Showing posts with label playbook. Show all posts
BlackBerry PlayBook Gets Live Demo at Adobe MAX 2010
on Monday, October 25, 2010
*UPDATE* A new longer video from the conference has been added by Adobe. It is below.
Today at the Adobe MAX 2010 convention, Research In Motion's founder Mike Lazaridis, presented a live demo of the upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook. The video from the keynote and live demo is after the break.
On a BlackBerry? Click here for mobile video viewing
Adobe and RIM have been working together to make the user experience superb on the PlayBook. The PlayBook has embed Adobe Flash 10.1 into the internet browser.
Adobe has also announced a few other great features (video game controller support, Flash 3D full GPU support, etc.) coming to Adobe AIR and Flash. It will be nice to see how many of these features make their way onto the PlayBook.
At the end of the Adobe MAX keynote, some of the Adobe videographers for the online show snagged the PlayBook and showed it to Martha Stewart. She, of course, liked it and said she plans on getting one. So far, it seems to be getting very good commentary.
The BlackBerry PlayBook is really starting to look great. We're pretty excited to see the continual advancements and hopefully even more live demos in the near future. So, who is planning on getting a PlayBook now that you've seen it running in live action?
BlackBerry PlayBook Gets Live Demo at Adobe MAX 2010
*UPDATE* A new longer video from the conference has been added by Adobe. It is below.
Today at the Adobe MAX 2010 convention, Research In Motion's founder Mike Lazaridis, presented a live demo of the upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook. The video from the keynote and live demo is after the break.
On a BlackBerry? Click here for mobile video viewing
Adobe and RIM have been working together to make the user experience superb on the PlayBook. The PlayBook has embed Adobe Flash 10.1 into the internet browser.
Adobe has also announced a few other great features (video game controller support, Flash 3D full GPU support, etc.) coming to Adobe AIR and Flash. It will be nice to see how many of these features make their way onto the PlayBook.
At the end of the Adobe MAX keynote, some of the Adobe videographers for the online show snagged the PlayBook and showed it to Martha Stewart. She, of course, liked it and said she plans on getting one. So far, it seems to be getting very good commentary.
The BlackBerry PlayBook is really starting to look great. We're pretty excited to see the continual advancements and hopefully even more live demos in the near future. So, who is planning on getting a PlayBook now that you've seen it running in live action?
Download Official BlackBerry PlayBook Ringtones!
With the official release of the BlackBerry PlayBook SDK, developers have been given access to a lot of great tools. Not only is there a few wallpapers from the PlayBook, but also its official ringtone set.
A developer was nice enough to put them all together and send them to us so you can enjoy the ringtones on your current BlackBerry. These ringtones should really come in handy with any of the PlayBook themes out there.
Download BlackBerry PlayBook ringtones from:
These are all .wav files bundled into a zip file. You may need to extract them on a computer first, to install on your BlackBerry. Hope you enjoy.
Download Official BlackBerry PlayBook Ringtones!
With the official release of the BlackBerry PlayBook SDK, developers have been given access to a lot of great tools. Not only is there a few wallpapers from the PlayBook, but also its official ringtone set.
A developer was nice enough to put them all together and send them to us so you can enjoy the ringtones on your current BlackBerry. These ringtones should really come in handy with any of the PlayBook themes out there.
Download BlackBerry PlayBook ringtones from:
These are all .wav files bundled into a zip file. You may need to extract them on a computer first, to install on your BlackBerry. Hope you enjoy.
RIM Introduces New SDK for BlackBerry PlayBook
Today at Adobe MAX, RIM announced the new BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR. This SDK enables developers to quickly and easily create AIR applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet using Adobe's powerful, familiar and industry-leading development tools. BlackBerry PlayBook is the world’s first tablet to be built from the metal up to run Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe AIR applications in a fully integrated, fully optimized fashion.
Adobe AIR developers can start building their applications today for BlackBerry PlayBook and will be able to start submitting their AIR applications for BlackBerry PlayBook to BlackBerry App World by end of this year.
