The PlayBook can multi-task: switch to another app while leaving that game open, play background music while surfing the net... I'm told the (old?) iPad cannot do that.
Also I get no annoying "latency" while web browsing or scrolling/zooming. And it has a micro-HDMI connector, so you can watch its 1080p videos on the TV.

You can choose other colors than black or white??

I have an iPad mk1 and it definitely can do this.

There's no way I'd recommend the Playbook. First, there are next to no apps available for it. Second, RIM is circling the drain.

For $50 more, the Galaxy Tab 2 is a no brainer. It's a nicer tablet backed by a far stronger company, running a better OS.

Right, good to know! I didn't know that, learned something new...

1. Not true. So far I found a free app for virtually anything I seeked so far. This is a bit surprising since the RIM guys tell developers that BlackBerry customers are more willing to draw the wallet and are less free riders than Android users. Also most Android apps can be repackaged (by the developer) to run on the PlayBook.
2. Not relevant. The OP requested a tablet for the wife who'se requirements are Facebook and Web Surfing. Playbook has both right out of the box.
3. If it's quantity you seek, the number of apps is growing fast: from 4000 in december 2011 to over 15.000 today. The question should be how many apps do they have that I want, and what is missing. No one gets happy of a gazillion crappy apps. RIM at least does some basic testing of apps before submitting them to the market (unlike Android) with not many strict rules (unlike Apple)
Like if everybody says you're nearly dead then you're dead indeed? It's a tough market indeed, but they don't give up the fight easily. Atm their cards are better than e.g. Windows Phone.
Can you quantify or prove that?

Why is RIM circling the drain? Do you read the news at all?

Let me Google that for you:

https://www.google.com/search?sugexp=chrome,mod=8&sourceid=c hrome&ie=UTF-8&q=RIM#q=RIM&hl=en&prmd=imvnsuz&source=lnms&tb m=nws&ei=5aDGT9zsOsj0gAeGmpjiBg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd =5&ved=0CJIBEPwFKAQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.,cf.osb& fp=f2b49b66af16c9c4&biw=1280&bih=617

How do you quantify or prove an opinion?

Playbook: slightly sluggish OS, poor app selection compared to iOS and Android. No memory expansion. RIM is obviously struggling, and since Playbook is the least successful thing it's got going on, it'll likely be the first to get axed.

Tab 2: Samsung is the biggest Android tablet maker right now (at least last time I checked) and isn't in danger of going anywhere. Can install any Android app, including dedicated tablet-centric apps. ICS as it runs on the Tab 2 feels a lot faster. MicroSD so while the stock storage is small, you can buy a cheap card for far more space for media. Lighter weight compared to the Playbook.

You're obviously a fan of the Playbook, and that's super. But my statement still stands: there's no way I'd recommend a tablet from a dying company when there's something perfectly suitable for about the same price or a little more.

My point exactly
That was OS v1, the update to OS v2 cured most performance problems.
I'll tell you how come. I would not even own any tablet if RIM didn't give them away for free to developers who submitted an app before a certain time limit. So I knocked up my app called VAWOCalc and got the playbook. And I happen to like it a lot (and so does my wife.)

Each to their own, whatever rocks your boat. We can make our own decisions.

Both the Galaxy Tab 2 and Playbook look fancy enough to satisfy my wife, but of course I'd go for the best buy if I knew what that is in this case. What is important is really the smoothness of operation and net functions such as Flash, social media clients, mail sync etc.

I can understand that lag is a general problem of Androids

http://www.google.dk/#hl=da&gs_nf=1&pq=android%20screen%20la g&cp=18&gs_id=3g&xhr=t&q=Android%20screen%20lag&pf=p&sclient =psy-ab&oq=Android+screen+lag&aq=0L&aqi=g-L1&aql=&gs_l=&pbx= 1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=16c5c4d2aec6bec7&biw =1280&bih=617

and if it is too apparent, I think my wife will notice.

Cheers

Lag on Android was mostly pre-Ice Cream Sandwich. It's fine now if you've got decent hardware (Samsung products are usually top notch for graphics)

You say social apps and this popped into my brain... not sure if this is important to her but one thing that bugs me to death about the Playbook is that there is no Skype app. Something to consider, along with the doom and gloom articles recently posted about RIM

your wife asks for an iPad and you bring her Android or Blackberry.

I hope your marriage is stable enough to handle that.

Here's another one: a friend of mine (non-musician) has a Samsung Galaxy model that can run as a hot spot for other devices. He went to the country with a friend of his, a programmer with sadly no internet access at his country house, and was able to provide connectivity to all the devices in the house through his Galaxy. The programmer (a die hard Apple fan) was so impressed, last I heard he was making plans to get his own Android device, just because of this feature.

Sometimes "the box" does seem somewhat restrictive...

Your point exactly? At what time was it not clear that it was my opinion that I was stating on an Internet forum? Yours is an opinion as well. However, while feel, usability, and speed are all somewhat subjective, lighter weight, file storage expandability, app selection and company stability are all objective facts that the Tab 2 has going for it.

It was mainly this part that triggered my reaction:That sounded like opinion dressed as facts, which I wanted to emphasise. I was curious about how you came to that conclusion, and you just gave some of your arguments. Exactly what I wanted, so thanks!

You mean exactly what my old nokia x6 did and my current iphone does.

Any iOS device that has a 3g connection will tether other devices to it providing your contract supports it.

Anybody who has a 3g connection on their phone will have this option and 3g iPads can act as the hotspot to a phone if the data plan allows. It's the network not whether it's iOS, Andriod, Symbian etc

For the life of me I cannot see why anyone would buy a 3g 'tablet' as surely most are geek enough like me to have internet access on their mobile. I always have my phone with me, so if I've got my iPad with me aswell, it works just the same as a 3g model would. No point paying for a 3g contract twice!!!!

A die hard apple fan who has never pressed the big button in the Prefs that says 'Enable Personal Hotspot'????? Really?

For one thing, the wifi hotspot functionality eats the battery quickly. Second, it's nice not to have to go into your pocket and enable it, and have to futz with it. Just having it always on, ready to go is advantageous. The reason I got one is because AT&T has been talking about allowing for pooling of data plans amongst devices soon. If that happens, I can share the 5GB of data between my phone and tablet, instead of having separate plans, which would be nice.