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hieronymos · 01-07-2012, 12:35 PM

I could play around with the Playbook for a few days because I got it for my mother. It's a nice device. I couldn't figure out what the webcam was for, though. I liked the interface (the swipe-up-swipe-down thing) which seems more reasonable in terms of screen economy. But well, there is no email client, no IM, no UPNP (media server support), no Netflix, basically nothing but the browser which works very well. That also means that I wouldn't watch HD video on it - since there is no way to stream the video to the tablet. Bluetooth tethering is a plus. It felt like I always had to hold it in landscape mode with both hands, which is funny - like a Nintendo DS. It somehow felt heavier than the Vox.
I don't care about what is going to come on the second version of the OS. If they messed up the first on purpose, all the rest is vaporware. I don't know why they try to save a dead OS by running a Java machine (Android) on top of a Java machine, instead of switching to something else directly (they could still port their own launcher...).
The browser is awesome. It's fast and Flash worked in situations where I didn't expect it, like Flash video. The battery life is incredible.
Prices on the Appstore are ridiculously high.
The Vox's screen performed better in direct sunlight, which I find important.

As such, the Vox is in fact an Android Tablet with a messed up OS (that's where the 'underpowered' comes from), while the Playbook is an overpowered Internet Tablet (webcam and HD capabilities aren't worth nothing, since not all of my friends have a Playbook and the only videos I can watch are Flash).
It's perfect for my mother - she wants to go on the internet and not change the ways she's used to from a PC. I want to use my tablet in every situation, and I do many things on the Vox which simply aren't possible on the Playbook (Chinese handwriting, Instant Messaging, controlling the music around the house, reading mail, Netflix, streaming video from my home server, controlling the mouse and keyboard of the PC, OpenVPN).
Actually, seeing the usage possibilities, I'd rather say that the Playbook is the reader and the Vox the tablet. It's not the hardware that counts, but what you can do with it.

01-07-2012, 12:35 PM	#34
hieronymos Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 45172 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: Kobo Vox	I could play around with the Playbook for a few days because I got it for my mother. It's a nice device. I couldn't figure out what the webcam was for, though. I liked the interface (the swipe-up-swipe-down thing) which seems more reasonable in terms of screen economy. But well, there is no email client, no IM, no UPNP (media server support), no Netflix, basically nothing but the browser which works very well. That also means that I wouldn't watch HD video on it - since there is no way to stream the video to the tablet. Bluetooth tethering is a plus. It felt like I always had to hold it in landscape mode with both hands, which is funny - like a Nintendo DS. It somehow felt heavier than the Vox. I don't care about what is going to come on the second version of the OS. If they messed up the first on purpose, all the rest is vaporware. I don't know why they try to save a dead OS by running a Java machine (Android) on top of a Java machine, instead of switching to something else directly (they could still port their own launcher...). The browser is awesome. It's fast and Flash worked in situations where I didn't expect it, like Flash video. The battery life is incredible. Prices on the Appstore are ridiculously high. The Vox's screen performed better in direct sunlight, which I find important. As such, the Vox is in fact an Android Tablet with a messed up OS (that's where the 'underpowered' comes from), while the Playbook is an overpowered Internet Tablet (webcam and HD capabilities aren't worth nothing, since not all of my friends have a Playbook and the only videos I can watch are Flash). It's perfect for my mother - she wants to go on the internet and not change the ways she's used to from a PC. I want to use my tablet in every situation, and I do many things on the Vox which simply aren't possible on the Playbook (Chinese handwriting, Instant Messaging, controlling the music around the house, reading mail, Netflix, streaming video from my home server, controlling the mouse and keyboard of the PC, OpenVPN). Actually, seeing the usage possibilities, I'd rather say that the Playbook is the reader and the Vox the tablet. It's not the hardware that counts, but what you can do with it.