The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR, along with the BlackBerry PlayBook simulator, are both currently available in beta and can be downloaded for free fromwww.blackberry.com/developers/
Full press release below:
New SDK From RIM Allows Developers to Create Adobe AIR Applications for BlackBerry PlayBook
- SDK integrates new extensions for Adobe AIR that have been highly optimized for the BlackBerry Tablet OS
- Developers can immediately begin building uncompromised applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet
- Early feedback from developers highlights ease of development and high performance
Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today launched the new BlackBerry® Tablet OS SDK for Adobe® AIR® at the Adobe MAX conference in Los Angeles. The new Software Developer Kit (SDK) enables developers to quickly and easily create AIR applications for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet using Adobe's powerful, familiar and industry-leading development tools. With the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR, developers can leverage the uniquely powerful capabilities of the BlackBerry Tablet OS, as well as access all of the richness of Adobe AIR, to deliver incredibly engaging and high-performing AIR applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook.
“The BlackBerry PlayBook, with its dual-core processor and multi-processing OS, is a multi-tasking powerhouse that is also the world’s first tablet to be built from the metal up to run Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe AIR applications in a fully integrated, fully optimized fashion,” said David Yach, Chief Technology Officer, Software, Research In Motion. “The new SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook unleashes a wealth of opportunity for the Adobe and BlackBerry development communities to easily create value-added applications and experiences for customers and we are extremely excited by the positive feedback received from developers in early trials.”
The BlackBerry PlayBook with BlackBerry Tablet OS supports Adobe AIR 2.5 and Adobe Flash® Player 10.1 at its core. This integrated support and the BlackBerry PlayBook’s exceptional processing power (including a 1 GHz dual-core processor, true symmetric multiprocessing and multi-threaded rendering) give developers the ability to deliver incredibly rich content and applications with highly-responsive and fluid touch screen experiences.
“The close collaboration between RIM and the Adobe AIR team has achieved an implementation which we expect to be the first to include high performance optimizations for tablet devices,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Creative and Interactive Business Solutions at Adobe. “This, combined with great tooling integration and full Flash Player 10.1 support, makes the BlackBerry PlayBook an outstanding platform for more than three million Flash developers.”
Building the Best Flash/AIR Applications for Tablet ComputingRIM has designed the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR to allow developers to leverage the uniquely powerful capabilities of the BlackBerry PlayBook and Adobe AIR 2.5 to build industry-leading applications that provide a distinctly compelling experience for BlackBerry PlayBook users. The new SDK provides developers with support for:
- Hardware-accelerated playback of video and graphics-intensive content, both in the browser and within AIR applications, enabling a smooth, high fidelity viewing experience on the BlackBerry PlayBook, even with up to 1080p HD content
- Web View to enable AIR apps to display HTML and Flash content and to leverage the BlackBerry PlayBook's WebKit browser
- UI components that have been built specifically for the touch screen experience on a tablet device, including support for multi-touch and gestures
- Powerful APIs to advanced features such as the front and rear facing cameras, accelerometer, geo-location, in-app payments and more
- Application notifications, which allow developers to bring events generated by AIR applications immediately to the user’s attention, even if the application is running in the background
- Seamless communication between AIR apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook, allowing the creation of “Super App” experiences
- Extending Adobe AIR applications to use native C++ extensions, providing developers with the ability to write part of their application in the BlackBerry Tablet OS's native code (subject to availability of the upcoming BlackBerry Tablet OS native SDK)
- Porting existing Adobe AIR applications quickly and easily to the BlackBerry PlayBook
What Developers are Saying about Building Flash/AIR Apps for BlackBerry PlayBookSeveral BlackBerry® Alliance members are already working with the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR as part of an early access program.
“eUnity enables health care professionals to access and manipulate full quality medical images from a Flash-enabled web browser,” said Steve Rankin, President and CEO of Client Outlook. “Bringing our application to the tablet form factor for the first time was incredibly fast and easy using the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR. In fact we had eUnity running on the BlackBerry PlayBook in less than 2 hours! We are excited about the opportunity to access our innovative server technology through the power of Flash to provide our healthcare clientele with the ability to dynamically interact with diagnostic images that render amazingly fast, on an ultra portable device.”
