8+ Readers in comparison

[grndslm]

mgmueller,

What would you think about a 7" HP TouchPad -vs- Playbook??

Would you be more favorable of the TouchPad than you are now? I'm wondering if this is why you rate the Playbook slightly better is because of its "nimble" size? The Playbook OS seems to run fairly slow to what I'm accustomed to on webOS w/ Pre, so I'm surprised at your conclusion.

Supposedly, the 7" version should be out in about 6 weeks.

Are the Touchpad freezing problems still an issue for you?? Others seem to say that this is only a problem during signup?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by grndslm

mgmueller,

What would you think about a 7" HP TouchPad -vs- Playbook??

Would you be more favorable of the TouchPad than you are now? I'm wondering if this is why you rate the Playbook slightly better is because of its "nimble" size? The Playbook OS seems to run fairly slow to what I'm accustomed to on webOS w/ Pre, so I'm surprised at your conclusion.

Supposedly, the 7" version should be out in about 6 weeks.

Are the Touchpad freezing problems still an issue for you?? Others seem to say that this is only a problem during signup?

My "gut feeling" about TouchPad for the moment:
It's "plasticky". Nice enough, but definitely not in my top 3 design-wise. PlayBook on the other hand I find a beauty, probably even my #1 design-wise.
I don't find the PlayBook OS slow. Actually, I find HP's OS slow at times, for example when flicking apps off the screen. But honestly it's hard to decide, as there are that few apps for both systems.
I clearly prefer the 16:9 form factor of PlayBook over the 4:3 ratio of TouchPad.
I don't like the cover of TouchPad very much. Basically, it's the same as the original iPad1 cover.
I won't go for a 7" TouchPad, I'm fine with the size I've got. I'm actually not quite sure, which size to favor. When I bought my Samsung Galaxy Tab about 9 months ago, for maybe 3 months it was my absolute favorite. It was winter then and I easily could pack it in my coat pocket - no chance to be as portable with iPad for example. But I'm rarely doing this anymore. For one, it's easier in winter than in summer. And in addition, I'm mostly using (some of) my tablets when traveling. And then size isn't that important. If I don't have to worry about "traveling light", I sometimes prefer 10" over 7". It doesn't matter much to me for reading eBooks. But for surfing and such, size can be of advantage.
Maybe the 8.9" of the new Samsung Galaxy Tab is the perfect compromise?
Anyway, one of the Galaxy Tabs (8.9" or 10.1") will be my next one. In the "worst case" maybe even both.
But I won't go for a bigger PlayBook (at least not for the next 6 to 12 months, as long as there is such a serious problem with availability of apps) or a smaller TouchPad...

I didn't have any problems with TouchPad freezing. But then again, I've only used it for maybe 5 hours so far. No eBook app yet...

[grndslm]

You are so freaking nuts.

[Edy]

I've used it successfully on Xoom (German version though). I think, there are various versions of similar name.
Mine was "more locale2", if I remember correctly (deinstalled it after initial use).

I think that I can live without German. When I installed it, the OS said it crashed, warnings were in German but nothing else.

[rhari79]

like your thread a lot..lots of information here.
I am thinking of a tablet, a different one from ios(become monotonous), android(overhyped).

So playbook and touchpad fit the picture perfectly.
Thinking more of Playbook off late because its available in india and your reviews give it a very high rating. I can live without too many apps for a change.

Do these have any good ebook reading apps?
Epub etc.,?For touchpad would be interested in pdf and epub for playbook.

Also do these have proper folder type covers, not just sleeves?
I have an Adam, apart from its numerous inherent problems, i cant find a proper cover for it. This causes problems with holding it. Hate to put pressure on the screen.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by rhari79

like your thread a lot..lots of information here.
I am thinking of a tablet, a different one from ios(become monotonous), android(overhyped).

So playbook and touchpad fit the picture perfectly.
Thinking more of Playbook off late because its available in india and your reviews give it a very high rating. I can live without too many apps for a change.

Do these have any good ebook reading apps?
Epub etc.,?For touchpad would be interested in pdf and epub for playbook.

Also do these have proper folder type covers, not just sleeves?
I have an Adam, apart from its numerous inherent problems, i cant find a proper cover for it. This causes problems with holding it. Hate to put pressure on the screen.

