- The following is my honest opinion. Some details may be wrong as I have only had my Playbook for two days. I wrote this to give some of the other Playbook users a different perspective. I don't expect everyone to agree with me and I am sure I will hear differing opinions. Please do not take this as anything other than a first impression of the Playbook from someone who comes from another ecosystem.
Thanks.
HARDWARE
The first thing I noticed about the Playbook was it felt substantial. It had more weight than I thought it would but felt very good in my hands.The coating on the back isn't as "grippy" as some coatings but it avoids the "rubbery" feeling of some other tablets that make those others feel more like a toy. The face of the tablet looks pretty much like all tablets today, a black rectangle. The only difference is the "Blackberry" moniker and the chrome like trim ring. I like where the volume/play/pause buttons are located. Easy to get to yet not likely to get hit by accident. They are raised just the right amount so you can find them by touch but are still low profile. I wish the USB and HDMI ports were on the side instead of on the bottom. You can't prop up the Playbook when the cables are inserted. I won't say much about the lousy power button. That subject has been beaten to death. It would also be nice to have user replaceable batteries. The one really glaring hardware mistake is the lack of a microSD slot. Even the Nook Tablet has one. Overall though I really like the hardware.
OS
The Playbooks OS will take a bit of time to get used to it. That said, I really like it. It has been rock steady and pretty easy to figure out without much user manual time. The Playbook never seems slow and plays my movie files without any stuttering. Quick access to settings is nice and not needing a task killer is great. It is just very smooth and very slick. Someone spent a lot of time designing this beast and it shows. From my point of view there are two big flaws though. No A2DP Bluetooth streaming and no Linux support. Why can't the Playbook show up as a USB mass storage device like just about every other tablet? Even I-pads can be connected to a Linux machine. I can dual boot into Windows 7 but it is a pain to have to do this just to transfer files.
SOFTWARE
Where is it? No native Pandora app. (yes, you can use Pandora in the browser). Everything else in the world including Roku, Chumby, GoogleTV, etc. has a Pandora app. Same goes for Hulu and Netflix. This is just not acceptable on a premium tablet. I tried to find comparable programs for the Playbook as I have on my Android tablet. I failed most of the time. This more than anything else is holding back the Playbook.
CONCLUSION
I really like the Playbook and what it does it does very well. It is a shame the software selection is so small. I have great hopes for version 2 due in February. Rumors are that A2DP will be included. If the ability to use Android apps works well that would go a long way towards filling a huge gap until more native apps are written.12-10-11 07:15 AMLike 14 - The following is my honest opinion. Some details may be wrong as I have only had my Playbook for two days. I wrote this to give some of the other Playbook users a different perspective. I don't expect everyone to agree with me and I am sure I will hear differing opinions. Please do not take this as anything other than a first impression of the Playbook from someone who comes from another ecosystem.
Thanks.
HARDWARE
The first thing I noticed about the Playbook was it felt substantial. It had more weight than I thought it would but felt very good in my hands.The coating on the back isn't as "grippy" as some coatings but it avoids the "rubbery" feeling of some other tablets that make those others feel more like a toy. The face of the tablet looks pretty much like all tablets today, a black rectangle. The only difference is the "Blackberry" moniker and the chrome like trim ring. I like where the volume/play/pause buttons are located. Easy to get to yet not likely to get hit by accident. They are raised just the right amount so you can find them by touch but are still low profile. I wish the USB and HDMI ports were on the side instead of on the bottom. You can't prop up the Playbook when the cables are inserted. I won't say much about the lousy power button. That subject has been beaten to death. It would also be nice to have user replaceable batteries. The one really glaring hardware mistake is the lack of a microSD slot. Even the Nook Tablet has one. Overall though I really like the hardware.
OS
The Playbooks OS will take a bit of time to get used to it. That said, I really like it. It has been rock steady and pretty easy to figure out without much user manual time. The Playbook never seems slow and plays my movie files without any stuttering. Quick access to settings is nice and not needing a task killer is great. It is just very smooth and very slick. Someone spent a lot of time designing this beast and it shows. From my point of view there are two big flaws though. No A2DP Bluetooth streaming and no Linux support. Why can't the Playbook show up as a USB mass storage device like just about every other tablet? Even I-pads can be connected to a Linux machine. I can dual boot into Windows 7 but it is a pain to have to do this just to transfer files.
