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`6 of 19 DOCUMENTS
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`Copyright 2011 Next Gen Publishing, distributed by Contify.com
`All Rights Reserved
`Computer Active
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`August 13, 2011
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`LENGTH: 6580 words
`
`HEADLINE: Android, iPad, BlackBerry and Windows tablet group test
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`BODY:
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`Tablet usage has exploded in the past two years, largely on the back of the success of the original iPad. Most major
`manufacturers now have a tablet on the market and are trying to woo business users.
`
`Computer Active India has rounded up seven of the best and put them through their paces. For those yet to invest in a
`tablet, take a look at our head-to-head table and comparison table on page 5 to help you decide.
`
`Acer Iconia Tab W500
`
`The Acer Iconia Tab W500 is a Windows 7 hybrid tablet/laptop aimed at business professionals on the move.
`
`Despite being sold as a standalone 10.1in tablet, the keyboard attachment is imperative for many users to get the most
`out of the device. One of the major reasons for this is that Windows 7 was not designed to be used with a touch screen.
`
`Our impressions of the W500 were mixed as it isn't as striking as the iPad 2. Technical specifications are impressive on
`paper, with an AMD C-50 dual-core 1GHz processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 32GB of internal storage as standard.
`
`The device comes with an overall Windows Experience Index rating of 2.8. Compare this to the Fujitsu Lifebook
`PH530's Windows Experience rating of 2.7, which is a slightly misleading score as the graphics capabilities brought the
`overall score down.
`
`The 10.1 widescreen LCD touch display comes with a resolution of 1,280x800, and has a bright picture thanks to the
`LED backlight. Surrounding the screen, however, is a large black bezel that looks like it could have been better used.
`
`Our measurements suggest that Acer could have increased the screen size to 12 inches. The fact that the extra space
`hasn't been used is even more bizarre considering that the majority of this unused bezel is part of the LCD panel itself.
`
`Other features built into the chassis include a two-inone card reader, HDMI and USB 2.0 port as well as Wi- Fi and
`Bluetooth connectivity. Like all the latest tablets the W500 incorporates front- and rear-facing cameras, both at
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`1.3-megapixels.
`
`Business users are likely to need the keyboard attachment most of the time. To connect the tablet, the screen slots into a
`USB connector into the keyboard, which appears when a flap is raised.
`
`When the device is not in use, the flap on the keyboard can be folded down and the screen can be placed on top of it,
`locked in place and carried around like a netbook.
`
`However, the problems start when the W500 is plugged into the keyboard. The device weighs 1kg but most of this is in
`the tablet, making it top heavy. The W500 needs to be placed on a completely flat surface otherwise there is a risk of it
`toppling over.
`
`Using the W500 balanced on your lap is very tricky and great care has to be taken to ensure that the screen does not fall
`out of the dock. During our tests, we found that the W500 was incapable of sitting on the soft surface of a sofa or bed
`without falling over.
`
`The W500 takes anywhere between five to 10 seconds to detect when a dock has been attached. Although this is not a
`long time, it gives the impression that the device is sluggish and is likely to get slower as time goes on.
`
`The dockable keyboard itself is usable, but far from the best we have seen. It comes with 84 keys, two USB ports and an
`ethernet socket.
`
`Letters are generally well spaced in a island style, but they are very shallow and it is easy to misspell words because
`letters have not been depressed sufficiently.
`
`Unfortunately, there is no trackpad and you are forced to use the FineTrack trackball that sits in the centre of the
`keyboard. The two mouse buttons are also awkwardly placed on the edge of the keyboard and we found that we often
`hit the space bar instead of the left click.
`
`For those who have not used a trackball before it will take some getting used to, and the experience can be described as
`fiddly at best. When using the W500 in the office, we found that plugging in a USB mouse was a necessity.
`
`By comparison, the similarly sized 10.1 Asus Eee Pad Transformer hybrid comes with a full sized trackpad and the
`ability to fold the screen when the tablet is connected to the dock.
`
`Considering that the Asus Eee Pad Transformer has dimensions of 271x171x12.98mm, which are very similar to the
`275x190x15.95mm of the W500, it does feel that it has been left in the dirt by Asus.
`
`Software
`
`Acer ships the tablet with Windows 7 Home Premium, so it is not optimised for business use. However, it will provide a
`better desktop-like experience than other tablets.
`
`The internet experience resembles that of laptops and netbooks, with access to all browsers such as IE9, Firefox 4,
`Chrome and Opera.
`
`Preloaded software comes in the form of Microsoft Office Starter edition and the usual anti-virus software free trial.
`Another feature is the Acer Ring, an interface created to make use of the touch-screen functionality.
`
`Users are able to browse the internet, and access applications such as notetaking, camera and the calculator, from the
`Acer Ring. The My Journal feature is an aggregator that keeps web site updates, and Clear.fi allows users to search,
`share, and play back music and video over Wi-Fi.
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`The onscreen keyboard is the same as on all Windows touch-based devices. It is easy enough to type web addresses, but
`is not suited to long emails. It is very poor indeed when compared to the virtual keyboards on the iPad and Android
`tablets.
`
`Battery life fell short of the six hours claimed by Acer and this was disappointing especially when its portability is being
`touted. The W500 lasted a reasonable two hours and 49 minutes in the the Battery Eater Pro Classic test, which
`simulates high intensity activity.
`
`In the Reader test, the device topped out at three hours and 21 minutes. Realistically, the battery will last somewhere
`between these two figures when the dock is connected.
`
`When we used the W500 in the office as a desktop replacement it managed three hours and 20 minutes with 36 mins of
`hibernation, backing up the result of the reader test.
`
`In comparison, the Android Honeycomb Asus Eee Pad Transformer offers up to 16 hours of battery life when plugged
`into the dock, and the forthcoming Motorola Atrix lapdock aims to provide up to eight hours.
`
`The iPad 2, meanwhile, lasted 20 hours during our testing. We clocked nine hours of actual use including browsing the
`internet over Wi-Fi and 3G, watching three hours of video, and a two-hour film. The remaining 11 hours were spent in
`standby, eight hours of which was overnight.
`
`The design flaws together with the high price to get the dock could put off some users, however the fact that the tablet
`runs Windows could make it attractive to businesses.
`
`Apple iPad2
`
`Apple's latest iPad will do nothing to harm the company's position in the market, thanks to some welcome
`enhancements as well as a new colour scheme.
`
`Apple enthusiasts are agog with the new platform, which is selling out in shops across the US and will likely do the
`same around the world.
`
`Hardware
`
`Straight out of the box, the iPad 2 looks the same as its predecessor, but there are in fact some subtle differences. The
`9.7in LED screen is the same size and resolution as the original iPad, but subsequent tear downs have shown it to be not
`quite an exact copy of the original.
`
`Inside the iPad 2 is Apple's A5 dual-core processor, which the company says will be twice as fast as the A4 in the
`original iPad, once software has been rewritten for the new architecture. Even with current software however, there is a
`significant speed bump for general operations and the graphics feel much smoother, with none of the lag in opening and
`using applications that iPad users are used to.
`
`At 24.1 x 18.6 x 0.86cm the iPad 2 is slightly smaller and around a third slimmer than the iPad, and this is something
`that regular users of the original notice straight away. Battery life on the Wi-Fi unit is superb. In tests the unit ran from
`full charge to empty in just under nine hours of heavy use and the company claims the iPad 2 can remain in standby for
`nearly a month. Alarge part of this is down to new, thinner battery packs built into the device but software optimisation
`plays a role. The battery life of the iPad 2 is better than any other tablet on the market today.
`
`Software
`
`Apple's App Store is the largest in the business at the moment and the iPad 2 is easy to download and install new
`applications onto. However, there are limits to what Apple will allow.
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`Business application developers are being won over by the platform and there are a respectable range of tools for
`corporate owners, as well as plenty of consumer software. Installation is simple, although it's impossible to load even
`free applications without inputting credit card details.
