Blackberry Playbook

This is my second tablet after having an iPad2. So it is kind of a comparative review Playbook 16GB vs iPad2 16 GB wifi only model both.

Why you should buy Playbook

1. Price, Price, Price. It is more than 50% cheap than iPad 2 (if we consider the latest discount that is going on).
2. OS is very good. Yes I like it more than iOS. The panel is also touch sensitive and panel & screen touch combination will create an intuitive os experience.
3. Multitasking is a joy to use in playbook. Simply superb. Even iPad and android tablet can't give you that experience.
4. It is blackberry. So better brand value, proper service, update etc are here than some cheap android tablet.
5. Hardware configuration is good. Screen resolution overall finish etc are one of the best.
6. It has implemented best speaker in a tablet. You can enjoy the movie, music without headphone. It is loud enough to enjoy in a group.
7. Android apps compatibility with the next OS update.
8. Browser supports Flash.
9. You can use this as a USB drive and drag-n-drop your files to it.
10. All favorite SD/HD movie format supports by the native player without any performance lag.

Why you should NOT buy Playbook

1. Biggest let down is non availability of apps in the market. Though with the next OS update you will get android application compatibility but keep in mind that it will not be a 100% compatibility. So lot of world's fav application you can't enjoy here.
2. No proper email client is available till now for blackberry.
3. Updating Blackberry for the first time is a huge task. Server is overloaded always when they issue a new OS update. Without that update you can't use the blackberry. It took 4 days for me to update blackberry to the latest OS.
4. Screen is 7". My personal opinion is 10" screen is always better to use as tablet.
5. Little bit heavy considering its size. Feel heavier than my iPad2.
10. Playbook is not a success for Blackberry. So not sure about its future. Anytime it may be dropped.
11. We all know future mobile OS is android. So investing in a non android tablet may not be a good idea currently.

Now service from Flipkart.
I will not say it is bad but found it is not good when there is a problem with the delivery/stock. I ordered 32GB but as they didn't have the stock for 32GB they called me and confirmed that 16GB will be available and extra money will be refunded as cash refund. But ultimately they refunded the amount to my wallet not as cash refund. My idea was flipkart is better than any other e-Shops but I proved wrong.

It's probably the best productivity tool out there, in tablets that is. UI is superb. Hardware top notch. There is no perfect tablet out there, so depends on whether this fits your needs, but i must highlight that this product is extremely well made.

Big problem with PB has been choice of apps, which has started to change over the past many weeks. Also, with the 2.0 OS expected in Feb 2012, it'll be compatible with Android app world, which should address the problem. Having said this, it already offers a lot of relevant apps.

Gaming experience is excellent. I've played games on ipad, and samsung tab. PB is miles ahead on gaming experience. One needs to check out the list of games available on the app world....it's impressive.

I think PB was not appropriately positioned by RIM. They should have targeted the existing BB users first as there was a strong association with the product already.

Another issue is bad press. Due to poor off-take of this product globally, PB has become a favourite whipping boy, but as a user for 6 months, I am glad i bought this product. I'm not into a lot of gaming (my son is hooked!), but experience of integrating mails, calendars, notes, browsing (all via tethering) is very good. It's browser is superp too.

QNX (now called BBX) OS is a pleasant surprise. I think it's miles ahead of competition, the power of which (hopefully) will be seen next year with the major OS upgrade (expected in Feb, fingers crossed).

Lastly, camera is high quality. I've stopped using my standalone camera completely. It has a capability to record in HD and the results are excellent again.

And oh, PB supports flash (i know Adobe has announced discontinuation of flash, but dont forget how proliferated flash usage is on the web). Watching videos, movies, etc. is a joy. HDMI connectivity also lets you mirror on TV which means PB becomes your controller for a game, or a remote for movie. Due to its wifi capabilities you can stream movies directly to a connected TV.

I know i may be sounding a bit biased (as an owner already), but the idea is to provide as honest review / opinion as possible.

Hope it helps!

I have been using a 64GB Playbook with the new OS 2.0. Can tell one thing for sure, that gradually you will start loving this tablet more and more every passing day.

