[omniusovermind]

With the big holiday sale ON playbooks this season and a couple months ago, there's going to be a lot of PB's in people's hands. They're getting bought up pretty fast, and there's going to be a lot of people on the streets with them for others to see. QNX is a pretty damn good OS, the display on these is awesome, the browser is great, there's just as many people into the 7" form factor as there are 10", and the build quality is very good. And very soon there's going to be access to what many have called it's biggest weakness - app selection.

If I were trying to decide what the best way to recover from initial poor reviews resulting from a bad start in April and the poor word of mouth that went around from that, I can't think of a better way to do it than what they're doing now. From what I've seen lately the reviews seem to be turning around already. I hope it works out because as an andriod phone user, I think this tablet totally deserves it. It swung me around completely, and I've hooked 3 co-workers who are iPhone customers around just this week. 2 of them even jumped the gun bought higher priced units 2 days before the price drop gambling on getting a price adjustment from the store after boxing day they were so impressed. You guys already know this is a really high quality tablet and I'm glad RIM is sticking to their guns that it is as well.

[TgeekB]

I think it was a good move (maybe their only move) to flood the market with as many PB's as possible. I know they lost some money but devs are not going to work on apps without a significant amount of users. Now they need to get os2 out, hopefully with great advances, mass market like with great TV commercials, and right this ship.

[peter9477]

All very true, though "very soon" shouldn't be taken as meaning in the next few weeks. Count on some months still (late spring, I'd say) before you really start to see the app selection blossom with more than the initial crop of relatively simple apps, or the nice games that are coming out now.

The NDK is still in beta, and the Cascades UI framework isn't even that far yet, so although I agree totally with everything else you said, I don't want people to feel cheated when there aren't 10K apps in the store by February...

[Serkle K]

I agree that the price drop was a good idea, but the biggest problem IMO is still the marketing... I was using my PB in the bank the other day waiting to talk to an associate... there was another woman next to me who saw me using my PB... she asked me which tablet it was, and so I told her the BlackBerry PlayBook...

I told her about all the features - hdmi out, 1080 recording, showed her the demo video, and what really amazed her was Bridge.

She followed up with, "I've never even heard of that! If I knew BlackBerry made a tablet, I wouldnt have gotten my Nook table. I love my BlackBerry!"

She got her Nook back in October, she thought the PB is brand new... told her its been out since april... told her about the OS update in February... needless to say she was sold.

I told her to look for one asap as they were currently on sale as well.

Hey RIM, where's my cut?

[AggreX]

Last I checked for a friend, lots of retailers had the PB @199 but either it was OOS or to be delivered early next year (late Xmas). WorseBuy sales tactics were exposed this week for canceling xmas orders and infuriating customers. Basic marketing 101 for Rim is to keep the momentum going by delivering the promised OS upgrades and getting that BB10 out on time.

[bbfan1040]

Sadly, past sales didn't justify retailers stocking many Playbooks. Don't blame the retailers. I am glad retailers are willing to sell! Some of online offers have great descriptions of PB!
RIMM is right waiting for positives after too many negatives. February - I can hardlly wait - Ok - maybe March or April. :-)

[southlander]

RIM's lost a lot of cash on it, but this was probably the best move they could salvage right now. I think the PlayBook is catching on a bit as a sleeper "cool product". I have heard some of the podcasters/bloggers I watch and listen go from dismissing it out of hand and using RIM as the bu+t of jokes to basically saying they think is a a pretty cool OS that just needs some apps. And they love the hardware.

[ridemaster]

the point of rimm righting the cost back on the pb was so they could put them on sale for example at xmas and finally get them out on the market more and more and the snowball effect will happen. then during the next rimm quarterly update the news will u finally be better and better an they will be able to show a profit on the pb selling them at the crazy discounted price that they are at..

its a win win.

im a firm believer in RIMM.

[BEARD GANG]

PB would be a top tablet...the appworld jus let's it down bigtime

[Unsure2]

RIM let down the would-be Playbook developers and its customers, from what I hear, with it's lack of support for developers and unnecessary barriers, not to mention failing the no-brainer of getting its ducks all in a row at the time of the Playbook launch--not a year later. Let's not blame others for RIM's own self-created problems. I also can't see any sign that the present Christmas sale is being handled as anything but a going-out-of-business sale--at least that's what some shoppers seem to think. Me, I think we all just have to wait and see. I doubt that even those two co-chairs know at present what is going to happen with the Playbook, given RIM's other troubles.

