CrackBerry reviews the BlackBerry PlayBook [the competition] 44
Wed, 13 Apr 2011 9:53 pm EDT
It's been a strange saga, this story of the BlackBerry PlayBook's road to availability, but that story is finally drawing to a close. The BlackBerry faithful are less than a week away from launch, and just in time to fulfill their appetite for more things QNX tablet, Kevin over at CrackBerry has completed his exhaustive review of Waterloo's new 7-inch wonder tablet.
There are so many questions to be answered. Is seven inches too small? Can QNX hold up to the demands of the modern corporate user? Can RIM make the PlayBook appeal to the average consumer? Why does the BlackBerry tablet get all sorts of new gestures when the webOS tablet loses some? Where'd my cheese go? Those answers, and much much more can be had in the CrackBerry review of the PlayBook. Let's just let Kevin sum it up for us:
"So did the BlackBerry PlayBook hit the ball straight out of the park? Not quite. To me it's looking more like a line drive and an easy run in to second base. But you never know. With some hustle in the form of software updates adding more features like native email, PIM and Video Chat, it might be able to round third."
So cancel any plans you had for the rest of the night, because we've got some reading material for you:
- CrackBerry's Guide to the BlackBerry PlayBook
- Official BlackBerry PlayBook review
- BlackBerry PlayBook specs
44 Comments
Both Anand(tech) and Josh Topolsky commented that webOS still feels better. But there's one thing BB did get right... using the bezel like the gesture area (at least for incoming swipes...) HP, why oh why did you think it would confuse people too much!?
I think they were worried that they'd have to support the gesture activities on all devices including printers, etc. I haven't heard of anyone who's complained about the gesture area nor who decided against using webOS because of it.
On the list of features webOS possesses, though, I rank the use of gestures in a gesture area pretty highly. I think HP flubbed this one.
That's it. You have won 100 Internets ;)
But:
THE PLAYBOOK HAS NO BEZEL-ACTIONS!
As I already stated hundreds of times, they are using just some pixel on each side to trigger actions.
It's something completely different to that what Palm did on the Pre. HP is probably going to implement this in a similar manner to the Touchpad for webOS 1.x and 2.x-Applications.
I think if there's anything that I would just hate about my Touchpad (besides less than 10,000 apps) when I get one, is the lack of the webOS gestures. Reading the playbook's UI implementation just made my blood boil a bit. I'm not as upset with RIM as I am with HP/Palm for dropping such a big ball here. I hope HP's execs are reading these posts! Does anyone else feel like dropping many of the webOS gestures for the tablets will fragment the platform somewhat? All I know is that when I pick up my iPod or someone's android phone, I have to think about what I want to do to navigate around for a moment because I've spent so much time with my Pre, so I think a lack of many of the standard webOS gestures between webOS devices would be more confusing for users.
After reading the full review of the PB, I tend to agree with the reviewer on his assessment of the PB. If I bought one right now, with it's half-baked OS, app store, no PIM/email/Calendar (if you don't tether it to a BB6 phone), I'd feel like I got pigeon-dropped on. Also, the way RIM had to code instructions (direction arrows) into the UI to help users figure out where to swipe sends up a red flag to me. I think HP may be on to something for the webOS-uninitiated. It is safe to say that HP is banking on new users from the TP so they've focused on simplifying the UI, which to me is a gamble because as I stated before, I'm gonna want my old gestures to be there. I hope webOS 3.0 will be homebrew patch-friendly!
Way to go HP. The one thing that makes the PB great is the gestures. But no, you guys decided to make a worse version of the iPAD. Look at all the added features the swiping brings to the PB.
I can not think of one reason to tell someone to get a TP over and iPad, PB, or Xoom. And please, no one say "True multitasking" or TTS. Grr.
After hearing about HP dropping certain gestures I'm think of picking up a Playbook. Why wait when I think a 7 inch tablet is what I need anyway. I like my Pre Plus, it works great has free wifi tethering and a great voice plan ($29), but I'm getting tired of waiting for HP.
GL with version 1.0 of software while WebOS 3.0 on tablet will be more polished. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Oh, and please feel free to come back with quotes of you complaining about how BB Tablet OS is so unfinished.
Exactly, and he forgot that litle thing of having do buy a Sub-Par Phone to be able to use his PIM-Functions ;)
+1E99 to all the posts about the lack of gestures on the TP. I also hope HP is listening.
on a different topic, what's with all the spambots lately? Can't P|C block them?
+1 on lack of gestures for TP, I just don't get why they left it out.
+1 in wanting the blocking of all the annoying SPAM.
The Playbook has NO touch sensitive bezel. It's just a few pixel on each side of the screen that do the action.
