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I was in two minds about reviewing the BlackBerry PlayBook before it’s available in South Africa but decided to do so due to the amount of interest expressed by readers. I’m also in two minds about the device itself. The PlayBook is a 7” tablet computer with a capacitive touchscreen, front and back cameras and a powerful dual-core processor. It has one of the best touch interfaces seen on a mobile device and by far the best multi-tasking system.
The bezel around the PlayBook’s screen is touch-enabled, allowing for gestures such as “swiping” between your open applications and easily minimising the active application to get back to your home screen. It works very well.
Where it falls short is in terms of applications. Its application store for the PlayBook is sorely lacking in most departments: there’s no Skype, no Kindle and, most surprisingly, no Twitter client. The only way to access Twitter is via the PlayBook’s web browser, which will only let you access the mobile version of the Twitter website. However, there’s a very nice official Facebook application.
More serious than third-party applications is the absence of basic productivity software. There’s no email client or calendar, or even an address book: you have to connect the PlayBook to a BlackBerry smartphone to access those services, although RIM has promised it will produce dedicated PlayBook applications for those in the future. And you can’t do BlackBerry Messenger on the PlayBook yet.
The device’s browser is very good, allowing you to access web email and calendars. It also supports Flash, unlike the iPad.
One of the PlayBook’s best features is it reveals a network share when connected to WiFi and you can use that to copy music, video and other content to the device over the network without having to plug it into your computer. That’s another thing the iPad can’t do.
The device is great for watching videos and playing games and is more convenient for reading books than the iPad, which is a bit big and clumsy when in bed or on the couch.
The first 7” tablet I used was the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which I hated. However, the PlayBook has convinced me the 7” form factor is viable. It’s better than any Android tablet I’ve used and rivals the iPad in terms of its interface. But without applications none of that really matters – so I’d wait for more applications before buying. Owning the current PlayBook is like having a Ferrari you have to keep in the garage.
Review
VERDICT: The best tablet interface with the least uses.
COMPLEXITY: Very intuitive and easy to use.
PRICE: To be announced.
ALSO CONSIDER: Apple iPad.
VALUE RATING: 7/10
The bezel around the PlayBook’s screen is touch-enabled, allowing for gestures such as “swiping” between your open applications and easily minimising the active application to get back to your home screen. It works very well.
Where it falls short is in terms of applications. Its application store for the PlayBook is sorely lacking in most departments: there’s no Skype, no Kindle and, most surprisingly, no Twitter client. The only way to access Twitter is via the PlayBook’s web browser, which will only let you access the mobile version of the Twitter website. However, there’s a very nice official Facebook application.
More serious than third-party applications is the absence of basic productivity software. There’s no email client or calendar, or even an address book: you have to connect the PlayBook to a BlackBerry smartphone to access those services, although RIM has promised it will produce dedicated PlayBook applications for those in the future. And you can’t do BlackBerry Messenger on the PlayBook yet.
The device’s browser is very good, allowing you to access web email and calendars. It also supports Flash, unlike the iPad.
One of the PlayBook’s best features is it reveals a network share when connected to WiFi and you can use that to copy music, video and other content to the device over the network without having to plug it into your computer. That’s another thing the iPad can’t do.
The device is great for watching videos and playing games and is more convenient for reading books than the iPad, which is a bit big and clumsy when in bed or on the couch.
The first 7” tablet I used was the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which I hated. However, the PlayBook has convinced me the 7” form factor is viable. It’s better than any Android tablet I’ve used and rivals the iPad in terms of its interface. But without applications none of that really matters – so I’d wait for more applications before buying. Owning the current PlayBook is like having a Ferrari you have to keep in the garage.
Review
VERDICT: The best tablet interface with the least uses.
COMPLEXITY: Very intuitive and easy to use.
PRICE: To be announced.
ALSO CONSIDER: Apple iPad.
VALUE RATING: 7/10