`
`The iPad 2 comes with very few applications preloaded. The biggest addition most users will be using is FaceTime,
`Apple's videoconferencing application.
`
`Conclusion
`
`The iPad 2 is certainly recognisable as an upgrade and this new model will appeal to both new buyers and existing
`users.
`
`That said there is no unique point that makes purchasing the new model particularly compelling. The addition of
`cameras and FaceTime will prove very useful to people who have a lot of friends who are also Apple users but not for
`contacting anyone else.
`
`Apple's software ecosystem, while good, is also lacking certain key areas of development. Perhaps the most impressive
`feature of the iPad 2 is the battery life, which even high-end Android Honeycomb devices such as the Samsung Galaxy
`Tab 10.1 and Motorola Xoom don't quite match.
`
`The iPad 2 lasted 20 hours before cutting out. We clocked nine hours of actual use including browsing the internet over
`Wi-Fi and 3G, watching three hours of video and a two-hour film. The remaining 11 hours were spent in standby, eight
`hours of which was overnight. Despite still lacking Adobe Flash support and micro- USB connections, the iPad 2 is still
`arguably the best tablet on the market, offering high-end performance and a well-rounded experience.
`
`Asus Eee Pad Transformer
`
`There were people who laughed when Apple launched the iPad. Firstly, the idea seemed ludicrous: the form factor
`hadn't existed previously and was not one in which anyone had shown any interest. Secondly, the name was subject to
`much derision. Now, though, the market is aware of tablets and has accepted them in varying degrees, even when they
`have ludicrous names.
`
`Well, no name we've seen yet is as bad as Asus' Eee Pad Transformer. But no product has caused as much excitement
`either. It's an Android Honeycomb tablet with dimensions similar to the iPad's, but with features that could make your
`laptop redundant.
`
`The Eee Pad does this by offering a two-part solution. The main component is a tablet with a 10.1in screen and the
`usual features that come with the latest version of Android.
`
`The second component - a keyboard with additional battery - costs extra but aims to allow the Eee Pad to compete with
`a PC. So does this system work, or will your compact laptop still triumph?
`
`Laptop replacement
`
`To dive straight in, we don't honestly think the Asus system can replace a Windows, Mac OS X or a Linux laptop.
`Honeycomb is a good mobile operating system, but there are several things about it that don't work as a serious
`computing platform.
`
`Take, for example, copy and paste. This has never been the strong suit of most smartphones (although Nokia has never
`had a problem making this feature work). It took ages for Apple to introduce it and, while it does work on a phone, it's
`nowhere near as slick as on a desktop PC.
`
`To use the Eee Pad like a laptop, you're going to need to copy and paste into and out of documents from time to time.
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`This seems to involve transferring your hands from the keyboard onto the touchscreen. The way the docked tablet is
`angled makes this monstrously difficult and a very poor user experience.
`
`Indeed, attaching the keyboard seemed to affect how we thought of the device. We have no problem using a tablet, but
`the addition of a dock with a decent keypad seemed to confuse us slightly, as if we were battling against the muscle
`memory of using a Windows laptop.
`
`We found ourselves hardly using the touch screen, and tried to do everything with the mouse and keyboard. In the same
`way that Windows isn't designed for touchscreen displays, Android isn't really designed for keyboards and mouse
`inputs.
`
`And then there's the keyboard shortcuts, which we're used to on all desktop operating systems. On Android, the likes of
`control+v don't work, and people who use PCs will find this frustrating. To be fair, these are early days for Honeycomb
`and future updates should improve all these concerns.
`
`We also found that that the trackpad and arrow keys on the Transformer keyboard enticed us to do stupid things quite
`often. Several times we found our cursor jumping up the screen as we typed (because we leaned on the wrong bit of the
`keyboard). The good news is that you can switch off the trackpad. The bad news is that you can't turn of the arrow keys.
