We take look at the specs of the BlackBerry PlayBook and Motorola Xoom to see which tablet is worth your cash – and the inevitable two-year contract.
It’s been a massive year for tablets. First CES 2011 back in January and then MWC 2011, which finished just a couple of weeks back. The tablet market has grown exponentially and the Motorola Xoom and BlackBerry PlayBook are two of the biggest names currently out there.
But which is the best and, more importantly, which device is worth your time, money and attention?
We find out.
Form factor
PlayBook: 194 x 130 x 10mm (425g)
Xoom: 249 x 167.8 x 12.9 mm (730 g)
This one is slightly difficult to call as both tablets are designed with different users in mind. The PlayBook, which is of the 7-inch ilk, is more portable, significantly lighter and thinner than the Motorola Xoom. Something that will no doubt be very attractive to a lot of users.
Having said that, the Xoom offers superior media-viewing capabilities with its 10.1-inch display – currently the largest size there is. Obviously, this additional size brings with additional weight, but that’s to be expected.
Like most form-factor contents, this comes down to personal preference. In this instance, we much prefer the size of the Xoom ahead of the 7-inch PlayBook. Our logic? Simple: we like bigger tablets, the smaller ones seem like phones.
Verdict – Xoom
Display
PlayBook: 7-inch (1024 x 600 pixels) display
Xoom: 10.1-inch (1280 x 800 pixels) display
Considering the devices in question have extremely different sized displays, there’s not much in it in terms of quality. The PlayBook is up there with the best of them, but it just can’t quite beat the Xoom in the pixel department. Couple this with the additional screen real estate you get with the Xoom and you’re onto a winner every time.
Winner – Xoom
Storage
BlackBerry PlayBook – TBC
Xoom: 32GB plus additional 32GB via microSD slot
Again, this one is pretty simple. The Motorola Xoom can store 32GB internally and has support for an additional 32GB via its microSD card slot.
RIM, on the other hand, has yet to disclose how much, or little, the PlayBook will store onboard it or whether it will have microSD card support or not. Our money’s on 16GB and 32GB with no microSD card support. Unfortunately though, without anything official the PlayBook forfeits and loses the storage stakes.
Winner – Xoom
Processor/RAM
PlayBook: 1GHz Cortex A9 processor with 1GB of RAM
Xoom: 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor with 1GB of RAM
In this context there’s not much to separate the two devices. Both use dual core processors and have 1GB of RAM, which is fast becoming the industry standard within the premium tablet market.
Winner – Draw
OS
PlayBook: BlackBerry Tablet OS
Xoom: Android 3.0
RIM was producing solid mobile devices and operating systems way before Android was even a glint in Google’s proverbial eye. That said, the pace of the market has not been kind to RIM and has seen Google’s Android operating system develop and evolve at a staggering pace.
Android 3.0 looks to be no different. Google has completely overhauled the look and feel of it, constructing an operating system and accompanying UI that is fit for a tablet.
Both operating systems look good, but we’re just not convinced RIM has the goods to back up its new QNX-based BlackBerry Tablet OS with high quality apps, games and downloads.
So for this reason, if we were thinking about getting a tablet, we’d go where the apps are and that’s either Apple or Android – RIM has yet to prove itself in this respect.
Winner – Xoom
Cameras
PlayBook: 5-megapixel rear and 3-megapixel front-facing camera
Xoom: 5-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front-facing camera
Once again it is an extremely close call, both devices have exceptional hardware and are premium devices through and through. Nevertheless, in the camera stakes RIM has just edged it by packing in a 3-megapixel shooter on the front of its PlayBook device.
Winner – PlayBook
Final thoughts
Overall, it’s been quite an easy victory for the Motorola Xoom. It’s got a superior operating system, display, storage and apps store – things that are all very important to consumers.
Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that the PlayBook is done and dusted – far from it. The PlayBook is an exceptional device that more than warrants your attention, especially if you’re thinking of investing in a tablet in 2011.
It’s just that in this instance, the Xoom out-specced the PlayBook – but this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s vastly superior. We need proper reviews for that.
So keep your eyes peeled for our in-depth reviews of the BlackBerry PlayBook and Motorola Xoom that are coming soon.
Original from:
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/comparisons/786481/blackberry_playbook_vs_motorola_xoom.html
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