“With help from Adobe's development tools we've been able to create an exceptional eReading application that will be pre-loaded on the BlackBerry PlayBook," said Dan Leibu, CTO of Kobo. "The SDK enabled us to achieve the right level of performance for the delivery of rich reading content and a world-class reading experience."
“Mobile and social technologies are the future of enterprise computing,” said Kendall Collins, chief marketing officer, salesforce.com. “The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR will enable us to seamlessly deliver real-time collaboration with Chatter Mobile to business users around the world on the BlackBerry PlayBook”
“SAP customers want to free their SAP® applications from the confines of the desktop and truly mobilize their workforces,” said Nicholas Brown, senior vice president, Mobility Market Development, SAP AG. “Analytic dashboards are a clear use case in which everyone from the C-level executive to line-of-business manager to sales rep can analyze and access information in real time. The BlackBerry PlayBook SDK for Adobe AIR made it incredibly easy for us to build applications using Flash development tools– it took our developers just a couple of days to convert an existing SAP application into an AIR application for BlackBerry PlayBook. It looks impressive and most importantly is incredible easy to use on the new tablet.”
“The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR, allowed us to create a highly engaging experience utilizing existing coding knowledge, which makes creating PlayBook applications extremely fast," said Brett Cortese, CEO, Universal Mind, Inc. "We simply dropped the SDK into Flash Builder and the controls were available and the ball was rolling."
Getting Started Adobe AIR developers can start building their applications for BlackBerry PlayBook today and will be able to submit their AIR applications for BlackBerry PlayBook to BlackBerry App World™ later this year. The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR and the BlackBerry PlayBook simulator are both currently available in beta and can be downloaded for free from www.blackberry.com/developers/tabletos.
Developers at Adobe MAX interested in learning about development opportunities for BlackBerry PlayBook can stop by RIM’s booth #107. Attendees can also join in on a series of RIM-hosted sessions at the show focused on how to start developing AIR applications and web content for the BlackBerry Tablet OS.
The first webcast of a five week series hosted by RIM and Adobe experts will start on November 4, 2010 and will provide developers the opportunity to learn more about creating Adobe AIR applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Developers interested in signing up for the webcast series can visitwww.blackberry.com/developers/tabletos/webcasts.
About Research In MotionResearch In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
###
Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "intend," "believe", and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause RIM's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of RIM's Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM's forward-looking statements. RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.
RIM Introduces New SDK for BlackBerry PlayBook
Today at Adobe MAX, RIM announced the new BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR. This SDK enables developers to quickly and easily create AIR applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet using Adobe's powerful, familiar and industry-leading development tools. BlackBerry PlayBook is the world’s first tablet to be built from the metal up to run Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe AIR applications in a fully integrated, fully optimized fashion.
Adobe AIR developers can start building their applications today for BlackBerry PlayBook and will be able to start submitting their AIR applications for BlackBerry PlayBook to BlackBerry App World by end of this year.
The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR, along with the BlackBerry PlayBook simulator, are both currently available in beta and can be downloaded for free fromwww.blackberry.com/developers/
Full press release below:
New SDK From RIM Allows Developers to Create Adobe AIR Applications for BlackBerry PlayBook
- SDK integrates new extensions for Adobe AIR that have been highly optimized for the BlackBerry Tablet OS
- Developers can immediately begin building uncompromised applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet
- Early feedback from developers highlights ease of development and high performance
Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today launched the new BlackBerry® Tablet OS SDK for Adobe® AIR® at the Adobe MAX conference in Los Angeles. The new Software Developer Kit (SDK) enables developers to quickly and easily create AIR applications for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet using Adobe's powerful, familiar and industry-leading development tools. With the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR, developers can leverage the uniquely powerful capabilities of the BlackBerry Tablet OS, as well as access all of the richness of Adobe AIR, to deliver incredibly engaging and high-performing AIR applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook.
