[SFWriter]

With BB 10 on its way (the countdown has begun) I thought I would put the question out to the CrackBerry Forum Members – What will be the Next Generation of Playbook?

From the onset let me say that I REALLY REALLY Like my Playbook; I have from the beginning (even after paying full price and not getting a generous discount – but I digress). The size, weight and general quality of the hardware has impressed me; far and above that of its competitors.

By-the-way, I was not one that just jumped on the Playbook band wagon because I enjoyed the BB phones. I went out and tested every tablet on the market at the time. From the iPad, a plethora of Android and Window’s (7) tablets; all very nice but I found so much more in the Playbook I just had to have one. Integration with my BB Phone; Adobe, processing power, true milti-tasking, Flash, Bridge, and ‘useful’ applications all went into my decision to spend the money (yes, it was lacking initially but I know it would come and RIM has not disappointed me in the end).

That said, we also know that BB 10 will change the game somewhat and while my next phone will sport the latest (and promises to be the greatest) OS in the form of Blackberry 10, the Playbook, even with QNX 2+, will be, dare I say, old school when compared to 10.

My question then is to throw open the flood gates and see what gets washed away. What would you like to see changed in the Playbook?

• Would you want to just have an upgraded OS (from 2+ to 10)?
• Is a larger (or smaller – why I don’t know) screen be better or even an option of two different size screens?
• Should RIM get some of the incredibly talented folks in the graphics and personal electronic world to re-design the Playbook shell? Many of you will remember CrackBerry’s design the BB10 postings; I was blown away by the great graphics and would still like to see a ‘BB Blade’ come to fruition.
• Faster Processer? Dual or quad core processers?
• Different screen (higher definition, better resolution, 3D….)?
• Is the ability to add more memory (SD type card(s); micro-SD, etc…) worthwhile?
• Different colours?
• Different shape?

Let’s have some great dialog and feedback folks; we know the good people at RIM read Crackberry (who doesn’t after all) and you never know, they just might get an idea or two for the next generation of Playbook.

[katesbb]

Finish PBOS as it was meant to be, don't use BB10 with it's Active Frames and all that... which I think is a compromise for the small screens on phones not needed for tablets. Which reminds me...

Lose the carousel! It's pretty, it's fun to play with (I love flicking things off screen lol), but it's annoying in actual use. I never use it anymore unless I have to. Thumbnails change appearance, making it difficult to visually identify the app you want as it's flying by. It's SO much easier to just swipe up and tap the icon in the dock (if it's there) to launch or re-open an app instead. Icons don't change appearance, you recognize them at glance.

Remove the lip surrounding the glass. It's rough, it's unpleasant, especially on a device that's so dependent on swiping everything from the bezels.

The browser. Start over, do it fresh. Sort bookmarks by name and allow the name and URL to be edited. Move the controls to the bottom so I can navigate with my thumbs rather than having to reach up to the corners. Use real tabs, not thumbnails (stop obsessing with thumbnails lol!). Do something about javascript. Let me identify as mobile or desktop.

Let us reorder the home screens.

Bring back traditional BlackBerry things we all love, like Profiles and Bedside Mode and notification options (specific sounds for alert types, etc.).

I do love the speaker placement, overall size, screen clarity, battery life, HDMI port, charging dock pins, LED, processor speed (I never notice lag) and cameras.

[CairnsRock]

Have a look at the latest BB10 device images. Very cool. I would buy a larger one of those.

[F2]

I think it will have a HOME Button like the ipad. It will function just like the bezel to bezel Swipe but most people will just feel more at, well, "home" with it!

[TheScionicMan]

I think it will have a HOME Button like the ipad. It will function just like the bezel to bezel Swipe but most people will just feel more at, well, "home" with it!

I've never once felt the need to find the home button on my PlayBook, but I bezel-swipe the heck out of iOS devices. Which one feels more at Home? Not the button, imo.

[TheScionicMan]

As far as the next PlayBook, I will go out on a limb and say that it will probably be very similar to the current one, but with the obvious upgrades that come to any next gen tech product.

[DC506]

I think it will have a HOME Button like the ipad. It will function just like the bezel to bezel Swipe but most people will just feel more at, well, "home" with it!

....consider the pot stirred.....

[pchapple13]

'home' buttons are for fruit lovers. I find it particularly difficult to use another tablet after using the PB. I've tried using my sister's ipad 3 to see what the big deal is, and I find it frustrating. The bezel gestures make the pb's UI awesome to use, and I'd like to have a few more gestures like we'll have on the BB10 phones.

I would love an upgrade to 10 on he PB as long as it improves the bridge function, but is the hardware in the PB good enough for all that BB10 will be able to do? Or do we have to wait for the next gen PB to fully realize the potential of a mobile computing platform?

And I while I love the size of this tablet, I would love to have a ten inch playbook for comics, movies, etc.

