iPad that piqued the world’s interest in slate PC's and many other companies, like RIM, famous for their super-communication device, the BlackBerry, have followed suit. This doesn’t mean that the Canadian firm is behind the curve though, far from it in fact. It’s taken time to make sure that its PlayBook will put its very own stamp on the tablet market.
Screen
The BlackBerry PlayBook is one of the smaller tablets on the market, with a 7-inch 1024 x 600 pixel capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support, which is capable of 1080P HD video playback.
The PlayBook also supports H.264, MPEG-4 and WMV video, so you can watch just about anything you want on this device. Conversely Apple's iPad has a larger 9.7-inch LED-backlit widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology, with a 1024 x 768 resolution, which also boasts a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.
Operating System
Apple devices are often lauded for their pure usability, and iOS 4.3 is no exception. The Apple blurb for the iPad states “The first time you pick up an iPad, you know how to use it”, and we wholeheartedly agree. Apple has created an operating system so intuitive, that no tutorials are necessary – it personifies the pick up and play ethos.
BlackBerry have created a brand new OS for their tablet range, based on QNX – the originally named BlackBerry Tablet OS, and early incarnations been very well received. The PlayBook supports multitasking and stays true to BlackBerry's business roots.
Processor
When it comes to powering cutting edge hardware, you’d expect both devices to be packing some serious power under the bonnet, and in both cases, you won’t be disappointed. The PlayBook boasts a 1GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM, and the iPad sports a 1GHz Apple A4 chip and 256MB of RAM, which may sound inferior, but with Apple, it’s all about the way the memory is used, not how much you have.
Design
There's no accounting for personal taste and whether you spend your time extolling the virtues of Apple's sleek, minimalist approach to design or you prefer to throw your weight behind technology durable and understated will very much depend on the individual. The iPad looks modern and stylish, while the PlayBook has something more classic and sophisticated about it. The iPad is high gloss, whilst the PlayBook has a leather effect backing, and though the larger screen on the iPad makes for nice viewing, the slightly more compact PlayBook feels a lot more balanced and, dare we say it, premium in the hand.
Camera
We weren’t going to include this category as it seemed a little unfair to the iPad, which has no built in camera, however, we feel that our readers would want full disclosure, and if you’re after a device with a camera, then maybe the iPad isn’t for you.
The PlayBook, on the other hand, boasts two cameras, a forward facing 3-megapixel and a rear facing 5-megapixel, capable of 1080P video capture. This means that video conferencing is not just possible.
Well there you have it folks, two of this years’ biggest contenders on the tablet market, coming head to head. We’d love to tell you that there was a clear winner, but each device has its own great virtues, which are each suited to a different kind of buyer, so we have to call it a draw.
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