Research in Motion (RIM) will launch its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet on April 19th in the USA and Canada (Wi-Fi only version) to rival iPad in the Apple dominated tablet market. With their specifications already out, let us compare these 2 gadgets:
Design
BlackBerry has a slight edge as its 7 inch tablet is more portable than the 9.7 inch iPad 2. If you prefer to have a tablet that you can insert in your jacket pocket, get the PlayBook. If you do not mind inserting it in your bag, take a look at the iPad. The screen resolutions are pretty much the same as both can show up to 1024 pixels. BlackBerry’s PlayBook is lighter by 0.4 pounds than the iPad 2 (1.3 pounds) though Apple’s tablet is thinner.
Memory
Internal memory for these two tablets provides various alternatives. iPad can be had for 16, 32 and 64 GB while PlayBook also offers the same options as the iPad but it has a smaller version in 8 GB memory.
If we talk about the RAM, BlackBerry’s PlayBook is the clear winner with its 1 GB of RAM a little less than half of Apple’s 512 MB.
Camera
Apple has included a couple of cameras for the iPad 2 yet BlackBerry PlayBook has them cornered in this category. RIM features a 5 megapixel back camera and a 3 megapixel front camera, both of which can shoot HD video (up to 1080p for the back). Apple, meanwhile, has its rear camera capable of recording up to 720p video while the front camera is just VGA.
Apps
Apple is definitely the clear cut winner here as they have the largest store, featuring hundred thousand of apps. In time though, BlackBerry might get a little more share as soon as the Android Apps will be available on the PlayBook.
Others
Battery life has a slight edge for BlackBerry but they have to wait a couple of months for the Native Email feature which is already available for iPad. Flash Support is present on the PlayBook as well while iPad still blacklist Flash on their device.
In summary, both tablets are a gift from above and will most likely come down to your own preference. Will it come down to size? Do specs really matter? How about the apps?
How about you, if you still hasn’t purchased a tablet, what will you buy, Apple’s iPad or BlackBerry’s PlayBook?
Excellent post. I used to be checking continuously this blog and I am impressed! Very helpful information particularly the remaining section 🙂 I deal with such info much. I used to be seeking this certain information for a very lengthy time. Thank you and good luck.