Playbook Discount + CrackBerry Discount = Awesome

Hello BlackBerry fans,
FYI, the PB is once again discounted to 199.00 at BlackBerry.com (it had recently been raised to 299.00) so I ordered four more. This should cover all of my family that does not yet have PB's. I have a big family but my wife, brother and dad have loved theirs. Soon, my two sisters and mom will get to as well. I've set-up all their tablets so they are video chat, dropbox/BlueBox, family pic./videos pre-loaded when they get them.

Here is my suggestion if you are interested in an awesome tablet that is going to get way more awesome on Tuesday.

1. Buy a Playbook for 199.00. I may be wrong but I think we are unlikely to see this price again after Tuesday. I believe even the Kindle fire is a steal at 199 and the Playbook is far, far better IMO. so this price anomaly will go away.

2. Buy a case to protect it. I love the convertible case. BlackBerry has a buy two and get the second item half off but it is still more than purchasing the same case on CrackBerry after the President's Day Sale discount and you don't have to buy two.

So, in conclusion, if you want a table that is going for the same as the Kindle Fire but has way better specs and cameras for video chat and has even better specs than the admittedly very nice iPad2 but costs less than half as much and is more portable, then I think the best deal is to buy a PB from BlackBerry and a the convertible case from CrackBerry if you use the holiday discount.

Enjoy,
Guerllamo7

Originally Posted by guerllamo7

1. Buy a Playbook for 199.00. I may be wrong but I think we are unlikely to see this price again after Tuesday.

We can only guess, but all past history shows that every playbook don't-call-it-a-closeout-sale promotion is followed by either an even lower price or an extension to the promotion.

This time could be different... ?

1. is the playbook coming out in a few days with os 2 the same hardware as the one currently on sale, but upgrade os is do it yourself? or does new playbook have different hardware specs? differences?
2. currently using bb9650s on os 5.something. will os5 allow me to use bridge to sync to pb or will it require me to finally move to os 6? is os 7 bb preferable to use w playbook and if so, why?
3. am facing increasing 'fees' without any overages on my part on my sprint everything plan. my 149.99 plan is coming in at close to 200, so am wondering whether i want to put 1 line onto a bb pre-paid plan w/ any old bb for the bis (provided no bad experience 4 playbook will occur) and use that w/ the playbook and a cheapo simple phone for talk. would be fine for the sr citizen who uses the other bb, bigger screen, even easier to see and type, and simple phone with numbers easier to manage. more work for me getting it going though. plan ends few months, 1 line mo to mo, may be worth it to move 2 of lines and do this w/ bb on cheaper plan w/ fewer minutes and more data. appreciate any suggestions.

Originally Posted by guerllamo7

So, in conclusion, if you want a table that is going for the same as the Kindle Fire but has way better specs and cameras for video chat and has even better specs than the admittedly very nice iPad2 but costs less than half as much and is more portable,

I agree that at $199 the PlayBook is a great price, and the hardware just blows away the Kindle Fire. Unfortunately Amazons ecosystem blows away what RIM has...

You have to give people a reason to buy a product, both Amazon and Apple have created very EASY to use "stores" that allow consumers to consume all they want. RIM has a great device but has left it up to the customer to figure out what to do with it.

If RIM doesn't fix this before BB10 is released, then I doubt that very many consumers are going to care about BlackBerry's brand new OS.

Tempting. I might just get it and replace the netbook. I'd have to move the personal data to the tablet pc, hmm. I don't know what to do... Lol

I might get it, or not, or some other day/week/month due to money being tight, very tight.

Same price as on Ebay, which is great... thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by cherimoya

1. is the playbook coming out in a few days with os 2 the same hardware as the one currently on sale, but upgrade os is do it yourself? or does new playbook have different hardware specs? differences?

OS2 is fully compatible with the existing PlayBooks, and it will be an OTA update you'll get notification on your PlayBook that an update is available.
There is NO different playbook launching with OS2, a Different PlayBook isn't expected until April and that will be a 3G/4G PlayBook

Originally Posted by cherimoya

2. currently using bb9650s on os 5.something. will os5 allow me to use bridge to sync to pb or will it require me to finally move to os 6? is os 7 bb preferable to use w playbook and if so, why?

Your BB9650 with OS5 can install BlackBerry Bridge and Sync with your PlayBook no problem.

Originally Posted by cherimoya

3. am facing increasing 'fees' without any overages on my part on my sprint everything plan. my 149.99 plan is coming in at close to 200, so am wondering whether i want to put 1 line onto a bb pre-paid plan w/ any old bb for the bis (provided no bad experience 4 playbook will occur) and use that w/ the playbook and a cheapo simple phone for talk. would be fine for the sr citizen who uses the other bb, bigger screen, even easier to see and type, and simple phone with numbers easier to manage. more work for me getting it going though. plan ends few months, 1 line mo to mo, may be worth it to move 2 of lines and do this w/ bb on cheaper plan w/ fewer minutes and more data. appreciate any suggestions.