“The BlackBerry PlayBook, with its dual-core processor and multi-processing OS, is a multi-tasking powerhouse that is also the world’s first tablet to be built from the metal up to run Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe AIR applications in a fully integrated, fully optimized fashion,” said David Yach, Chief Technology Officer, Software, Research In Motion. “The new SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook unleashes a wealth of opportunity for the Adobe and BlackBerry development communities to easily create value-added applications and experiences for customers and we are extremely excited by the positive feedback received from developers in early trials.”
The BlackBerry PlayBook with BlackBerry Tablet OS supports Adobe AIR 2.5 and Adobe Flash® Player 10.1 at its core. This integrated support and the BlackBerry PlayBook’s exceptional processing power (including a 1 GHz dual-core processor, true symmetric multiprocessing and multi-threaded rendering) give developers the ability to deliver incredibly rich content and applications with highly-responsive and fluid touch screen experiences.
“The close collaboration between RIM and the Adobe AIR team has achieved an implementation which we expect to be the first to include high performance optimizations for tablet devices,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Creative and Interactive Business Solutions at Adobe. “This, combined with great tooling integration and full Flash Player 10.1 support, makes the BlackBerry PlayBook an outstanding platform for more than three million Flash developers.”
Building the Best Flash/AIR Applications for Tablet ComputingRIM has designed the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR to allow developers to leverage the uniquely powerful capabilities of the BlackBerry PlayBook and Adobe AIR 2.5 to build industry-leading applications that provide a distinctly compelling experience for BlackBerry PlayBook users. The new SDK provides developers with support for:
- Hardware-accelerated playback of video and graphics-intensive content, both in the browser and within AIR applications, enabling a smooth, high fidelity viewing experience on the BlackBerry PlayBook, even with up to 1080p HD content
- Web View to enable AIR apps to display HTML and Flash content and to leverage the BlackBerry PlayBook's WebKit browser
- UI components that have been built specifically for the touch screen experience on a tablet device, including support for multi-touch and gestures
- Powerful APIs to advanced features such as the front and rear facing cameras, accelerometer, geo-location, in-app payments and more
- Application notifications, which allow developers to bring events generated by AIR applications immediately to the user’s attention, even if the application is running in the background
- Seamless communication between AIR apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook, allowing the creation of “Super App” experiences
- Extending Adobe AIR applications to use native C++ extensions, providing developers with the ability to write part of their application in the BlackBerry Tablet OS's native code (subject to availability of the upcoming BlackBerry Tablet OS native SDK)
- Porting existing Adobe AIR applications quickly and easily to the BlackBerry PlayBook
What Developers are Saying about Building Flash/AIR Apps for BlackBerry PlayBookSeveral BlackBerry® Alliance members are already working with the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR as part of an early access program.
“eUnity enables health care professionals to access and manipulate full quality medical images from a Flash-enabled web browser,” said Steve Rankin, President and CEO of Client Outlook. “Bringing our application to the tablet form factor for the first time was incredibly fast and easy using the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR. In fact we had eUnity running on the BlackBerry PlayBook in less than 2 hours! We are excited about the opportunity to access our innovative server technology through the power of Flash to provide our healthcare clientele with the ability to dynamically interact with diagnostic images that render amazingly fast, on an ultra portable device.”
“With help from Adobe's development tools we've been able to create an exceptional eReading application that will be pre-loaded on the BlackBerry PlayBook," said Dan Leibu, CTO of Kobo. "The SDK enabled us to achieve the right level of performance for the delivery of rich reading content and a world-class reading experience."
“Mobile and social technologies are the future of enterprise computing,” said Kendall Collins, chief marketing officer, salesforce.com. “The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR will enable us to seamlessly deliver real-time collaboration with Chatter Mobile to business users around the world on the BlackBerry PlayBook”
“SAP customers want to free their SAP® applications from the confines of the desktop and truly mobilize their workforces,” said Nicholas Brown, senior vice president, Mobility Market Development, SAP AG. “Analytic dashboards are a clear use case in which everyone from the C-level executive to line-of-business manager to sales rep can analyze and access information in real time. The BlackBerry PlayBook SDK for Adobe AIR made it incredibly easy for us to build applications using Flash development tools– it took our developers just a couple of days to convert an existing SAP application into an AIR application for BlackBerry PlayBook. It looks impressive and most importantly is incredible easy to use on the new tablet.”
