[dayoungdc]

I have been asked to particpate in a pilot testing the Playbook for three months to assess its value as a business tool for our company. There are clearly some very obvious benefits, particularly for those who travel (portability, bridge access, tethering, size f the device, etc). I am really interested in other peoples thoughts/experience with various applications and uses that can put the device through its paces so I can determine the most potential value from the device and ensure that I deliver the best possible report to my company.

Any thoughts, suggestions, experience, etc that your willing to share would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

[Kerms]

Does everyone have a BB that's capable of doing the bridge?

Is your business using AT&T? If so then you may have to pay extra to use the bridge browser. That's another thing to consider

Will the PB be used instead of a laptop/netbook?

Does your company BES or Citrix?

Will the PB be shared amongest co workers or will everyone have their own?

I guess the question is what need do you see using the PB for? Everyone has different needs so your search is going to have to be focused around your business.

I don't have a PB at the moment but as soon as RIM fixes what I see as problems I'll probably pick one up to go with my other tablets.

For me I had to be able to do more than web browse or PIM for me to buy one, I had to think of ways I could use it for work also.

I use my tablet for web browsing, PIM, media(music,movies, etc) of course but I also use it to VPN into work, RDP to PC's or Servers, do things on our i5(AS400 with 5250), some of my network devices are located in the building where there are no terminals so instead of going back and forth I can use the tablet to either ssh or via browser depending on the device and trouble shoot from it. Also I've put QR barcodes with some info about certain devices, be it the IP address or contact to call to get it serviced that I can use QR barcode reader software to pull up.

I use a stylus for taking notes. I can also print a document to a few printers that are compatible with the tablet.

I keep tech manuals on it and as mentioned earlier being able to print or email a portion to a printer and have it print what I need is handy also

I've done gotmeetings. I've made phone calls via wifi or sent txt messages

Portibility depends on how a person plans to carry it. If you put it in a case then it may or may not fit in your pocket.


Why not poll a few co workers and ask them if they had one what would they do with it? They may give you a little more to go.

Good luck

[colonel]

I have been asked to particpate in a pilot testing the Playbook for three months to assess its value as a business tool for our company. There are clearly some very obvious benefits, particularly for those who travel (portability, bridge access, tethering, size f the device, etc). I am really interested in other peoples thoughts/experience with various applications and uses that can put the device through its paces so I can determine the most potential value from the device and ensure that I deliver the best possible report to my company.

Any thoughts, suggestions, experience, etc that your willing to share would be really appreciated.

Thanks!

By default the playbook provides a bigger more comfortable window for email and calendar. So this might prevent certain people having to have a laptop if they are only using it for email.
Note that you can use bluetooth keyboards with the playbook

A more complex question is is you have web-based apps and whether they will work through the linked browser. Its a pretty good browser but this needs testing.

rgds

[mjs416]

OP: Can you share with us what industry you are in?

[dayoungdc]

Thanks. I work for a manufacturing company. The PB would be primarily for (at least at first) our sales and field teams as well as those who do not need a laptop. Overall, however, we are trying to fully understand what additional benefits the PB might provide - and if we should consider them for those who have blackberry's as an additional tool.

I am curious as to how people are using them and what they are being used for, as well as whether there are specfic apps (like SAP, Salesforce, etc) that have added additional value to the device.

[ignites]

its portable

[d3adcrab]

In addition to what's been said about it, I have found the following two things really valuable in a business context:

1. Powerpoint Presentations - I visit many clients and find it great to hook the PB up to their projector or even to a PICO projector to do a presentation. Much quicker, simpler and easier to set up when you walk into a client's office than a laptop setup. Also has a wow factor to it. See the demo on the CB site (I think was Kevin) which shows how its done.

2. Training - We use a web (flash) based training application to deliver a CBT based learning curriculum to staff. It runs smoothly on the PB and I can log into out app via the net. Find it easier to read and go through the content holding it in my hand than reading on a computer monitor.

Just my 2 cents.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[d3adcrab]

Forgot about one more:

Electronic Whiteboard - the Scroodle app with a stylus and projector makes for an awesome electronic whiteboard to brainstorm ideas and save and share the results.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[calaviqpfza4]

Does your business have WiFi? I know many business that don't. WiFi is readily available in our homes, but not a lot of business are deploying it.

If you don't have WiFi, you're not getting past the installation screen.

[HaTaX]

Mind mapping applications are fantastic in a meeting. I attend lots of structural meetings and you can use a mind map to plot out a simple network diagram as well as who's responsible for what in a project sense. Great way to take notes and have them structured.

Also, if you have in house programmers (Web developers included) then you can easily make some in house apps to support your applications you use. With webworks it's pretty easy to port web code into a usable app, great for businesses that want windows into their websites with a simple app on the tablet.

If you have enough of them deployed, the video chat could be a help. It works quite well and supports many flash based websites for impromptu video / voice chats. BBM falls into the same category here as well, it's much nicer looking on the PB.

