point?

[T_Touch]

yep - that about says it

[PDSchofield]

errrr... add another x to the beginning of your title and you have another.... allegedly those sites work well on the PB.... or so I heard....

[BlackStormRising]

That right there is a mighty useful list. +1 on the Slacker/speaker combo btw.

[gregorylkelly]

errrr... add another x to the beginning of your title and you have another.... allegedly those sites work well on the PB.... or so I heard....

Oh they do! Trust me....or so I hear

[Thumbtyper]

1. Pocket fearure? Most people are concerned about the device when it is on. Not off
2.ipad does this
3.ipad does this
4.your company needs to advance. Ipad is everywhere in business.
5.flash is a slow dinosaur, that is why playbook allows disable. But if you must have it. You can with skyfire on ipad.
6.give me an example of multitasking on playbook that cant be done on ipad. Playbook cannt multitask pandora!
7.while youwaut for dlna, ipad streams video,music, tv,web for the last 6 months.
8. Usb will soon go the way of floppy disks
9. Playbook has more megapixs bit the front camera is useless without video chat
10. Google sonos and you will see the future of audio with the ipad and iphone.

[gregorylkelly]

1. Pocket fearure? Most people are concerned about the device when it is on. Not off
2.ipad does this
3.ipad does this
4.your company needs to advance. Ipad is everywhere in business.
5.flash is a slow dinosaur, that is why playbook allows disable. But if you must have it. You can with skyfire on ipad.
6.give me an example of multitasking on playbook that cant be done on ipad. Playbook cannt multitask pandora!
7.while youwaut for dlna, ipad streams video,music, tv,web for the last 6 months.
8. Usb will soon go the way of floppy disks
9. Playbook has more megapixs bit the front camera is useless without video chat
10. Google sonos and you will see the future of audio with the ipad and iphone.

Lamest post I've ever read.....

[cvoharley]

I need to print this and just hand it to people when they ask why I chose the PB over the other ones.

[leo1055]

1. Pocket fearure? Most people are concerned about the device when it is on. Not off
2.ipad does this
3.ipad does this
4.your company needs to advance. Ipad is everywhere in business.
5.flash is a slow dinosaur, that is why playbook allows disable. But if you must have it. You can with skyfire on ipad.
6.give me an example of multitasking on playbook that cant be done on ipad. Playbook cannt multitask pandora!
7.while youwaut for dlna, ipad streams video,music, tv,web for the last 6 months.
8. Usb will soon go the way of floppy disks
9. Playbook has more megapixs bit the front camera is useless without video chat
10. Google sonos and you will see the future of audio with the ipad and iphone.

well there is one troll still needing purging from this site

oh keeeeeevin! over here! quick!

[duckduke]

.........You can use this as a mini TV as well. I've got most of my favorite episodes of my favorite shows on it and will often just set it on it's stand (the rapid charger) and let it play The Glades, or Big Bang Theory while I'm working.......

If it can play Big Bang Theory........I got to get one

Nice post!!!!

[T_Touch]

1. Pocket fearure? Most people are concerned about the device when it is on. Not off
2.ipad does this
3.ipad does this
4.your company needs to advance. Ipad is everywhere in business.
5.flash is a slow dinosaur, that is why playbook allows disable. But if you must have it. You can with skyfire on ipad.
6.give me an example of multitasking on playbook that cant be done on ipad. Playbook cannt multitask pandora!
7.while youwaut for dlna, ipad streams video,music, tv,web for the last 6 months.
8. Usb will soon go the way of floppy disks
9. Playbook has more megapixs bit the front camera is useless without video chat
10. Google sonos and you will see the future of audio with the ipad and iphone.

1. Most people are concerned with the device as a whole, not just the simple fact of being on.
2. not out of the box !
3. no it doesn't. you don't understand the "presentation mode" nor do you realize that the PlayBook doesn't need an attachment
4. again, you don't understand the PB
5. much to your dislike, Flash still dominates the web. That's why visiting sites on the PB is a much better experience - HANDS DOWN !!!
6. try playing a video and then play a game at the time.
7. the point is ... the quality is much better on the PB
8. but for now, it's still a great advantage over the iPad
9 good point
10. no need to google the future of the iPad when the thread is about 10 things that can be done on the PlayBook over the iPad.

[itsall4tay]

I have to disagree with #9. I do cosmetic work on elderly patient and I dropped my hand mirror. My Playbook provided me with an immediate alternative. High quality front facing camera saved the day! Yes my ipad2 has a camera but it is hard to hold in front of your face for extended periods.

