1. dayoungdc's Avatar
    So, I've been watching the boards and am really surprised by all the negativity regarding RIM and the Playbook. People seem to continue to try to compare RIM and the blackberry options side by side with the way Apple devices are bought and sold, which just does not make sense to me...

    Anyway, here are my thoughts. First a personal review of the PB after a few weeks of use.. here are the areas I am finding value...


    1. Mobility - it reduces and in many cases eliminates the need to travel with a laptop if you travel for work or take many meetings away from your office. I use the email client a lot and really like that I am getting the FULL outlook email on a mobile device and that I can view and read emails more easily. I also find that for longer emails, both in terms of viewing and responding, the playbook is an easier device to work with. The calender is also a benefit in terms of providing a full calender that is easier to view and work with on the go.

    The size makes it ideal to travel with, and for me, the screen resolution more than makes up for the screen size!

    2. Documents - I love that I am able to download, read and revise word, excel and ppt docs on the go. I also have found it useful to be able to download full pdf documents from emails and the web and review them while I am out of the office.

    3. Presentation Mode - This is probably one of the coolest features. Using the HDMI cable I can link my PB to a projector and immediately my PB will be visible on the screen, then I can switch my view on the device to something else while still showing a ppt deck to whomever I am speaking to (allowing me to view notes, etc).

    4. EReader - love that I can download technical or work related materials on the go and keep a library that way.

    5. Note Taking - I have actually been using the Docs To Go and Memo pad to take work notes, eliminating my need to do so on paper. Then I download those notes to my computer and file them, making it easier to find them and keep them organized.

    6. Web - LOVE THE FULL WEB access!

    7. Bridge - Love it or hate it... I love it. I love that I do not need a data plan, that my device is always linked to my blackberry and that I am ALWAYS able to get online, with or without wifi service. This to me is the main BB advantage and has been so UNDERSOLD in terms of value it is ridiculous. I have already found myself on several occasions in places where there either is no wifi service or it is a pay to use service and I am able to go to 3G instead. Yes its a bit slower, but it is a major benefit regardless.

    8. Video - Good podcast program, and good ability to run tv shows from the main network sites, or stream movies. The size also makes doing that on a plane super easy.

    9. Images - I have used the HD imagery to showcase product in meetings instead of having to bring it with me.

    Overall, I've been really impressed with this device. What surprises me so much is how so many people are so impatient with it. It is a FIRST GENERATION device, it will only get better, but only if people are supportive enough to give RIM a chance to improve it. Secondly, it has only been out a few months, people need to be patient and let developers create and release apps that are going to be worth buying. That isn't going to happen in a month or two...

    Now, about RIM...

    The other thing that really surprises me is that so many people are surprised by sales. Here is the thing; first BB has mutliple phone options, where as most carriers really do not. Secondly, BB is primarily a business tool, purchased in large quantities by companies to provide to their employees. A new device needs to be tested, approved and then purchases for use. That process does not happen overnight. RIM AND those on these boards who say that they are BB fans and supporters need to be finding ways to help guide those who are doing that testing so that businesses will adopt the device. You cannot judge the devices potential or value from sales at Walmart or BB, this is not Apple, individuals do not line up for BBs, companies buy them. There is a major difference. Look at the Torch - I was one of the first to get one in my area, six months later, I see them all the time.....

    Sorry, end of rant. Overall, I am impressed. Given time for the OS to be updated, for the apps to develop I see this as a really killer business tool.
    08-15-11 07:05 AM
  2. Bob G's Avatar
    In the CNet "buzz report," Molly Wood pokes fun at RIM for introducing BlackBerrys with incremental improvements:

    A 3D laptop without glasses! (video) - CNET News

    Yet, CNet seems to think that the incremental improvements coming in the iPhone 5 are akin to the second coming of Jesus Christ.
    yauchunh, killa4luv and 01itr like this.
    08-15-11 07:47 AM
  3. Splange's Avatar
    The negativity comes from the fact that RIM faced a lot of delays, is selling less phones than they forecasted, and still hasn't released some of what they promised for the playbook (native email, android app player, "super apps"). Seems simple enough to me.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    howarmat, haimez and slbailey1 like this.
    08-15-11 08:04 AM
  4. Economist101's Avatar
    In the CNet "buzz report," Molly Wood pokes fun at RIM for introducing BlackBerrys with incremental improvements:

