BlackBerry® PlayBook™

[Tony86]

Hi guys

Here's a document with the playbook supported media files if you want to take a look

http://docs.blackberry.com/en/smartphone_users/deliverables/27267/Supported_Media_Types_on_BlackBerr...

Please give kudos or mark as a solution if this was helpfull!! Thanks!!

[gino_76ph]

At the moment my main worries are....

1. lack of available apps (sure Android apps will be in App World eventually but it might be a few months down the libe before it starts trickling through.

2. lack of 3rd-party support for video chat (due to...lack of apps, etc.)

3. unclear info as to wether the PB fully supports Divx and AVI files

4. unclear as to wether the PB can send files via bluetooth to any device and not just a BB device

5. firmware and software updates (Google Android is known to update its devices quite slowly unlike Apple's. will RIM's devices be getting updates more often to address issues such as performance, features, security, etc.?)

the PB has been around for roughly 2 months now in N America and will be coming out in the UK this June. i say..it has a long way to go to "catch-up" on the tablet wars.

is £399 worth investing?

what say you guys?

[grissom]

Maybe not now, its hard to say, the stuff is coming, I just played a quicktime video, and a wmv. On my galaxy Tab, but whatever you do I do recommend a carrier service, hey doesn't the UK person of the Tab make calls too?

[gino_76ph]

For £399 and under you get a Galaxy Tab 3G + wifi plus full access to the Android Market.

For £299 (and under) you get Galaxy Tab wi-fi only which you can piggyback and tether with ANY smartphone to access the internet.

and you get bluetooth 3.0 (for wireless transfer of any files and connecting to a wireless speaker), a microSD card slot, full Divx support, a virtual 5.1. surround sound, an eBook reader and much more.

can someone tell me how can the Playbook top that?

[ugoano]

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gino_76ph wrote:

For £399 and under you get a Galaxy Tab 3G + wifi plus full access to the Android Market.

For £299 (and under) you get Galaxy Tab wi-fi only which you can piggyback and tether with ANY smartphone to access the internet.

and you get bluetooth 3.0 (for wireless transfer of any files and connecting to a wireless speaker), a microSD card slot, full Divx support, a virtual 5.1. surround sound, an eBook reader and much more.

can someone tell me how can the Playbook top that?

---

It would be hard to top those specs I agree, but the BlackBerry Playbook is a young device, just a couple of months old.

Currently I tether with my Google Nexus phone (so it can tether with any smartphone), it has great bluetooth support, I haven't tried connecting to wireless speakers, but the sound quality is excellent.  The video playback quality is excellent (HD no less), and even the videos and pictures you can take on the device (both front and back) are excellent.  There is an eBook reader app (which I haven't tested in full yet... only had it a week or so) and other apps too.   The lack of apps is mostly due to it being a young device, and they do plan to hook into Android Apps too.

The device is small enough to fit into a large pocket, but big enough to make a difference watching movies or browsing the net.  Speaking of browsing, the native browser is very good.  It's fast, light, easy-to-use, supports flash fully, and even prefer it over the Dolphin browser Android app I use on my phone.

I think the Playbook has started out well, once it grows and matures they can be a force to be reckoned with... just look at how Android tablets started before they released Android 3.0 specifically for tablets.  They had to mature too.

PS - I own, BlackBerry, Google, Apple and Microsoft products - they live in peaceful harmony ;-)

[grissom]

I have decided to put my playback away for now, it is a young product, and right now it is not ready to handle the business it is slated to do. I have no doubt the PB will be amazing someday, just not today. I have a re-ignited love for my Tab. I was frustrated with this product also when I first purchased it. But like with all things in time you learn to appreciate differences, yes it is still annoying that copy and paste is different in docs to go, than in the notebook app. But my Tab played a quicktime video, a wmv. video, and loaded up faster than my home laptops. I too have a Apple, BlackBerry, Microsoft, and this Tab, and some play nice and some don't, but what the Tab is, and the rush to market it also did, makes this device an underrated must have. Small enough for most inside coat pockets, and unlimited storage, yes the PB looks better and feels better but that's it. Written from my Tab, doing my engineering work on, and reading book for my bachelors, and will probably play some angry birds too.

[gino_76ph]

OK....

But still my "concerns" persists.

In regards to playing audio files via bluetooth to any device will this feature be possible via a future firmware or software update or does it need to be a hardware thing?

Also, there seems to be conflicting messages wether it can tether to ANY smartphone or not (in order to surf the net) and wether you can send files to ANY device via bluetooth.

Sure it has great specs + multitasking skills. but will loads of Android tablets coming out the PB has at least months to play catch up in relation to being able to download Android apps.

Very good tablet + play catch up equals at least 6-9 months before we see the PG totally grow at comes to its own and beat the living daylights of iPad 2, the Xoom, Galaxy Tab 8.9 & 10, Acer Iconia and a certain Transformer.

would you agree?

[knottyrope]

whats a PG?

[grissom]

Honestly I don't see a way to send files via Bluetooth on PB, or Tab, really when all the software is in place all tablets will go the way of the cell phone, which is all will be very similar in hardware, software, and just boast about speed. And why any company will forgo a flash but provide a camera(Apple, blackberry), and forgo a microSD to give unlimited storage(again Apple, blackberry) is a serious ball drop.

[obadaj1]

@Dandee123,
Playbook fully supports divx. I got mine about 2 weeks ago and i have already gone through about 5 avi videos and 6 divx. Sound and video was very ok and in sync