[morrsn]

1. Pocket fearure? Most people are concerned about the device when it is on. Not off
2.ipad does this
3.ipad does this
4.your company needs to advance. Ipad is everywhere in business.
5.flash is a slow dinosaur, that is why playbook allows disable. But if you must have it. You can with skyfire on ipad.
6.give me an example of multitasking on playbook that cant be done on ipad. Playbook cannt multitask pandora!
7.while youwaut for dlna, ipad streams video,music, tv,web for the last 6 months.
8. Usb will soon go the way of floppy disks
9. Playbook has more megapixs bit the front camera is useless without video chat
10. Google sonos and you will see the future of audio with the ipad and iphone.

SKYFIRE IS NOT FLASH.

When will iFans stop using skyfire as an excuse for lack of real flash support? Geeez.

It sucks as a browser, slow and unresponsive, it crashes, the tabbing method sucks, it can only display flash VIDEOS nothing else and at pretty ****ty quality I may add.

Oh, did I mention it costs 5 bucks ? Yes, five bucks for ****ty quality flash videos.. Please, that's pretty sad.

I wasted 5 bucks on it and have used it like 3 times ever since.. It's that bad.

Go back to your damn cave. Nobody cares about your overhyped pice of turd iFraud..

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Thumbtyper]

1. Most people are concerned with the device as a whole, not just the simple fact of being on.
2. not out of the box !
3. no it doesn't. you don't understand the "presentation mode" nor do you realize that the PlayBook doesn't need an attachment
4. again, you don't understand the PB
5. much to your dislike, Flash still dominates the web. That's why visiting sites on the PB is a much better experience - HANDS DOWN !!!
6. try playing a video and then play a game at the time.
7. the point is ... the quality is much better on the PB
8. but for now, it's still a great advantage over the iPad
9 good point
10. no need to google the future of the iPad when the thread is about 10 things that can be done on the PlayBook over the iPad.

Educate me on the features of presentation mode that differ. Ipad can project to a big screen, annotate thru touch, take and hide notes, play a video on screen while multitasking different apps on the ipad.

1 year ago html video was 10% of web video. Now it is 63%. See where that trend is going? Adobe also announce html standard for flash sites.

When you say watch a video and play a game, are you talking about on a tv and the playbook? The ipad can do this. If you are talking about doing both on the 7" playbook screen in the tiny thumbnail windows, i think we can both agree that there is nobody that would ever need to do that.

[Smiley88]

1. Pocket fearure? Most people are concerned about the device when it is on. Not off
2.ipad does this
3.ipad does this
4.your company needs to advance. Ipad is everywhere in business.
5.flash is a slow dinosaur, that is why playbook allows disable. But if you must have it. You can with skyfire on ipad.
6.give me an example of multitasking on playbook that cant be done on ipad. Playbook cannt multitask pandora!
7.while youwaut for dlna, ipad streams video,music, tv,web for the last 6 months.
8. Usb will soon go the way of floppy disks
9. Playbook has more megapixs bit the front camera is useless without video chat
10. Google sonos and you will see the future of audio with the ipad and iphone.

I smell something fishy here

[T_Touch]

Educate me on the features of presentation mode that differ. Ipad can project to a big screen, annotate thru touch, take and hide notes, play a video on screen while multitasking different apps on the ipad.

1 year ago html video was 10% of web video. Now it is 63%. See where that trend is going? Adobe also announce html standard for flash sites.

When you say watch a video and play a game, are you talking about on a tv and the playbook? The ipad can do this. If you are talking about doing both on the 7" playbook screen in the tiny thumbnail windows, i think we can both agree that there is nobody that would ever need to do that.

see for yourself
YouTube - Using the external HDMI and Presentation Mode on the BlackBerry PlayBook

[MartyMcfly]

Lol & smh at the inferior complex playbook users have.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[buwee]

Lamest post I've ever read.....

Yeah, and he needs a spell check on his ipad

[T_Touch]

Lol & smh at the inferior complex playbook users have.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

How so? is it anymore egregious than the superiority complex expressed by those iPad loyalists who come here simply to try and convince others that the Apple product is better?

[madamez369]

Great post. I will definitely use your points with the iPad fans. Any suggestions for tethering with AT&T. The tethering data plan is a bit expensive, especially considering I have a grandfathered data plan for my BB.

[TheScionicMan]

I can play Scrabble on Facebook with my wife. Not the knockoff Words with Friends but the real game on the web.