Review: Motorola Xoom and BlackBerry Playbook
Two more tablets in an already crowded market.
Motorola Xoom
Two more tablets in an already crowded market.
Motorola Xoom
Losing out to the iPad
Even though the application store for Android devices running the 'Honeycomb' version of the operating system optimised for tablets is better than the one for the Playbook, it is still slim pickings compared to the iTunes application store. That said, Google's in-house applications, particularly the ones for Gmail and Google Talk, are brilliant. The Xoom does highlight that the latest generation of Android tablets are very close to the iPad in terms of performance and, potentially, applications. But since it costs as much as or even a bit more than the iPad, it loses out, at least right now, to the Apple tablet.
+ve: Shows Android tablets have a bright future
-ve: The present Android tablets could do with a tad more
Price: Rs 32,990 (32GB, WiFi); Rs 39,990 (32GB, WiFi+3G)
BlackBerry Playbook
Limiting factors
This is the most important BlackBerry product that RIM has launched recently. Its hardware is impressive. Also, the QNX (pronounced 'kinnix') software that powers the tablet is surprisingly zippy. We will not get into a debate over its screen size, though. Still, the Playbook has some fatal flaws, not the least of which is BlackBerry Bridge, which means that the office productivity apps will work only when the Playbook is paired with a BlackBerry device. This is a limiting factor in itself, and coupled with limited applications, makes the Playbook quite lonely.
+ve: Great cameras, good calculator application, innovative operating system
-ve: Email does not work without BlackBerry Bridge, limited applications
Price: Rs 27,990 (16GB, WiFi); Rs 37,990 (64GB, WiFi)
Motorola Xoom
Losing out to the iPad
Even though the application store for Android devices running the 'Honeycomb' version of the operating system optimised for tablets is better than the one for the Playbook, it is still slim pickings compared to the iTunes application store. That said, Google's in-house applications, particularly the ones for Gmail and Google Talk, are brilliant. The Xoom does highlight that the latest generation of Android tablets are very close to the iPad in terms of performance and, potentially, applications. But since it costs as much as or even a bit more than the iPad, it loses out, at least right now, to the Apple tablet.
+ve: Shows Android tablets have a bright future
-ve: The present Android tablets could do with a tad more
Price: Rs 32,990 (32GB, WiFi); Rs 39,990 (32GB, WiFi+3G)
Limiting factors
This is the most important BlackBerry product that RIM has launched recently. Its hardware is impressive. Also, the QNX (pronounced 'kinnix') software that powers the tablet is surprisingly zippy. We will not get into a debate over its screen size, though. Still, the Playbook has some fatal flaws, not the least of which is BlackBerry Bridge, which means that the office productivity apps will work only when the Playbook is paired with a BlackBerry device. This is a limiting factor in itself, and coupled with limited applications, makes the Playbook quite lonely.
+ve: Great cameras, good calculator application, innovative operating system
-ve: Email does not work without BlackBerry Bridge, limited applications
Price: Rs 27,990 (16GB, WiFi); Rs 37,990 (64GB, WiFi)
