[zippygrill]

So, is it gonna be posibile to upgrade the curent OS of the PlayBook to the future OS based on QNX?

[piper975]

it already runs QNX

[peter9477]

Yes, the current OS (based on QNX, as piper975 said, and referred to as the Tablet OS) will be upgradable over-the-air, just as we've done a number of times to date, to "the future OS based on QNX" (which is just an updated version of Tablet OS).

[gtpointer]

I think what zippygrill is getting at is whether the playbook will be upgradeable to the BBX os that kevin recently made a post about. If so, the yes as QNX is blackberry's future and rim wants a unified os to make it easier for developers and users alike. But it's somewhat like what the others said as BBX seems to be tablet os, overhauled to bring in some of the great features on bb phones and given a more consumer friendly name.

[peter9477]

BBX, assuming his report is correct, is likely just a renamed "Tablet OS", since "Tablet OS" doesn't make sense when you're running it on a phone and not a tablet.

It's still going to be the same OS.

Also possible it's a name they'll use exclusively for the phone version, since the existing PlayBook UI probably wouldn't work well for users on the smaller phone screen. If that's true, then the PlayBook won't be upgradable to BBX, of course, but it's a moot point then since BBX and Tablet OS would generally be maintained in parallel.

[anon(1049620)]

I'm pretty sure RIM wouldn't screw over 200,000 people running Tablet OS v1 by saying v2 won't be compatible with the current Playbooks on the market. There would be anarchy.

[cbvinh]

It's going to be a lot more than 200,000 after the current sale pricing is over...

As for RIM screwing over PB 1 customers, well, I'm not familiar enough with the company's history to know.

I do know Nokia screwed over N770 users when the N800 came out. The new OS wasn't backported. The N810 had a compatible OS to the N800, but then the N900 broke things again... Each time, the new batch of users would claim that the previous gen's users knew that they were beta testers and shouldn't be complaining.

[willtothewong]

I hope the new PB will get the ability to upgrade. It'll stretch the dollar a bit more =D

[shootsscores]

The OS is an architecture. The OS will not be "upgraded". The software running on the OS will be updated.

[ScoobsDM]

Basically, v2.0 will be the "Service Pack 1,2,3" of windows XP. U download a new service pack, but you still have windows XP. Same concept.

[peter9477]

No one should have concerns that existing users will not be able to upgrade. The CEOs said during the earnings call that we would be able to, free. It's not a risk item...

[peter9477]

The OS is an architecture. The OS will not be "upgraded". The software running on the OS will be updated.

I wrote: I would say the OS is definitely being upgraded.

But I used that term only because I was reading it in the quotation marks in shootsscores' post there, and didn't realize he was just correcting the inappropriate use of the term.

"Update" would definitely be the conventional description, not "upgrade".

[KRol]

From thefreedictionary

Upgrade

...
3. Computer Science

a. To replace (a software program) with a more recently released, enhanced version.
b. To replace (a hardware device) with one that provides better performance.

I thought too that upgrade was only for hardware and update was for software...

[peter9477]

Ah, by bad... subtle difference between the two, visually, and I didn't notice it.

Yep, I'd agree with "shootsscores" that these are updates, not upgrades. Will edit my post to try to avoid unnecessary debate...

[blackjack93117]

Wouldn't it be funny if 2.0 was a paid update? RIM getting back at all the complainers ha ha riot in Crackberry!

[FF22]

Wouldn't it be funny if 2.0 was a paid update? RIM getting back at all the complainers ha ha riot in Crackberry!

Better yet, they could offer it free to those who purchased in the last month and charge the folks who purchased before that for the update - kind of like other software companies do.

[rickgainsmith]

'Most' pay for new versions of Windows.

My guess it will be free but for arguments sack how much would you pay?

$9.95?
$19.95?
$29.95?

BJ, you could start a Poll?

[marksasongko]

Better yet, they could offer it free to those who purchased in the last month and charge the folks who purchased before that for the update - kind of like other software companies do.

so not only do early adopters have to pay higher price for the hardware, but also the software, nice.........

[Superfly_FR]

So, is it gonna be posibile to upgrade the curent OS of the PlayBook to the future OS based on QNX?

Tablet OS and BBX are both QNX based OSes.
One is optimized for the tablet, the other for the phone.
As they share the same kernel, they will cooperate fine together.
As they don't have the same usages, they mostly differ by the UI.
It is relevant to have two quind-of-separate systems, as the future developments may vary for each of them, so that you don't have to bind one's logic to serve the other.

So, Playbook OS updated today to 1.0.7.3312 and will upgrade (as it is a major release) to 2.0, while BBX will probably be a 1.0 release over our phones. I just pray (and probably dream) for BBX to be 9900 compatible: I just got one.

[FF22]

so not only do early adopters have to pay higher price for the hardware, but also the software, nice.........

That's why I suggested it. The irony would be hard to escape. Maybe we'd see something like that commercial where the little old lady returns a tire through the store window.

[mickrg123]

I'm pretty sure RIM wouldn't screw over 200,000 people running Tablet OS v1 by saying v2 won't be compatible with the current Playbooks on the market. There would be anarchy.

Why would you think Rim wouldn't screw over people, they have screwed over the last new product they had Storm1 and Storm2.

[samab]

Wouldn't it be funny if 2.0 was a paid update? RIM getting back at all the complainers ha ha riot in Crackberry!

Except that we do know that it will be a free update --- not just by what the co-ceo's said in the conference calls, but more importantly in the SEC filings in which the Playbook has the same sort of accounting as the iphone. RIM hasn't recognized the full amount of what they received from the Playbook sales --- because part of the revenue is for future software updates.

[RPM_KW]

Except that we do know that it will be a free update --- not just by what the co-ceo's said in the conference calls, but more importantly in the SEC filings in which the Playbook has the same sort of accounting as the iphone. RIM hasn't recognized the full amount of what they received from the Playbook sales --- because part of the revenue is for future software updates.

Are we sure that this would not be covered in their forward looking statements or what ever it is called? (not arguing, just honestly asking!) and they could charge us?

[samab]

Are we sure that this would not be covered in their forward looking statements or what ever it is called? (not arguing, just honestly asking!) and they could charge us?

This is about revenue recognition, nothing to do with forward looking statements.

When you bought your Playbook, RIM already got the full amount of money. But like the iphone accounting, RIM decides to recognize not the full amount right away.

Quote from their filings:

"The Company sells its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with the right to receive unspecified software upgrade rights on a “when-and-if
available” basis. These upgrade rights are related specifically to the product’s essential operating system software. In these instances, the amount allocated to the unspecified software upgrade rights are deferred and recognized rateably over the 24-month estimated life of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet."