[VeniceBB]

I need some advice and I figured this would be the best place to come to

Sometime this year I'm hopefully leaving the country for a couple of months to do voluntary work. Since I won't be able to take a whole lot of luggage, I was thinking about getting a tablet to keep me connected to the people at home. And considering the fact that I've been a (mostly) happy Blackberry user these past couple of years, the first logical choice for me seems to be a Playbook.

Now, there are some things that are pretty important to me. I plan to start a blog to keep people at home updated, but I need to be sure that I am able to actually post easily of course. From what I've read so far, there is no Wordpress application and posting directly on their website seems to be causing problems for a lot of people. Are there other properly functioning options to blog on the playbook, say through another service, apps, anything? (please note; I'm completely new to the whole blogging deal, I've just looked into wordpress so far because that seems to be the leading blog-service)

Also, and this might be even trickier; I have a Nikon D50 digital camera. I may use my BB, Playbook or whatever tablet I might get for taking some pics, but I'm much more likely to use the Nikon. Back at home, I can either transfer these pics to my pc by a USB cable or using an SD card reader. Since I'd like to post pics on my blog I really hope to find a way to transfer these pics to the tablet. I know there's no memory slot on the playbook, but would this be possible in any way?

Also, are there any VoIP applications available for the Playbook?

And lastly; since I won't have access to my home pc for a long time, I would like to secure stuff from my tablet (pics, contacts, other files) through a cloud service if possible. What are the options for that on the Playbook?

[anon(3896606)]

And lastly; since I won't have access to my home pc for a long time, I would like to secure stuff from my tablet (pics, contacts, other files) through a cloud service if possible. What are the options for that on the Playbook?

RIM acquired a company called NewBay they are supposedly going to announce their cloud service at MWC. If that doesn't work you could use: Free Box for BlackBerry PlayBook - Download Box for BlackBerry PlayBook - Free Apps from BlackBerry App World

[anthogag]

A new 3G+ playbook is coming in April and it'll have an sd card reader for your camera

You should get the playbook and then find solutions to your needs - there are ways to blog and VoIP with the pb.

For travelling light the pb is an excellent choice

Evernote has an app for the pb and Dropbox can be accessed from file managers or the app BlueBox. The OS2 upgrade is almost here, soon we'll know what extra features and services we'll have

[silversun10]

you will like video chat a lot, as long as both parties are on PlayBook

[kbz1960]

A new 3G+ playbook is coming in April and it'll have an sd card reader for your camera

You should get the playbook and then find solutions to your needs - there are ways to blog and VoIP with the pb.

For travelling light the pb is an excellent choice

Evernote has an app for the pb and Dropbox can be accessed from file managers or the app BlueBox. The OS2 upgrade is almost here, soon we'll know what extra features and services we'll have

How you know dis?

As for your camera does it take the same sdhc type card that the phone does? If it does isn't 2.0 suppise to be able to read etc. the files on the phone?

[Chaddface]

^^. There's an idea. If you use one of those micro Sd to standard Sd card adapters you could go from camera to phone. From there transfer files to the PB. I use files and folders and can transfer multiple files at a time. There is an extra step in there but maybe the only way without a PC.

[anthogag]

How you know dis?

As for your camera does it take the same sdhc type card that the phone does? If it does isn't 2.0 suppise to be able to read etc. the files on the phone?

It was in another thread and news on N4BB's website...I don't know how you missed it

The 3g+ playbook will have an sd card slot

[BrizzadMan]

I would still prefer my NetBook for travel due to some of your requirements. Blogging & ability to backup photos from my camera. As it stands right now the PlayBook can't beat a dedicated computer in those areas... Despite some of the viable 'work-arounds' others have mentioned, IMO. While the typing experience will improve with OS 2.0 & the new predictive keyboard, I'd still prefer a real keyboard for blogging. I suppose the Remote Control Bridge feature here would help as you could use your BB keyboard if you type fast on it...

[cl8baller]

Sounds like you want to get some work done buddy.

With all seriousness a phone and laptop suits your needs above all.

