BlackBerry® PlayBook™

[ugoano]

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grissom wrote:
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.

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I would agree with that analysis.  Honestly, my feelings about any tablet at all is that I'm happier taking my 13'' MacBook Pro.  I like my Playbook, don't get me wrong, and will like it even more when it matures and I'm keen to develop more apps on it.  But I'd still code from my laptop... whilst watching something else at the same time.  The tablet for me is more of a frivolous item, given I'd use my Nexus for all my mobile apps.

[gino_76ph]

I would buy the Playbook now without a heartbeat if the platform and the OS would be more "open" like Android and unlike Apple's. 

If issues like...

1. tethering with another device

2. bluetooth transferring of files to ANY device

3. full-featured GPS and not "assisted"

4.  Android apps sooner rather than later

are addressed and sorted then i'll buy one today!!!!!!

[ugoano]

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gino_76ph wrote:

I would buy the Playbook now without a heartbeat if the platform and the OS would be more "open" like Android and unlike Apple's. 

If issues like...

1. tethering with another device

2. bluetooth transferring of files to ANY device

3. full-featured GPS and not "assisted"

4.  Android apps sooner rather than later

are addressed and sorted then i'll buy one today!!!!!!

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Number 1 is already there... I've been tethering to my Google Nexus S since I got the Playbook.  The bluetooth transfer, I'm also curious about.  After pairing my devices I can't seem to transfer files successfully.  Having Android apps will make a massive difference in my usage!

[gino_76ph]

With the pouring rain behind (or rather on top of) me i went to Oxford Street here in London and got myself the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3G version and according to the CPW salesman it was the very last one. got it for a bargain price of £250 from a high of £399 only yesterday. so, how do you top that? hmm....

With 2.3 coming and with a future Honeycomb/Gingerbread OS things should get brighter for the tablet. i hope.

But i fear in a matter of 6-9 months the Playbook will be on top of the world with a more polished, much-improved, more open OS, Android Market + apps and a cheaper price. 

until then we shall wait and see where Playbook's destiny is.....

[gino_76ph]

I must apologise but i have to ask some of these questions again as i believe the Playbook has had several updates since last time:

1. can you now send files such as a wallpaper, phone number or ringtone via bluetooth to any bt-enabled device other than RIM's? if No then is there an app to do that?

2. can you add any Playlist, edit a Playlist name and add songs onto that Playlist on-the-fly?

3. can you delete songs or entire albums on-the-fly?

4. can you now download Android apps? if No any possible date as to when? if Yes then may i know how?

5. can the PB auto-connect to a fixed wifi signal/network?

6. can you now connect to an ad-hoc wifi?

7. are there any equalizer settings when playing music? can you assign an EQ to a song or songs?

8. can you now tether seamlessly to any device?

Thanks.

[grissom]

1 no
2 no
3 yes
4 no
5 yes
6 ?
7 yes/no
8 yes?

[gino_76ph]

I am wondering why until now issue # 1,2 & 4 is still being overlooked/avoided by RIM. have they heard of what happend to the HP Touchpad?

I firmly believe my queries/sugestions are non-exhaustive but would certainly want them to be in the Playbook to at least be "up to speed" with the current software and hardware features of the Apple and Android devices.

surely with thise kind of specs the PB is capable of doing it. i just think after several months of release we should be seeing improvements on the software/firmware.

but sadly i think were not. and RIM has been slow in its updates.

lots of potential for the PB but i just think progress is slow. 

that's only my opinion. but until those all-important updates come flooding in this autumn then i'm afraid the PB will just be another of those failed devices that wasn't supported much bu both developers and consumers.

iOS5 and Honeycomb are all gonna thrive this year and beyond.

RIM should start being aggressive. and should start listening to us....

[grissom]

I think every Playbook owner agrees with you whole heartedly. I'm responding from my iPad 2 with bluetooth keyboard. With the TouchPad, there seems to be a life after death revival over there. Now 100x's as many people have a $99 TouchPad in their possession. Giving developers a stadium of potential for apps and utilities. I look at my playbook and see the Farrai but not the engine. If the same thing happens to the playbook, it think developers will create a whole new OS for it, and utilize it like none other. Blackberry is making some moves that the average you and I don't understand, and when and I emphisize "when" the android player gets here, will we be satisfied. The QNX systems is really really nice, and Dead Space was a much needed showing, but with the new phones, and all the OS's that BB has, it's seems up in the air about what it wants to be. My question to BB is...with over the air updates....why put out a product with a from the ground up OS when there are OS's in place already, and with a better app selection. I've since retired my Tour, I used to like the pairing but the bridge at the time was pretty much useless for any decent internet usage, now I hear it is better, but even with that, all the connectivity to Tour didn't help me becasue there is no access to the phone's app. When the dust settles I'm still stuck with my Playbook, and it's growing pains, but with my newest tablet and iOS 5 coming, I fear the playbook will never be satisfactory for me as long as Apple is on this earth. But at least there are more apps coming, and these "updates" keep happening, it will keep me swiping from bezel to bezel to see what it happening.

[elrock561]

hey buddy,

ilike the fact that you all microsoft products als. i want to buy a playbook but am concerned whether it will run ms office.

also i am the proud owner of the hd2. will he playbook tether to it?

elrock561

[ugoano]

There should be your standard BlackBerry apps which would be compatible with documents, spreadsheets and powerpoint presentations produced by MS Office.  But if your question is whether MS Office itself is on the Playbook, I believe the answer is no.

As for tethering, it really depends on the device.  I tether to my Nexus just fine - but my Nexus creates your standard wifi hotspot (with appropriate security of course)