[nomi1978]

I just received an email from RIM, three actually. Seems they are trying to push businesses to buy the PlayBook as well.

The offer is buy 2 PlayBooks and get 1 free from an authorized reseller and also 1 premium accessory free.

What do you guys think, deal will get even better?

[Phil DeLong]

I wish they'd push that deal to the consumer.

[nomi1978]

From the email it doesn't seem like there are strict guidelines. I am by no means a business and I can get the offer.

Offer is good until December 31.

BlackBerry - PlayBook Order

[agault]

They are probably trying to get rid of the stock while they can.

[Dukey Avalon]

They are probably trying to get rid of the stock while they can.

They are trying everything in their power to get a user base. The several hundred thousand (at most) satisfied users of the Playbook currently are not enough to make it a relevant device. Since the P.R. debacle of 2.0's release has quashed the minimal level of interest the device had, RIM has to do something and they are targetting the only group that can help them move units. In reality it's pretty clear RIM initially thought the business users would embrace the product and they didn't

[howarmat]

"selected business customer" only and unless you find a place on sale that would be basically $1000 for 3 of them at normal price which is $100-250 more than the other sale they had

[Morten]

Once again it shows that Never ever be first in line when it comes to RIM products....

First of all - they sell half finished beta products for premium money, making empty promises, changing the promises along the road, and then "dump" the devices for half the money just months later....

it starting to stink

[guerllamo7]

I purchased my Playbook on day one and love it. I got one for my wife and she loves it. When it went on sale I purchased another one for my dad and he loves it. I got one for my mother in law that uses a droid and wondered if she would use it much beyond the VideoChat app (which is why we got it for her and we video chat between Portland and Boise all the time with the wife and kids) because she is not a techie and she loves it as well. She loves watching ABC News and other websites and joined a book club and reads her e-books on Kobo.

Promos are a good thing. My partner who is more budget focused than I am purchased three when it went on sale.

Saving money is a good thing. I think the Playbook is saving me $50.00 bucks per month vs. a 3g competitor via bridge. The sooner you get it the sooner you start saving as I see it. I've had mine for I guess six months or so and that adds up to $300.00 bucks is savings thanks to the Bridge app vs. a 3g model)

The critics have some valid points but if you look at the things you can do with the Playbook right now (not what it will be able to do some day in the future) it does everything I need it to. I have a Bold 9930 so my e-mail works great. My wife has a droid and she just touches her gmail app (which was preloaded on day one) and checks her e-mail just fine.

Facebook works great (by the way, better than any other device, and I've been told this by apple and android users)
Kobo and other book readers work great
docs to go (which we get for free vs. competitors that pay 15 bucks) works great
Web works great (and yes, Flash does make a difference - It makes it better)
7 digital works great (and it has been storing my music in the cloud for years)
I watch great movies on my PB from various sources and they look and sound great.
and there are a ton of apps that work great:
Video Chat (use it all the time with wife and kids)
Pipeline Pro
Voice Notes
Package Tracking
Scrapbook
Screamager
SketchPad
BlueBox
The Options Lab
PolitiFact
QFolio
GroovyNotes
and there are a ton of games my son and I enjoy playing together. Spiderman, NOVA2, Nebula, Rocket Storm, Mouse Trap, kids learning games, etc.

We can do everything we need to right now and we have better multi-tasking, better cameras, better speakers and a great portable size. Hey, so BlackBerry is working on stuff to make it better, that is also a good thing. If you buy a Playbook buy it for what it can do right now and the other OTA upgrades will be just gravy.

Oh yeah, and although people don't seem to care much about it, it is secure. I do care and I can put confidential information on mine with no worries. I can do online banking or open an account with ssn and other stuff knowing it is BlackBerry safe. It matters.

The way I see it, it is a great deal.. To each his own. If people like the device they have, then it is the right one for them.

[bbqkid8]

I purchased my Playbook on day one and love it. I got one for my wife and she loves it. When it went on sale I purchased another one for my dad and he loves it.

Promos are a good thing. My partner that is more budget focused than me purchased three when it went on sale.