`
`So far, you could be forgiven for thinking we don't much like the Asus. In fact, the truth is that we have loved every
`moment we've spent with it. The typing quirks are an irritation, but using the device as a laptop is still plausible.
`
`SD card sockets on the tablet section and a full sized socket on the keyboard dock means that you can add storage, read
`and manipulate files from a digital camera (Adobe offers a mobile version of Photoshop for free on Android) as well as
`upload them to the internet.
`
`Office replacement
`
`For office users Polaris provides some simple, but functional, software that enables you to use documents and
`spreadsheets on the go. We found this a nice environment to work in, and tested it on the train with great success.
`
`The only glitch we found was when the full stop seemed to get stuck. We think this might have been because the
`keypad wasn't docked properly. It happened only once, though, and we're satisfied it's not a major bug.
`
`File management is also possible via an included application. You can browse either the tablet's micro SD card socket
`or the keyboard's SD card. The only problem here is that the Android file system is Linux-based.
`
`This might present navigational difficulties for users who aren't familiar with the way Linux is laid out, and finding the
`keyboard SD card had us puzzling for a few minutes.
`
`Typing on the built-in keyboard is pleasant. The raised keys feel sturdy and very nice to type on. There are shortcut
`buttons that take you to common functions in Android and can help with the Transformer's other options, like the ability
`to switch off the trackpad.
`
`There is no wired ethernet, so you'll be stuck on Wi-Fi all the time, something that will no doubt make it a difficult sell
`for many IT departments. However, wireless performance is great and we had no problems getting it to join our test
`network.
`
`It's worth pointing out that a version of the Eee Pad will feature 3G at some point soon. We really missed having 3G,
`and we'd say it's well worth paying the extra to get an Eee Pad with that feature.
`
`Display highlights
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`One of the highlights, for us, is the fantastic 10.1in screen. It's crisp and clear which makes typing and reading a real
`pleasure.
`
`Asus has also managed to tread the line between useful Android customisation and a complete mess really well. The
`few widgets provided with the Transformer are beautiful and provide useful information. On the initial home screen
`you'll see an email counter and a weather widget. These are both useful enough to keep around.
`
`If you want to stay in touch with work, family and friends while out on the road, the front-facing webcam will help you
`to do that. Google's own Talk application supports video chat and there are other apps on the Android market that can
`perform similar functions. Skype has yet to include support for video on Android, but it's fair to assume that's on its way
`soon.
`
`The rear camera is, in our view, much less useful. It can perform as well as those on a mobile phone, but wielding a
`tablet around as a still or video camera makes no sense at all. You may disagree, so it's good that Asus provides the
`option should you want to make use of it.
`
`Battery life
`
`One of our favourite features of the Eee Pad is its long battery life. We don't think the tablet alone can quite match the
`10 hours of the iPad, but it's impressive nonetheless.
`
`Certainly the processors used in these tablets mean that power use, and thus battery life, are much more impressive than
`on any laptop. But with the optional keyboard attached, the power is increased again, and the battery life further
`improved.
`
`It's always hard to pin down real-world battery life on these devices but, with the keyboard dock attached, you'll see
`somewhere between 10 and 15 hours. Without it, we'd guess at somewhere around eight hours, but this will all depend
`on what you use it for.
`
`We loved the Eee Pad Transformer. We don't see it replacing your work PC or a serious notebook PC, but what it can
`do is give you an internet tablet that offers more than enough to keep you connected and entertained while you're away.
`If you work in the cloud a lot, you'll find the excellent browser a formidable ally.
`
`For entertainment and something to make notes on while at a trade show, meeting or traveling from office to office, it's
`a truly fantastic piece of kit that's as desirable as an iPad and easily more useful.
`
`Although this is the best Android hybrid on the market, it's not quite going to replace a work PC or a laptop, but is
`capable of replacing a netbook.
`
`HTC Flyer
`
`Apple chief executive Steve Jobs maintains that 7in tablets are "dead on arrival". His argument is that you need
`something larger to really be productive. But the original Samsung Galaxy Tab proved that this argument was slightly
`flawed, as the hardware was well thoughtout and desirable.