SOFTWARE
Where is it? No native Pandora app. (yes, you can use Pandora in the browser). Everything else in the world including Roku, Chumby, GoogleTV, etc. has a Pandora app. Same goes for Hulu and Netflix. This is just not acceptable on a premium tablet. I tried to find comparable programs for the Playbook as I have on my Android tablet. I failed most of the time. This more than anything else is holding back the Playbook.
CONCLUSION
I really like the Playbook and what it does it does very well. It is a shame the software selection is so small. I have great hopes for version 2 due in February. Rumors are that A2DP will be included. If the ability to use Android apps works well that would go a long way towards filling a huge gap until more native apps are written.
G52 - BINGO - I Win !!12-10-11 07:29 AMLike 0 - To the OP, flip the PB upsidedown to get the ports on top. The power button is rarely needed which is the reason it is so small.
The software will come.12-10-11 07:49 AMLike 4 - The following is my honest opinion. Some details may be wrong as I have only had my Playbook for two days. I wrote this to give some of the other Playbook users a different perspective. I don't expect everyone to agree with me and I am sure I will hear differing opinions. Please do not take this as anything other than a first impression of the Playbook from someone who comes from another ecosystem.
Thanks.
HARDWARE
The first thing I noticed about the Playbook was it felt substantial. It had more weight than I thought it would but felt very good in my hands.The coating on the back isn't as "grippy" as some coatings but it avoids the "rubbery" feeling of some other tablets that make those others feel more like a toy. The face of the tablet looks pretty much like all tablets today, a black rectangle. The only difference is the "Blackberry" moniker and the chrome like trim ring. I like where the volume/play/pause buttons are located. Easy to get to yet not likely to get hit by accident. They are raised just the right amount so you can find them by touch but are still low profile. I wish the USB and HDMI ports were on the side instead of on the bottom. You can't prop up the Playbook when the cables are inserted. I won't say much about the lousy power button. That subject has been beaten to death. It would also be nice to have user replaceable batteries. The one really glaring hardware mistake is the lack of a microSD slot. Even the Nook Tablet has one. Overall though I really like the hardware.
OS
The Playbooks OS will take a bit of time to get used to it. That said, I really like it. It has been rock steady and pretty easy to figure out without much user manual time. The Playbook never seems slow and plays my movie files without any stuttering. Quick access to settings is nice and not needing a task killer is great. It is just very smooth and very slick. Someone spent a lot of time designing this beast and it shows. From my point of view there are two big flaws though. No A2DP Bluetooth streaming and no Linux support. Why can't the Playbook show up as a USB mass storage device like just about every other tablet? Even I-pads can be connected to a Linux machine. I can dual boot into Windows 7 but it is a pain to have to do this just to transfer files.
SOFTWARE
Where is it? No native Pandora app. (yes, you can use Pandora in the browser). Everything else in the world including Roku, Chumby, GoogleTV, etc. has a Pandora app. Same goes for Hulu and Netflix. This is just not acceptable on a premium tablet. I tried to find comparable programs for the Playbook as I have on my Android tablet. I failed most of the time. This more than anything else is holding back the Playbook.
CONCLUSION
I really like the Playbook and what it does it does very well. It is a shame the software selection is so small. I have great hopes for version 2 due in February. Rumors are that A2DP will be included. If the ability to use Android apps works well that would go a long way towards filling a huge gap until more native apps are written.12-10-11 08:07 AMLike 0 - I have to say something about the power button. When I received my PB, the power button was awful. I needed to use the blunt end of a pen to depress it. While its true that one rarely needs to actually use that power button--you've got no choice if your PB completely freezes like mine did. However, I lived with it because I thought that was normal based upon what I read here and elsewhere.
I ended up exchanging mine due to some bad pixels and amazing--the power button works just fine. A light touch with my finger is all that's needed.meltbox360 likes this.12-10-11 09:51 AMLike 1 -
- Very well written post OP. Loved that you gave your honest opinion without going on a rant as some others have done. I agree with your assessment and have my fingers crossed for February.12-10-11 09:56 AMLike 0
- Ok here is one thing that stunned me: You said something about a chrome like ring around the front. Mine doesn't have such thing. Is there different designs of the PB?meltbox360 likes this.12-10-11 10:07 AMLike 1
- I have to say something about the power button. When I received my PB, the power button was awful. I needed to use the blunt end of a pen to depress it. While its true that one rarely needs to actually use that power button--you've got no choice if your PB completely freezes like mine did. However, I lived with it because I thought that was normal based upon what I read here and elsewhere.
