[zorba3726]

Is it really the critics or is it the media at it once again? I can't help but think it's media that is once again trying to pull down RIM. It is such a familiar pattern of media behaviour towards RIM. One thing to note is that the biggest critisizers have been reviewers from WSJ and NYTimes, not from technology sites like ZDNet, Anandtech, Engadget.

Looking into the reviews, most reviews have highlighted both plus and minus aspects of PlayBook. That's what the job of a professional critic is.

Even when iPhone came out it was critisized on points which included-->
no keyboard
a phone without a removable battery
no copy paste
no flash support

iPad had criticizms including-->
it's just a giant iPod Touch.
a tablet witout flash support
a tablet without multi tasking

But the media never hyped up the negative aspects of the Apple products to the extent it has done for any news that is to do with RIM.

In my opinion the negative aspects being highlighted are mostly around lack of apps which everybody knows is going to change over a period of time and the positive aspects like excellent flash support, multi-tasking, being ultraportable, very intutive UI etc is so far ahead of iPad and everyone knows it will take long time for iPad to catch up on these if at all they try.

Maybe RIM should come up with a better strategy to handle media Or may be they would just say 'We will keep making great products and the products will speak for themselves'.

[sleepngbear]

Just the fact that they're picking on the Bridge as an impediment rather than a benefit to the initial target audience for the thing boggles my mind. But then I'm easily amused by shiny things. The message is 'you have to bridge to a BB device to get email', when it could/should be, 'you can use the bridge to get your email plus all your PIM info as well as access to other functions on your BB phone, which to date no one else can do.

Whatever ... there may be some validity to both points you made in the last paragraph.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Chronos88]

Just the fact that they're picking on the Bridge as an impediment rather than a benefit to the initial target audience for the thing boggles my mind. But then I'm easily amused by shiny things. The message is 'you have to bridge to a BB device to get email', when it could/should be, 'you can use the bridge to get your email plus all your PIM info as well as access to other functions on your BB phone, which to date no one else can do.

Whatever ... there may be some validity to both points you made in the last paragraph.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Not to mention the discovery of the Bridge Browser that would allow you to tether without the carrier ever knowing about it and therefore entirely free but, you know, the power button is too small...

[Sonic77]

Mistake in not having basic expected functions on it,
and then try to sell to the mass market. What did they expect?

Maybe the 1st release should have been online sales via RIM's website
and once the standard email apps were complete then mass market.

[thedark722]

why on earth would you limit sales to online only. if you're going to sell it, sell it, the reviews would have still come out, the haters would have still hated.

Not having native email on a device that is wifi only?...with the ability to bridge to a bb to access pretty much everything on it?...with or without native email, i don't think any other tablets can claim to be as secure when it comes to network infrastructure integrity as a playbook and bb phone. That's the initial target audience, regardless of what the RIM execs say (rightfully, they don't want to alienate the non BB using consumers). And when the update comes out that gives the playbook the most secure email infrastructure in the mobile world, they'll start biting into the other 85% of the market.

The bridge "requirement" is a great positive for current BB users and a temporary downside for everyone else.

RIM's strategy is sensible, not perfect, but sensible in the situation. The tablet market is controlled by the iGiant (and rightfully so, they have the experience there and the audience). There's a million and one entries into it every other day. What to do? Get your product out into the market, into the hands of their current customers (captive or voluntary) and allow the playbook's capabilities to speak for themselves.

The pb is not finished, but what it does, it seems to do really well. And tech is a world of constant upgrades (ios is on v 4?, Android is pushing v 3?), if those upgrades are free software updates, that's better than having to dish out money to replace outdated hardware and everyone is in agreement that the pb hardware rocks!!!!!!

[Knuw1]

You know, after receiving the demo in our store and watch people play around with it, I think people are intimidated by the learning curve the PB presents. I had no problem using it because I am a Torch owner and the PB works very similar to it. Also, people are just going to hate on RIM, no matter what they do. I'm not surprised because they have had iOS and Android platforms shoved down their throats for the last few years.