That's the same that HP is supposed to implement into the Touchpad for 1.x and 2.x Applications.
because it was going to b an Android tab b4 they put WebOS on it :D
I found this interesting:
"While portability and in-hand comfort are the major benefits of the PlayBook's small-by-tablet-standards stature, the consequence is that you have a smaller screen for when you're actually using the device. Are all 7" tablets DOA as Steve Jobs has suggested? I personally don't think so (neither does RIM - see their response to Steve Jobs' comments), but there are definitely certain apps/tasks (like web browsing) where having a bigger screen on the PlayBook would make for a more enjoyable experience."
After all, the web is everything nowadays. Wonder how Opal is going to fair. I for one have stood on the side for internet on bigger screens, and think 9" - 12" is the sweet spot for tablets. I think 7" is bordering on "why do I have to carry a phone" and "ridiculously big to carry in your pocket".
That's why we have choices. Good that HP went with a form factor that has sold big already.
And will probably arrive with a 7" themselves by the end of the year.
I personally just want that roughly 10" for now. I will see if anything can create the desire for a smaller form-factor later on ;)
But I hope that 3.7 and 9.7" should be enough :o)
Funny thing about all the Playbook reviews is that if you do a search on the page for WebOS you always seem to find your way to the UI/Software section. LOL
Interesting thing in Joshua Topolsky review he had issues with the gesture because the Playbook would lose tract of orientation and execute the wrong gesture. Even though I don't like it but there is logic to not having a gesture area for tablets.
haha, TMC anyone?
"As for RAM, the PlayBook has 1GB of it, and after a few days of use I'm starting to think the PlayBook would benefit from a second gigabyte. On a few occasions now while running multiple apps I have received the notification that the "System is running low on memory - please close some applications." On these occasions I've only had maybe five or six apps running (mainly media apps and the web browser) so I was almost surprised to see this message pop up"
Having the OS use 600MB of RAM already is quite sad.
ROFL, they literally copied EVERYTHING from Palm. Even the TMC-Error! :D
That is the longest review i've ever seen displayed in one page. that table of contents is huge. I haven't even read it. I came here to say, "damn that is huge."
That's what she said!
Absolutely brilliant review, of a very, VERY good looking device. The "leak" review of the touchpad emulator pales in comparison. RIM and QNX (an OS for which I feel huge sympathy) have spent quite some time into adding FLASHY things that indeed make their poduct look different to an iPad. Take this, for example:
http://crackberry.com/tat-shows-more-blackberry-playbook-capabilities
Useless 3D drivel, but amazing anyway. Not to mention the blatant ripoff of some webOS features... Which isn't bad in itself. The bad thing is that, at the same time, the very own webOS has lost them!
I think the Playbook is almost impossible to beat right now. And that review was with beta software! Compare it to the lacks in the beta of webOS 3. But, even if it had every function perfectly in place, it would look dull side by side. Like I said, people at Canada are working very hard, and it shows.
The only negative thing I see is that cheap looking seven inch form factor. But who cares about hardware, moreso when it's just a single component that's wrong.
Perhaps the original limited size was carefully chose, as an open a door for a second ten inch tablet which, based on a predictable early product success, would sell like hot cakes in Christmas, for example.
I love webOS, but this is way superior right now.
Still unpolished. Need to actually use it. And it's v1 of the OS. WebOS is on 3.0 and probably has gotten a lot of the kinks out. Now it's just about adding features.
since webOS3.0 us using a completely new framework, you can pretty much say that, webOS 3.0 = webOS 1.0.
it's v1 for tablets and is "still unpolished" probably even more so than the PB.
How do you know that WebOS 3.0 is unpolished or less polished than the Playbook?
Are you serious? Now I like the Playbook but it has quite a few things to work out before it becomes superior to calculator:
-Built in Productivity apps (Email, Calendar, Notes, Task)
-Some sort of direction on app development and standardization of interface elements (it was a mistake to highlight Android emulation IMO)
-Once the development is worked out get some QNX developed apps
-An Identity (enterprise or consumer)
etc
- No BBM
Read some reviews other than crackberry and you may find some things are lacking. Especially Joshua Topolsky's where he specifically speaks to the issue with gestures and changing orientation.
As far as comparing a Beta of QNX to the emulator of an SDK beta I think you may be off base. Now that I have seen reviews, I in know way think WebOS is behind compared to QNX on the Playbook. But that is my opinion.
This Playbook launch looks problematic. The device is less finished than motorola Xoom. No email and no PIM. Apple must be very pleased. So far, all of its competitors are releasing devices that aren't finished. This doesn't mean HP will necessarily be successful but the "early" launches of other major tablets are stumbling. This is what happens when you rush products out the door. Doesn't anyone else realize the reviews were negative? Remember this was a review- not a early look at a device. Activating major features after releasing the device to a major reviewer.... very amateurish. I guess this makes HPs job a bit easier. Hope HP can deliver somehting.
