Even the staunchest BlackBerry supporters know that when it comes to multimedia, the iPad takes home the championship belt. It has a larger screen, which provides a better video experience. It also uses Apple’s iPod interface to control music, so it’s familiar to many users. The PlayBook handles these functions fine, but it is the bread and butter of the iPad. It reigns as the champ.
Multimedia is not the only reason to get a tablet, though. There are plenty of other functions that make tablets worthwhile investments. Of course, the iPad does more than multimedia, and in most tests it will come out ahead of the PlayBook. But there are three areas in which the PlayBook provides a better experience than the iPad.
Size
While tablet size is a largely personal preference issue, there are distinct advantages to having a smaller tablet. Apple was deliberate in constructing the iPad, thinking that the market wanted a large, substantial device. As such, it measures about 10 inches diagonally, making it idea for watching videos. RIM, however, decided to try a different approach. It went for the smaller size. While that means a less ideal multimedia environment, it provides a number of other advantages.
Portability ranks atop the list. The PlayBook is not only small diagonally, but also small in width. This makes it easier to fit into bags and purses. For guys who usually carry their smartphones in their pockets, there’s even the possibility of transporting it in the back pocket of jeans. This isn’t to say that it’s difficult to travel with an iPad. It is, after all, a very thin device — thinner than the PlayBook. But the physical size of the device makes it easier to hold, carry, and stow the PlayBook.
This awesome image from Will Robertson.
The smaller size of the PlayBook also makes it a little more familiar to the feel. It is, in essence, a supersized smartphone. The iPad is, too, but that’s a bit more supersized. The PlayBook actually appears as though it could be reduced into the size of a smartphone. The smaller size also means it weighs less than the iPad, which, again, points back to portability. Again, there are people who might not care about these aspects and will prefer a larger tablet, anyway. But there are clear advantages to having a smaller sized tablet.
Social apps
While one may be in the offing, there currently is no Facebook app for the iPad. Facebook has touted its HTML5 layout, and recommends that iPad users visit Facebook.com from the Safari browser. But that just doesn’t provide the same kind of experience as a Facebook app. The PlayBook, however, does have a PlayBook app, and it’s quite a useful one.
As expected, the Facebook for PlayBook app is very much like the BlackBerry smartphone version. This might turn some people off initially, because the BlackBerry has a poor reputation when it comes to software. But the Facebook app works perfectly fine. In fact, it might be the most intuitive Facebook app among all mobile platforms. It’s easy to navigate around and do almost anything you can do on the desktop version. And it’s all with an interface created for mobile environments.
Twitter, too, has a few advantages on the PlayBook. The official Twitter for iPad app falls flat, and while there are other applications, few stand up well on the Apple tablet. On the other hand, the PlayBook has a number of Twitter apps, including Blaq, that are simply marvelous. There isn’t as great a divide between the Twitter apps on the PlayBook and iPad as there is with Facebook, but the divide is still there. The PlayBook just does social apps a little bit better.
Price
In American markets, we often pay as much for the name on the product as for the product itself. There might be no more prominent example of this than Apple. When Apple releases a product you can be sure that it won’t make any discount stores. They are full-priced devices that take advantage of the company’s market position. The same is true, but to a lesser degree, of the BlackBerry.
Both the PlayBook and the iPad come in three different capacities: 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB. With the iPad you’re limited to Apple Stores and their retail partners, all of which sell the device for the same price. The PlayBook, however, sells through more channels and is not subject to static pricing. You can then find a deal on one. There might be none better than Amazon, which has the devices at a cheaper price that you’d find in a Best Buy store.
The 16GB PlayBook is a full $100 cheaper on Amazon than the 16GB iPad. The 32GB version comes in at $75 cheaper than its Apple counterpart, and the 64GB version is a little less than $50 cheaper. That’s usually backwards; the discounts tend to come at the higher levels. but at the absolute entry level, Amazon offers the PlayBook at a $100 discount. You might pay the same for both the PlayBook and the iPad at Best Buy, but if you shop around for a deal you can absolutely get a PlayBook for cheaper.
Marketing isn’t everything
The iPad has been considered the hands down best tablet on the market since its inception. It’s tough to argue with that, given the alternatives. But the BlackBerry PlayBook is a serious competitor on a number of levels. It might not be common knowledge, since Apple has the superior marketing department. They’ve convinced the public that the iPad is superior, and it’s tough to change the public’s mind once it’s made up. But as you can see, the PlayBook does offer a number of distinct advantages over its top competitor. The iPad still might be the superior overall device, but the PlayBook still has its place in the market.