“The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR, allowed us to create a highly engaging experience utilizing existing coding knowledge, which makes creating PlayBook applications extremely fast," said Brett Cortese, CEO, Universal Mind, Inc. "We simply dropped the SDK into Flash Builder and the controls were available and the ball was rolling."
Getting Started Adobe AIR developers can start building their applications for BlackBerry PlayBook today and will be able to submit their AIR applications for BlackBerry PlayBook to BlackBerry App World™ later this year. The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR and the BlackBerry PlayBook simulator are both currently available in beta and can be downloaded for free from www.blackberry.com/developers/tabletos.
Developers at Adobe MAX interested in learning about development opportunities for BlackBerry PlayBook can stop by RIM’s booth #107. Attendees can also join in on a series of RIM-hosted sessions at the show focused on how to start developing AIR applications and web content for the BlackBerry Tablet OS.
The first webcast of a five week series hosted by RIM and Adobe experts will start on November 4, 2010 and will provide developers the opportunity to learn more about creating Adobe AIR applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Developers interested in signing up for the webcast series can visitwww.blackberry.com/developers/tabletos/webcasts.
About Research In MotionResearch In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, revolutionized the mobile industry with the introduction of the BlackBerry® solution in 1999. Today, BlackBerry products and services are used by millions of customers around the world to stay connected to the people and content that matter most throughout their day. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. RIM is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (NASDAQ: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
###
Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used herein, words such as "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "should", "intend," "believe", and similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by RIM in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that RIM believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause RIM's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those described in the "Risk Factors" section of RIM's Annual Information Form, which is included in its Annual Report on Form 40-F (copies of which filings may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on RIM's forward-looking statements. RIM has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited. RIM, Research In Motion and BlackBerry are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be pending or registered in other countries. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services.
BlackBerry PlayBook Shown at GITEX; 5300mAh Battery and 64GB Option Noted
on Monday, October 18, 2010
At this year's GITEX (Gulf Information Technology Exhibition) we now get to hear more on the BlackBerry PlayBook from co-CEO Jim Balsillie. When the PlayBook was originally unveiled at this past DevCon 2010, some of the PlayBook's specs were still unknown. However, on some of the slides presented at GITEX, more spec info was announced.
As previously thought, there will be 16GB and 32GB versions of the PlayBook. It has now been unveiled that there will also be a 64GB option available.
The PlayBook will also sport a 5300mAh battery. To put it in comparison, the Torch 9800 only has a 1270mAh battery. If the PlayBook is to run Adobe AIR and Flash, as well as be media-focused, this large battery should hopefully tackle the tasks at hand until the end of the day.
Checkout the keynote from Jim Balsillie at GITEX from the video below:
On a BlackBerry? Click Here for Mobile Video Viewing
via TBreak
BlackBerry PlayBook Shown at GITEX; 5300mAh Battery and 64GB Option Noted
At this year's GITEX (Gulf Information Technology Exhibition) we now get to hear more on the BlackBerry PlayBook from co-CEO Jim Balsillie. When the PlayBook was originally unveiled at this past DevCon 2010, some of the PlayBook's specs were still unknown. However, on some of the slides presented at GITEX, more spec info was announced.
As previously thought, there will be 16GB and 32GB versions of the PlayBook. It has now been unveiled that there will also be a 64GB option available.
The PlayBook will also sport a 5300mAh battery. To put it in comparison, the Torch 9800 only has a 1270mAh battery. If the PlayBook is to run Adobe AIR and Flash, as well as be media-focused, this large battery should hopefully tackle the tasks at hand until the end of the day.
Checkout the keynote from Jim Balsillie at GITEX from the video below:
On a BlackBerry? Click Here for Mobile Video Viewing
via TBreak
In-Depth Comparison of the BlackBerry PlayBook, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and Apple iPad Specs
on Wednesday, September 29, 2010
The battle between the tablets is about to begin. With the success of the Apple iPad and tablets looking to become a $40-billion industry, other tech companies are starting to jump on the tablet bandwagon. The next tablet to be released is the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and shortly thereafter the recently announced BlackBerry PlayBook.