[app_Developer]

Have any retail checks come in yet?

[ungibbed]

I agree that the price drop was a good idea, but the biggest problem IMO is still the marketing... I was using my PB in the bank the other day waiting to talk to an associate... there was another woman next to me who saw me using my PB... she asked me which tablet it was, and so I told her the BlackBerry PlayBook...

I told her about all the features - hdmi out, 1080 recording, showed her the demo video, and what really amazed her was Bridge.

She followed up with, "I've never even heard of that! If I knew BlackBerry made a tablet, I wouldnt have gotten my Nook table. I love my BlackBerry!"

She got her Nook back in October, she thought the PB is brand new... told her its been out since april... told her about the OS update in February... needless to say she was sold.

I told her to look for one asap as they were currently on sale as well.

Hey RIM, where's my cut?

I bought mine used locally off Craigslist and being simply curious, what was on the demo video, it was wiped clean but a bargain for $225 bundled with the rapid charger and the convertible case. It was a 16GB model that may have led to the removal of the demo video.

Still, I remain curious of what the demo was.

[Serkle K]

I bought mine used locally off Craigslist and being simply curious, what was on the demo video, it was wiped clean but a bargain for $225 bundled with the rapid charger and the convertible case. It was a 16GB model that may have led to the removal of the demo video.

Still, I remain curious of what the demo was.

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...d-link-630258/

Here ya go.

[ungibbed]

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...d-link-630258/

Here ya go.

Thanks! Can't wait to see how the video looks

[Spinal]

RIM's sale on the playbook is probably what saved it, they should've introduced it at a lower price instead of 499, maybe something like 349 or 399 - that would've enticed more people to buy it form the start and if they deciced to have a sale again they could just drop it to 249 or something and still make money.

if you go to compete against android tablets and the ipad, if it was me i'd put all 3 on a table and say what does mine have and what do these have and compare/contrast and base the price off that. if you're going to price something the same as the ipad it has to be as good or better, and all stupid comments aside 99% of the market doesn't care about how good QNX is or how secure this and that is, its stupid little apps like angry birds and cut the rope, that make their kids laugh is what sells products. plus good battery life and a very fluid UI.

[BEARD GANG]

Rim needs to stop being lazy and do the basics atleast

[arnott]

Well, RIM has learnt some lessons from how HP handled the touchpad. I just got my playbook yesterday, and I find it more comfortable to use than the 10" tablets.

[anon(2325196)]

playbook is dope, love it

[hpjrt]

I too think the dual sale strategy was a good idea. Rim certainly isn't comfortable with advertising and whatever losses they sustain with the discount is probably a fraction of what an ad campaign would cost them. Therefore if the sales push out more units into the hands of users then it's actually more cost effective than any conventional advertising would be.

I'm very happy with my Playbook ... and we just got one for my husband as well. I believe in Rim and have to chuckle at those who dismiss and underestimate the company. Most haven't a clue what they are talking about and are gob-smacked when it's pointed out that the company has little to no debt and are profitable!

Here's to a promising 2012!

[cwoodffr]

About 10 people in my office picked them up this past week or two. The pricing really brought many out of the woodwork. Maybe too little too late but more people showing and telling over the holidays is a good thing.

[Betmen]

I think they had little choice..All the Playbooks I saw over Christmas were
built in April. I saw 5 PB all built in April and one in May. They must have built a
**** load initially and never sold them. Does anyone have a later build?

[emirozmen]

It was the only good move lol

[omniusovermind]

I think they had little choice..All the Playbooks I saw over Christmas were
built in April. I saw 5 PB all built in April and one in May. They must have built a
**** load initially and never sold them. Does anyone have a later build?

Has the hardware changed? I thought only difference between the launch and now is to the OS

[Betmen]

Has the hardware changed? I thought only difference between the launch and now is to the OS

No it hasn't but my point is I don't think there duing much manufacturing do to the back log. I think I will start a new thread on production dates.

[sbc97281]

I have been playing with my new 16GB Playbook. It is a fun $199 tablet. This is a much better price point than the initial $499 point.

-sbc