@jcmarcos:
I totally disagree. Some nice superficial effects, yes. But the TP has a concept.
Just type, well thought out notification area etc. etc. are so much more important - for me - than clothes-pinnend photos swayed by the wind...
Review by Pogue on the NYTimes (which mentions both Palm and Pre in passing) says it's 'just silly' to talk about buying this great design because it arrived half-baked without the obvious apps it needs.
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/technology/personaltech/14pogue.html?...
Warning for HP.
yeah i was gonna say, Touchpad is in the same situation.
Anyways i thought it the play book was impressive. what stood out to me was little things like the camera app had tons of features like image stabilization. is webos gonna still have a featureless camera? if so i can see a reviewer claiming it too is calling it "half baked" in comarison to the competitions.
warning for hp.
It seems like all these tablet development teams are playing a very dangerous trade off game. Faster to market vs better quality and features. Of course we want both - but you can't always get what you want? I've been wondering about this. So, which is better? Do you get it out unfinished and hopfully reserve some market share and improve it with updates over time. Or do you try and spend some more time up front and get it beautiful, or closer to perfect the first time out?
the world is about to get an introduction on gestures. and its not from hp. sad
No, actually not the world. I would be surprised to see more Playbooks sold thant Palm Pres...
I had the possibility to talk with some of our other IT-representatives from other divisions and most of them had some plans to move to iOS and some have heard of HP and webOS and are going to have a look at it.
But NOBODY knew anything about any Playbook or RIM or anything else from their future devices. Most are just sticking to BB because it's already there and can be used until they switched to something else. Nobody seamed to expect to be using anything from RIM in three years from now on.
HP, do you hear me? Talk to those companies! Most of us are talking NOW about their future IT-Infrastructure!
I have no idea why, but my company's internet filters allow me to view PreCentral, but block Android Central and Crackberry.
Perhaps it's the corprate relationship we have with HP. LOL
Virus and Crack-Scanners? ;) /s
impressive. But i'd need to see apps. without them i wouldn't buy any tablet.
Annnnd the tech reviewer with the highest circulation (Walt Mossberg over at the Wall Street Journal) has put the kibosh on the BB tablet, saying "its dependence on a nearby BlackBerry connection makes it impractical for most people."
He made one mistake in the review. He said "On my 32GB review unit it shows the Total Available storage as being 29.6GB. I assume this means the OS and native apps eat up about 2.4GB of space." As for if the OS and native apps uses 2.4GB I am not to sure but that seems like a lot for a tablet. 29.6GB is how much space the unit actually has when you convert everything. That means a 64GB Touchpad/PlayBook/iPad will only have 59.65GB available, 32GB will have about 29.6, and 16GB will have about 14.91GB.
For a tech reviewer who has the "highest circulation", how could he mess up his bits and Bytes?
Since gesture area will disapear completely from hp smartphones/not implemented at all on hp tablets, this playbook is starting to look pretty darn cool. Also the Playbook UI looks more classy. Am i ready to give up on synergy, stacks,the coming feature called "touch to share", homebrew ? Not sure yet, but right now it's 50/50.
What we learned here ? Gesture area is definetly possible on a tablet (also i didn't get exactly what was the problem with the Playbook gesture area, can someone explain ?). I'm a bit pissed at HP.
Who is telling you that the gesture-area will disapear on the Smartphones?
On a phone such an area makes perfect sense, on a tablet not that much and it makes completely no sense on a PC, Printer or anything else...
Also still:
THE PLAYBOOK HAS NO GESTURE AREA!
These are just some pixel on each side of the display that trigger the events depending on the orientation!
Actually, it is disappearing all together :( (Exclusive) source:
http://www.palmpre-france.com/EXCLUSIVITE-La-zone-de-gestes-va-disparait...
Here's what HP says: "The physical gesture area on current webOS phones will be omitted from the TouchPad and future phones. [...]"
Ok, my french is bad. But as much as I understand this here states that they will put those gestures onto the screen instead (as RIM did with the Playbook).
Avec un mémo à l'intention des développeurs stipulant que les gestes pourront être remplacés par des gestes directement sur l'écran.
That's a bit strange, because they were stating during the developer-meetings that the gesture-area isn't going anywhere soon, at least on the phones (where it really makes sense and enables the one-handed-use). I bet if the do a similar thing like the Playbook for the tablets (but then I don't know how they are going to do it on PCs... maybe special keyboard- or mouse-commands?), that they easily could "translate" those commands to be bezel-comands on their phones.
Lets see how things will pan out.
Yeah but it will be a software gesture area implemented in each apps only and only for the purpose of compatibility beetween the different versions of WebOs (so WebOs dev don't have to rewrite their apps for a newer version). Therefore, newest apps won't use gesture area.
Imho, i think it's lame they removed it.