[Vidge]

My opinion was better of the PlayBook until I bought my 8 year-old daughter a new iPad with retina display for $499 and only they (after all these years) did I realise how bad the PlayBook actually is. Her Christmas present allowed me to see first hand how powerful the iOS is, how many useful apps there are, how fast the browser is, and how long the battery lasts on an iPad.

I bought my 64GB on launch day, paying full price. A few weeks ago, I picked up an iPad3. What I've learned is similar to this - and it's maddening after this length of time.

That being said, I'm keeping both devices - because they serve different purposes. In fact, I've used the PB more since getting the iPad than ever. Why? Because it forced me to look at the capabilities of the PB again, especially the software. I got tired of visiting AppWorld and seeing the same junk apps over and over, but now I search for - and generally find - specific apps that I can use on both platforms, with data being shared between the two. It's made me really look forward to what can be with BB10.

[kill_9]

The BlackBerry PlayBook is worth the early adopter tribulations but only due to the efforts of a handful of application developers. The only credit I will give to Research In Motion is in regards to BlackBerry Bridge which arrived approximately a month after the launch of this tablet in April of 2011. The BlackBerry Tablet OS we have today should have been ready and installed on the BlackBerry PlayBook at time of the April 2011 launch instead of almost 2 years later. I use my BlackBerry PlayBooks on a daily basis but this definitely would not have been the case without the essential applications I require for productive use of this tablet.

Therefore, my assessment of the BlackBerry PlayBook is as follows:
Research In Motion - thumbs sideways - too much unrealized potential has not been exploited - Score: 5/10
Developers - thumbs up - turned the tablet into a productivity-enhancing device rather than simply a mirrored display for the BlackBerry smartphone - Score: 9.5/10

[constable24601]

What are the sources of movies and TV shows you can actually save and store on PB? I have found public domain movies and TV on archive.org, but am not aware of other sources of downloadable/saveable movies & TV. All TV (Tablet TV) I find appears to be real-time only. Ideas?

[edgephoto]

This is one of the annoyances I have with PlayBook. No Netflix, no Hulu, no Skype among other missing apps that other tablets have. My son got an iPad for Christmas. It run circles around the PlayBook. My main need is for work. I bought it so I can use it with my 9900. The screen on the phone is a joke. The PB makes it useful for reading and working with email. I also store a copy of the My Documents from my corporate laptop so I can retrieve files quickly while on the road. However the native PDF and file browser on the PB is awful.

As for video files I connect to my home computer and load the files from there.

As I have said before for RIM to come back from the walking dead they have to make hardware that works. Have tons of apps. And the apps need to work on both the phone and the PlayBook. Or at least have a version for both that when you purchase one you get both versions. RIM needs to go to the Apple and Android app stores and find the most popular apps and convince the developers to make a BB version. Even if it means paying the developer's to do it or guaranteeing a certain financial minimum. Without apps, a good file browser and cross BB platform apps RIM will go the way of Kodak, Polaroid and other giants who failed to see where they are missing the boat.

I would not recommend a PlayBook to anyone unless they needed to use it with a BB phone. For my purposes it is sufficient. However if I was to do it over again I might go with iPad mini and forget the bridge. The toss up is Playbook with bridge makes it a usable email system for traveling. iPad is good for everything else I do plus lots of other apps that I use on my iPod would work on the iPad.

My company is testing iPhones and is considering a bring your own device policy. if that happens I think I would chose the Apple ecosystem because it works better as a system. BB and PlayBook are not like iPhone and iPad.

[jesse_h]

I bought mine on day 1, after months and months of waiting. No regrets.

[nappp]

no regrets here either. I bought mine 1 month after launch

[pkcable]

No regrets I use it daily. I can not say that about my Nexus 7 or the ipad that I sold!

[collinc93]

It seems people are warming up very much to PB I guess if the apps are in then BB 10 might do for them what the PB has threatened to do: bring BB to the party big time

[Spencerdl]

YES, it was worth it. The bridge and extreme portability did it for me back then and as the PlayBook grew with every update was/is very exciting. Were their disappointments.....yes, but in the overall scheme of things it was nice to experience the growth of the PlayBook first hand. Did I mention that one of the most important things for me ......it is a BLACKBERRY

[axllebeer]

As an early adopter of the PlayBook, I can totally say that it was a damn good purchase. The tethering costs that it has saved me with bridge all but made it pay for itself. I have got to see the OS grow and I love this. My 9930 not long ago finally died, but I used it hard. I'm currently running an android phone and when BB10 launches I'm jumping right back on the BlackBerry bandwagon, and will be an early adopter of that too.

