Business Resource

Video of the week

BlackBerry Playbook - Demo

BlackBerry's long awaited tablet device is about to arrive in the UK. Designed for the business user, the Blackberry PlayBook has had mixed reviews in the US. This demo looks at the key features and asks how does it compare to the iPad 2?9m 22sec

Our Verdict

We think this looks like a good piece of kit. It certainly lacks the style and user experience of the iPad 2, but network Security, important to most businesses, is at the heart of the PlayBook's appeal. Whilst the 7 inch TFT screen compares poorly with the iPad 2's 9.7 inch LED-backlit display, the PlayBook offers enterprise level security, making it as safe as a standard company laptop.

Under the hood, there is an impressive dual-core 1GHz processor (same as the iPad II) and it comes in 16, 32 and 64GB versions. Sporting dual cameras (5 megapix rear, 3 megapix front) the Play-book eclipses the iPads 0.7 megapix at the front and 1 megapix at the rear (yes you read that correctly).

The PlayBook's operating system is BlackBerry Tablet OS, a platform based on RIM's recently acquired QNX software. Quite apart from the enterprise level security, it seems feasible that PlayBook users can look forward to viewing both Flash video and HTML 5 websites; unlike their iPad using friends who are still forced to ditch their browsers for sites like Youtube and Google Maps.

In terms of available apps, BlackBerry has long lagged behind Apple. Though rumour has it that the Play-book will soon support Android apps - vastly increasing its appeal.

There is no doubt that the iPad 2 is stunningly beautiful and the PlayBook merely handsome, but far from wrapping up the market completely, Apple may face a level of competition from the PlayBook which all in all is a very comprehensive device.

Review by: Paul Nickerson KC

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