`
`The HTC Flyer is a clever idea, but it's blighted by the same problem as the 7in Galaxy Tab. It's just too expensive.
`When compared to an iPad, competitors need to be significantly cheaper, or there's really no incentive for customers to
`choose anything but the market leader.
`
`Physically, the Flyer is up to HTC's usual excellent standards. The rear is a mix of white plastic and metal.
`
`The HTC logo is etched with silver writing and the now familiar 'with HTC Sense' is written near the bottom.
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`There's also a large camera lens looking out from the top piece of plastic.
`
`Under here are the SIM and Micro SD sockets. You'll need a decent amount of strength to open this flap, though,
`especially the first time you do it. Hopefully this will get a little easier as time goes on.
`
`On the top of the device is a headphone socket and power/sleep button. On the right are volume controls and at the
`bottom a USB charging point.
`
`As you would expect, you can use the Flyer in portrait or landscape mode. The Android function keys are clever here,
`moving to the bottom of the screen in either mode.
`
`The only problem is that this means you can only work on two of its four axes. The iPad, however, can be used any way
`around. Asmall point perhaps, but worth noting.
`
`Gingerbread at launch
`
`Like the Samsung 7in, the Flyer is an Android Gingerbread device. However, unlike Samsung, HTC intends to upgrade
`the device to Honeycomb at a later date. How this will work on a smaller screen has yet to be seen. However,
`Honeycomb offers so many advantages for tablets that we hope the update comes soon.
`
`Of course, HTC's Sense interface will slow this, and it's likely that getting the pen to work on Honeycomb will be
`complex. But at least customers buying this expensive device now can be assured of an update in the future.
`
`Pen input is HTC's USP
`
`When it comes to tablets, you really need a unique selling point. HTC's is the pen input designed to help you turn your
`tablet into an invaluable business tool.
`
`And to some extent, it's a good idea. For a start, the note app is able to sync with Evernote, which means your thoughts
`and jobs are synced to the cloud automatically and can be used from any other Evernote-capable device. As there are
`apps for virtually every smartphone, it's actually a great way to keep track of notes as you switch between devices. The
`HTC can also record audio from meetings while you take notes. This feature, however, is sadly rendered useless by the
`loud tapping of the pen against the capacitive touch screen. The notes themselves are reproduced well, though, and we
`can see this being some use in meetings. Writing on the Flyer is a novel experience. It's not something that's
`comfortable for a long time, but it's fine for making the occasional memory-jogging note in a meeting.
`
`The pen takes a single AAAbattery, which is installed by twisting the top end. There are a couple of programmable
`buttons on the pen which can be used for various functions, including erasing notes.
`
`What we found most frustrating about the pen is the system's inflexibility. For example, when you've touched the screen
`to start a new scribble or note, some options appear at the bottom of the screen. We naturally wanted to select these with
`the pen, but that isn't allowed.
`
`Then sometimes we wanted to press the pen options button with our finger. But that isn't allowed either. The net result
`is that you must switch between fingers and pen a fair bit and it simply isn't logical. You do, of course, get used to it,
`but it still feels a little frustrating.
`
`Long life battery
`
`Battery life on the Flyer is very impressive. We had ours turned on, but mostly in standby, for around 100 hours. The
`Android battery monitor claims that the device had been awake for around 16 hours. However you look at it, this is one
`of the better tablet power sources we've seen. HTC uses a LI-ON battery for the Flyer, but Samsung puts a lithium
`polymer cell in the 7in Tab, which gives good battery life but not as impressive as the Flyer's.
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`No phone
`
`One of the great things about the Samsung Galaxy Tab is that it's a fully featured phone. This means you can use it to
`make and receive calls and text messages as well as browse the internet. It may sound a little silly to use a tablet in this
`way, but if you add a Bluetooth headset, you would have a pretty decent jack-ofall- trades device.
