Kindle Fire vs. BlackBerry Playbook

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andrewkalies November 14, 2011

Kindle Fire vs. BlackBerry Playbook

In terms of usability, media consumption, battery life, etc., which is better?

I realize the Fire is brand new, dual core, and has a seriously good marketplace backing it, but I've also heard very good things about the Playbook.

Main uses would be web browsing and reading e-books.

You can get a brand new Playbook (16GB) for $345, while the brand new Kindle Fire (6GB for actual content) is $200.

So gdgt community, which is better overall?

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LWKING 1 year ago

I would like to add that the Blackberry Playbook will soon be receiving a huge update to OS2. For $200, it's a steal. Not only will you be able to use Android apps, but a huge detail that I personally love is that you will be able to remote access your actual computer. I saw the demo with my own eyes. He was running CAD software on the Playbook!! I suggest the Blackberry Playbook, but I suggest you do some research of your own to figure out which tablet will complement your needs the best.

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adamtek 2011-11-14 15:39:28

In my opinion I think that unless RIM changes leadership, their company is on shaky ground and there is a stronger possibility that the entire company, and not just the playbook, is doomed. I think Amazon has hit the jackpot with basically selling your a portal to content, and then providing slightly better hardware than RIM.

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bb4u 2011-11-14 17:24:38

How is the Kindle Fire hardware slightly better? It doesn't have front or rear facing cameras like the Playbook or a microphone. It is definitely better hardware bang for the buck (disregarding the black friday sale for the Playbook).

adamtek 2011-11-14 18:34:38

I do think you are right, but I think that the removal of the mic and camera shows that Amazon wants this to be a consumption device and not a creation or communication device. Even though those are features that those of us in the tech world would love, non-techies may not care. All they will see is "Hey all of my stuff is here in one place!"

LWKING 2011-11-18 22:33:20

I'm going to be honest with you. I registered on this site simply to call you an idiot. If you respond, I probably won't ever see it. Costumers read reviews and make purchases off of them. Please do educated research before you make a comment, otherwise refrain from commenting at all. Your hardware statement is incredibly false. The Blackberry Playbook has TWICE the RAM and TWICE the internal storage. I'd say twice the cameras but the Kindle Fire doesn't have any, while the Playbook has two. Also the Playbook as a 3MP front facing camera that is better than most (if not all) other tablet front facing cameras. That's just the beginning. In terms of performance, these two tablets should not be compared. On an even playing field level of $200, there is no question on what tablet to get. If you're worried about the company RIM itself, do some personal research into it. They're much better off than everybody says. I have no affiliation with the company. I just HATE uneducated comments, especially when many people use them to make expensive purchases. It's not fair for the consumer or the company.

latarnik 2012-01-06 19:35:48

Just to echo the above answers - Fire is just a poorer version of Playbook. It was actually designed by the same company, just stripped off from some features. Users say (I only have a Playbook and not Fire) that Fire is slower than Playbook, but I guess it depends on the application. Fire may be better for reading ebooks, because this application surely have been polished to the max. In all other cases Playbook will win.

ai4281 2011-11-19 21:10:40

Kindle Fire is a better choice, even with Playbook's price drop to $200. RIM is just trying to get rid of these, because no one was buying Playbooks at $499.99. I wouldn't look forward to that OS 2.0 update. It was supposed to come in the Summer, but they delayed it to February. They are clearly having some problems there. Who knows if it's ever coming.

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Jgstew 2011-11-14 10:18:23

I think the Kindle Fire is a much better choice. The platform will have better support and more apps right away. I am not confident in blackberry's platform to stick around. Your desired uses for the device should suit either device, but the Kindle will have a much stronger e-book platform. You may not specifically be looking for all the apps that will be available on the Kindle Fire, but you may find yourself using them much more than you think. I also think that Silk, the Kindle Fire's web browser, is potentially a huge improvement over any other tablet's browser, but that is yet to be seen.

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dnlpalestina 2011-11-14 11:33:15

Just to add a little bit more confusion, Staples is going to offer PlayBook for $200 on Black Friday! www.mobiledia.com/news/115961.html

Even though, I'd stay with the Fire just because of the platform, the curated market and the support.

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