Once you added the camera to the equation and wanting to use your camera and tablet in unity, it would be less painful to simply have a laptop.

[robber]

Agreed, a netbook is a much better option in your case.

[allsportsfan]

Definitely agree a netbook will provide the most stable tool for what you need now.

[tumblingdice03]

I say jump in now while the price is low and find out first hand if it will meet your needs or not. At the current low prices it's worth it. Then when the time comes you'll know first hand

[canadoc]

Sounds like you need a tablet with USB host.
I own an iPad an Android tablet (asus transformer with dock and SD card slot).
Got 2 playbooks and while I love the size and the OS, they are not suited for your needs. The other 2 tabs are as there is an iPad adaptor foot cameras. Transformer if using a dock has SD card slots and USB port with great battery life our San do USB host without dock.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[anthogag]

In my experience nedbooks are under-powered and annoying to use.

With OS2 the playbook just might have a better browser than any netbook you can get.

If you need a bigger screen and keyboard you can connect the pb to a tv/screen and use a bluetooth keyboard.

Maybe with OS2 there will be a way to hook-up an external sd card reader

And Blackberry is about to launch that new keyboard for the pb that would be well suited for travelling/portability

[kill_9]

My responses are in bold typeface.

Now, there are some things that are pretty important to me. I plan to start a blog to keep people at home updated, but I need to be sure that I am able to actually post easily of course. From what I've read so far, there is no Wordpress application and posting directly on their website seems to be causing problems for a lot of people. Are there other properly functioning options to blog on the playbook, say through another service, apps, anything?

There is a Wordpress editor by Cellie Craze LLC for the BlackBerry PlayBook. I will look into this myself because I have been using the WordPress application on my BlackBerry smartphone and with a tablet I was seeking a better application.

Also, and this might be even trickier; I have a Nikon D50 digital camera. I may use my BB, Playbook or whatever tablet I might get for taking some pics, but I'm much more likely to use the Nikon. Back at home, I can either transfer these pics to my pc by a USB cable or using an SD card reader. Since I'd like to post pics on my blog I really hope to find a way to transfer these pics to the tablet. I know there's no memory slot on the playbook, but would this be possible in any way?

Depending on the type of memory card used by the camera you might be able to insert the card into a mobile WiFi hotspot (MiFi) and access the files from the BlackBerry PlayBook via web browser. You might require an adapter to interface with the card if it is not a microSD when connecting it to the MiFi device.

Also, are there any VoIP applications available for the Playbook?

Comwave ePhone works well and I hear that Google Talk or Google+ maybe offers VoIP service.

And lastly; since I won't have access to my home pc for a long time, I would like to secure stuff from my tablet (pics, contacts, other files) through a cloud service if possible. What are the options for that on the Playbook?

The Box.net cloud-based storage service offers 50GB of storage for BlackBerry PlayBook users if you sign-up using the BlackBerry PlayBook. There is an application in BlackBerry AppWorld. You could also use a remote desktop application such as Remote Desktop for BlackBerry PlayBook or Splashtop both available in BlackBerry AppWorld.

[skxj]

Home Phone and Long Distance | VoIP Internet Phone | Comwave Telecom Canada works for Playbook, I have tried it.

[apengue1]

Unfortunately, I do not think that any tablet might meet all your requirements sufficiently. There are many work arounds though.

[VeniceBB]

To everybody who has responded so far, thank you. I appreciate your honest opinions and you've given me a lot (more) to think about.

Honestly, I don't mind having to use work arounds, as long as I know there ARE work arounds that work. I'm still not entirely sure what to do. I own a netbook but by now it's almost 3 years old, slow as and I never was a fan of it to begin with. Both the price and size play a part here as well, and have me leaning towards the tablet rather than another netbook or laptop.

