iPad Video

This is a clip to show how some things are easier to do with an iPad than without one.

BlackBerry Playbook Review - Pros and Cons

Technical Specs of the BlackBerry Playbook 

Operating System
- BlackBerry Tablet OS

Processor
- 1GHz dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU

Display
- 7 inch display, 600X1024 pixels
- Auto-Rotate
- Multi-touch capacitive screen.

Sound
- Stereo Speakers
- 3.5mm audio jack.

Memory
- 16/32/64 GB built-in storage, 1GB RAM.

Camera
- 3MP Front Facing Camera
- 5MP Rear Camera

Pros

- Portable.
- Offers great multimedia experience. The display and the sound quality is good.
- Fast Processor.
- Micro HDMI Port, Supports 1080p Full HD videos.
- Adobe Flash 10.1 Support.
- Dual Cameras.
- Hotspot – Can connect to internet by connecting to the cell phones that has a hotspot.

- Enables viewing of FLASH products and videos.

Cons

- Overpriced.
- Limited Applications.
- No Memory Card Slot.
- Don’t have the official Skype Application.

So, if you want a tablet for accessing your media files then this could be good choice, else I won’t recommend this tablet until an update is released.

The selling point for corporate world

The main point of this device from a corporate prospective would be the blackberry bridge. This allows you to seamlessly integrate your contacts, e-mail, text messages, and BBM (among other things) from your Blackberry smartphone running OS 5.0 or higher to your QNX powered Playbook.

This is done by pairing your devices via Bluetooth and it’s easy as that. However as always there is a ‘but’ that being, this device is Wi-Fi only, one can tether via USB, a dedicated mobile hotspot, or Bluetooth to any device. 

BlackBerry Playbook Review

BlackBerry Playbook Review

Better known for their business related technology such as the black berry ‘Bold’, ‘Curve’ and the rest. Blackberry has decided to enter a new Tablet market releasing the Blackberry Playbook.

This playbook is Blackberry’s attempt to compete with the IPad2, Galaxy Tablet and the many other tablets that are being released. With some truly stand out features Blackberry are truly out to impress.

Looking firstly at the multitasking feature that has been a hot topic for smart phones and tablets; the Blackberry Playbook appears to nail this one. Unlike the Android and IOs operating systems which claim to enable multitasking but actually pause’s the app in the state it’s in to allow you to access another app. The Blackberry Playbook actually allows multiple apps to run side by side to allow the user to experience a true multitasking effect.

Another great feature seen in the Blackberry Playbook is the full 1080p recording which provides stunning video recordings in full colour and crisp quality. The unit also has a 5 megapixel rear camera and a 3 megapixel front camera to enable video chat or Skype for its users.

The price is actually fairly competitive offering the 16GB for $499, 32GB for $599 and the 64GB for $699.

Coming from a company that specialises in business technologies, this unit is boasts stability. In the case where the user is running several apps if one were to crash the smart QNX OS is able to identify which app is causing the problem and automatically shut it down. Not only does it kill the risk but it reopens it in a more stable state to allow the user to continue using all the desired apps smoothly.

Samsung Galaxy Tablet 'Cons'

Cons:

A downfall of this mini app tray is that it cannot be customised meaning that you cannot take away or add apps that you may want to this tray, there are currently six apps available at this current time.

Internet browsing on the  on the Galaxy Tab 10.1's browser automatically switches to mobile versions of many Web sites, however the home screen jitters if there are too many widgets on the screen. There are also reports that the tablet can become sluggish when using the browser.

Many common apps have not yet been optimised for the larger screen size the Galaxy Tab 10.1 offers.

Sadly the tablet doesn't include a regular USB port: Charging and connecting the unit to a computer require a proprietary cable. On the plus side, the proprietary connector charges the Galaxy Tab 10.1 much faster than a standard micro-USB port could.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor and has 1GB of RAM. It offers Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. 3G connectivity is also an option. The tablet also has dual cameras and is capable of recording 720p HD video, and playing back 1080p HD video. Disappointingly, it does not have a microSD card slot for extra storage.

Overall

 Its a common thought that the "The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the best Android tablet on the market. It's thinner and lighter than Apple's iPad 2, despite having a larger screen, and offers most of the functions and features of its competitors. So far it's the only real credible alternative to the iPad."

Samsung Galaxy Tablet Review

Samsung Galaxy Tablet Review

Another competitor to the Tablet Market is Samsungs Galaxy Tablet. This tablet is built extremely well featuring a 10.1 inch display that radiates in colour and clarity.

This Samsung Galaxy tablet runs on an Android Operating system and has some truly impressive features.

