[avt123]

If I liked to troll I would be in the Apple and droid forums ridiculing apple and droid fans

Trolling has nothing to do with ridiculing people from other platforms. You just admitted that you like getting a rise from people. That is trolling.

[Amy wineBerry]

I'm sure a mod will be closing this thread and maybe banning people, which is pretty sad. Can we please just, um, leave well enough alone and just agree there are people who think the PlayBook is going in the right direction, needs to be pushed in the right direction, is going in the wrong direction, or has no direction.

To combat all the negative, everyone should say something nice.

[blackjack93117]

Thanks I wish they closed it long ago this is getting ridiculous. A guy can't just try to help everyone out without getting piled on?
Sad statement on humanity...

[sportline]

I have been so entertained by this thread. It has been the highlight of my, otherwise, mundane day. There is another thread floating about that is very similar to this one. Someone wanted to rally the troops to help RIM sell more PBs by posting a list of suggestions that people could do when seeing them in a retail environment. I tried to intervene with some perspective, but it was not much appreciated.

This thread is just an excavation of the one I was referring to above. Now, we have graduated from invading the stores, training the sales staff, and sprucing up the demos, providing tech support when necessary, to purchasing advertising and instructional material and adding that material to the in-store displays. Even now, someone in this forum is hatching up an even crazier scheme, thinking he or she is completely well-ballanced. This started out as funny. Then it turned sad. Now it has looped all the way around to sidesplittingly hilarious.

Here is a tip that you might not want to here, but need to consider, all the same. If the product is so non-intuitive that people who stop by to see it can't figure out how to work the myriad gestures, and the sales people can't figure out how to restart and keep the units updated, there may be a fundamental problem with the conceptual design of the interface. In other words, the problem is not dead units on display, but that people can't figure out how to use the device in the first place and get tired of trying.

The reason the iPads in the same store are well used and in good condition is because everyone can easily figure out how to use them without a manual, chart, or poster. The staff can restart them off necessary because they know how, and they like to play with them. The same just can't be said about the PB. Threads like this just keep proving the point more convincingly than I can.

If you want to help RIM, then help make the current PB die a quick death. .

not to mention if anyone figures out how to use the power button. Any news from international sales?uk? Europe? Asia?

[togardergrosse]

This has been said so many times.
RIM is changing.
Before, every single BB phones released through carriers/outlet so they don't have much problem to explain it to customers. Besides, no major changes happened since OS4 to BB 6 after all. Therefore, the needs for RIM Store or BlackBerry Store is unnecessary.
Funny things, in some countries, like here, RIM released BB phones through specific retails and again, BB OS has been out for a long time, and no major changes happened in need for a new training.
Let's take a look at this time:
RIM released PlayBook, the WiFi only version, and despite some carriers sell it with MiFi (Wireless Modem/Router), the amount of the stores compared to retails (like BestBuy, Staples, OfficeDepot, RadioShack, etc) is very minor.
And look at the REAL purposes of this thread, "To inform about how using the PB gestures swipe"
In long term, yes, OP has 'weird' dreams about being able to 'force' RIM to updates PB more and hence supporting the developers.
But the actual goal is to let "potential buyer" able to check on the devices and see how good/bad it is. The current situation is most of them don't even know how to wake PB up from sleep...
And even after they can do and try PB, there is no guarantee that they will buy it after all. They might check the App World and see that the apps are ridiculous at this point? Or they might try to check their web sites? And they will (eventually) realized there are no native PIM & Email apps (yet). The decisions, again, depends on the customer.

To see so many negative comments in here, I can't blame anyone.
I just used to the habit that, if you can do something, just do it.
Otherwise, don't do it and don't ask other people to not doing it too.
No one force you.
And by doing the request of OP in this thread, you probably won't get anything anyway...
Just a little happy thoughts that someone out there, finally able to test the PB the way it is...now..

[enixon]

I work at a Best Buy, and if anyone left something like that on our displays, it would be taken down almost immediately. Everything you see in a store like Best Buy is planogramed (sp), and it cannot change. At most that item would be there for about an hour.

So it is almost completely useless to waste your time and energy to do something like that. I work in the Home Theater division, and I constantly clean up the PlayBook demo units and make sure they are updated/working properly. I do my part.