Please, keep the replies coming, any and all advice to help me on my decision is appreciated

[rjedge54]

There is a Wordpress editor by Cellie Craze LLC for the BlackBerry PlayBook. I will look into this myself because I have been using the WordPress application on my BlackBerry smartphone and with a tablet I was seeking a better application

This app is only available for 2.0 as it is an Android ported app. With the release of 2.0 being imminent and it doesn't sound like the OP is traveling soon it would probably be a good idea to wait and see if 2.0 addresses many or all of these issues. It certainly fits with packing light and if already a BB phone user, there is the keyboard, mouse control and internet access where no wifi is available.

[Scotter75]

I have been away for 4 months. I brought a digital camera and a video camera along but have not used them yet. The PlayBook has replaced both, picture quality is fantastic (people are always commenting about the pics). I use gmail and can attach pictures to the email without problems. I also brought my laptop with me and may use it once a week. Next trip will be with my FANTASTIC PLAYBOOK ONLY.

[kill_9]

This app is only available for 2.0 as it is an Android ported app. With the release of 2.0 being imminent and it doesn't sound like the OP is traveling soon it would probably be a good idea to wait and see if 2.0 addresses many or all of these issues. It certainly fits with packing light and if already a BB phone user, there is the keyboard, mouse control and internet access where no wifi is available.

The source code for the WordPress editor is available so it is quite possible to make a few modifications and compile it as a native BlackBerry PlayBook application if someone wanted to take that route. As for the BBPBOS 2.0 requirement that is minor given the impending release of the updated operating system for this tablet.

[VeniceBB]

I have been away for 4 months. I brought a digital camera and a video camera along but have not used them yet. The PlayBook has replaced both, picture quality is fantastic (people are always commenting about the pics). I use gmail and can attach pictures to the email without problems. I also brought my laptop with me and may use it once a week. Next trip will be with my FANTASTIC PLAYBOOK ONLY.

Scotter75, thanks for sharing you very positive experience with the PlayBook Would you be willing to share a few pics so I can see the picture quality?

[elbo]

With the Pb and a satellite goflex harddrive I am very close to abandoning my laptop.

Only one hurdle left: Skype and Webex, when/if this happens then the laptop will be one lonely piece of hardware sitting on my desk during all my business trips.

I love the form factor and size of the PB. The apps oversite above was my lack of research going into it. I had assumed they would be implemented.

[M.Rizk]

Regarding Wordpress:

I own a website for BlackBerry running on Wordpress I am happy to tell you that I registered the domain name, ordered the hosting service and installed wordpress through the PlayBook Browser, believe me it can just do about everything in Wordpress.

in OS1:
What you may find hard to do is setting "featured images for posts" BUT I can confirm this issue is fixed in OS2 which I tried myself.

So don't worry the PlayBook can do it all!
Regarding PlayBook not having Wordpress application, you will never need it, iPads got it because Safari on them can't upload files, but on the PlayBook you can upload pictures, music, videos and documents already to Wordpress just as if you were using PC. if a Wordpress application came to PlayBook it will be unusable because it got many features not included yet. but the PlayBook browser is able to do everything.

Regarding VoIP:

Unfortunately that's a big downside in PlayBook. you may either buy 2 PlayBooks leave one home to use BlackBerry Video Chat (You need WiFi connected on both devices) or you may try a website as imo.im (Can use Skype Voice calls over Adobe Flash Player which is awesome on PlayBook) also AIM AV chat AV by AOL - Let's video chat! which will need you and your friend to both open it from any device that includes flash to use the service and it's awesome. You may use an app called ReelPortal but that's a vomiting app excuse the word but it is really disgusting to use.

In case you got any problem granting premission through Adobe Flash Player to allow AOL AV to use your Microphone and Camera, just go to the browser options and Enable "In-Private Browsing" don't ask me why, just enabling it gets it to work lol

--------------------------------------------------
I hope the PlayBook will be a great product you enjoy, and Congratulations for getting one in advance

[VeniceBB]

Well, looks like my awesome mom made the decision for me. I had told her I was thinking about getting a playbook and about the advice I've been getting here. Tonight we were on the phone and guess what? She's ordering me a playbook tomorrow. And after learning about the wifi video chat option she's also getting one herself so we can stay in touch once I go abroad. *insert happy dance*