The physical specifications of the unit are as follows:

Thickness: 8.6mm (which is slightly thinner then Apples IPad 2)

Weight: 565 grams (Also lighter than the IPad 2)

Screen Display: 10.1 inch touch screen with excellent viewing angles.- unfortunately it doesn’t overcome the common problem with tablets which is the fingerprint marks and the display is affected when exposed to direct sunlight.

Operating System: Runs Google's Android mobile platform. It uses version 3.1 — Honeycomb — of the operating system, which has been designed for use with tablets.

Processor: 1GHz dual-core processor and has 1GB of RAM.

Pros:

Looking closer at the operating system the tablet includes Samsung's TouchWiz UX user interface overlay which adds several additional features to the Android operating system. TouchWiz UX adds a number of features to Android, There is a 'quick panel' that offers access to a handy set of toggles in the notifications pop-up. There are toggles for Wi-Fi, notifications, GPS, sound vibration, auto rotation, Bluetooth and flight mode, making it very easy to access these options.

Unlike Apples IPad 2 Samsung has created one button to easily perform a ‘screen capture’. Simply tapping this button will capture anything on the screen at that point and this is saved as an image within your photo library.

To make the device more user friendly there is also a button at the bottom of the screen which brings up a ‘tray of mini apps’. These apps include things such as “a task manager, calendar, world clock, pen memo, calculator and music player.” These apps appear at the top of the screen and the beauty of this is that it enables you to keep working on any other open applications. These apps can also be dragged to any part of the screen.

iPad 2 Cons

The iPad 2 does have it's Cons...

First up, in the cons of the iPad 2 is that the cameras aren’t as good as they could be. Also, if the tablet your looking for should have a camera flash, then the iPad 2 is not for you, maybe you’ll have better luck with the iPad 3. In addition to these cons, there is also no USB drive, this obviously limits and makes file sharing quite difficult.

Apple has the lowest percentages of piracy out of any company and for all of you out there who don’t pay for your music, it is very hard to get used to having to pay for it or find other ways to get your material onto the device, because it is a very restrictive device in that sense. Listening to the music is another problem still, the single speaker isn’t the most vocal of speakers on the market but it gets the job done for some. However, if your using it to entertain then you will need to buy some speakers for the iPad because it just simply isn’t loud enough.

Every tablet is going to have its problems because they are so fragile, and such a compact utility trying to take on so many different jobs. Besides these aforementioned cons, the rest of the iPad 2’s problems are very minor things like a few cases of dead megapixels, echo-ey speakers on the 3G versions due to different setup internally. The Wi-Fi has been known to drop out for no known reason. Also, a small number of incidents have occurred where blochiness has been spotted on customers’ tablets, likely to be because of the internal bonding glue not having enough time to dry before dispatch. As mentioned, these last few problems are rare and covered by warranty. However the ones mentioned earlier are still valid cons.

iPad 2

Pros and Specs

As you know, we’re focusing on tablets, and it is the iPads turn, so why not concentrate on the latest iPad which is the iPad 2.

The iPad 2 pros, some would say, out-weigh it’s cons but in this blog and the next we will be showing both sides of the story anyhow…

Pros

The iPad is extremely thin, but still maintains its impressively large screen size. Also, the iPad’s interface is potentially the fastest and smoothest of all of the tablets and on top of that, while remaining simple to navigate and use, it still keeps its complexities. Another pro is that it has cameras on both sides of it which makes it easy to use FaceTime and other fun features. Furthermore, the iPad is among the largest of the tablet’s battery lives so it makes it more convenient. Yet another amazing perk of the iPad 2 is the ability to choose from so many different models of it for example; 16gb, 32gb, 64gb, as well as being able to choose from Wi-Fi and 3G compatible or just Wi-Fi depending on what your using it for. This is helpful because with some other tablets you may be forced to spend an amount for features that may not be necessary for your lifestyle.

Specifications

Models

3G + Wi-Fi OR Just Wi-Fi

Storage

16GB, 32GB, 6GB

Size

Height: 241.2 mm (9.50 inches)

Width:  185.7 mm (7.31 inches)

Depth:  8.8 mm (0.34 inch)

Weight: 613 g (1.35 pounds)

Display

- 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology

- 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)

- Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating

- Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Battery life

Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music

Cameras

Front and Back - HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom

This brief clip is of Steve Jobs revealing the specs of the then new iPad 2...