Re. cover:
I've ordered the original HP cover. It's very similar to the iPad1 cover from Apple. At first I was disappointed about HP not being very creative. But actually it's not half bad. It's not magnetic as the new smart cover for iPad2. But somehow, maybe because of antistatic, it keeps closed very well. It's not bulky but seems protective enough, so I can recommend it.
For the PlayBook, I ran through quite a few covers. I've ordered some gel and plastic covers for protecting the back and the sides (might be kind of overkill, as PlayBook already has a rubber layer on the back and the sides) and leaving the display free. Eventually I ended up with the original BlackBerry Faux leather cover. "Faux", because I try to avoid real leather as it often scratches too easily. It's nice enough and I can recommend it as well.

Re. eBooks:
Disaster on HP TouchPad. Not a single reader app. There's a Kobo app for Palm, but I didn't try yet whether I somehow can bring it to HP. But in the TouchPad appstore, there's no Kindle, nook, Kobo app or something else like that. And I find it quite annoying, that HP still markets the Kindle app on their store's front page. Hopefully it will arrive quickly.
There are some standalone books, maybe 20 or so. But I haven't found even a single interesting one.
On PlayBook, there's the Kobo app. No dictionary lookup, but else it's nicely done. There are 3 or 4 ePUB (none-DRM) apps as well. I didn't test any of these, but the ratings seem good enough.
PlayBook feels very comfortable for reading. Big enough (most read on 6" ePaper units, so the 7" of PlayBook should be acceptable for most). Great display (I've read some negative reviews about the screen, but I really don't understand that criticism. To me the display is one of the best = iPad level).

Re. apps:
Don't underestimate the lack of apps.
I'm really getting frustrated. Or maybe depressed is the better term to describe.
I'm checking both respective appstores at least once per day.
On PlayBook I usually find about 4 new apps per day. 99% of those are "no names". No Navigon, no Kindle, no Google Earth (obviously). I've installed about 25 apps on PlayBook, half of which I wouldn't keep on iPad or Xoom.
I love them both (HP TouchPad + BlackBerry PlayBook). As "naked" systems, both kill iPad or any Android tablet. But what can I use them for? At least I can (and do so) read on PlayBook. But on HP TouchPad, for now I can't do much more than surfing the web.
I really hope for the Android player/emulator for PlayBook. Quickly! Else PlayBook probably will disappear silently, which would be a shame...

In general:
HP TouchPad and BlackBerry PlayBook have similar features. Both use the bezel and swiping gestures. So obviously those features aren't patented entirely.
This probably means, we'll see similar featuresets on iOS and Android rather quickly. If the advantages of both OS fade and there aren't plenty of apps, I don't see them as mass products. And whether they'll survive in their respective niches?
As great as they both are, I'm not sure whether I can recommend them right now. They're great as additional gadgets. But as the main tablet?...

[HansTWN]

Ever tried preader native from http://www.precentral.net/homebrew-apps for the Touchpad? Popelli is another one, pReader supports Epub, Popelli supports mobi.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

Ever tried preader native from http://www.precentral.net/homebrew-apps for the Touchpad? Popelli is another one, pReader supports Epub, Popelli supports mobi.

I haven't tried any homebrew yet on TouchPad, thanks for the link.
I try to avoid the work of copying tons of DRM-free eBPUBs between my various units. I've tried to do this on my eBook readers but at some stage simply couldn't keep track. So I've separated my eBook readers by their native formats.
I'd like to do so on my tablets as well.
Kobo for example I mainly use on PlayBook.
If available, i would use TouchPad with Kindle...
But I won't wait much longer. So I might try the Palm Kobo app on TouchPad soon...

[rhari79]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

As great as they both are, I'm not sure whether I can recommend them right now. They're great as additional gadgets. But as the main tablet?...

Thanks. again, another nice post from you.
Not sure if its the playbook/touchpad, i liked the short swipe gestures used for multitasking.

Do either of them die very quickly when in standby? my adam does.
But ipad stays charged for weeks together.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by rhari79

Thanks. again, another nice post from you.
Not sure if its the playbook/touchpad, i liked the short swipe gestures used for multitasking.

Do either of them die very quickly when in standby? my adam does.
But ipad stays charged for weeks together.

TouchPad seems to be average in standby. I don't use it very much right now because of lack of apps. So it's mainly in standby and I re-charge it maybe every 3rd day. It looses (just a very rough guess) maybe 15% to 20% per day in standby.
I can't directly compare PlayBook, as I use it way more often - thanks to the Kobo app. But the battery seems strong, in standby and in usage as well. I'd guess it's close to iPad2.