[semicoln]

Bridge really isn't getting a fair shake. It is a great feature that provides a workaround for carriers overcharging for data extras.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[dutchtender]

neither. it's not the critics. it's not the media. it's the device.

[dutchtender]

Mistake in not having basic expected functions on it,
and then try to sell to the mass market. What did they expect?

Maybe the 1st release should have been online sales via RIM's website
and once the standard email apps were complete then mass market.

no the first release should have been 4 months from now. but rimm had painted itself into a corner by starting the hype machine in fall of 2010.

[miketko]

neither. it's not the critics. it's not the media. it's the device.

says the guy with the Nokia

[andyahs]

It can't be because the PB is nothing more than a half-assed, second rate tablet.

Compared to what is already available in the consumer market, this thing is a joke.

Try to take off the RIM blinders for once.

Feel better?

[Chronos88]

It can't be because the PB is nothing more than a half-assed, second rate tablet.

Compared to what is already available in the consumer market, this thing is a joke.

Try to take off the RIM blinders for once.

I do hope you realize why you can't be taken seriously, right?

[WillHeSurvive]

It can't be because the PB is nothing more than a half-assed, second rate tablet.

Compared to what is already available in the consumer market, this thing is a joke.

Try to take off the RIM blinders for once.

Now are you glad you got that off your chest.

[Cowchip]

neither. it's not the critics. it's not the media. it's the device.

Exactly. Let's take off the fan boy hat and put the blame where blame is due. I read the posts here and other places and shake my head at the denial and wishful thinking that the PlayBook is something great when in all actuality it's not even really that good. I understand the desire to believe that your "brand" has the best products on the market, whatever it may be, but it's time for some introspection and understanding that it might not always be the case, especially with the PlayBook.

I was really hoping that the Playbook would be a hit but unfortunately it has left a lot to be desired....especially considering the time it has taken to come to market and seeing the other tablets that are currently available or coming soon.

RIM failed big time with this and they are the only ones to blame.

[andyahs]

Exactly. Let's take off the fan boy hat and put the blame where blame is due. I read the posts here and other places and shake my head at the denial and wishful thinking that the PlayBook is something great when in all actuality it's not even really that good. I understand the desire to believe that your "brand" has the best products on the market, whatever it may be, but it's time for some introspection and understanding that it might not always be the case, especially with the PlayBook.

I was really hoping that the Playbook would be a hit but unfortunately it has left a lot to be desired....especially considering the time it has taken to come to market and seeing the other tablets that are currently available or coming soon.

RIM failed big time with this and they are the only ones to blame.

It has not been released yet so who knows if it will be a hit or not?

[thedark722]

It can't be because the PB is nothing more than a half-assed, second rate tablet.

Compared to what is already available in the consumer market, this thing is a joke.

Try to take off the RIM blinders for once.

Hey Fanboy, where's ChumChum?..my kids love your show...

[Zizzzzy]

no the first release should have been 4 months from now. but rimm had painted itself into a corner by starting the hype machine in fall of 2010.

I do believe there is another release coming in a few months that will no doubt address as many of the general consensus issues as possible.

This release is to address the 250'000 corporations using Blackberry for the unmatched security that are looking for tablets that can deliver the same. 60 million Blackberry users have less reason to frown over some of the lacking features due to its infancy and are offered some great advantages by the bridge. If anybody expected the first revision of RIMs tablet to immediately make a significant impact to the apple and android faithful they need a head check.

Lots of market room for RIM to get their feet wet

[Cowchip]

It has not been released yet so who knows if it will be a hit or not?

I knew.