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Cons

Limitations and Drawbacks

This yet another impressive Android tablet on the market, and there will be many more to come in the future.  The Transformer is definitely a contender for the hearts and minds of potential tablet buyers, packed with hardware goodies, sleek and compact design this tablet cannot go wrong.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment would be the Transformer is not available in 3G models, with only Wi-Fi models available in the market, it is indeed one of the drawbacks.  But later down the line Asus will be producing 3G models

Other limitations would be similar to the Motorola Xoom as mentioned in the previous blog.  Not many apps available in the Android market compared to the Apple App Store.

Also considering in model choices Apple gives a wider range, 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB available in both Wi-Fi and 3G, while Asus only exist in 16 GB and 32 GB in Wi-Fi only.

 Price Comparison:

	MODEL	PRICE
MOTOROLA XOOM	32 GB Wi-Fi	$599
	32 GB 3G	$799
APPLE I-PAD 2	32 GB Wi-Fi	$599
	32 GB 3G	$729
ASUS EEE PAD TRANSFORMER	32 GB Wi-Fi	$600 Wi-Fi only ( approx. $700 with keyboard )

Overall the 10.1-inch Asus Eee Pad Transformer is a great Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet, but it's the cleverly designed keyboard dock that makes it really stand out from the crowd. While not perfect, the Transformer's competitive price tag makes it well worth considering.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer

ASUS EEE PAD TRANSFORMER

Asus is known for its lap-tops and net- books in the market, but also have joined the tablet revolution.  The Asus ‘Eee Pad Transformer’ is yet again another Android tablet which comes with the latest 3.2 Honeycomb OS.  It was launched at March 30^th, 2011.

This tablet is packed with hardware as you would expect from Asus, running on a 1GHz dual core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 10.1-inch LED Backlight multi-touch screen with resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels equipped with 5 Megapixels camera with LED flash and an additional 1.2 Megapixels front-facing camera for video chat and many more.  And you might be wondering how the name “Transformer” came into conclusion, it is because Asus also gives you the extra option of buying a connectable QWERTY keyboard base which gives you the feeling of using a light net-book.  Not only that, it is also used as a charging dock for tablet, providing approximately 6.5 hrs of charge.  The tablet itself has a battery life of 9.5 hrs; together they give you impressive total of 16 hrs battery life.

Software:

The Transformer originally ran a modified version of Android 3.1, but has since been updated to Android 3.2. The physical keys (home, back, and menu) have been skinned to resemble the standard Android phone keys.

The tablet is bundled with MyNet, MyLibrary, MyCloud, Press Reader, MyDesktop and Polaris Office 3, for full document editing.  More updates have been realised since the launch date, this updated the system with extra widgets for MyZine, which is a desktop widget shop, for weather, email, calendar, gallery, etc. It also added MyCloud, a remote desktop app.

The browsing experience is same as the Motorola Xoom as I mentioned in the previous blog, because these are both Android tablets.

The Transformer has a brilliant display screen, it is delivered by 10.1-inch IPS.  The display does not disappoint, well saturated pictures maintains its vibrancy even as you tilt the tablet to test out Asus’ promised 178-degree viewing angles. Some brightness is lost at extreme angles, but it's a true IPS panel, of that there is no doubt.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Specs:

Price:

•          $400 Wi-Fi only for 16 GB ( approx. $500 with keyboard )
•      $600 Wi-Fi only for 32 GB ( approx. $700 with keyboard )

Operating system

• Android 3.2 Honeycomb

Power

• 9.5 hours; 24.4 Wh Li-polymer battery, 16 hours with dock CPU 1 GHz dual-core nVidia Tegra 2

Storage capacity

•  Flash memory 
• 16 or 32 GB, microSD slot (dock full size SD slot), unlimited ASU WebStorage

Memory

• 1 GB

Display

• 1280×800 px (aspect ratio 16:10), 10.1 in (26 cm) diagonal, 160 PPI

Graphics

• GeForce ULP

Input

• Multi-touch screen
• dock keyboard + touchpad
• compass
• GPS receiver
• Ambient light sensors
• 3-axis accelerometer
• 3-axis gyroscope

Camera 

• Back: 5 MP AF camera
• Front:1.3 MP front-facing (for video calls) 
  

Connectivity

• Bluetooth 2.1
• mini HDMI 1.3a
• Dock 2x USB 2.0
• DLNA
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n

Dimensions

• 10.6 in (270 mm) (h)
• 6.9 in (180 mm) (w) 
• 0.51 in (13 mm) (d)
• Weight  (680 g) 
  

Motorola Xoom Cons

Limitations and Drawbacks

There are not many drawbacks and there is a lot to like about the new Xoom.  It is most complete and clearly functioning version of Android, the hardware which is packed inside Motorola's tablet is really quite good.

