Tablets (iPad, PlayBook, Xoom)

[Dane]

I was asked in a thread if I could share some experience with my fairly new tablet... so here it is ;D

I own a BlackBerry PlayBook. For disclosure's sake I am a bit of a BB fan boy, and a regular contributor to crackberry.com - bias? Yes.

The most well known tablet right now is the Apple iPad. With a 10 inch screen it is the thinnest major tablet on the market, and shares a screen size the the Motorola Xoom.

The positives of the iPad:
- its popularity has lead to lots of accessories
- the number of apps
- its interface with iTunes
- depending on its use the 10 inch size may be superior
- iPad2 has a good weight for the size, easy to grip
- stable operating system that's very popular

The negatives of the iPad
- apps exist, notwithstanding game apps, because the Apple web experience is badly constricted
- no flash playing ability
- no multi-tasking (one programme at once)
- poor support to MS Office Suite programmes.

BlackBerry wants to take on the iPad a bit with the PlayBook, and is also aiming at the professional market. My first real introduction to it was actually with a police agency that's pretty serious about putting them in cars. As the PlayBook stands today it is not really complete, as many reviewers have been happy to point out. (There is a lot of BB hate these days, a lot of it somewhat unjustified and a product of the Apple machine). Personally, being a newly hatched tech nerd I think "growing" with the tablet is actually kind of cool. Some (most) probably don't think that way. Regardless, BB has a winner on their hands IMO.

The positives of the BB PlayBook
- "pure" web experience, can load essentially anything
- HDMI output while using any other programme. Allows you to play and watch because the PlayBook can....
- Multi-task. Important for me as I often do work on this thing and have pages loading in the background as I use the MS Office Suite programmes
- size might be a benefit depending on what you want. I am typically using this thing while traveling. It is good for that. Wish it was bigger when I am lying in bed.

Negatives of the BB PlayBook
- a few important featuires missing right now - e mail most notable. Obviously you can get to your e mail via web, though
- no autocorrect or spelling suggestions set yet (auto punctuation is also not set).
- lack of apps. If you play games this may be an issue. f you are more productivity oriented it's a non issue. I have (free) Globe & Mail, National Post, Van Sun, Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Star, Province, Times Colonist all loaded on

Overall I am happy with the PB, and am glad to see it developing. There have been three substantial updates to it since I bought it 16 days ago, everytime it is noticably better. Got BlackBerry Messenger and Web Chat working on the last one. If you own a BB the PB is a very serious competator to the iPad. If you do not own a BB, than it might be an option to consider but it may also need to develop more as a tech toy.

[Northern Exploration]

Thanks for the PB update. I too am a crackberry user. For business it is still the main player among my peers. I keep the amount of apps restricted and seldom surf. The only messenger I use is the Blackberry Messenger. My data costs would increase substantially if I didn't use a Blackberry because of the way BB handles emails.

I have decided to wait about 6 months to get a PB because I will get a great deal at that stage, all the bugs will be worked out and more apps will be ready.

[Dane]

I think for the non-fanboy crowd the six month wait is the best thing to do. A "watch and shoot" on the evolution of the device. Literally EVERY DAY for the last two weeks a fantastic app has come out. Got the Calgary Herald, a Toronto Tour Guide and the Edmonton Journal today.

Posted from my CrackBook

[Mike C]

About a year and a half ago, when the hype for the iPad (or lack thereof) was happening, I had a choice between investing in a Tablet and entering an expanding market, or purchase a 10.1" Netbook PC from HP for less than half the price.

I chose the latter. To this day, I do not regret my decision.

Even with reports of problems with the Netbook PC's from others, my HP Mini is now a year and a half old, and no problems to date whatsoever. This computer has been dropped (multiple times), kicked, gone for a swim and traveled across Europe for a month - no issues so far.

If you're looking for a cheap, simple, somewhat clunky, technologically-behind-the-times alternative to the Tablet market with Windows 7 + full keyboard, this is the way to go. I intend to try to tether my internet connection to my iPhone 4 (still in the learning process).

I was annoyed at two things about the iPad:
- Lack of USB ports, and
- Lack of Flash & Java capabilities, a real turnoff for this web geek.

My finding that it was essentially my iPhone, meant for people with fat fingers.

[Deleted]

I use an Ipad.

[lmtengs]

I'm thinking about investing in an iPad Mini.... haven't decided yet. I'm saving up to buy my mother's vehicle, which is still about $3,000 away, so it would set me back a little bit. I am also in need of a new laptop; the current one I use freezes whenever I open a folder of photos. I've quit doing post-production editing on photos, because it just takes so long with the insane lagging. I'll probably get the iPad Mini, then wait on the laptop 'til Summertime sometime, by which time I'll be in possession of the ride.