[blackjack93117]

Exactly. Let's take off the fan boy hat and put the blame where blame is due. I read the posts here and other places and shake my head at the denial and wishful thinking that the PlayBook is something great when in all actuality it's not even really that good. I understand the desire to believe that your "brand" has the best products on the market, whatever it may be, but it's time for some introspection and understanding that it might not always be the case, especially with the PlayBook.

I was really hoping that the Playbook would be a hit but unfortunately it has left a lot to be desired....especially considering the time it has taken to come to market and seeing the other tablets that are currently available or coming soon.

RIM failed big time with this and they are the only ones to blame.

It's actually great - have you tried one? I see that you have an ipad2.
Any backup for your claims? A failure isn't a failure until it has actually failed.

Bridge really isn't getting a fair shake. It is a great feature that provides a workaround for carriers overcharging for data extras.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Because RIM didn't shake it enough - instead they got defensive.
.

[kill_9]

Not to mention the discovery of the Bridge Browser that would allow you to tether without the carrier ever knowing about it and therefore entirely free but, you know, the power button is too small...

Bridge-mode and tethering are completely different types of data connection. Bridge always uses your existing smartphone data plan, except apparently on the AT&T network, while tethering is more akin to using the smartphone as a modem (MODEM for us old-timers who remember analogue wired telephone lines). Tethering always costs extra either by virtue of a higher-priced data plan or an add-on service to the existing data plan.

[ADozenEggs@aol.com]

Because, regardless of what the critics had to say, consumers still went out in droves and purchased the product.

Similar to when a film critic gives a film a poor review but it brings in $40mm in it's opening weekend. The critics will then make snarky comments about unsophisticated film viewers have become and they move on. Because, in a way, they look at box-office returns and know they've been defeated.

Now if that same film were to underperform, or tank at theaters, they will talk for weeks about how bad it is, and how the box-office returns have validated their critique.

In my opinion, this is what happened with the PB.

Profits and successful sales will almost always shut up the folks that are bad-mouthing you.

[popeyesmotto]

I think it is the churn. So many media ports and so much product all of it constantly in flux. Catch a wave or remain in the churn, there are sharks there.

[omniusovermind]

Neither the critics nor the media. The blame rests with us, the uneducated simplistic consumer base. The majority of the population are clueless about tech devices and so will believe whatever the mob mentality spoon feeds them. Mob mentality is driven by the lowest common denominator, that being the sterotypical obese sweat pant wearing walmart customer, who ambles into their friends muttering such phrases as, "wot iz "great hardware" mean? wot's an OS? I don't understand that fancy gadget talk, but u need big appz store on tablets because I read someone saying that on the interweb so it must be true hurrrr hurrrr"

Sorry, but I always have to fall back on the McDonalds analogy with these arguments because it illustrates my point so well. 10 Billion served must mean that Big Macs are better than any other food on the planet.

[rotorwrench]

Lol Folks, this is called chummin the waters, when a dead thread like this gets brought back up. The hooks are hitting the water.

[ADozenEggs@aol.com]

Neither the critics nor the media. The blame rests with us, the uneducated simplistic consumer base. The majority of the population are clueless about tech devices and so will believe whatever the mob mentality spoon feeds them. Mob mentality is driven by the lowest common denominator, that being the sterotypical obese sweat pant wearing walmart customer, who ambles into their friends muttering such phrases as, "wot iz "great hardware" mean? wot's an OS? I don't understand that fancy gadget talk, but u need big appz store on tablets because I read someone saying that on the interweb so it must be true hurrrr hurrrr"

Sorry, but I always have to fall back on the McDonalds analogy with these arguments because it illustrates my point so well. 10 Billion served must mean that Big Macs are better than any other food on the planet.

McDonalds may not be the best food on the planet but they make a great cheap burger(I don't eat red meat so this is just an observation).

Does McDonalds has great marketing? Yes. But I don't know anyone who was convinced to by a McD Burger complained about how awful it was.

Also, there's a major difference between being unsophisticated and being uneducated and ignorant. People spend there money on what works for them. For the most part.