BlackBerry PlayBook Review
Hi guys,This is my first review so please don't pounce one me if something goes wrong...
Anyways,today i'll be reviewing the Blackberry PlayBook(PB) which has been in the news lately for its price crush.
A little background on my Playbook,My bro got it for me on 21st Dec'2011 from Canada for $170 ~ Rs 8,500
Its a 16GB PB which is probably enough for my needs atleast for now.The day since i received my PB i have been messing with it to checkout the various features it has to offer
Honsetly,I never needed a Tablet as i don't have any use for it,A desktop and a Notebook is all i needed which i already own
So now,I also have a tablet to play with as well :ashamed:
INTRODUCTION :
The Blackberry Playbook Tablet is just like any other tablet you might find out there in the market,its sleek,portable and definately user-friendly.It has a 7" screen which makes it kinda easier to carry around.With the introduction of Playbook RIM has also launched their first tablet OS called "QNX Neutrino"
The Playbook is available in 3 different variant 16GB,32GB,64GB and the price varies accordingly but now it retails at $299 be it any variant so better get your hands on the 64GB Variant
It is announced that BlackBerry Tablet OS(QNX) would be merged with the existing BlackBerry Smartphone OS to produce a new operating system, BBX (later renamed Blackberry 10) that would be used universally across RIM's product line.
Product Release Date : April 19, 2011 (US)
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS :
CPU - Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9
CHIPSET - TI OMAP 4430
GPU - PowerVR SGX540
RAM - 1GB
DISPLAY - 7.0 inches (~170 ppi pixel density) /TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors /1024x600 Resolution
CAMERA - Rear(5 MP, 2592x1944 pixels, autofocus) / Front(3MP)
VIDEO - Records at 1080p@30fps (Both camera's) / Playback at 1080p
INTERFACE - Micro USB and HDMI output
MEMORY - 16GB/32GB/64GB inbuilt (No card slot)
CONNECTIVITY - 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1
BATTERY - Li-Po 5300 mAh
THE INTERFACE/USABILITY AND OPERATING SYSTEM :
Blackberry Playbook comes with the Tablet OS called "QNX Neutrino" which i found to be really easy to navigate and manage.PB comes with OS 1.0.7.XX pre-installed but when i first started my PB for the initial setup it straight away started updating to 1.0.8.6067 which i didn't mind.
The initial setup includes Language,Wi-Fi,Date and Time,Blackberry Bridge,Blackberry ID sign-in,Tablet Basics and Desktop S/W configurations.
So finally i had my PB setup for its first use and when i got on the desktop/Homescreen i was like WTF !!! Honsetly,at first galance i didn't like the UI as i'm use to seeing Android more often
But,i couldn't complain as this was a gift from my brother and he was sitting in front of me
(Mind cursing begans here)Anyhow,I decided to look around and started messing with the Tablet to see what this junk had to offer(First impressions can be deceiving)
The OS1 interface includes a "TAB" layout which organises your apps accordingly,this includes "All"/"Favourites"/Media"/"Games"
This is how my Homescreen looks like -
After a week of usage i decided to upgrade my Tablet OS to OS2.0(Beta) which has been released for developers
There are lot of expectations with the new OS2.0 that is gonna release on Feb'2012 so decided to try the beta version myself.First Impressions of OS2.0 were better than OS1
Tab layout was removed and a folder system has been added plus you can customize the Icons you want on your quick launch bar
Though many of the offical OS2.0 features are missing from the beta ATM,i would really have OS2.0 in my PB reason being it looks and works great as compared to OS1
Th OS2.0 release will also allow the Playbook users to run android apps which will be available from the Appworld itself(fingers crossed)
Here is my PB running OS2.0(Beta) -
The QNX interface is really very simple to understand and use,it just requires two swipes to operate
One from the top and one from the bottom,if you wanna minimize a app you are runnin swipe from the bottom and it goes into the background where you can switch between various other apps running in BG and if you want to check out the various options/settings that particular app has to offer then simply do a swipe from the top
Simple enough i guess ??
Once you get use to the interface and the OS it pretty much a walk in the park
Currently,the number of applications that Blackberry Appworld has to offer for the Playbook are very limited and most of the desired apps are paid
But RIM has confirmed that with the introduction of OS2.0 in Feb'2012 a large amount of android apps will be available to its users via the appworld,Hope they don't disappoint its customers.
Personally,The lack of free and useful apps is kinda killing me.When you look at Android or Apple they have a huge list of apps available for use
well,every good thing takes time to arrive
SPECIAL PB FEATURES :
There are certain features that the PB offers which i found really amazing,you may not call them features but maybe apart of the usability and apps
One of which is the Video chat that PB offers,you can Video chat with other PB users over Wi-Fi and the experience is totally amazing plus free of cost
(Every PB users must try it out)Another one is the Web-browsing experience that the PB gives,it given beats the iPad2 in this section,The PlayBook's browser is every bit a match for the iPad 2 in terms of web surfing ease, withequally intuitive gesture controls and accurate page rendering.Plus the amazing Flash rendering adds to the overall browsing experience.
The Blackberry Bridge is another feature to look forward to,Your Playbook can connect to any Blackberry Smartphone via the BB Bridge over Bluetooth and you can easily use all the Apps in your smartphone from your PB directly and if you want acess to internet on the go then a BB smartphone is a must as PB can acess the web only via Wi-Fi(We need a 4G PB ASAP
)The Playbook lacks the native Email,IM,Messaging apps atm but once you bridge your PB to a BB smartphone it gets much better and easier.
OVERALL BUILT/DESIGN :
The overall built quality of the Playbook is pretty promising,solid exteriors and totally smooth overview and a matte black look gives you a sparkling experience when handling the PB(It doesn't slip out of hands)
On the top,you have the Power button(Freaking requires baby hands
),The volume keys and the Play pause button(Pretty useful when you are travelling).Also a 3.5mm Jack is provided where you can connect your heaphonesAt the bottom,you have a Micro HDMI port(Can connect to laptops/TV's),A Micro USB port(Yes,you can freaking connect your PD's and External Hardrives) and a Charging Dock Port(Useless if you don't own a charging dock)
It also has two Stereo speakers on both sides of the screen which produce amazing sound quality.Then there is the front(3MP) and the Rear(5MP) camera as well which produce lovely images
So overall,the built and the design for the playbook is pretty decent and satisfying.
Dimensions : 194 x 130 x 10 mm and a weight of 425g
The Box contents of Blackberry Playbook include the following - (Image Below)
CONCLUSION :
Pros -
- True Multi-tasking instead of App pausing(Beats all other Tablets in this division) and Advance Security
- Full 1080p HD recording And Playback
- Browser that integrates Adobe Flash 10.2 for a desktop-style Web experience
- Really Portable
- Amazing screen and Touch
Cons -
- 7" screen cramps the powerful browser
- Start/Wake button on top is sometime hard to push
- Native Apps only available via BB Bridge to a BB Smartphone
- No expandable memory(Still neogitable)
- Lack of Apps
Bottom-line -
If you thought the tablet wars were just between Apple and Google, think again. Research In Motion may be late to the fight, but it is fighting for its life, and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet demonstrates that the company means business.
Thanks for reading my first Review
Yash
P.S - Ignore Spelling mistakes,if any :ashamed:
