Austin360 blogs > Digital Savant > Archives > 2011 > May > 25 > Entry
First impressions: BlackBerry PlayBook
I’m made it very clear in the past that “BlackBerry” is not a language I speak fluently, if at all. I’ve never owned a BlackBerry phone and except for the unfortunate Storm touch-screen phone, they all look identical to me. I might have a BlackBerry problem.
But given how much improvement I’ve seen on the Android side of the tablet race lately, I was hoping that BlackBerry/Research in Motion might add its own unique touches to make the competition against Apple’s iPad even more interesting with its new PlayBook.
Unfortunately, the tiny 7-inch tablet feels underbaked and overwrought. It’s hard to see why anyone who isn’t firmly entrenched in BlackBerry (and who has a BB phone in their hand at the time) would buy it (it costs $499-$699 in various sizes, the same as the WiFi-only versions of the iPad 2).
To be clear, I didn’t get a loaner unit to pore over for several days. This was a short, hands-on demo that lasted a little less than an hour. So don’t consider this a final review, just a list of impressions I had upon first meeting the PlayBook.
Let’s start with the positive: great, bright, lovely screen that plays video like a champ. The HD-video demo that I viewed on the PlayBook was stunning, with great color and sharp detail. Switching apps is responsive and the hardware in general seems speedy. Finger swipes extend past the edges of the screen to the bevel. If you want to exit to the main applications menu, you can swipe off the screen instead of touching a button.
After that, the problems begin. At the current time, the only way you can use BlackBerry e-mail, contacts, calender and the bridge secure web browser is to connect wirelessly to a BlackBerry phone and use its Internet connection. This isn’t the most elegant solution. It’s also a little sluggish. On the positive side, if your phone and tablet should get separated by theft or some other calamity, all that personal data is no longer available on the tablet; it’s securely on the phone.
But that’s the only real upside I can see to that kind of application scheme. Future updates should make the tablet more independent of owning or having to carry a BlackBerry phone around with it.
At the current time, the PlayBook’s ability to use Android-based apps is not yet available. There aren’t nearly as many BlackBerry apps as there are for Android or through Apple’s App Store. And in just a few minutes of using the PlayBook, several apps crashed, froze or were unresponsive.
While it can play Flash videos, it does so inconsistently. Pulling up YouTube videos sometimes generated a big question mark where a video should have been. Closing open applications and coming back made the video play. It seems like the PlayBook has some multitasking issues that still need fixing.
I’m sure the BlackBerry PlayBook will improve with some major software updates and a lot more apps, but in its current form, even with video chat (which only works with other PlayBooks) and a great, responsive screen, this isn’t a device I can recommend to anyone right now. Even BlackBerry owners should proceed with caution.
On its website, RIM calls the PlayBook, “The world’s first professional-grade tablet.” Eh, no. Not even close.
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By Eric
June 1, 2011 6:13 PM | Link to this
I don't understand how a first hands-on May 25th could lead to these results. I've had mine since the 26th. No phone is necessary for web browsing, e-mail, etc.; wi'fi internet works perfectly well. The apps don't crash, either. I can only guess that the problems you had were BECAUSE you were using a unit bridged to a phone. In functionality, this tablet is easily a match for (if not better than) the iPad, although it obviously is waaay behind in apps.