`
`Not allowing the Flyer to function as a phone just seems churlish when you've gone to the effort of making a
`fully-blown 3G device. Of course, this is Apple's attitude too, but we are of the opinion that Android tablets should be
`distinct from Apple's iPad, otherwise there is little reason to consider them.
`
`Performance
`
`From a hardware perspective, the 1.5GHz processor and 1GB of system RAM make this a high-powered tablet. But
`while we found it pleasant to use, we never really felt like its extra power was making much difference. The Flyer is
`really no faster than the Galaxy Tab in day-to-day use. The 32GB of internal storage is generous, though, and twice
`what's available on the Samsung. Adding in a 32GB SD card brings the device up to the level of Apple's high-end
`tablet, for a little less cash.
`
`As always, we love the Android Market. While apps are often not as slick as those on the iPhone, there's plenty of them
`and you can almost always find one to do what you need. They are often cheaper too, and there are more useful free
`apps on Android than any other platform we've used.
`
`And while it's not the most important consideration for a business user, media playback on the Samsung device is better
`too, with plenty of codec support and a very slick and responsive media hub to play files. HTC includes its own media
`download service with the Flyer, but titles are quite expensive and the interface seems a little clunky to us.
`
`Conclusion
`
`The HTC Flyer is certainly a likeable enough tablet. It isn't a cheap product. Indeed, you could get a pretty capable
`laptop for that kind of money. If you're desperate for a tablet you could do a lot worse than the 7in Samsung Galaxy
`Tab.
`
`At present, RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook is the most suitable for business users looking for a tablet, but if you can't live
`without the note-taking pen interface, the Flyer is no doubt the right hardware for you.
`
`Motorola Xoom
`
`The Motorola Xoom is the first tablet to use the new Android 3 'Honeycomb' operating system, developed for tablet
`computers. Previous Android versions, developed solely for phones, led to some shortcomings when they were installed
`on tablet computers and so some of Honeycomb's improvements are vital.
`
`The display is better suited, with menus designed for the larger screen and a handy carousel switches between open
`applications at the touch of a button. The Android Marketplace has also been upgraded but as Honeycomb hasn't been
`around for long there aren't many tablet apps to download. One good example of a new app is the one for Youtube,
`which makes good use of the large screen and extra processing power of the tablet, showing a full screen array of videos
`that the user can navigate around.
`
`Other good applications are already available and include a news app from CNN, Google Maps and Google Calendar.
`The camera and web browser have been tweaked so they are more suited for tablet use.
`
`Irritatingly, a lot of applications are still simply bigger versions of those available for Android phones. For example, the
`official applications for Twitter and Facebook are yet to be updated for the Honeycomb.
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`The Xoom's widescreen display was excellent, and ideal for watching films or catching up on TV. The good resolution
`means everything looked clear and sharp, which made text easier to read so browsing the web is a better experience.
`
`Unfortunately, the screen's viewing angle was poor, and it was very reflective, so a lot of the time, even with the
`brightness turned up fully, reflections on the screen marred the viewing experience.
`
`At 730g the Xoom is heavy for a tablet computer (the iPad 2 is 610g), making it uncomfortable to hold for prolonged
`periods. The design was pleasant enough with a smooth brushed-metal finish on the back and nicely rounded edges.
`Unlike a lot of Android tablets we have reviewed the Xoom didn't feel cheap or plasticky.
`
`As with the iPad there are two versions: the model we reviewed connected to the internet only using wireless
`networking. The Xoom is compatible with Flash so it can play videos on websites as well as games, and properly
`displays Flash-using websites.
`
`Like the iPad it lacks GPS for easy mapping but it has two cameras, a rear five-megapixel one that also shoots 720p HD
`video, and a front-facing two megapixel one for video calling. It connects to Bluetooth devices.
`
`Battery life was good: watching video drains it quicker but otherwise we would expect a couple of days' moderate use
`between charges. It cannot charge over USB; instead it's necessary to use the supplied mains adapter. As it's an early
`adopter of the Honeycomb operating system there aren't many apps available, but for browsing the web, catching up on
`TV and going through emails the Xoom is one of the best Android tablets we've seen.
