RIM PlayBook

[Laridae]

This is a thread to discuss the merits of using RIM's PlayBook as an eReader.
Personally, I'm a big fan.
What's your experience with it?

Should PlayBook have it's own thread up with the other mainstream eReaders like the Kindle and the Vox?

[Play-with-Books]

Totally Agree.

I purchased a Playbook for just that reason.

[Advert mode on]

It functions as a e-reader and gives all the extras that you get from a tablet.

It is also at a bargain price as it is out of favour, although it is a solid well-built piece of kit.
[Got mine off ebay new for £149.99 inc taxes/vat (32GB model)]

The reviews on the interweb are mostly out of date and negative.
Yet, the hardware spec is excellent and the latest OS update to 2.x is very good.

With a bit of luck more is to come but even as it stands it is much better that a Kindle or similar as it has functionality beyond just being a e-reader.

[Advert mode off]

Hope more people see the bargain it is.

[Laridae]

Thanks, PwB.
My sentiments exactly!
It seems that having rushed the PB to market and gotten a lot of bad press people's minds are made up, and slow to change with later improvements.
Something for RIM - and all companies - to keep in mind!

[rhari79]

Well, the Apple philosophy was/is "Real Artists Ship"..BB did just that, but probably without putting much thought into it.
They kind of shipped an amazing "tablet", without much functionality in it.

I have been using the PB for a few months now, before and after OS 2. Loved the OS absolutely. One of the best along with Webos.

It have been using it more for media, than for reading. The media support and sound quality are really good. Battery life/standby time are good too.
The browser is quite ueeable, but kind of crashes frequently.

There is, in general, a dearth of reading apps. I am ignoring Android based apps here as i am a little suspicious of effects on battery life.

I recently got the Book Reader app. This supports both epub and mobi files. This seems a good app actually one of the best(ignoring Kobo Reader)

But in general less responsive to touches. The pages just dont flip on touch/slide. Lots of misses.
Also has less features than a normal ereading app: cant adjust margins or make full screen.

So, as an ereader, the tablet is left wanting. But as a Tablet its really great.

[Laridae]

Originally Posted by rhari79

There is, in general, a dearth of reading apps. I am ignoring Android based apps here as i am a little suspicious of effects on battery life.

I recently got the Book Reader app. This supports both epub and mobi files. This seems a good app actually one of the best(ignoring Kobo Reader)

So, as an ereader, the tablet is left wanting. But as a Tablet its really great.

I agree.
The PB would certainly benefit, as an eReader, if it had a better reading app.

The Kobo app is fine if you want to buy books from Kobo all the time. But, oddly, the PB's version of it does not have the "Import" command to get ePubs, while the Android version does!

Yes, I've tried the Book Reader app but, like you, found it wasn't as polished as it could be.

Hopefully RIM will "catch up" and provide better eReader software, as they did (eventually) with the much-improved OS.