    A 3D laptop without glasses! (video) - CNET News

    Yet, CNet seems to think that the incremental improvements coming in the iPhone 5 are akin to the second coming of Jesus Christ.
    As long as Apple is selling three or more iPhones for every two RIM phones sold, their "incremental improvements" will be a non-issue to consumers. And, as long as the iPhone alone generates nearly 3x the revenue and nearly 6x the profit as RIM's entire business (and makes Apple the 1st or 2nd most valuable company in the world), investors and analysts won't complain about product performance. In other words, a company's market success determines how their product is viewed by consumers, analysts and shareholders. It is almost all relative.
    southlander and yourpoison like this.
    08-15-11 08:19 AM
  5. lnichols's Avatar
    I don't get why there is so much hate because its a company people get a life and move on, but do get why there is negativity towards RIM. There was a long delay in new phones from RIM. The Playbook rollout has been a nightmare for RIM from both a PR and sales perspective because as we all know the tablet is missing things that are expected (don't say they aren't either because if they weren't needed they wouldn't be coming soon). Most negative reviewers I've seen on the phones tell you they haven't even used the phone. The fact that Geller over at BGR, one of the biggest critics of RIM of late, liked the 9900 in his review I think speaks volumes on the improvements of the OS7 devices over older BB phones. RIM just hasn't given people much to be excited about of late and its taking a toll on them.
    08-15-11 08:46 AM
  6. lawguyman's Avatar
    RIM has not been performing very well lately. Everything is delayed and delayed again. People want to have the same features that are available on less expensive devices. People want RIM to do well and are upset that RIM always seems to shoot itself in the foot.

    These things explain most peoples' feelings toward RIM.
    08-15-11 09:13 AM
  7. asherwiin's Avatar
    I've been around the technology industry long enough to have 'been there' when Apple was literally 90 days away from declaring bankruptcy, due to years of mismanagement, bad strategic decisions, poorly designed products, etc.. Yet today Apple is the most valuable company on the US stock market... there is a lesson to be learned here!

    Every company - no exceptions - eventulaly goes through up-and-down business cycles. Every company, sooner or later, will get get caught flat-footed by its competitition, will get out-marketed, out hustled or simply side-swiped by external events beyond their control that negatively impacts their business.

    Apple is riding a wave of popularity right now that is truly impressive, but it will eventually pass as the uniqueness and novelty of their offerings become commonplace. They've had a great run, but it will peak. It is impossible to forever maintain the same velocity of innovation and 'itness factor' that they've had the past 4 - 5 years. It's been a great ride for investors and customers, and hopefully for their sake it will continue for a while - but eventually it will peak.

    I suspect that once iPhones and iPads have become the new 'mainstream', the coolness factor upon which they've built their current popularity will begin to dissipate and something better/newer/more exciting will come along - if it has not started to happen already.

    In fact, I'm pretty confident that the truly cool trend-setters, early adopters and influencers are already looking for something new differentiate themselves from the herd. If being cool is important then being different is mandatory, and when my 14 year-old daughter starts to make fun of her 'clone' friends and their iPhones, I sense a change in the wind.

    Right now Apple and RIM are at opposite sides of the boom/bust cycle in terms of coolness, popularity and 'buzz'. A few years ago it was exactly the opposite, and it not unrealistic to expect that in few years from now it could very likely switch back again.

    However, unlike Apple which truly was at risk of going bankrupt, RIM is still a profitable company, has lots of cash in the bank and no debt, and does not have any short-term viability issues. Provided they can successfully navigate through their current down-cycle (and as RIM client, I hope that they do) they will be around for a long time and may yet again rise to be the truly 'cool' phone and tablet company.
    Last edited by asherwiin; 08-15-11 at 10:07 AM.
    yauchunh, olofob, Zizzzzy and 1 others like this.
    08-15-11 09:58 AM
  8. Economist101's Avatar
    Apple is riding a wave of popularity right now that is truly impressive, but it will eventually pass as the uniqueness and novelty of their offerings become commonplace. They've had a great run, but it will peak. It is impossible to maintain foreever the same velocity of innovation 'itness' that they've had the past 4 - 5 years.
    People said the exact same thing in 2006. . .and then they announced the iPhone. While it's true that everything peaks, you really have no data suggesting that peak has arrived.

    Every company - no exceptions - eventulaly goes through up-and-down business cycles. Every company, sooner or later, will get get caught flat-footed by its competitition, will get out-marketed, out hustled or simply side-swiped by external events beyond their control that negatively impacts their business.
    And some phone manufacturers just go a year between phone releases.

