[BunniesBerry]

Seeing videos and reading the hands on reviews of the PlayBook are getting me excited but like everyone else I still have questions:

Is there talk of native and/or third party apps for viewing (and hopefully editing) PowerPoint presentations. Well honestly an app for the whole Microsoft productivity suite would be preferred.

I wonder how the bluetooth connectivity will fair for the battery life as opposed to the physical tethering. Then again who wants to have to work around a USB chord?

Will we be able to use our BlackBerry keyboard as a physical keyboard when paired with the PB? (I actually saw this in another post and agreed totally!) Sometimes I just like having my keys, no matter how small they are.

Am I the only one a tad disappointed that there is no USB port? With the PB's hardware being ahead of the iPad's (and all other competition) and with all the talk of the iPad 2 having a USB port I expected RIM to jump on it and already have that on the PB for us.

I'm guessing as time goes on we will get a USB port, and I honestly was planning on waiting to see if a bigger model comes out, but I'm liable to change my mind once I get my hands on it an and possibly break the first gen. rule

But has anyone heard anything in regards to any of my questions?

[Xopher]

The Playbook does have a micro USB port, so you can connect it to a computer and such (it won't be a host, from what I can tell). You wouldn't be able to connect a BlackBerry to the Playbook via USB, though. Both devices would be considered USB slaves and need a Master to host the connection.

I haven't seen anything that shows typing using the BlackBerry keyboard, but that might come as an app in the future. But, there are bluetooth keyboards that should work with the Playbook, so you could (in essence) turn the Playbook into a laptop-like experience using an external bluetooth keyboard (there was even an iPad case being shown off at CES with a built-in keyboard).

RIM acquired Dataviz (makers of DocsToGo), so I wouldn't doubt there would be some sort of MS Office type app in the Playbook's future.

[bacon.jay]

The Playbook does have a micro USB port, so you can connect it to a computer and such (it won't be a host, from what I can tell). You wouldn't be able to connect a BlackBerry to the Playbook via USB, though. Both devices would be considered USB slaves and need a Master to host the connection....

I saw somewhere that the PlayBook would supposedly employ the USB OTG standard, so it could act as host in certain circumstances.

[dfaris]

So am I understanding this correctly there will be no calendar, ToDo or contacts unless its paired to a blackberry phone??? That is rather disappointing. I think it would have those things and just sync with each other.

[BunniesBerry]

I'm seeing the same info about the calendar and such and I'm discussing it in another post, but the essence of my response from the other thread, "WTW MAN LIKE REALLY THOUGH?!?!" Does that even make sense. The point of the PB, and any other tab, is to be a stand alone device right?!? Pairing is supposed to enhance the damn experience, not make the experience. If I'm on my phone, and working on my PB simultaneously and someone tells me we have a meeting on such and such date why the world would I want to stop my phone convo, take the phone from my ear and enter the date into my calendar on my BB when my PB is in front of me?!?! I'll just sync it later. I guess one could argue that I can be paired while one the phone (assuming that is possible) so I can in turn pull up the calendar on my PB and go ahead and add it in, but why?!?! Tabs are supposed to be like mini laptops. You can always access the calendar on your laptop no worries, so why would I have to pair with my BB to access it on the PB?!?! (This argument holds for the ToDo list and contacts too, this calendar mess just REALLY grinds my gears)

I really want a USB port to connect an external hard drive, but I think about it and I may be getting ahead of myself because files might not be compatible....... ::whomp whomp on my part::

RIM would be some real a*holes if I couldn't use my BB, which is supposed to pair with my PB, for the physical keyboard. If I already have keyboard on my BB WTW would I want to go out and buy another keyboard to tote around, even if it is built into the case, I already have on built into my phone, TA-DA!!!!!!