At first glance these tablets look very similar, plus they’re priced comparably. So, which one gives you more bang for the buck: Google’s Nexus 7 or the BlackBerry PlayBook?
So, you’re in the market for a new tablet and have $200 in your pocket. While there are a few options, the two you’re likely torn between are the BlackBerry PlayBook (from $199.99 for 16GB model) and the Google Nexus 7 (from $209.00 for 8GB).
While you might look at the price and capacity of each and think “well, duh, the PlayBook has twice the storage for almost $10 less,” there are a few other considerations you should make note of before you decide on one or the other.
BlackBerry PlayBook
Down from $500 when it launched in the spring of 2011, Research in Motion’s $200 machine packs a lot of punch.
The 7-inch tablet weighs 0.9 pounds and features a dual-core processor, 1 gigabyte of RAM (for fast performance and smooth multitasking), a stunning 1024 x 600 WSVGA screen and dual HD cameras (an outward-facing camera to snap 5-megapixel stills or shoot 1080p HD video and a front-facing 3-megapixel camera for video chats).
A microHDMI jack lets you connect the PlayBook to a HDTV, if desired.
One of the coolest PlayBook features is the clean and intuitive interface, as part of the QNX platform. Simply swipe left and right on the horizontal touchscreen to cycle through your apps, all divided into groups such as “All,” “Favorites,” “Media” and “Games.” Tap an icon to launch the app (such as a web browser) and while it’s running, you can swipe up from the bottom border to minimize the program, select another app (such as streaming radio), swipe up again to launch some photos, and so on. You’ll see all open apps side by side in “card view” but to expand the app full-screen, simply tap the window.
The Wi-Fi-enabled RIM PlayBook lets you do a number of things found on other tablets can – browse the web, pick up email (thanks to a recent update), watch video, listen to music, get directions (via GPS chip), read e-books and snap photos or videos – plus if you have a nearby BlackBerry you’ll get added functionality such as the ability to use BBM on your PlayBook or use your smartphone to control features on the PlayBook, such as using it like a mouse or remote control to play and pause content when the android tablet is plugged into a TV, for example.
But with relatively few apps, the BlackBerry PlayBook cannot be customized in as many ways as the Google Nexus 7 (more on this in a moment), plus while there’s now support for BlackBerry smartphone apps and some Android apps, finding and installing these isn’t as easy as direct access to the Google Play store (formerly Android Market).
To summarize the BlackBerry PlayBook, it’s an aggressively priced and powerful little device, with an intuitive user-interface, great-looking screen and beefy security features. Is it as “fun” as the Nexus 7? No. but the price, capacity and business applications might be just what you’re looking for with this Canadian product.
It should be noted there is now a Long Term Evolution (LTE/4G) model of the BlackBerry PlayBook.
Google Nexus 7
Like the BlackBerry PlayBook, Google’s first official tablet is black, 7-inches and under $200 to start (there’s also a 16GB model for $259, just as there are pricier PlayBooks, too).
But while the PlayBook costs less and with double the capacity, the Google Nexus 7 is thinner and lighter (0.4-inches thin and weighing just 0.7 pounds), faster (a quad-core processor) and runs on the latest Android 4.1 (“Jelly Bean”) platform.
Because it’s an Android device it benefits greatly from the Google Play store, now with more than 600,000 apps to customize the tablet in a myriad of ways. Plus, there are many integrated Google apps — such as Search, Maps, Gmail, Google+, YouTube, Chrome browser, etc. — and smooth multitasking for those who like to juggle multiple apps at once. But in RIM’s defense, a few Android apps have been found to contain malware (malicious software) and have been pulled from the Google Play store.
Speaking of content, a few freebies are preloaded on the Google Nexus 7: the feature film Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, along with Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Dominion ebook and some free music, too.
You can also customize the look of the home screen by placing icons and “widgets” across multiple pages, something that’s not possible with the BlackBerry PlayBook.
The scratch-resistant high-definition screen offers more detail at 1,280 x 800 resolution than the BlackBerry PlayBook, plus it also seems to offer better contrast when placed side-by-side — resulting in colours that pop and deep, dark blacks. The screen can also be viewed at wide angles (up to 178 degrees), which makes it easy for two side-by-side kids to watch something at the same time, for example.
Battery life is comparable at between 9 and 10 hours per tablet pc.
While the Wi-Fi only Google Nexus 7 offers a number of compelling features, it only has one forward-facing camera instead of the PlayBook’s two cameras and there is no HDMI port to connect the tablet to a big-screen TV, monitor or projector.
Summary
As you can see, there are pros and cons for both the BlackBerry PlayBook and the new Google Nexus 7. Because they’re the same size and almost the same price, choosing one or the other depends heavily on your operating system preference, the importance of apps and cameras, security track record and capacity (again, the PlayBook offers twice the storage for about $10 less than the Nexus 7).
If you want to share your views on the PlayBook or Nexus 7, be sure to drop us a line in the Comments section below!
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