I need more work hours.............. and maybe a raise...............

[Deleted]

Nov 4, 2012 19:54:32 GMT -8 @4roads said:

Many of the sales people at Future Shop are worse than used car salesmen

Go to Best Buy their better sales people. They get super discounts for me.

[Dane]

I actually just switched on Friday from my PlayBook, which was starting to have issues after the 5000th OS update, to the MS Surface. Such a crazy weekend I haven't used it much to gather my thoughts. But I will post when an opinion has been formed.

New phone next week and I will be totally Windows 8, in all three forms (phone, RT, and Desktop).

[lmtengs]

Nov 4, 2012 19:54:32 GMT -8 @4roads said:

Everyone who works wants and needs a raise. Those who work for themselves always want and need more compensation for their efforts.

As for the laptop, have you cleaned it? Defragmented it, removed any junk (such as long stored pictures that can be put on a CD or DVD to free up space? Cleared the cache? If there's freeze up, it could be a symptom of not enough space resources for Windows to handle. The more free space available, the faster Windows can work to access folders and software as Winows needs available space to move things around This isn't seen by the user, but is a function of how Windows operates using temporary storage. Is the laptop set with a split drive?

I doubt there's nothing physically wrong with the laptop. I've completely cleaned out old PCs from the CMOS/BIOS level down and after renstalling operating system and MS Office, it ran brand new exactly like the same day it was brought home from the store. If it is old then it may be time to back everything up and just "clean down to the frame" in other words take everything right out of it, and re-install, then put in what you need. Will save you money, esp. if the laptop is jsut being used to manipulate pictures. No need for a powerhouse laptop for that. A 2 year old used laptop at much reduced cost will work just fine too.

I'd forgo the iPad Mini right now. Wait for the next version to come out or for prices to drop, esp. around Boxing Day Week when you can visit the Shopping Maul for better prices. Better yet just forget the thing. Three might even be something better at lower cost from Android/Samsung that would be good to have too. Consider if there is a real need for it, or is it just something
you just want.

Also stay away from Extended Warranties. There is a one year warranty by the manufacturer if you do the the registration. Costs nothing to register. Can be done easily online.

The Ext. Warranties start after you buy, so essentially for the first year you have one warranty (the one provided upon registration of the product by the manufacturer) on top of another (the Extended Warranty). The Ext. Warranties have so many clauses, for many it is rather impossible or not worth it to get a claim processed. I'd save the money for something else and not help the 21 year old kid at Future shop keep up with his sales quota.

The only benificiary is the store and the sales person who sold it to you. The sales people are expected to sell those things so hence the arm on the shoulder and the extended warranty sign up sheet.

Many of the sales people at Future Shop are worse than used car salesmen

I only ever keep the last six months worth of pictures and videos on the laptop, for this exact reason. All the older ones go to my external hard drives and sit there instead. The laptop has sucked since it was new. It's a bottom of the line, cheap thing that my mom bought to replace the old laptop we had, which, although it was from 2004, actually happened to have been better in almost every way compared to this one. Even the screen was bigger and sound was better. The old laptop had fried, so it wasn't worth saving. I'll probably buy a brand new laptop, just for the sake of being able to know where it has and hasn't been, and the like. I'm a little bit of a germophobe, if you know what I'm getting at. --For those who think it matters, I will be buying PC, not Mac.

I was thinking just that about the iPad Mini, but I will be sticking to Apple for it rather than Android. My phone is an android, and I like it, but for my needs, the tablet needs to be an Apple. I've spent months sorting my music on Apple's iTunes, and I know how the music playing works on it, so it's just an easier deal. It's main purpose is to provide with a mobile unit to play music on and to be used for internet access, yet be bigger than my phone, yet smaller than a laptop and the normal iPad, and therefore easier to lug around in my camera case or whatnot. I could use the SD card connector attachment and look at my photos even before I upload them to my computer, rather than using the little screen on my camera. I'll definitely wait until the price drops a little though. I have an older iPod Nano right now to play music, and it doesn't have enough space for my music, and I don't want to always strain my eyes and waste the battery on my phone using the internet on it.

I never go for extended warranties or any of the other crap that the salesmen push at stores. It's not worth it the cost, especially multiplied over the five or six electronic gadgets, multiple kitchen appliances, house furniture, and all their accessories that the average person gets.