Also, BlackJack, your statement was completely ignorant to categorize all PlayBook users into two groups... It's like saying all Apple users are gay or are female. That is also not correct. People like things because they do, they don't need a reason to like things, and they can voice their opinion however they chose to, as you clearly have.

[dandbj13]

I reiterate, the problem is that people do not know how, and apparently can't figure out how to use the gestures to turn on and operate the device. You should never have to read the manual to play with a demo unit in a store. The problem is the the interface makes too many assumptions about the user that are simply not true.

I have an iPad 2 and am in the developer program. I have been using the advanced gestures for some time, and could not go back at this point. I love the gestures in OS X Lion. I say bring on the gestures, but only as an advanced option, not as the interface for newbies. HP dumped the gestures in WebOS: an OS that was practically based on gestures. Many writers have suggested that gesture-based interfaces are just too complicated for non-technical, end users. They are correct, IMO.

Again, the mistake is not in having advanced gestures, but in the reliance on them. They are not intuitive and can't be easily picked up by the average person. Anything requiring a chart to show people the gestures needed to turn it on and do basic navigation is bound to sit, unused and unloved by the general population. There is a reason toddlers, the elderly, and everyone in between can use an iPad without a chart. It is worth considering.

[stubbornswiss]

blackjack93117..... why are you always so obnoxious, argumentative, and insulting?

You seem to take pleasure in starting a thread, then you insult anyone and everyone who doesn't agree with you, and invariably the thread has to be closed because you get too argumentative.

Could this be because you have way too much time on your hands? Over 1100 posts in just over one month. Now that's a lot of posts! And a lot of free time!!

May I remind you again sir, that not everyone who has or had issues with the PlayBook is a RIM hater. Many people, including myself, have owned BlackBerry phones for several years. But the reality is we were disappointed with RIM for coming out with such a sub par device. Also remember that not everyone who is critical of the PlayBook is an ipad owner/user.

Its great to have "positive" ideas, like taking over marketing for RIM. And you're totally entitled to these ideas.

But please stop being so argumentative and insulting to people who don't agree with you.

Happy posting

[Draconianfire83]

I want to apologize to anyone who I may have insulted...
When I first looked at this thread I hoped it was a creative one where people were sharing ideas on how to better have their voices heard... in order to improve the PB, you know as any good Beta Tester would do. Yes, I consider the PB a beta device, only because it has inconsistencies and shortcomings that I as a die hard BB user can not allow. I have grown to appreciate BB and do NOT wish them to "die" or just "go away". On the contrary, I love the competition... that's how advances get made.

So anyway... there were many negative posts here, and I want to thank the people that tried to turn it back around.

In no way would I condone defacing a store display (well- or ill-intentioned).

I love hearing other opinions (that's why I read CB) and even "constructive" critisism... but the crap about us not having friends, belittling our intentions, and being downright insulting, is not cool. If you don't agree with a person, make your statement and give a real reason why. I'm the first person to admit when I'm wrong...

[falconeight]

I just read through the entire thread and I have to say that I am sorry. I had no idea people took this stuff so seriously.

[blackjack93117]

Yep. Let's all hold RIM's hand and use soft voices to avoid hurting RIM's feelings. Friend? Really? Simply amazing.

So... just to get this straight: the idea is that we enter places of business and add to/alter their displays to "help" RIM?

I say we cut to the chase. I'll leave my paypal address, and we all should contribute to buy some air-time to show some home made commercials that extol the devices and help companies out. We can also do attack ads just like politicians do every election cycle.

Silence, ye whiner! Sit back and enjoy the device as-is! Anything else is whining. Do your part and make some promo materials and late night infomercials.

Best Buy had Mall Security arrest me when I tried this today, they didn't think it was such a great idea to be messing with their stuff.

I had to wonder if anyone would hauled away for leaving a bag in store as a terrorist

Lol... It's a company that's trying to do whatever it can to sell you something. It's not your friend. But I guess when you don't have very many friends then you latch onto a corporation in a desperate attempt to make them. You literally get crazier with every single post, it's hysterical and entertaining. I just sit back and watch the madness unfold.

NO!!! Don't get him to stop. He's going to snap soon and it's going to be glorious!

Yeah, it reads more and more like a teenager's idea. let him continue if he wants.

This thread is awesome. The fanboism is through the roof. Not to mention the insanity level.

blackjack93117..... why are you always so obnoxious, argumentative, and insulting?

