Just when you start flirting with one hi-tech gadget, along comes another one that is excruciatingly attractive, sensually sleek and shiny like the Men in Black. Is one supposed to resist that? I hope not because guilty as charged is the BlackBerry PlayBook.
The latest on the tech-block, BlackBerry PlayBook is a desirable 7-inch tablet that comes in the wake of the popular gadgets such as the Apple’s iPad2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Get to know the Playbook
The BlackBerry PlayBook has mapped a following of its own. For someone who has been using the iPad, this entry into the playfield may not entice you. But for those who are devoted BlackBerry users and are looking for a tablet to indulge in, the BlackBerry PlayBook is your answer. With the brilliant large screen to accompany your BlackBerry, the PlayBook offers excellent Internet surfing and the best-in-class multimedia marvels. The PlayBook is being touted in tech-savvy circles as the premier mobile gadget that comes as close as it can to a complete desktop Web experience.
The BlackBerry is known to have a complex user interface that makes one rummage through a barrage of menus; but the PlayBook pulls off superb user know-how on the tablet. It is easy to navigate and self-explanatory. No buttons and two essential movements – sashay up and sashay down.
The second thumbs-up that the PlayBook gets is for its Web browser. Page loads are a lot faster, the fonts play beautifully and Adobe and RIM (Research in Motion) come together to toss up a Flash experience that is literally flawless. One can also output these top-notch videos to a HD TV through the HDMI port in the PlayBook and it would still look just as great. Competition comes in the form of the Apple iPad 2, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab and HP TouchPad.
What is to be celebrated?
User Interface and Performance – The user interface as stated above comes as the big surprise with the PlayBook. Easy to grasp, smooth to steer and fast responsiveness unlike any other tablet or Smartphone. It does bring to the table a unique experience; one that is different from the BlackBerry Smartphone.
Fully equipped web browsing – Web browsing on the PlayBook is being hailed as excellent. With a great Flash (read Full Adobe Flash 10.1 enabled) implementation and also, the PlayBook handles the innovative HTML5 rather well with its built-in support. It is ideal for games, apps, media and anything the Internet throws up. The PlayBook has a great rendering of video, graphics and text.
Convenience Covered – The PlayBook is ultra convenient and portable. It has a 7” display with a 1024 x 600 screen resolution to boot. It weighs a meager 400 grams or 0.09 lbs. There is a built-in micro USB connecter and a multi-touch capacitive screen. And also check Wi-Fi on the list of convenience with the BlackBerry PlayBook.
Blackberry tablet operating system – The PlayBook has a powerful and user-friendly QNX technology – an operating system that is designed from grounds up to work on embedded hardware. It is built especially for ultra responsive devices. Basically, this OS is the perfect aspirant to lay the groundwork for a new mobile operating system. It also offers true multi-tasking and an onscreen keyboard.
A-One multimedia – The PlayBook boasts of a 3 MP high definition forward facing camera and a 5 MP high definition rear-facing camera. It has Codec support for excellent media playback, video calling and creation. Also, it sports a crystal clear HD display and rich stereo for video conferencing. It has a micro USB, micro HDMI and DLNA media streaming.
The Blackberry Traits – Your BlackBerry Smartphone can be teamed up with the BlackBerry PlayBook through a secure Bluetooth connection for complete access to push technology, Email, calendar, BBM, documents, tasks and more. There is complete BlackBerry efficiency and security.
The special traits – There is full computing power in the BlackBerry PlayBook. It has 1GHZ dual-core processor with symmetrical dual-core processing and 1 GB RAM. In addition, the BlackBerry PlayBook has an out-of-the-box compatibility with BlackBerry Enterprise Server. There is 3G access through an existing BlackBerry Smartphone service plan. It is manageable and secure and allows full corporate data access.
What are the Boohoos:
The first thing that could put one off about the BlackBerry PlayBook is that the accessing your email and calendar requires a BlackBerry Smartphone. RIM does say that it will add the feature of native email, contact apps and calendar later this year. The PlayBook does offer the feature of a Bridge to connect you to your BlackBerry Smartphone and access all that you need onto your larger screen but the actual data is never stored in your PlayBook. Web mail such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail allows one to tackle light emails and use calendar features.
What the PlayBook needs in light of competitor the Apple iPad 2 is more apps. With the iPad, the apps lend to usability of the tablet in myriad ways, i.e. for personal use, for professional use, for entertainment etc. Lastly, the 7-inch screen does have its limitations. There are times when it seems a tad small to read Web pages and details can get lost due to a small display.
The PlayBook is the ideal option for two types of tablet buyers – the BlackBerry disciples who wish to complement their Smartphone and the other are the people who need a tablet solely for surfing from anyplace that doesn’t have a PC set up and you don’t want to bring out a laptop i.e. boardroom, couch, bedroom, etc. So much so, that it has inspired the poet in many potential users in the form of haiku with the some of the best ones being – ‘Heading out the door; Taking the office with me; Portability’ and ‘Columbus was wrong; As PlayBook proves to us now; That the world is flat.’ And oh – the BlackBerry team ran this contest and best haiku won a BlackBerry PlayBook!