    I suspect that once iPhones and iPads have become the new 'mainstream', the coolness factor upon which they've built their current popularity will quickly dissipate - if it has not started to happen already.

    In fact, I'm pretty confident that the truly cool trend-setters, early adopters and influencers are already looking for something new differentiate themselves from the herd. Apple will be the inevitable victim of its own success...
    It's funny how I read on these forums about "iSheep" and a perception that Apple users are buying Apple products because they see other people buying them. This is regularly offered as an excuse for why RIM's performance is down. Yet now you argue that Apple may lose sales because people now want to"differentiate themselves" from the herd? I don't buy it, but since you're "pretty confident," I guess that's enough, eh?

    Right now Apple and RIM are at opposite sides of the boom/bust cycle in terms of coolness, popularity and 'buzz'. A few years ago it was exactly the opposite, and it not unrealistic to expect that in few years from now it could very likely switch back again.
    Really. Last quarter, Apple reported a profit number higher than RIM's highest quarterly revenue during any quarter. No, these roles were never reversed, as far as I know, but feel free to point to the quarter where the results prove me wrong.

    However, unlike Apple which truly was at risk of going bankrupt, RIM is still a profitable company, has cash in the bank and no debt, and does not have any short-term viability issues. Provided they can successfully navigate through their current down-cycle, they will be around for a long time and may yet again rise to be the 'cool' phone and tablet company.
    The only problem with this is that Apple responded to its "nadir" by firing its CEO and making Steve Jobs Apple CEO for the first time. I'm not saying Mike and Jim should be fired, but if they had the tools to get RIM out of its current predicament, why haven't they used them? Are they purposely building drama? Any argument which relies on them to "successfully navigate through their current down-cycle" would be a lot more persuasive if they hadn't' put the company in its down-cycle in the first place.
    Buzz_Dengue likes this.
    08-15-11 10:21 AM
  9. ubizmo's Avatar
    Secondly, BB is primarily a business tool, purchased in large quantities by companies to provide to their employees.
    Not anymore. RIM decided to introduce the BB to the consumer market, starting with the first BB Curve. It simply is no longer realistic to claim that the BB's weak presence in the consumer market doesn't count because, well, it's mainly a business device. In entering the consumer market, RIM made a huge commitment of resources. Go to Blackberry's main web site and have a look at the promotional text for, say, the new Torch: "The largest BlackBerry touch display and BlackBerry 7 OS give you the freedom to enjoy multimedia in a big way, from your favorite games and websites to memories captures with HD video recording." Does that sound to you like language promoting a business tool?
    08-15-11 10:35 AM
  10. Zizzzzy's Avatar
    The only problem with this is that Apple responded to its "nadir" by firing its CEO and making Steve Jobs Apple CEO for the first time. I'm not saying Mike and Jim should be fired, but if they had the tools to get RIM out of its current predicament, why haven't they used them? Are they purposely building drama? Any argument which relies on them to "successfully navigate through their current down-cycle" would be a lot more persuasive if they hadn't' put the company in its down-cycle in the first place.
    I'll quote somebody from another thread since i dont think i could word it any better. wont bother with the rest of your post. I dont think its the RIM CEOs that are building the drama....lol

    i thinks its obvious that these CEO have no plan, and are doing nothing to move the company forward....
    I like it!

    And I really like RIM's long term plan!

    1)Streamline and put product development and product release in rapid delivery times...
    2)Build a new platform around the most capable and future ready and future proof OS in existence...
    3)Acquire the best software companies in the world....Acquire their IP and talent.. leap the competition in 2012....
    4)Focus on supporting all development protocols and multi-platform development and porting tools...Develop an ecosystem that is more diverse then any other platform...
    5)Focus on emulation and cross platform support to exploit QNX "AUTONOMY" in many markets..
    6)Merge all SDK's under one roof exploiting all developer communities allowing RIM's ecosystem to become greater then the sum of each part!
    7)Target 3rd party support through investing with venture capital through "BB Partners fund"
    8)Further strengthen and grow RIM's Carrier Partnership to become the most broad and diverse on the Planet
    9)Conclude "transition phase" in Fall 2011 and bring streamlined development into a phase of rapid development in the Fall 2011 time frame...
    10)Lead the market in terms of software development support and offer Enterprise customers the most extensive and broad platform support and capabilities environment in 2012...
    walnuts1024 likes this.
    08-15-11 10:53 AM
  11. southlander's Avatar
    And some phone manufacturers just go a year between phone releases.
    Yes. Phones. But then RIM is more than phones; having to tie in BIS/BES.