Research In Motion has stepped out of their comfort zone with the PlayBook and it's looking like a smart move. However, as with any BlackBerry product, we take an outside approach to its performance, functionality, comfortability, and interoperability when paired against the competition. We have taken the known specs of each tablet device and compared them to give you an unbiased look at which tablet may be the victor.
Apple iPad
There is no doubt that the Apple iPad has been a huge success. There have already been over 3 million units sold since its April 2010 launch. While sales may be high, does it mean that it is the best? The iPad is said to perform as a giant iPhone, but lacks a camera and may be a bit uncomfortable in size. Due to its popularity and basic OS as the iPhone, the iPad has many apps, games, and more.
The amount of content available for a product generally helps it sell better than products without solid developer support. This has been key in leveraging the iPhone and now iPad against its competition. Currently, the iPad runs iOS 3.2, but will be upgraded to iOS 4.1 in November 2010.
Samsung Galaxy Tab
The Samsung Galaxy Tab will be the first tablet to launch and run Android 2.2 (Froyo). The Galaxy Tab will also be the first tablet to launch that will have a front and rear facing camera. It will have a microphone so as to allow you to make phone calls, and will also be useful during video conferencing. The Galaxy Tab will be the smallest tablet on the market at the time of its release.
Android has been a huge success with its easy integration of Google products. The Galaxy Tab will be able to download apps from the Google Marketplace, many of the same apps or games you could on any Android phone. Samsung also plans to make Galaxy Tab specific apps, which should really enhance the user experience. The Galaxy Tab will have Adobe Flash 10.1 support, where the iPad lacks this.
BlackBerry PlayBook
Research In Motion has officially confirmed the rumors by announcing the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet at DevCon 2010. RIM has been seriously lacking in hardware performance in their smartphones, when compared to their competition. Many people were blown away by the announcement on the specs for the PlayBook. Even more, RIM announced that the PlayBook would run the QNX operating system. QNX gives the PlayBook a whole new suite of features and functions that the original BlackBerry OS could not match.
From the renders we've seen of the QNX OS on the PlayBook, it looks on par with that of Apple's iOS and Google's Android. However, even though the QNX OS will have great developer support and interoperability, many fear that the PlayBook will lack apps when launched. Current BlackBerry app developers will have to learn an entirely new system to develop apps for the PlayBook, so it could take some time. Adobe will bring Flash 10.1 and AIR to the PlayBook. The PlayBook, when launched, will be the only tablet to have Adobe AIR.
Side-by-side Comparison
Below is a comparison chart between all three devices. At the bottom is a synopsis of the data.
The Break-down
The iPad is the leader in size, but is bigger always better? It is said that the size of the Galaxy Tab and PlayBook are more efficient and comfortable to carry around and use over the iPad. The Galaxy Tab is the lightest with the PlayBook very close behind. The iPad has a nice large display, but again the size may be a negative aspect compared to the Galaxy Tab and PlayBook.
The iPad and PlayBook both have the same WiFi bands, but the Galaxy Tab will only support one n band. However, the Galaxy Tab makes up for it by offering Bluetooth 3.0 over the 2.1+ EDR that both the iPad and PlayBook have. Currently, the iPad only supports 3G. Whereas, the Galaxy Tab supports 2.5G/3G and PlayBook will support 3G and 4G. The PlayBook will advance in this area once a 4G model is offered, especially if it is on Verizon's LTE network.
While all three tablets sport a 1GHz processor, it is hard to say which one is the fastest. It was definitely a surprise to see the PlayBook offer one with dual-core.
All three tablets should be able to support the same audio playback. While we are unsure of the Galaxy Tab's video playback, out of the three the PlayBook appears to be the leader with 1080p.
The iPad leads in battery and power, but we're assuming this is only the case because it can hold a larger battery. It is unknown what the battery life will be for the PlayBook.