I have no regrets. I also recently got an iPad for my birthday and although I do use it quite a bit, there are plenty of times that ill go to do something on it and it won't cut it. So I pick up the PlayBook and that solves the problem.

It's a great device and I look forward to the BB10 upgrade!

On a side note, now that the passport thing has gone live, I joined up with the other Mobile Nations sites for those that I own products of, and comparing them to CrackBerry, I just have to say there is no place like home when it comes to the forums. My experience so far is that the CrackBerry forums have a great group of people, and there is more of a feel of people helping each other here than the other sites. We are an awesome group and there are good times ahead of us...

Cheers.

[FSeverino]

i paid my 32GB 199, and later got the 64GB for the same price... i wish i waited until the current price, but at the same time i would have been without one of my fave devices for such a long period of time.

yes the lower prices are better... but i paid around $100 more about 10 months before this big drop... so $10/month isnt that much to whine about considering i put in about 2 - 4 hours of use a day.

[bullockss]

I wouldnt pay much more then the $118 i paid for my 32GB. Havn't touched it in over a month...

[rob c]

Absolutely agree... have had my 32 gb since 4/19/11?
Do I wish I could have bought it for a couple $100 ? - sure.. but no regrets spending full list at intro.

[Wongsky]

Firstly, I'm not an early adopter.

That said, I've only had my PlayBook about 4 months, now, and compared with the early adopters, here, I suppose I only really bought a PlayBook because it was cheap. Not that I didn't think it was a decent tablet - I'd had my eye on them, and had watched / read discussions about them for some time before buying one.

But my reasons for only buying one because it was cheap was simply because I already had a tablet (Android) that I was happy with, and had got great value out of (and that was a budget, Tegra 2, 10" Android tablet I'd had for about a year, when I bought my PlayBook). Minor issues with my existing tablet (the hardware / capacitive buttons had stopped working - not a huge problem, because of Button Savior, but all the same, was a concern) may have also had an effect - in that I probably wanted to mitigate the situation, if it actually truly failed. In the meantime, I also bought another, used (albeit hardly at all, it was practically new when I got it) version of the same Android tablet I'd had - simply because I'd really had value out of my original, and wasn't sure whether my new, shiney PlayBook would truly fulfill the same use.

Since I've had my PlayBook, I've used it practically daily. I've found the smaller (7" compared with 10") form factor more convenient, and I've come to prefer the PlayBook's OS over Android. And Although I prefer the gmail app on Android, to the email client on the PlayBook, I normally use my PlayBook, now - my Android tablets aren't getting much use at all.

My gripes about the PlayBook aren't serious fundamental ones. The OS is, I feel, it's real strength - it's simplicity to use a boon and a delight - it's stability has been awesome, and there's been a couple of software updates since I've had it. For a tablet that's been out for so long, that's quite refreshing. Other tablets I've had / encountered haven't had anything like the same support, so long after it hitting the market. My real gripes are simply the stark gaps in some app support for it - and whilst perhaps not solely BlackBerry's / RIM's fault - they must share some part of the blame.

Despite there being other e-readers around, Kindle support is pretty much a de-facto requirement, these days - and a lot of the complaints I read about for other apps too - things like netflix, skype and other apps that are very reoccurrent in peoples' complaints - those things aren't glib, 5th-alternatives-for-fart-simulators - but bely what people tend to put their tablets to use for.

For myself, since getting an Android tablet, about a year and a half back, having Kindle app on it, plus also using a Kindle device (Kindle 3 / keyboard) I've found the sync and interaction between the app on the 2 platforms really useful. I suppose as a result, perhaps I'd used my Kindle device less - but nothing beats that for, say, reading in bright sunlight. Now having my PlayBook and hardly ever using my Android tablets, I'm using my Kindle device more and more again - but I prefer using a tablet for night reading, because of the inverse screen options (black screen, white text) and without a version that supports syncing all documents between various Kindle devices, some old version of the Kindle app ported to a bar file for the PlayBook is useless to me.

