BlackBerry PlayBook vs iPad: tablet showdown
- — 19 November, 2010 14:40
The BlackBerry PlayBook boasts a capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1024x600; no further details have been provided by RIM. Browsing may be initially more appealing on the larger-screened iPad, but the trade-off is that the 7in PlayBook, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, will be more pocketable and easier to carry around.
The BlackBerry PlayBook comes with a capacitive touchscreen that has a resolution of 1024 x 600.
The BlackBerry PlayBook will run a new version of the BlackBerry operating system simply called BlackBerry Tablet OS. It will support full multitasking, and will be able to connect to a BlackBerry smartphone via Bluetooth to share data. For example, RIM says you will be able to watch a video stored on a BlackBerry smartphone through the PlayBook, without having to load the file onto the tablet.
One issue that RIM has to contend with is app compatibility, a problem also encountered by Apple at launch. The larger screen and therefore higher resolution of the BlackBerry PlayBook means that regular BlackBerry smartphone applications will need to be upscaled to fit the larger display. The iPad also had to deal with this problem by upscaling iPhone apps to fit the tablet's screen, but this is no longer a pressing issue thanks to the wealth of iOS apps designed for the iPad.
One strange omission is the BlackBerry PlayBook's lack of a GPS receiver, though the inclusion of a microHDMI out port will give the PlayBook far more flexibility than the iPad when it comes to connecting the tablet to a television.
The BlackBerry PlayBook will run a new version of the BlackBerry operating system simply called BlackBerry Tablet OS.
What do you think about the BlackBerry PlayBook and the Apple iPad? Tell us in the comments below! Also, check out RIM's preview video for the BlackBerry PlayBook below:
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