[mgmueller]

Just saw the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v (the "fat" one) in "The Phone House" in Augsburg.
They only had one available, linked to a Vodafone contract.
I don't want to have another contract, so I had to pass (for today)...
The battery was dead, so I couldn't check out the display.
But the form factor is phantastic.
The 10.1v has about 3mm more "thickness" than the 10.1, but it has a better camera (8MP vs. 3.2MP I think). I don't care about the camera. But I've read, the thinner 10.1 would be somewhat "flimsy".
So I'm tempted to go for the 10.1v instead. Although it's 3mm more, it still seems "leaner" than Xoom. And it felt just right in my hand...

[krish]

The v in 10.1v may be for vodafone, as pictures of this model shows a vodafone logo in the back. They do not show this model in any of their official country websites. This might be a limited edition one and replaced now with the new 10.1 model.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by krish

The v in 10.1v may be for vodafone, as pictures of this model shows a vodafone logo in the back. They do not show this model in any of their official country websites. This might be a limited edition one and replaced now with the new 10.1 model.

That's what the Vodafone sales people told me as well.
But I'm not so sure about that.
At least in Germany, other providers have the 10.1v as well, for example "Base".
In Germany, we can order the 10.1v from various providers, but not in Amazon for example.
I don't have any problems at all with the form factor or weight of 10.1v.
I don't see, why Samsung thought they had to streamline to compete with iPad2.
I'd like to see 10.1 next to 10.1v to decide.
But so far, I'm still tempted to go for 10.1v instead of 10.1.
And maybe 8.9 in addition (there's no 8.9v, so it's only the "streamlined one" anyway for 8.9").

[mgmueller]

I've got it.
I went for the 10.1v instead of the 10.1.
The Vodafone sales people told me, the "v" stands for Vodafone...
I've got no idea, whether that's true (other providers such as "Base" offer it as well, though).
But from what I understand:
10.1v is the "original" version, Samsung did present about 5 months ago.
After seeing iPad2's specs, Samsung decided to streamline their flagship tablet.
They've reduced the quality of the back-camera, reduced the weight by some 20 grams (now being slightly less heavy than iPad2) and reduced the depth by some 2 millimeters.
I don't care about the "better" camera in the 10.1v.
I don't mind the 2 millimeters and the 20 grams more. It still is extremely comfortable to hold and feels way less bulky than Motorola Xoom (my favorite Honeycomb tablet until now).
But I've read (didn't check in person, simply didn't want to wait another 10 days or so) Samsung 10.1 (without "v", the streamlined one) would feel kind of "flimsy".

My train of thought:
10.1v already had been approved.
Samsung certainly is experienced enough to know what they're doing.
I don't mind the few grams more, but I'm a bit sceptical about the "quickshot" to get rid of some weight and depth.

I'll check out the Samsung 8.9, for which there's only one version (no "v"), just the "streamlined" one.

I'll give my usual comments about Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v in a few hours and over the weekend. Especially in comparison to my other Honeycomb tablets: Motorola Xoom, Asus Eee Pad Transformer and Acer Iconia.

For now: Very nice.
The setup did allow for various languages and countries, which wasn't available on Xoom or Iconia...

[mgmueller]

To describe again: 10.1v is the "original one", introduced before iPad2.
Seeing iPad2, Samsung decided to streamline the unit: Lower res. camera, slightly less weight and depth. This redesigned unit they called 10.1 (without the "v").

I went for the 10.1v specifically, after I've read the 10.1 would be "flimsy". Other users, after hearing about this background of my decision state, their 10.1 is NOT flimsy.
I can't tell, haven't seen the 10.1.
But I'll check the 8.9, which should have the same design as 10.1 (without "v") in 2 or 3 weeks (not deliverable yet in Germany).

Anyway...
To start with the conclusion:
If I'd have to decide for a single Android tablet, it probably would be Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v.
There's no significant advantage to Motorola Xoom for example, but it has some minor advantages.
So my ranking of my Honeycomb tablets:
#1 = Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v
#2 = Motorola Xoom (not far behind #1)
#3 = Asus Ee PAd Transformer (with significant distance to Motorola Xoom)
#4 = Acer Iconia
I don't use the older Android tablets (Dell Streak, Samsung Galaxy Tab 7") anymore. They feel somewhat dated. Maybe if they allow for Honeycomb...
I still love my BlackBerry PlayBook and HP TouchPad and of course iPad2.

