RIM Playbook
by Perry Mack
One of the more affordable ways to stay in touch on the road is the newly released mini tablet. Mini’s have a roughly 7” screen size compared to the roughly 10” screen of the typical tablets.
There are four main contenders in the category including the new iPad Mini, Blackberry Playbook, Google Nexus 7 (by Asus) and the Amazon Kindle Fire. Which one is best for you depends on your needs and wants.
Let’s start with what is similar between the models. Screen size is the first as we’ve discussed – they range from 7” to 7.9”, all have Wi-Fi connectivity, all have front facing cameras for web chat (i.e. Skype) and they are all under 400 grams in weight.
If you need or want cell phone connectivity – very handy while on the road – you’ll be looking for the iPad Mini, Playbook or Google Nexus.
If you would like to take photos and video your choices are the Playbook or the Mini. This is important if you are planning to share your travels with family and friends since you can easily upload to web sites like Facebook directly from your tablet.
All come with a range of memory options – more memory costs more money with the Playbook and Mini coming out on top with 64 GB options. If taking photos and video are important to you then buy as much memory as you can afford, I recommend at least 32GB. If you are planning to also use this as an entertainment device and download and store movies then you should consider the 64GB versions.
The Mini and Playbook have the best screen resolutions, cameras and processors. So why purchase a Nexus or Kindle? If you want a basic web browsing experience, plan to use your tablet to read and are looking for the most affordable tablet then the Kindle will do just fine. If you would like to add some gaming and communication (connect to the web using a cell plan) upgrade to the Nexus.
However, if you want to carry just one device for all your travel needs (web, photography, video, communications, games and entertainment) the Playbook or Mini are your best options.
The Playbook is the best unit from a hardware specifications point of view (and it’s from RIM – a Canadian company). If typical business apps like Word, Excel and PowerPoint are important and if you already own a Blackberry phone, then it is your best choice. Apple offers you a lighter, thinner unit with the highest number of entertainment apps (software).
Regardless of the unit you finally purchase, traveling on the road and sharing your experiences with friends, has never been as enjoyable as it is with the new technology available.