    The first time Apple has not pumped out an iPhone per year is when they emulate RIM and add end to end services like iMessage. A lot more complicated than just pumping out a phone and a better comparison.

    If RIM ever decides to decouple it devices from it services (it won't), then that would help.
    08-15-11 11:02 AM
  12. trsbbs's Avatar
    This dog has been beat more times then an old rug.

    There are several threads containing why folks are upset with RIM.

    Not really sure why we needs another one.


    Tim
    08-15-11 11:05 AM
  13. waccotobacco's Avatar
    Yes. Phones. But then RIM is more than phones; having to tie in BIS/BES.

    The first time Apple has not pumped out an iPhone per year is when they emulate RIM and add end to end services like iMessage. A lot more complicated than just pumping out a phone and a better comparison.

    If RIM ever decides to decouple it devices from it services (it won't), then that would help.
    Ever hear of itunes?
    08-15-11 11:19 AM
  14. Bob G's Avatar
    The negativity comes from the fact that RIM faced a lot of delays, is selling less phones than they forecasted, and still hasn't released some of what they promised for the playbook (native email, android app player, "super apps"). Seems simple enough to me.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Sure, legitimate criticism is totally justified, but I don't understand the passionate hatred and the glaring double standards. It's almost like the choice of a phone is like the choice of a religion to so many people (including reviewers and internet "journalists").
    08-15-11 11:27 AM
  15. 01itr's Avatar
    Last quarter, Apple reported a profit number higher than RIM's highest quarterly revenue during any quarter. No, these roles were never reversed, as far as I know, but feel free to point to the quarter where the results prove me wrong.
    It is kind of unfair to compare these figures since Apple is MUCH more than a smartphone company. I don't know the exact figures but I am guessing if you just took only smartphone sales from that quarterly revenue it may not yield the same results.
    08-15-11 11:29 AM
  16. 1959gazza's Avatar
    The playbook is a slow burner, it'll get there in the end. "Slowly slowly catchy monkey" as the saying goes.
    08-15-11 03:49 PM
  17. chefey's Avatar
    didnt we learn a long time ago that difference is good and its ok to have options? i was taken by the playbook and i bought it. i dont like apple just as i dont like nissans. that is why we have brains and preferences. we dont need to choose from only apple and android as some of these reviewers would have you believe. was i frustrated with the long set up of my playbook and the fact it got recalled? yes. but i paid my hard earned cash by choice for it and i really like it despite some of the dissapointments. just as any other consumer product. pros and cons. if it fulfills its purpose for me, im ok with it. that being said, i now know that a blackberry bold 9900 will make my bb experience so much better.
    Chaplain_Clancy likes this.
    08-15-11 06:21 PM
  18. blackjack93117's Avatar
    So, I've been watching the boards and am really surprised by all the negativity regarding RIM and the Playbook. People seem to continue to try to compare RIM and the blackberry options side by side with the way Apple devices are bought and sold, which just does not make sense to me...


    Sorry, end of rant. Overall, I am impressed. Given time for the OS to be updated, for the apps to develop I see this as a really killer business tool.
    That was not a rant and please don't be sorry. It is a breath of fresh air. It was a realistic positive view of PlayBook for which I thank you. There are too may sourpuss crybabies in here poisoning it and believe me they are in a small minority. Polls have proved this. They just have the loudest mouths, the most pathetic demands and far too much time that they can't seem to fill as PlayBook develops into the powertool it was designed to be.
    Last edited by blackjack93117; 08-16-11 at 02:47 PM.
    missing_K-W likes this.
    08-15-11 06:27 PM
  19. bb.pl's Avatar
    Sorry, end of rant. Overall, I am impressed. Given time for the OS to be updated, for the apps to develop I see this as a really killer business tool.
    By killer business tool do mean a tool that will kill your business?
    08-15-11 06:34 PM
  20. lnichols's Avatar
    By killer business tool do mean a tool that will kill your business?
    Talk about tools
    08-15-11 07:46 PM
  21. OniBerry's Avatar
    Talk about tools
    Naw, tools are useful.....
    Zizzzzy likes this.
    08-15-11 07:54 PM
  22. southlander's Avatar
    Ever hear of itunes?
    That is a fair point, yes. Though RIM has the security certifications to maintain as well. I can imagine that stuff, as it is tied to usage in the federal government, ties their hands a bit more than an integrated consumer facing service would.
    08-16-11 02:57 AM
  23. caboose01's Avatar
    I agree with the OP 100%. I come to this forum to get advice on different ways to use my playbook, or to find out about new apps, or anything positive. Honestly I don't read any of the negitive posts here, it does absoultely no good what so ever.