But for now, I'll only compare the Honeycomb tablets.

Design and "touch and feel":
Motorola Xoom feels a bit and looks a lot more "valuable" than Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v.
Acer Iconia and Asus Eee Pad Transformer are about even and far behind both others. They both feel a bit like "low budget" units. And actually they are significantly cheaper. So a comparison considering the price would be more in their favor.

Form factor:
They all are about the same size and go for 16:9 (or something in that range) instead of iPad's 4:3.
For whatever reason (the measurements and weight aren't that different), Motorola Xoom seems (way) more bulky than the others.
Samsung 10.1v (they've changed that on the 10.1 [without "v"] as far as I can tell from the product pictures to a more iPad-like back) has a very "cleverly" designed back. The middle part in a circular form is "bend inwards" (sorry, don't know how to phrase it differently).
This makes Samsung look even more "fragile". Not in the sense it may brake any time soon. But in the sense to make it seem less bulky, obstrusive, rigid, blocky, ...
I find this very smart and kind of outstanding from the masses of tablets.

Build quality:
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v feels the lightest, but the most "plasticky".
It doesn't feel cheap, but still a bit less valuable than Xoom or iPad.
Still: If I use a "big Android tablet", I see myself reading on Tab 10.1v, certainly less frequent on Xoom.

Display quality:
I've read, the display would "kill them all", including iPad2.
Does 10.1 (without the "v") have another display? I don't think so, haven't read anything like that.
If I use 10.1v, I don't see the huge difference.
It seems a bit sharper than iPad2 and Xoom seems even a bit less sharp than iPad2. But it's really just nuances.
Would I use any of these units isolated on its own, I wouldn't think a second about the display quality on any of these.
Maybe that's because I'm used to reading on PDAs and such in the past and don't look that carefully.
I'll do a 1:1 comparison later on. But for now my statement:
Samsung seems to have the best display, but it's only minor differences.

Honeycomb experience:
Something new happened.
I don't know why I didn't have this with Acer Iconia or Asus Eee Pad transformer:
I'm using the same Google account on all Android tablets.
I configure all of them to sync.
In the Android market, I see the same purchased apps for all units.
But on Galaxy Tab 10.1v, they synced automatically.
Meaning: All apps (about 150 for now) installed themselves automatically in a single instance right after setup.
I was surprised, but I like it.
I'd prefer, if even the links on the desktop would be arranged the same.
But I guess, that's an "exotic" demand. Most users will use a single tablet and won't even realise the syncing.
Still: Very nice and in such details I see the (positive) differences to iOS.

Usability:
I don't feel any differences in performance.
But I very much care about weight and battery duration.
About the battery I can't tell yet. But the data indicates, Samsung should perform great.
About the weight, it's easy.
I can't use Xoom or iPad for extensive reading sessions. I usually hold my tablet in one hand and read in portrait. iPad 4:3 means a longer lever and my arm tires quickly (45 minutes or so and it starts getting uncomfortable). Acer and Asus feel great, but they simply don't have the "me likey" cool for me. Xoom feels more heavy and bulky than the other Honeycombs.
So, if I use a Honeycomb tablet for reading, it definitely will be Galaxy Tab 10.1v.
But actually, for now I'll probably stick to BlackBerry PlayBook for reading. 7" is more than enough for me and it feels perfect for reading.

iOS vs. Honeycomb:
Totally subjective of course.
I admire both companies, they both have a great and successful and unique business model.
But somehow I prefer Android. I liked 2.2 already, but Honeycomb really is a quantum leap.
To me, the description would be:
If my mother would need a tablet, I'd recommend iOS. It works great "out of the box", it's intuitive, beautiful and easy.
But for the more experienced users (and especially for the "freaks"), "easy" of iOS quickly can become "simplistic".
Personally, I like to experiment. To test and configure - even more than actually to use. (That's probably the reason for buying more than 1 or 2 units).
And this simply is way more fun, open and flexible on Android than on iOS.
I'll certainly go for iPad3 (and even iPhone5, as my contract duration ends in 6 months and I can have it for a low price). But Android and Google "have a special place in my heart"...