When it comes to internal memory there is one more option for the iPad over the other tablets. However, where it lacks severely is by only having 256mb RAM. The next runner up is the Galaxy Tab with 512mb RAM, with the leader being the PlayBook at 1GB RAM. Many times a lot of RAM is not needed if the operating system on a device runs light. Either RIM wanted to really beef up the PlayBook or the new QNX OS is a bit hefty and will require the added RAM. It is too early to tell, but needless to say if QNX is as light as RIM says, than the extra RAM is a win.
Both the PlayBook and Galaxy Tab have HDMI outputs, where the iPad does not. This is probably the case since the iPad lacks a camera. The Galaxy Tab will be the first tablet to come out with a front and rear facing camera. However, the front facing camera is a pitiful 1.3MP and the rear is only 3MP. The PlayBook will sport a 3MP front facing camera and a 5MP rear camera. The cameras in BlackBerry devices have never been known to be that great. It will be interesting to see how well the PlayBook's 5MP camera is when compared to others. (i.e. the Torch 9800's auto-focus 5MP camera does not take as quality a picture as the Motorola Droid)
Afterthoughts
It is still too early to really declare who the triumphant victor is in the tablet wars. We wanted to lay it all out and let you, the consumer, decide which tablet looks the best. Although, we must say, right now the BlackBerry PlayBook is looking awfully good, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab trailing right behind. If Research In Motion doesn't screw things up, they may actually have a solid device against their competition. Which tablet do you believe will be the best?
In-Depth Comparison of the BlackBerry PlayBook, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and Apple iPad Specs
The battle between the tablets is about to begin. With the success of the Apple iPad and tablets looking to become a $40-billion industry, other tech companies are starting to jump on the tablet bandwagon. The next tablet to be released is the Samsung Galaxy Tab, and shortly thereafter the recently announced BlackBerry PlayBook.
Research In Motion has stepped out of their comfort zone with the PlayBook and it's looking like a smart move. However, as with any BlackBerry product, we take an outside approach to its performance, functionality, comfortability, and interoperability when paired against the competition. We have taken the known specs of each tablet device and compared them to give you an unbiased look at which tablet may be the victor.
Apple iPad
There is no doubt that the Apple iPad has been a huge success. There have already been over 3 million units sold since its April 2010 launch. While sales may be high, does it mean that it is the best? The iPad is said to perform as a giant iPhone, but lacks a camera and may be a bit uncomfortable in size. Due to its popularity and basic OS as the iPhone, the iPad has many apps, games, and more.
The amount of content available for a product generally helps it sell better than products without solid developer support. This has been key in leveraging the iPhone and now iPad against its competition. Currently, the iPad runs iOS 3.2, but will be upgraded to iOS 4.1 in November 2010.
Samsung Galaxy Tab
The Samsung Galaxy Tab will be the first tablet to launch and run Android 2.2 (Froyo). The Galaxy Tab will also be the first tablet to launch that will have a front and rear facing camera. It will have a microphone so as to allow you to make phone calls, and will also be useful during video conferencing. The Galaxy Tab will be the smallest tablet on the market at the time of its release.
Android has been a huge success with its easy integration of Google products. The Galaxy Tab will be able to download apps from the Google Marketplace, many of the same apps or games you could on any Android phone. Samsung also plans to make Galaxy Tab specific apps, which should really enhance the user experience. The Galaxy Tab will have Adobe Flash 10.1 support, where the iPad lacks this.
BlackBerry PlayBook
Research In Motion has officially confirmed the rumors by announcing the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet at DevCon 2010. RIM has been seriously lacking in hardware performance in their smartphones, when compared to their competition. Many people were blown away by the announcement on the specs for the PlayBook. Even more, RIM announced that the PlayBook would run the QNX operating system. QNX gives the PlayBook a whole new suite of features and functions that the original BlackBerry OS could not match.
From the renders we've seen of the QNX OS on the PlayBook, it looks on par with that of Apple's iOS and Google's Android. However, even though the QNX OS will have great developer support and interoperability, many fear that the PlayBook will lack apps when launched. Current BlackBerry app developers will have to learn an entirely new system to develop apps for the PlayBook, so it could take some time. Adobe will bring Flash 10.1 and AIR to the PlayBook. The PlayBook, when launched, will be the only tablet to have Adobe AIR.