`
`BlackBerry Playbook
`
`RIM is not the only company to go with the 'small is beautiful' philosophy when it comes to tablet design, but the
`130mmx194mmx10mm BlackBerry PlayBook certainly shows the benefits of a 7in form factor.
`
`The unit is much more portable than a 10in tablet, and can be slipped into a pocket rather than being carried in full
`view.
`
`RIM makes the most of the real estate by extending touch controls outside the viewing area, so that a swipe of the finger
`allows you to switch between applications or activate menus.
`
`There are, however, auxiliary finger controls that RIM should make more of. When the device is in sleep mode a swipe
`from side to side across the screen wakes it up. Drawing the finger from the bottom left of the screen brings up the
`keyboard, and a draw down from the top right brings up the system menu.
`
`Built into the screen facia are good quality twin speakers on either side, with a microphone in the top left corner and
`3.5mm audio jack on the right, and a forwardfacing 3-megapxel camera, with a 5-megapixel version on the back with a
`flash unit.
`
`The quality and precision of the screen is a major point in the PlayBook's favour. Even with such a reduced screen size,
`the Playbook is an easy device to view from almost any angle. This performance is helped by 1GB of RAM and a
`dual-core 1GHz processor.
`
`Heavy-duty build quality
`
`The PlayBook is solidly built, but at 425g is heavier than it looks, and one-handed use can become tiring after a time.
`The unit we reviewed unit is the 16GB version, with a 32GB model also available, and the device has no removable
`storage ports.
`
`All the buttons are at the top: an integrated threebutton volume and play set and the power stud. On this model the latter
`is, rather frustratingly, slightly recessed, meaning you have to hunt around and get leverage to power up and down. RIM
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`has already fixed the problem with later designs.
`
`In its base the PlayBook has a microUSB slot for charging, docking port connector for when one becomes available,
`and an HDMI port. The latter is useful for showing presentations or movies on compatible display systems, and is
`available only via an accessory with the iPad.
`
`The PlayBook comes with 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth as standard, and RIM is promising later models supporting 4G
`standards, including WiMax, LTE and HSPA+. GPS is standard across the range, and was very accurate in testing.
`
`Battery life
`
`We got five to eight hours between charges, with video playing and any Flash-intensive applications hitting the power
`system hard. That's certainly enough for a day's normal use, and the device recharges from empty in a little over two
`hours.
`
`A bridge too far?
`
`In order to provide instant mobile connectivity, and a selling point for existing BlackBerry users, the PlayBook can use
`a 3G signal from RIM's smartphones running operating systems version five or higher. Setting up the bridge is very
`simple. If your smartphone has a camera there's a barcode to scan, a small application to download and then the tablet
`accesses the device by Bluetooth.
`
`The system works well enough, so long as you recognise the limitations of Bluetooth data. Even the best connection
`will only get 3Mbit/s, and in the real world, connection speeds half as fast are considered good. Static tests showed
`good internet speeds, but the data link was very poor when travelling in a car. There will also be problems with
`operators. The PlayBook tethering system is only available in the US with Verizon, owing to ongoing lisensing issues
`with AT&T.; RIM hopes to have the issue sorted out when the PlayBook launches in other countries.
`
`One major advantage from an enterprise perspective is that security on the PlayBook is much easier with phone
`tethering. All critical data can be stored on a smartphone and used only when the two are in range. Once they part, the
`PlayBook locks down and access to email and other systems shuts down.
`
`Software
`
`The PlayBook uses RIM's QNX operating system, which is easy to understand and very quick in operation.QNX was
`built around multi-tasking and the software handles multiple applications with ease. Just as importantly you can manage
`and shut down those applications quickly, which saves on vital battery life. One minor flaw is the reorientation of the
`screen. While functional, over the long term the speed of repositioning is noticeably poorer than rival tablets. More than
`once the device had to be shaken to get the screen into the correct position.
`