Saving money is a good thing. I think the Playbook is saving me $50.00 bucks per month vs. a 3g competitor via bridge.

The way I see it, it is a great deal.

+1. Day 1 purchaser here too and I have used it every day so far.

[CracklePot]

Once again it shows that Never ever be first in line when it comes to RIM products

I remember buying a Macintosh back in the 90s when Apple was shipping them with the old Motorola chipset. They were advertising those computers as "fast" - really pushing them to schools. The user base would tear you up talking about how the Macintosh with its Motorola chip set was faster than the Intel-based PCs b/c, according to them, the Motorola chips were better designed and Apple's code was more tightly written.

What a boat anchor that computer turned out to be! It was so sluggish as to be virtually unusable. I can't even remember what I did with it -- gave it away eventually, I think.

I felt so betrayed that it took more than a decade until I would even look at an Apple device again. Now look at Apple. All my computers now have Apple logos.

I agree about having due caution about new product lines, but the need for such caution doesn't begin and end with RIM.

[brucep1]

I purchased my Playbook on day one and love it. I got one for my wife and she loves it. When it went on sale I purchased another one for my dad and he loves it. I got one for my mother in law that uses a droid and wondered if she would use it much beyond the VideoChat app (which is why we got it for her and we video chat between Portland and Boise all the time with the wife and kids) because she is not a techie and she loves it as well. She loves watching ABC News and other websites and joined a book club and reads her e-books on Kobo.

Promos are a good thing. My partner who is more budget focused than I am purchased three when it went on sale.

Saving money is a good thing. I think the Playbook is saving me $50.00 bucks per month vs. a 3g competitor via bridge. The sooner you get it the sooner you start saving as I see it. I've had mine for I guess six months or so and that adds up to $300.00 bucks is savings thanks to the Bridge app vs. a 3g model).

You got a 32gb on day one, $600.
Got one for your wife, $500.
Got one for your dad (assuming sale price) $300.
Got one for your mother in law (assuming sales price) $300.

Total cost $1,700 (not including taxes, or the $5.99 games or apps).


But saving money is a priority for you?

[guerllamo7]

Brucep1,

I'm very grateful for the fact that I can buy whatever I want without much worry about the cost. However, I think it is a better deal than some competitors and I like that.

If I purchased a competitor for say 699 plus three for 499 (by the way the 3g versions are more expensive) and then I add $50.00 bucks per month for each device for six months the cost is around:
$2,196.00 bucks.

Then lets add $50.00 bucks for each device that has 3g = 300 bucks I did not have to spend. That is $50.00 bucks per tablet that uses 3g.

Next month that is going to be $350.00, then $400.00, 450.00, 500.00, etc. come Christmas I'll have saved enough to buy another tablet because I can use the secure Bridge app vs. having to pay $50.00 bucks per month, again, and again.

Just cause I can buy any tablet I want does not mean I don't look for value. However, if the value is good then I am grateful that I can just get it. Cost and value are two very different things.

So, I think the value is there already. Did my buddy save money because he waited for a sale? I'm not so sure. Besides, I got to enjoy it all that time before he got it and I think that is worth something.

The way I see it the Playbook is awesome right now and it does save me money even at full price. The point is that if you can buy it on sale it is a steal, especially if you have a BlackBerry device. As I said in my previous post, I do place a value on security. If my bank accounts get cleaned out or someone steals my SSN I don't care if the tablet is free it is not a good value. I just don't understand why there is no premium on security by some people but they must have their reasons. To each his own.

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. There is no perfect tablet out there but the Playbook has great value, security and it is just awesome to me.

If you like the device you have, then you have the right one for you.

[determined61]

i also have had my playbook's since day one, my wife and i use them everyday as well. One thing i wish is Rim to offer early adopters a little gift for continued loyalty to the product.

[guerllamo7]

determined61,

I think this would be a big plus for us. I'm curious, would you like it if RIM launched the BB Movies for the Playbook and gave us a free movie every month until the android player is launched? That could be about $60.00 bucks in free movies until launch.

