By Oleru Chima MichaelSince the launch of the RIM Blackberry PlayBook tablet, a lot of speculations have been on for which of these tablets is advisable to buy. With this in mind, this article will do a comparison between the Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad 2, the device that brought a lot of attention lately. Both tablets were included in the top 5 devices worth waiting for, but which one is better? is it the RIM Blackberry PlayBook or iPad 2? Hopefully this PlayBook vs iPad 2 comparison can give you the answer to that question.
So we will compare PlayBook vs iPad 2 tablet in several sections, including the OS, Processor, Memory, Display Size, Design, Camera, and Battery comparison. Both tablets are already in the market, so this comparison might be useful for people who want to buy an internet tablet, but are having a hard time deciding whether to buy PlayBook or iPad 2. Which one will win? The 7 inch tablet or the 10 inch tablet?
Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad 2 OS Comparison, iOS 4.3 VS Blackberry Tablet OS (QNX based OS)
The iPad 2 OS is the iOS 4.3, the latest and updated version of the Apple’s famous OS. The new iOS 4.3 brings the new iTunes Home Sharing feature, enhancement to Airplay and faster Safari browser. As always, the iOS offers an interesting and fluid UI (user interface). People simply love the iOS. On the other hand, Blackberry PlayBook comes with a brand new OS made by QNX Software Systems a software company acknowledged for its ability to make fast, stable and reliable software. The new OS dubbed Blackberry Tablet OS, is a new multitasking experience. This Blackberry tablet OS will allow you to keep simultaneous apps running, so there will be no suspension. This means that the QNX has managed to create an efficient and pretty impressive OS for Blackberry PlayBook.
That said, although the Blackberry Tablet OS offers some nice features and different approach, it hasn’t been tested. Therefore (for now) the winner for this iOS 4.3 vs Blackberry Tablet OS is the Apple ipad’s iOS.
Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad 2 Processor Comparison, 1GHz A5 Dual Core vs 1GHz Dual Core TI OMAP 4430
Both tablets have a 1GHz Dual Core processor, with a different chip. Which is faster? Apple iPad 2 1GHz A5 Dual Core or the Blackberry PlayBook tablet’s 1GHz Dual Core TI OMAP 4430? The Apple iPad 2 processor is indeed fast, but the TI OMAP 4430 is faster; according to a recent processor benchmarking comparison recently conducted at Engadget, it was shown that the TI OMAP 4430 is significantly faster than not only the dual core A5; but also NVIDIA Tegra 2 and Samsung Exynos with the same processor clock speed.
So It’s clear who’s the winner: RIM Blackberry PlayBook tablet.
Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad 2 Design Comparison, 7 inch or 10 inch?
Again, your preference is the key here. If you want to have a portable tablet that can be inserted into your jacket pocket; then the 7 inch Blackberry PlayBook is your answer. On the other hands, iPad 2 has a larger 9.7 inch screen but it won’t fit your pocket . PlayBook and iPad 2 both have good and almost identical screen resolutions.
When it comes to weight; it is merely the aftermath of both companies decision on the screen size. Blackberry Tablet is lighter with 0.9 pounds, while iPad 2 weighs about 1.3 pounds. One important note here is that Apple has managed to make the iPad 2 thinner and lighter compared to other 10 inch tablets on the market. It is even thinner than PlayBook.
Summarily, RIM PlayBook tablet has the pocket size and very portable design, by sacrificing the screen size. Meanwhile, an iPad 2 tablet comes with thinner design and larger screen, but sacrifices its portability and it is heavier.
Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad 2 Memory Comparison
When it comes to internal storage, both Apple iPad 2 tablet and RIM PlayBook tablet offer many options. You can choose from 16, 32, or 64 GB iPad 2 or 8, 16, 32, 64 GB PlayBook. It is up to you to decide which one to choose.
Now regarding the memory comparison between Blackberry PlayBook VS iPad 2; the winner is Blackberry PlayBook. The reason is that Blackberry PlayBook comes with 1GB of RAM while iPad 2 seems to be equipped with a 512MB of RAM.
Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad 2 Camera Comparison
Again, the Blackberry PlayBook tablet wins this category. Although Apple has added two cameras in the new iPad 2; it seems that the specs of the iPad 2 cameras are not better than those of the Blackberry PlayBook tablet. The rear camera of iPad 2 specs is still hidden by Apple, but it is capable of recording 720p video. The front camera of iPad 2 tablet is a VGA camera.
Meanwhile, RIM Blackberry PlayBook tablet camera has a 5 megapixel camera on the back and a 3 megapixel camera in the front. Both are able to take HD Video (the rear camera of RIM PlayBook tablet can record 1080p video)
Blackberry PlayBook vs iPad 2 Apps Store and Apps Comparison
Though the Apple App Store is still the largest application store for mobile devices, with more than 300k apps, the closest competitor is the Android Market. However, RIM with their Blackberry PlayBook integrates the Adobe AIR and app developers can even make PlayBook applications based on Flash. More to that, it has also been confirmed that Android Apps will be able to run on Blackberry PlayBook! With this development the Blackberry PlayBook users can proudly say that their tablet can run both Blackberry and Android apps! How cool is that? So if you ask me, the winner of this PlayBook vs iPad 2 comparisons is obviously the blackberry PlayBook tablet.
So if you ask me which one is better, the Blackberry PlayBook OR the iPad 2, my answer would be Blackberry PlayBook tablet. The reason? Better processor, better memory, better camera, and exciting possibility on running Android apps on a PlayBook tablet. In addition, most people don’t really like carrying bags everywhere, so having a portable tablet that fits into a pocket sounds perfect.