You seem to take pleasure in starting a thread, then you insult anyone and everyone who doesn't agree with you, and invariably the thread has to be closed because you get too argumentative.

Could this be because you have way too much time on your hands? Over 1100 posts in just over one month. Now that's a lot of posts! And a lot of free time!!

Its great to have "positive" ideas, like taking over marketing for RIM. And you're totally entitled to these ideas.

But please stop being so argumentative and insulting to people who don't agree with you.

Happy posting

I really was going to leave this alone, but the last post quoted was directed to me and merits a response.

I really do NOT enjoy starting threads and ending up insulting anyone. And I apologize if anyone felt insulted that did not deserve it. This thread was started in a very positive fashion with a positive motive. There were constructive posts and healthy disagreements. My responses were polite, respectful and courteous.

Then the sarcasm, nastiness and ridicule comes along beginning with the first post above. I was not the first to be insulting. I hate sarcasm, it is childish, cheap, and easy to do. It is sour, unconstructive and negative. It is easy to join a gang of other haters and pile up on one person, slapping each other on the back for their poison darts. So I am inclined to insult back as I do not take this lying down and those who participate in this are worthy of insult. It is how I was raised and taught by my father, God rest his soul, to fight my own battles and stand up for myself. I was taught to be a leader, not a follower and to pitch in and help when something is wrong not to stand back and complain, to be constructive and not destructive, be part of the solution not part of the problem. I heed his advice to this day, and I do this in his honor and care very little what anyone thinks of it..

Sometimes there can be collateral damage for which I apologize and if you are not quoted above it was not directed at you or PlayBook owners in general, or even other device fans - you are entitled to your preferences as I am entitled to mine, but don't insult me or my preferred device for my preference or enthusiasm. There are other cheap sarcastic personal attacks that apparently had been cleaned up here. I apologize also to the mods, but I do wish they had closed it with the first disrespectful sarcastic comment.

Point is it never starts with me, there is an entourage of haters that follow me wherever I go , no matter how positive and constructive my intents and motives are. I'm more than sick of it , but I do not go down in defeat, as they might wish.

As for my fanaticism, obsessive behavior, whatever you want to call it, all I can say is I love my PlayBook and wish it to succeed, and rather than whine and complain I choose to do what I can to help it along. I'm not really sorry if that annoys some people, I simply don't care. I do NOT as a previous poster suggested "attach my self worth" to the opinion of me in an on line forum, that would be ridiculous. If that is a crime, if I am insane, lock me up. I do not, as some may presume "have too much time on my hands", as I do this while I work to relieve the boredom.

I'm ready for more personal attacks and sarcasm now, bring it on, I have a thick skin, this is just an online forum and nobody is going to make me cry or back down from my passion so may as well just give it up now..you're wasting your time and that of everyone else trying to bring me down.

I'm done posting in this thread, as all it seems to do is invite hatred. My request is that it be closed.

[lavrishevo]

Don't feign apologies. Your not sorry for anything. You love to argue and start trouble. Your actions speak quite loudly over your words. I thought you were done posting in this thread like 2 pages ago...

[ifarlow]

This:

Point is it never starts with me, there is an entourage of haters that follow me wherever I go , no matter how positive and constructive my intents and motives are.

Doesn't mesh with this:

Thanks for your concern but it's just entertainment while I work...multitasking and have to kill some time between compile cycles....its kinda fun riling people up actually.. and adding fun to people's mundane lives....

[Majestic Lion]

I can understand passion for a cause to an extent, but what's being proposed here is that we do RIM's work for them via some nebulous guerilla marketing campaign, for free.

No.


Bad enough that consumers are being already put in a position of being unpaid beta-testers for halfway-done phones and apps by a lot of these companies with a throw-everything-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach. What is being proposed here is beyond any semblance of good sense.

And for the sensitive amongst you who are guaranteed to have a knee **** response: if it doesn't apply to a particular company or developer, then it just doesn't apply. Move on. But as any employee or dev in these industries will tell you, there are a loooot of shenanigans going on and the problem is widespread.


Again: no.

[Jared DiPane]

Thread didn't quite go as planned, closing it up at the request of the OP.

[Michelle Haag]

And a kitty facepalm should round this out nicely.