We still need some good remote desktop tools, I'm hoping that when the NDK launches, we will see a good lot of them available in app world. But for now, it's a weakness.

[blackjack93117]

Mind mapping applications are fantastic in a meeting. I attend lots of structural meetings and you can use a mind map to plot out a simple network diagram as well as who's responsible for what in a project sense. Great way to take notes and have them structured.

A great segway to my favorite $15 app that I won't shutup about that nobody will buy because it's $15 even though worth 100 silly $.99 apps and is a replacement for scores of other more simpler apps. Calendar, task managers other PIMs are out the window after buying this.

mindberry.net makes a mindmap app for the phones, but phones are just not big enough for it - they need a larger screen to be useful.. so I keep trying to sell this thing on people to encourage Mindberry to port PlayBook.

Meanwhile the same concept exists in a more phone friendly version ...Slicktasks which is more like a flat mind map - hierarchical collapsible tree like structure. instead of graphical - I kind of prefer it...but mostly because it's the BEST APP EVERRRR for business not just for mind mapping but for note taking , task listing - any kind of listing - scheduling , planning, passwords, contact info... - my whole brain is in the thing! Fortunately it backsup and restores VERY reliably and ports to other devices easily...

I am using my psychic mental power to hint for them to port to PlayBook....

mindberry.net (for mind mapper)
mindberry.net/slicktasks for slicktasks....
.

[sportline]

Handwriting recognition would be nice. Dont know if its in the plan or not

Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

[blackjack93117]

Handwriting recognition would be nice. Dont know if its in the plan or not

Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

I've heard a few requests for that it is on ipad I believe - eventually someone will do it...especially if there is an android app to be ported

[sportline]

Htc flyer can do handwriting, hence the stylus.

Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

[blackjack93117]

PlayBook can also with most styluses sold for iPad and the like .. the issue I think is can it convert the handwriting to text...

[sportline]

Yeah need an app for that. Haha
It would be fun taking notes.

Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

[FunnyElixir]

Mind mapping applications are fantastic in a meeting. I attend lots of structural meetings and you can use a mind map to plot out a simple network diagram as well as who's responsible for what in a project sense. Great way to take notes and have them structured.

I totally agree with the Mind Mapping potential of the PlayBook. If you are interested I recently wrote about it in my blog.

Mindmaps: The Killer App for the PlayBook

[ps4rh]

We're fielding the device now and, frankly, it's going over badly. Bridge seems a little glitchy, but users can deal. We are feeling the lack of Citrix or RDP clients (a huge omission for a professional-grade tablet) and the browser is troublesome

Office support is great, notably PowerPoint. That's won some kudos. Document translation is nearly flawless and editing is as easy as it gets without a full laptop. TelePrompter mode for PowerPoint is awesome.

What they hate, uniformly, is the lack of autocorrect and a text placement cursor. By a large margin its faster to type messages and edit text on a Bold or Torch---never mind the iPad---than it is on the PlayBook. I have no idea how this slipped past RIM's testers and why it isnt mentioned in the reviews, but it is by far the number one complaint. RIM added some very good text controls on 1.0.7, but the Bridge apps don't use them, and it's in Bridge Messaging and BBM that people do most of their typing.

I actually have had one unit thrown at me by a frustrated tester.

Overall, it's not been good, not compared to an earlier iPad trial, which got mostly "how do I?" questions and not much real frustration.

[blackjack93117]

We're fielding the device now and, frankly, it's going over badly. Bridge seems a little glitchy, but users can deal. We are feeling the lack of Citrix or RDP clients (a huge omission for a professional-grade tablet) and the browser is troublesome

Office support is great, notably PowerPoint. That's won some kudos. Document translation is nearly flawless and editing is as easy as it gets without a full laptop. TelePrompter mode for PowerPoint is awesome.

What they hate, uniformly, is the lack of autocorrect and a text placement cursor. By a large margin its faster to type messages and edit text on a Bold or Torch---never mind the iPad---than it is on the PlayBook. I have no idea how this slipped past RIM's testers and why it isnt mentioned in the reviews, but it is by far the number one complaint. RIM added some very good text controls on 1.0.7, but the Bridge apps don't use them, and it's in Bridge Messaging and BBM that people do most of their typing.

Thanks for the feedback -

Have you thought of bluetooth keyboards? I have a good feeling that at some point you will be able to type from the phone's keyboards into Playbook...hang in there, sorry for your frustration.

[ps4rh]

Have you thought of bluetooth keyboards? I have a good feeling that at some point you will be able to type from the phone's keyboards into Playbook...hang in there, sorry for your frustration.

We had considered BT keyboards but decided against them as, at that point, we may as well deploy ultralight notebooks and be done with it. The price for a lower-end Lenovo X-series is not far off a comparable ThinkPad with a keyboard.

A nice touch, and hopefully something RIM considers, might be to allow the use of their smartphones' hardware keyboards with the PB. That is, using the (excellent) keyboard on the Bold as a BT keyboard for the PB.

[sportline]

Can you use swype on a pb? that may help.

Yawnnnnz:-) :-) :-)