ipad2 vs playbook?

[rheostaticsfan]

I love stanza on my ipod touch and it's not available for any other OS.
But I think I want the 7" form factor which playbook has and ipad does not.

Kobo and kindle apps come for playbook. Those are the 2 I "need"...but I am philosophically opposed to having 2 apps for reading any book in my library. I just want one.

Is there a good ereader announced for playbook? Something I can use with calibre? (and calibre2opds)?

[=X=]

What is it about the playbook that interest you?

The one thing I do know with the playbook is if you have a BlackBerry(BB) then it integrates nicely with it and also the Playbook can run Android Apps( I don't know if that was just a proof of concept or a planned feature however)

That said if you are just interested in an 7" form factor there are also several android devices you might also want to look into.

What is your primary use for this device reading or tablet usage + reading?
=X=

[rheostaticsfan]

Usage is actually a harder to answer question than you might think. I already have an ipod touch, a blackberry (ancient one), and a netbook with windows XP on it and a Cybook Gen 3 ebook reader.

Probably my most compelling reason for considering the playbook is the 7" form factor. My netbook is 10"...so why get another device at that size.

7" will fit in my purse so I imagine having the playbook with me all the time. Since I carry a BB I will have tethering and access to the internet. I expect to read email, google reader, a few sites like this one, use flixter (or equivalent), imdb. Those are basic requirements. I also want a good ereader application. I really like stanza on my ipod touch. Something like that would be good.

The thing I love about my ipod touch (besides stanza) is the speed it has. It's instant on, and instantly on the 'net. I don't have that experience with my netbook, and I want it in a tablet.

• I think my BB and tablet would be "carry in my purse".
• My ipod touch is beside the couch. I use it for "hey, who's that guy" while watching TV as well as browsing facebook, and email when TV is boring (or too scary).
• My netbook travels with me, and gets occasional use at home. It has some flakiness with regards to connecting to my home network so it's too annoying to use regularly. I may use the tablet instead of the netbook for travel...but I'm not sure.

Other side benefits to the playbook are that I'm Canadian and so is RIM. I have several friends who work for RIM, including one who works for QNX. Always good to support your friends' employers. And, there may be perks/accessories I can get for cheap.

The scary thing about the playbook is that it's basically an unknown. My QNX employee friend says it's very snappy/responsive so that's good. But apps for it are a complete unknown. Running Android apps is still a rumor and not confirmed. Really the ereader is the app I use the most other than a web browser. If there's a good ereader for the playbook (not counting retailer specific apps) then I'm all set.

[=X=]

Well loyalty and tethering is a good reason to sick with a product. The one thing that I would be concerned about is the level if tethering the mobile company will allow. Here in the states Verizon and AT&T charge a premium for that feature, I can't see them giving that away for free.

I was a hardcore BlackBerry user until I bought my wife an android phone, after seeing what they can do, I switched over to android and never looked back. Though I do miss the built in spell checker.

I have an android phone and tether my nook to my phone using android built in WI-FI access point. it maks using the nook very practical and as a result I use my phone much less and carry my nook everywhere.

The point is the 7" form factor is huge and very convenient. It's large enough to read, surf, write documents, yet small enough to be portable and type on. it also allows for a larger battery than a smartphone so the battery life last much longer.

As for advice on an iPad vs. Playbook, I can't give any. I know little about the playbook and care little for the ipad. I will say this, my wife owns an iPad and never leaves home with it. She loves it but it's just too big to carry. Me on the other hand carry my nook everywhere and as a matter of fact wrote this post using it.

One thing I will say about the android platform is that it is on par with apple when it comes to having reading apps I use Moon+ and think it's great. I can't compare it to stanza since I've never used it. Also one of the features that won me over to the android platform wad the ability to change keyboards, I used a keyboard called SlideIT to type this post, The predictive technology of this keyboard enables me to type as fast as if I was using a full keyboard.

=X=

[bluegazoo]

i'll add my 2 cents...

RIM is an awesome company with awesome products. they seem to be really focused on "quality" and "use"... as opposed to "cheap" and "useless". i personally find the later in most companies these days (no wonder our economy is so out of whack: it's built on companies that have no problem building and selling "cheap" and "useless" as long as they can make a buck in the name of capitalism..

RIM has found a way to still make that buck, but by building and selling "quality and usefulness". companies like that are good for the economy, good for the environment, and good for me (and my pocket book).

that being said, i realized today that i'm loyal to RIM now... i took a leap of faith and pre-ordered the BB Playbook - don't let me down, RIM!

[SCION]

I forgot about the Playbook. Just looked at the app catalog. No descent reader app for epub books. Perhaps they should have paid Aldiko (Adobe DRM and B&N DRM) for a Blackberry app. For those who like to read on a tablet this doesn't offer much compared to the Android competition. Very disappointing for me; I was interested in this last year.

[jusman]

I just picked up my Playbook today, and I am loving it. My GF also has an iPad 2 and I've played around with that quite a bit, but I have to say the web experience of the Playbook is superior due to FLASH and full Java support.

As a small business owner, the Playbook meets all my needs, especially how it bridges with my BlackBerry.

I like iOS, but the QNX OS of the playbook is much better with its touch-sensitive bezel.

The only con for me is that there is no KINDLE app support yet, but I read a press release by AMAZON that it will be coming soon!!

[Noah98]

I personally love my iPad 2, and can wholeheartedly recommend it. However, if you are looking for something else...

I played around with the Blackberry Playbook just recently, and there were some issues with it that I think make it a tough sell. The first, is that the power button is terrible. It is very cheap and hard to press. Second, the bezel is pretty big, making the device less portable than the other 7" tablets. The lack of quality apps make this device a weak contender, unless they figure out android compatability. Finally, $500 is way too much for what you are getting.

I will say that the Playbook has a gorgeous screen, and the OS is unique interesting.

I think at $350, the wifi only Samsung Galaxy Tab is the better buy. It has a nice build quality, form factor, and many quality reading apps.