A few reasons which make it an absolute buy is its amazing speed, display, its access to android market (with OS 2.0 Update), native email client, integration with all social apps, battery backup and the build quality. BB has got it perfect with this masterpiece. Though many might draw comparisons with Ipad and other Android devices, Ipad currently is twice the price of playbook 64 GB and Android OS is well known for its apps, which are now available through BB App world after the new OS Update.

If you are a BB smartphone user, then you can also use your phone as a remote controller to control the playbook, without having to use the touch screen. All smartphone applications like BB messenger, messages and contacts are also available over the BB Bridge for your convenience. And more than anything else, BB is known for its security worldwide.

With more and more additions and upgrades coming in, it can any day be considered as the best buy in this price range.

Hi people,

I have been using this tablet for almost a week now and my verdict is a full thumbs up!

Pros
Touch - responsive and smooth
UI - Kind of grows on you
Multitasking - Fantastic. No lag anywhere with 5 simultaneous app running
Display - Nice
Gaming - Awesome. Check out the pre-loaded NFS game.
Built - Solid. Offers a good ergonomic grip. Feels good to hold as well. Oozes quality.

Cons
Apps - Not enough apps to play around with on Blackberry App store. Though most of the necessary apps are there. However, soon to be released BB OS 2.0 update with compatibility with android apps is going to solve this problem.

No 3G - I wouldn't have used it anyway. Still, offers more options in terms of connectivity.

Battery - Would've been better if it sported a stronger battery.

Weight - A few grams off it's weight would've helped as well !

Overall, it's a steal with the current fire sale. You can't get a better deal than this.

Cheers!

I ordered this tablet on Wednesday night (16th may) and this product got delivered yesterday morning while I was away (18th may) - superfast service by Flipkart. Thank you very much Flipkart.

I opened the package last night and was very delighted to hold and feel this stunning beauty in my hands. I powered it ON and it popped with a welcome screen and detected my wifi network. Upon connection, I was prompted with a couple of more configuration options (time, blackberry id, so on). After signing in using my blackberry id, it proceeded to update to 2.0 OS. The entire update (514 MB download) finished in 45 minutes and tablet rebooted.

After the first 8 hours of playing with this device, here's my review. For the background, I have used blackberry bold before. I also currently own a Samsung Galaxy Note and Notion Ink Adam.

Pros
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1. A very quality build. Great to hold in hand(s). It is NOT insanely sleek like the ipad nor galaxy tab, but this does look great to hold in your hand.

2. The screen quality is very good with a wide viewing angle. It does not compare to my galaxy note's super amoled display - but it still is good. HD videos are a treat to watch on this display

3. The weight of this device is not exactly light (when compared to amazon Kindle, let's say). But it is very comfortable to hold in your hand for long periods of time.

4. The OS is absolutely the best I have seen and used so far. It's a lot better than android IMO in terms of performance, responsiveness, usability and reliability. I have always faced lags in responsiveness on Android devices especially while typing fast - leading to typos. But this device is just awesome.

5. The user interface is well designed with excellent multi tasking support. There were no performance lags or erratic behavior while running multiple apps and rapidly switching between them.

6. The package came with a sleek power adapter similar to the one that used with blackberry bold. It connects and charges via micro USB.

7. The bundled software are all good to make you productive immediately. The mail and calendar application is amazing. Also, there is a bundled game - NFS undercover which works perfect on this tablet.

8. Undoubtedly the BEST tablet for the price at this point in time.

Cons
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1. As every other review mentioned it, playbook OS is currently plagued with lack of apps when compared to android or iOS. But then again how many apps do we really need? I am happy with what comes bundled with my playbook for my day to day needs.

2. There is a lot of speculation about the future of playbook as many expert reviewers claim that RIM might stop developing for playbook. But in today's age of technology proliferation coupled with cut throat competition, no device tends remain in market for more than 2 years. So, let's move on with it. This device would atleast keep me satisfied for an year before another killer tablet or gadget come out in the market.

3. No builtin 3g support. I didn't miss a thing though as I keep this device tethered to my galaxy note using wifi. If you use a blackberry smartphone, it might come in handy for blackberry bridging.

Overall a very good value for money tablet that can be used for business productivity and also for entertainment.

I typed this whole review on my new playbook to prove a point - its very comfortable to type long emails :-)

Cheers,
Chandrashekar.