    I'm not a "I" person, I don't own anything from apple and don't care anything about their products if I did I would be going to an apple forum. Yes they have great marketing, but great marketing doesn't mean its the best product for everone.

    I would love to see more positive posts on here, examples of what others are doing with their pb, new ideas. Not the same old broken record, "where is native email", why don't we have this or that. It will come eventually, so in the mean time lets talk about the other positive aspects and how to better use them.
    08-16-11 04:54 AM
  24. jthep's Avatar
    People said the exact same thing in 2006. . .and then they announced the iPhone. While it's true that everything peaks, you really have no data suggesting that peak has arrived.



    And some phone manufacturers just go a year between phone releases.



    It's funny how I read on these forums about "iSheep" and a perception that Apple users are buying Apple products because they see other people buying them. This is regularly offered as an excuse for why RIM's performance is down. Yet now you argue that Apple may lose sales because people now want to"differentiate themselves" from the herd? I don't buy it, but since you're "pretty confident," I guess that's enough, eh?



    Really. Last quarter, Apple reported a profit number higher than RIM's highest quarterly revenue during any quarter. No, these roles were never reversed, as far as I know, but feel free to point to the quarter where the results prove me wrong.



    The only problem with this is that Apple responded to its "nadir" by firing its CEO and making Steve Jobs Apple CEO for the first time. I'm not saying Mike and Jim should be fired, but if they had the tools to get RIM out of its current predicament, why haven't they used them? Are they purposely building drama? Any argument which relies on them to "successfully navigate through their current down-cycle" would be a lot more persuasive if they hadn't' put the company in its down-cycle in the first place.
    I think Apple is currently riding a wave a popularity with good products and great marketing. Will it last forever? No, but even though I cannot predict the future, I think people will be amped for the next iPhone or iPad for at least one more year, maybe more?

    But if you really look at Apple and what it makes, its a tech company involved in various product lines, all of which right now are riding a wave of success. iPods are selling just so kids can color coordinate them, but their practical use or functions are now as outdated as a walkman. Smartphones can do everything iPods can do and with battery life and memory storage ever improving, why should a practical person buy an iPod in 2011 or 2012. Right now, bc they are cool, but that like all things fade.

    Next Macs. Macs have gained popularity and market share as cool computers, but eventually will people realize the premium they are paying for a product they can get for far cheaper in the form of a PC with the same tech specs? Maybe its a status symbol right now? Like, I paid $3000 for my Mac bc I can, even though I could have gotten a PC just as good for half the price! I am not sure that lasts, especially in a down economy with unemployment stuck at close to 10%. But somehow it has for now? I never understood this either, if you pay $3000 for a PC bc you have the money you blow away any $3000 Mac in technology. Maybe practicality and logic will kick in one day, but for now Macs are as popular as they have ever been and have become mainstream.

    iPhones, right now they are the most popular phones. But how long before people want to break from the pack and be individuals rather than owning the same cloned phone every year? I dunno, but again, right now iPhones are in and any new model will sell like crazy.

    iPads, right now the hottest tablet out there. But as more and more tablets surpass it in terms of running real websites or make them closer to laptops, will they be the king forever?

    iTunes, as far as legitimate digital music and video, I don't see anyone overtaking them here any time soon. Yea, Amazon is doing some cool things, but face it iTunes will be as difficult to replace as a brand as Vaseline is to Petroleum Jelly! Its here to stay.

    I think Apple which was once viewed as the underdog and the cool indie tech that made you different for having heir products is now "the man" and represents much of whats wrong in the corporate world. It can't be "cool" if everyone has it forever...
    08-16-11 08:15 AM
  25. chiefbroski's Avatar
    Nobody ever made any money giving an unbiased review. Appealing to the mainstream is where they get publicity and clicks. The blogosphere wants to see the RIM fail, and Apple and Google dominate everything. You can't write something against that view or the majority of people won't read it.

    It's sad, but given some time, with RIM's progress internationally, their continued profits will start to wear on the view that they are a dead company and people will get tired of hearing B/S of last year.
    Last edited by chiefbroski; 08-16-11 at 08:48 AM.
    08-16-11 08:43 AM
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