RIM gave me a product I love but they have struggled to blend some technologies that have caused delays in meeting target release dates. I think something along this lines would be awesome.

Like you I use my PB all the time but a little bonus would always be welcome.

[PineappleUnderTheSea]

As others have said, probably getting rid of existing stock so they can introduce new hardware in time for the OS2 launch. Of course that's just a guess, if any rumors make it out that RIM has a new tablet coming out, absolutely no one will buy the current one unless it's given away (kinda like the low iPhone sales when all the rumors came out about iPhone 4S and 5...)

[kbz1960]

You all fail to understand (I think RIM forgot this themselves and never should've advertised to the main stream) is the playbook is going to be a viable product and is to a certain degree. But it's main purpose is to 1. Get in the tablet game. 2. To be the beta for their new future QNX or BBX as they have branded it now. 3. It will mature but it takes time which everyone says they don't have (who knows if they do or not). 4. If they released a phone with the OS in the state it is currently in they would be dead and gone all ready.

Their biggest mistake was to advertise to the main stream showing things it doesn't have yet. They should've only used their base for it until it matures enough. I think they had plenty of time to wait no matter how many droids or fires come out. They have done more harm then good but that can't be undone now.

Is it worthless as is now? Far from it. Will RIM kill it? Only for a new model and if that happens this one will still be updated. If Rim kills it they are killing what they have said is their future.

[katiepea]

Buy 2? Last I read they were having serious issues getting anyone to buy 1. I would also like to see a roadmap to the pb becoming a "viable" product because devcon didn't show this off in the least, in fact just the opposite

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Fatboy40]

Silly promotion.

I'd love there to be a 'business' orientated tablet, e.g. a PB that works against BES so that it can be fully managed and locked down, but this just does not exist and potentialy never will.

As a 'business' customer this promotion means nothing to me, it just smacks of desperation.

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

Don't think you'll be seeing a PlayBook2 for quite a while. RIM did for once make a devices that was not the minimum hardware they could get by with.

Besides Quanta has their hands full producing FIRE tablets now...

[braindigger]

Three points:

1) if they really are pushing the business world to adopt the playbook, they would really be shooting themselves in the foot if they discontinue or release a new model too soon

2) as said before, the previous consumer discount was much better than this one

3) I don't recognize any of the authorized dealers they refer to on the RIM business website (at least the Canadian site).....do you?????

I would buy for my company but not at regular prices.......not at this level of usability. I love mine for personal use but not for business....curious what you guys think

[kbz1960]

Three points:

1) if they really are pushing the business world to adopt the playbook, they would really be shooting themselves in the foot if they discontinue or release a new model too soon

2) as said before, the previous consumer discount was much better than this one

3) I don't recognize any of the authorized dealers they refer to on the RIM business website (at least the Canadian site).....do you?????

I would buy for my company but not at regular prices.......not at this level of usability. I love mine for personal use but not for business....curious what you guys think

I agree. I think they need to finish the project before a lot of people will even look at it again if they aren't too soured by it as is to take another look then.

[kill_9]

I'd love there to be a 'business' orientated tablet, e.g. a PB that works against BES so that it can be fully managed and locked down, but this just does not exist and potentialy never will.

Enterprise management of the BlackBerry PlayBook is coming in 2012 based on the information I have received from Research In Motion. In my opinion, Research In Motion should have focused on their enterprise (small, medium, large) user base with the BlackBerry PlayBook and later expanded to the consumer market. I still think a rebranded tablet called the BlackBerry BlackBook (for professional use) and the BlackBerry PlayBook (for consumer use) would have been a better marketing strategy. This would solve approximately 75% of the existing issues immediately.

Thankfully, I have found ways to use this tablet in professional contexts and hope the future of this tablet adheres to the Vulcan expression "Live long and prosper."

[braindigger]

So, aside from this business deal (which seems to involve re-sellers I don't even recognize), are there any more playbook deals to be had?

I absolutely love mine, but would not pay full price for another.....yet.

any deals out there?