However there are only few cons to mention about the Xoom.  On the sound side of things, the Xoom could produce reasonably clear audio at a mid-level volume, cranking the tablet up created some pretty nasty distortion on basic sounds.

Xoom Vs I-Pad 2:

The comparison is made to the current popular I-Pad 2, since the Xoom is competing for top spot, it is only fair to compare to arguably the best tablet available in the market.   Few cons were, not many apps were present to play around with at this moment of time for the Xoom, most of them are not formatted to the tablet settings.  Compared to I-Pad, Apple has over 100,000 apps in the app store.

When it comes to picture viewing quality, the I-Pad 2 beats the Xoom by a small margin, especially when viewing the picture from certain angles; Xoom just doesn’t have that sharp and crisp looking image which the I-Pad 2 delivers.

I-Pad 2 also beats the Xoom on battery life.  Xoom having around 8-9hrs while the I-Pad 2 having over 10hrs.

When it comes to choice, the Motorola Xoom is only available in 32 GB in either 3G or Wi-Fi version; were as opposed to Apples I-Pad you have the choice of 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB.

Price Comparison:

	MODEL	PRICE
MOTOROLA XOOM	32 GB Wi-Fi	$599
	32 GB 3G	$799
APPLE I-PAD 2	32 GB Wi-Fi	$599
	32 GB 3G	$729

If you are willing to pay 30 dollars more, the 64GB 3G I-Pad is available for $829.  You could say the Motorola Xoom is a bit pricey, but considering the latest Android software and future down the line upgradable to 4G, the price seems within reason. 

Motorola Xoom

 MOTOROLA XOOM

 It has certainly been the year of the tablets, and since the release of corporate giant Apple and its I-Pad, it didn’t take long before the other companies made their move into the tablet generation.

The Motorola Xoom is an Android-based tablet by Motorola.  With sleek design and I-Pad look alike, the Xoom 3G version was released on February 24, 2011, and the Wi-Fi version was released March 27, 2011. It was the first tablet to be sold with Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the most recent mobile operating system by Android.  Xoom is equipped with formidable hardware. The 1GHz, NVIDIA Tegra 2-based slate boasts a sizable 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 32GB of internal storage, a 10.1-inch, 1280 x 800 capacitive display, 3G connectivity, along with front and rear facing cameras, HD video capability, and loads of wireless options.

There can be little question that the Xoom is certainly a contender for the hearts and minds of potential tablet buyers in the market.

Software:

Both the Wi-Fi and Verizon branded Xoom runs Google's Android 3.2 Honeycomb(initially 3.0), whose new features include a redesigned, tablet-optimized user interface , improved task-switching, a newly redesigned notification system, Google Maps 5 in 3D and browser enhancements including tabbed-browsing, form auto-fill and bookmark syncing.

Browsing experience is very similar to that of a desktop style, so you feel right at home.  The tablet has a much more authentic layout for browsing through YouTube and your personal music collection with sort of 3D-ish layout and the G-mail has given a new face lift.

The Xoom arguably has one of the best battery life, ranging between 8-9 hrs.

Motorola XOOM Specs:

Price:

•      $700-800 3G only
•     $500-600 Wi-Fi only

Operating system:

• Android 3.1 (Honeycomb)(upgradeable to 3.2.1)

Power:

•       6500 mAh

CPU:

•       Nvidia Tegra 2 T20, 1 GHz dual-core processor

Storage capacity:

•     Internal flash memory: 32 GB
•      external slot: microSD card after SW update

Memory 

• 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM

Display 

•    1280×800 px (aspect ratio 16:10), 10.1 in (26 cm) diagonal, 160 ppi,Gorilla Glass

Graphics

•      Tegra 2 T20, ULP GeForce 333 MHz

Input

• Multi-touch capacitive touchscreen display
• Ambient light sensors
• Microphone
• Barometer
• Magnetometer (Compass)
• S-GPS
• 3-axis accelerometer
• 3-axis gyroscope

Camera

•     Back: 5.0 MP with 4× digital zoom 
•     Autofocus, 720p video capture, 30 fps, dual LED flash
•     Front: 2.0 MP camera

Connectivity

• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Class 2
• micro-HDMI 1.4 (type D), 720p (out)
• micro-USB 2.0
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• CDMA version: EVDO Rev. A
• GSM version: GSM/EDGE

Dimensions

•      249.1 mm (9.81 in) (h)
•      167.8 mm (6.61 in) (w)
•      12.9 mm (0.51 in) (d) 
•       Weight 730 g