I ended up exchanging mine due to some bad pixels and amazing--the power button works just fine. A light touch with my finger is all that's needed.Last edited by Tank1978; 12-10-11 at 10:15 AM.
12-10-11 10:13 AMLike 3 -
- well written review. i also agree that hulu & netflix apps would be a nice addition as would a few other apps like spotify. bluetooth streaming was a dealbreaker for me, so for now i'm using my ipad as my primary tablet device. i also never find myself using the power button since i found crackberry's tip about swiping from pane to pane to wake it up.
aside from these small issues, the playbook is a solid device wih a powerfull os inside. the size is perfect and the browser is awesome.12-10-11 10:30 AMLike 0 - Funny you should mention this, I was in Hong Kong recently and saw PlayBooks for sale that had chrome/silver edging. Up until now I thought they were knockoffs but maybe RIM have have slightly different styles i in other countries?12-10-11 11:07 AMLike 0
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This is just my perspective on why these features may not be as high a priority to a Canadian company as it is to their US customers.CanadianThomas likes this.12-10-11 11:37 AMLike 1 - nice review. apps is the thing indeed. almost all my needs are met but there are a few holes. i am looking forward to os2 to help with this as i see android apps as ok, but native qnx apps is where this little beauty shines.
then again, i am always a fan of native apps for a platform instead of the write once run everywhere mentality. just a me thing.12-10-11 01:26 PMLike 0 - Digonei above is correct, the PB is not lacking, Netflix and Hulu are, and it seems they have no ambition to make PB compatible versions.12-10-11 01:57 PMLike 0
- I don't understand a need for a Pandora app. I use it all the time and a simple bookmark works fine. You can even save a bookmark to the homescreen so you can access it in a single click instead of using an extra click to open the browser.
I'm all in favor of loading apps when the add simplicity or functionality. But how would a Pandora app improve the experience?? Is there something an app would offer that a single click on a bookmark doesn't do?12-10-11 03:45 PMLike 0 - the browser would time out after 5 minutes due to the playbooks auto shutoff. workaround is to use the free app silentnoise (in showcase mode with pandora webpage in background and silentnoise in front) but still..
while most say they want a pandora app, what they really mean is that they want pandora to play uninturrupted (like while charging) and as for myself, id also want the blackberry-like pandora app where your playtime doesnt count against your 40 hour limit on free accounts like browser pandora does.Last edited by snoozininsomniac; 12-10-11 at 04:03 PM.
12-10-11 04:01 PMLike 0 - To all, I have used several Android tablets. The Galaxy, and a Hacked Color Nook the most. I have played around with most every big name tablet out there. As for the chrome trim ring, I live in the US and got the tablet mail order from Best Buy. I don't believe it is a unit designed for use elsewhere. As for the idea about turning the tablet over when having it plugged in (facepalm), thanks for the idea of just turning it over. Just hope I don't have to adjust the volume when it is upside down. I had to use a nylon tool to push the power button the first time. I am sure I could exchange the tablet but I really don't see myself using it very often. Sleep most will be more common. Speaking of sleep mode, when using the power button on the desktop menu and selecting sleep mode the Playbook just re-boots. If I use the sleep button accessed when tapping the battery icon it goes to sleep properly. As for Pandora, I use it a lot. An actual app is nicer than a bookmark on the desktop (I did this already). The Playbook is a very nice piece of equipment. I just think it is a shame it doesn't live up to its potential. I have my fingers crossed that the update if February will fix most of the big weaknesses.12-10-11 05:06 PMLike 0
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- One point I noticed is, I have no problem using pb as a mass hard drive. Desktop manager usually opens and I just ignore it. The playbook shows up on my desktop as z:drive. I think you may have to map it but other wise, I just drag and drop files back and forth from my windows 7 laptop. I don't bother syncing as that to me is just a pain. I backed it up, worked on the second attempt to back up and all is fine. So as far as I am concerned, PB does work as a mass drive. Am I missing something or did the guy doing the review miss this? Thanks, 3 weeks with the PB and got a good handle on things. Works great as an e-reader, gps works great via the Magellan app so very happy with the size and performance.12-10-11 05:44 PMLike 0
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