Side-by-side Comparison
Below is a comparison chart between all three devices. At the bottom is a synopsis of the data.
The Break-down
The iPad is the leader in size, but is bigger always better? It is said that the size of the Galaxy Tab and PlayBook are more efficient and comfortable to carry around and use over the iPad. The Galaxy Tab is the lightest with the PlayBook very close behind. The iPad has a nice large display, but again the size may be a negative aspect compared to the Galaxy Tab and PlayBook.
The iPad and PlayBook both have the same WiFi bands, but the Galaxy Tab will only support one n band. However, the Galaxy Tab makes up for it by offering Bluetooth 3.0 over the 2.1+ EDR that both the iPad and PlayBook have. Currently, the iPad only supports 3G. Whereas, the Galaxy Tab supports 2.5G/3G and PlayBook will support 3G and 4G. The PlayBook will advance in this area once a 4G model is offered, especially if it is on Verizon's LTE network.
While all three tablets sport a 1GHz processor, it is hard to say which one is the fastest. It was definitely a surprise to see the PlayBook offer one with dual-core.
All three tablets should be able to support the same audio playback. While we are unsure of the Galaxy Tab's video playback, out of the three the PlayBook appears to be the leader with 1080p.
The iPad leads in battery and power, but we're assuming this is only the case because it can hold a larger battery. It is unknown what the battery life will be for the PlayBook.
When it comes to internal memory there is one more option for the iPad over the other tablets. However, where it lacks severely is by only having 256mb RAM. The next runner up is the Galaxy Tab with 512mb RAM, with the leader being the PlayBook at 1GB RAM. Many times a lot of RAM is not needed if the operating system on a device runs light. Either RIM wanted to really beef up the PlayBook or the new QNX OS is a bit hefty and will require the added RAM. It is too early to tell, but needless to say if QNX is as light as RIM says, than the extra RAM is a win.
Both the PlayBook and Galaxy Tab have HDMI outputs, where the iPad does not. This is probably the case since the iPad lacks a camera. The Galaxy Tab will be the first tablet to come out with a front and rear facing camera. However, the front facing camera is a pitiful 1.3MP and the rear is only 3MP. The PlayBook will sport a 3MP front facing camera and a 5MP rear camera. The cameras in BlackBerry devices have never been known to be that great. It will be interesting to see how well the PlayBook's 5MP camera is when compared to others. (i.e. the Torch 9800's auto-focus 5MP camera does not take as quality a picture as the Motorola Droid)
Afterthoughts
It is still too early to really declare who the triumphant victor is in the tablet wars. We wanted to lay it all out and let you, the consumer, decide which tablet looks the best. Although, we must say, right now the BlackBerry PlayBook is looking awfully good, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab trailing right behind. If Research In Motion doesn't screw things up, they may actually have a solid device against their competition. Which tablet do you believe will be the best?
Kobo eReader to Come Pre-Loaded on BlackBerry PlayBook
Research In Motion announced today, through Twitter, that the Kobo eReader will come pre-loaded on to the BlackBerry PlayBook. During the DevCon 2010 keynote we saw Kobo briefly in the teaser video of the PlayBook, but no one thought anything of it at the time.
Kobo currently offers over 2.2 million eBooks to download. Kobo also announced at DevCon 2010 that they will utilize the social integration of BBM. It will be interesting to see how the Kobo app will run on the PlayBook. We also assume current Kobo users will be able to transfer current purchased eBooks to the BlackBerry PlayBook.
Kobo eReader to Come Pre-Loaded on BlackBerry PlayBook
Research In Motion announced today, through Twitter, that the Kobo eReader will come pre-loaded on to the BlackBerry PlayBook. During the DevCon 2010 keynote we saw Kobo briefly in the teaser video of the PlayBook, but no one thought anything of it at the time.
Kobo currently offers over 2.2 million eBooks to download. Kobo also announced at DevCon 2010 that they will utilize the social integration of BBM. It will be interesting to see how the Kobo app will run on the PlayBook. We also assume current Kobo users will be able to transfer current purchased eBooks to the BlackBerry PlayBook.