I am not sure about Sprint Plans unfortunately, but if cost is a factor I would examine your usage, and make sure you are using a Plan according to your usage vs just buying a bundle, maybe another provider could give you a better priced plan, and a New BlackBerry for cheaper than your current solution/plan

Originally Posted by scalemaster34

I agree that at $199 the PlayBook is a great price, and the hardware just blows away the Kindle Fire. Unfortunately Amazons ecosystem blows away what RIM has...

You have to give people a reason to buy a product, both Amazon and Apple have created very EASY to use "stores" that allow consumers to consume all they want. RIM has a great device but has left it up to the customer to figure out what to do with it.

If RIM doesn't fix this before BB10 is released, then I doubt that very many consumers are going to care about BlackBerry's brand new OS.

This. ^^^^^

Outside of CB, most people don't care about the specs or OS. They are looking for content.

"What can this tablet do?"
"Does my bank have an app for this?"
"How about an app for.........?"

That's how most people buy a tablet.

And, perhaps even more importantly, "What can I get for $200".

'a Different PlayBook isn't expected until April and that will be a 3G/4G PlayBook'

appreciate your response. feb to April is near enuff for me to compare..
different hardware specs? differences? both or next April to support os 10/ is os 10 bb preferable to use w next playbook coming Ap? may make sense to skip 7bb (or not. now is time to figure this out).

as you mention, its time to evaluate how to continue using bb going forward.
usage: 1-2 g per bb. negligible data on simple phone, something like 6 pics emailed and 10 minutes online over course of last 12 months. current plan is unlimited data. zero roaming. well within allotted minutes. sprint "'chooses to charge fees" as they explain the line items for their rising fees in middle of contract. so i have to evaluate what my best options are in light of fact that i pay in full on time, dont use extra, and am paying way more than expected cause they want to charge it while i am locked into contract on 2 of 3 lines for a few more months.

Sales appears to have been replaced with "New Low Price".

http://forums.crackberry.com/news-ru...3/#post7150904

Originally Posted by Palmless

Sales appears to have been replaced with "New Low Price".

http://forums.crackberry.com/news-ru...3/#post7150904

You called it. To me, the "new low price" is indicative of RIM's realization that 2.0 alone will not make a significant sales difference, and that continued discounting is required to stoke demand. In light of the circumstances, it's the only decision that makes any sense.

Originally Posted by scalemaster34

I agree that at $199 the PlayBook is a great price, and the hardware just blows away the Kindle Fire. Unfortunately Amazons ecosystem blows away what RIM has...

You have to give people a reason to buy a product, both Amazon and Apple have created very EASY to use "stores" that allow consumers to consume all they want. RIM has a great device but has left it up to the customer to figure out what to do with it.

If RIM doesn't fix this before BB10 is released, then I doubt that very many consumers are going to care about BlackBerry's brand new OS.

Absolutely nailed it. Take me for example, I would love to buy a playbook. $199 is a great deal and the OS is on par or even better than the competitors. But I just don't see the need for one right now. Nothing is enticing me besides the price, which by itself isn't enough. And I'm sure millions of people feel the same way because many aren't buying into tablets in general just yet. But IF I were to buy a tablet it would be an iPad because of the simplicity and amazing ecosystem behind it.

advertising/ educating drives sales. rim is missing the boat on several key things that are on everyones mind which bb excels in and they arent telling the public about:
1. everyone is worrying about identity theft. privacy choices and info shared. BB is most secure smarthone. why doesnt the world know it and know how using a bb would be a safer solution to do the same things they do with the competition?
2. all the telcos are revamping their networks to keep up with the increasing data load. people are getting throttled for 'too much' data usage, paying more for shrinking 'unlimited data' plans, etc. why isnt it on everyones lips that if you download onto your berry, the data is compressed and you use less of it to do the same things? that's meaningful when about to purchase a phone that can do it all but the phone plans will limit you. should be youtube videos showing downloading something or streaming music - same item obviously - blackberry compresses and uses less. so you can choose a smaller data plan than your buddy using the competition.
3. people buy tvs to watch shows. toasters to toast... need to show exactly what playbook does. should demo on youtube how to consume the goods, how to play the games, how to integrate it with worktools, how to use it with and without berry: show clearly that is something everyone can use, would want. hit all the angles, uses. include 'sandboxing' android for all the fun with bb security.
4. 'the amazing ecosystem' quoted above - the device takes you only to that brand. very simple, true. but have paid for a device which essentially markets to you while locking you into that one company. it feeds you their ads, creates your next wants, then collects!! what a racket!! that not locked into one market only on Playbook- unlike istore or amazon, is a better thing; can use this to go anywhere. some of us want a device that expects us - so to speak -to change channels on the tv set, and access many different sources of entertainment and goods. if ipad /kindle were free advertising, and given away, would be fine to purchase goods with just from them. but since am going to pay for it! give ME the device that allows me freedom. i'm sure someone at rim can dumb it down enough for the rest of us to understand how to choose among our options in a simple way and access an ecosystem that is much broader and deeper than just one store. :D