Now whilst things like that, and the other apps that are regular features in peoples' complaints about the PlayBook - they're not trivial - that's people pointing out what they use a tablet for - or at least what they'd like to use a tablet for. That matters - it's not trivial, it's not insignificant. I'm sure gaps in the available apps may well widely diverge if people splurged their interests - but all the same, there's some regular, high profile or big things that are really stark in their absence.

The device itself? I think it's wonderfully built. For those that paid full price, compared with the physical devices that are other tablets (yes, even the big ticket / premium ones) I suspect, physical contact with the PlayBook, even if early in it's life, and for a high price, you'd have at least been reassured that what you held in your hands, was done decently for the money. Of course, that's not everything - but all the same, I have to say, I've never encountered another tablet in recent times, I've considered quite as well constructed.

For me, personally, I'm happy with my PlayBook - I realise that's at a considerable discount to the target of this thread, but all the same - some of it applies. I hope that most, on balance, feel it was money well spent. I realise it won't be for some, and some will have already abandoned it. Personally, I'm not that bothered about the supposed silver bullet that is BB10 - I have doubts / concerns that maybe some of the spec (RAM) may be below where it is for the true target devices, and that may compromise how well it works compared with the current OS - I'm happy with the OS and how it works. Sure, it's not perfect, I'm sure like any similar OS, it has bugs and flaws that need addressing - but as a tablet and consumer device, I'm more pleased with it's OS than any other device I've had that I could care to mention. I just wish that a few key things could be addressed - like a better native email app, like some of the key ommisions in app support be addressed - that being the case, whatever happens with BB10 would be an irrelevance to me, really. The truth of the matter is, I suspect, that any true effort is largely going towards any BB10 implementation, so it's to be hoped that that really does address most of the true issues people have with the PlayBook.

In summation - brilliant device, albeit flawed / crippled with key app support (well lack of it...).

[trsbbs]

No it has not been worth it.

Had I known that they would take over a year to get what they indicated it would have in a few months I would not of purchased it.

Then they drop the price within 9 months to $199 after paying $499 sort hurts as well.

Tim





Sent from my BlackBerry 9850

[sok2507]

Glad I didn't pay top-dollar for it, due to the numerous frustrating SW niggles/bugs; the 4 killers for me being: WiFi connection reliability, Bridge notifications/reliability, God-awful boot-time, flaky Browser).
(Lack of apps led me to buy Android tablets for my kids, and they're just a horrible user-experience. SWMBO has an iPad 3 - too big, heavy for my liking, but has the polish I would have loved to see on PB from day one - esp. given its high launch pricepoint).

BUT, the HW quality/feel is superb, and Bridge as a concept and in general execution is superb. Hence I decided to hang in there. So please RIM, don't let us down...in general as users, I would suggest we have been a patient lot, and accepting of the tough issues you've been working through in terms of mgmt structure, direction, focus, legacy SW, and the light seems to be appearing at the end of the tunnel.....get BB10 onto our PlayBooks as soon as possible after BB10 handsets launch (which I am very excited about!)... thanks ;-)

[I am JT]

A resounding YES! It was well worth it. I knew exactly what I was getting when I bought it and it has just gotten better over time. Still finding new ways to use it's unique features.

[2ys4u]

Paid $536 at 10:03 on day one and would do it all over again. I've bn buying and selling em on Ebay and Amazon lately. I keep a spare so when one's charging....I don't miss a beat . This is a lifestyle of memories ^

[kevinnugent]

I paid an absolute poultice (a lot) for my first Playbook. It hadn't been released in Australia as yet, so I got a grey import. It wasn't worth it, honestly.

The 64GB at $199 was.

[jvictor77]

Paid full price for mine in May 2011 and still going strong with no problems. Totally worth it!

[vbev84]

Bought it at OfficeMax on Day 1- Stil use it everyday, even after purchasing the nexus7. Combo of 9930 and PlayBook is great. Eagerly waiting for BB10 update...

[Ghostone20]

we bought 2 16g christmas 2011, early but not day 1... we recently bought 2 32g and our 4 and 6 year old now have the old ones. I have always loved my Playbook and can't wait till BB10 os