[joshua_sx1]

For me, the current physical appearance of our PlayBook is quite good i.e. stereo speakers placed on sides and the landscape default orientation... but something has to be improved, such as the weight (the lighter, the better), the thickness (the thinner, the better), and the hardware specs i.e. more RAMs and powerful processor... the upcoming final version of BB10 may not need a quad-core processor and a 2GB RAM to run smoothly and experience a lag-free environment, but future Apps and games will demand these kind of specs and our PB must maximize its relevance to handle such software improvements... not to mention that it will be so appealing to customers that their purchased device has a 3 to 5-year life expectancy... I can say that, 99.9% of customers would love that...

[cathidid]

I imagine it would look like a lseries phone with 7 inch screen.

[BB_Bmore]

I like the lip on the PlayBook. It allows me to set my device face down without worrying about a scratch. It has never gotten in the way of me swiping this monstrous bezel lol. I would like the camera placed just a tad closer to the outside in hopes it would help with indoor pictures were the light isn't the best. That or include a flash like we saw on the 10 inch PlayBook. A smaller bezel with larger screen so long as the overall size doesn't change. The size is perfect for me. Other than that and aside from expected hardware upgrades, I wouldn't change much else. I'm curious if we will have the option to change back to tablet os if BlackBerry10 doesn't feel right with the PlayBook. Who am I kidding there will be so many improvements with BlackBerry10 you'd have to be crazy or just anal to keep tablet os on the PlayBook

[dugggggg]

The initial release of PlayBook TNG will feature a clean-shaven Riker, way too many Ferengi, and Picard constantly adjusting his pants. It'll get a lot better after the first update.

[pchapple13]

The initial release of PlayBook TNG will feature a clean-shaven Riker, way too many Ferengi, and Picard constantly adjusting his pants. It'll get a lot better after the first update.

Well played sir

[jamesharmeling]

I'd like a flash for the camera and video.

[icniagara]

No home button, the successful the iPhone attributed (partially) to it's lack of buttons, so RIM has taken it one step further, and I love me some swipiness. The next PB needs a flash for the camera, and I would just be happy to re-order the browser icons, or maybe even have the folders there too.

[kill_9]

Finish PBOS as it was meant to be, don't use BB10 with it's Active Frames and all that... which I think is a compromise for the small screens on phones not needed for tablets.

Agreed. The smartphone user interface of BlackBerry OS 10 has no place on a tablet. I like the user interface of the BlackBerry Tablet OS.

[312Lorden]

Rounded corners. No, just kidding. Why should it look any different? It looks great now. Well, maybe a little thinner and weighing less.

[F2]

I am not sure that everyone understands that I was KIDDING! The rollie smilie was supposed to help!

[CairnsRock]

I am not sure that everyone understands that I was KIDDING! The rollie smilie was supposed to help!

I caught it. Cant imagine you saying that seriously.

[omniusovermind]

Finish PBOS as it was meant to be, don't use BB10 with it's Active Frames and all that... which I think is a compromise for the small screens on phones not needed for tablets.

Agreed. The smartphone user interface of BlackBerry OS 10 has no place on a tablet. I like the user interface of the BlackBerry Tablet OS.

Differing OS's between phones and tablets was a problem that plagued Android users. You don't want 2 different OS's. Trust me. You can live with it, but it's not the best way to do things, uniformity brings far more advantages.

[houshinto#IM]

Remove the lip surrounding the glass. It's rough, it's unpleasant, especially on a device that's so dependent on swiping everything from the bezels.

I might be the only one who likes that lip. It made installing my ghost armor screen protector a breeze. It also provides that extra grip for my fingers without being abrasive.

Aside from what everyone else has mentioned I would like nfc and a camera flash on the device.

Something far out there, but nice, would be the incorporation of Thermoelectric Materials which could dramatically increase power consumption efficiency and potentially extend the battery life. (check the link for info)
Thermoelectric material is the best at converting heat waste to electricity

We all know how hot the BB logo at the heart of the device can get.

[Rello]

Differing OS's between phones and tablets was a problem that plagued Android users. You don't want 2 different OS's. Trust me. You can live with it, but it's not the best way to do things, uniformity brings far more advantages.

I thought this was pretty much known by everyone that u shouldn't have to separate interfaces lol. Personally I think there might be a few differences because I haven't seen BB10 in landscape on the home screen and I can't imagine not using my PlayBook in landscape, but the interfaces DEFINITELY need to be very similar

[RubberChicken76]

I doubt there will be one. The 'next generation' is PlayBook LTE.

Maybe the PlayBooks will get BlackBerry 10. I'm skeptical there will be new PlayBook hardware beyond PLayBook LTE.

[bitek]

Playbook 2 will come out in two version

1. High end Quad core, 64GB+ HD, 1280x960 display, HD front and back camera, high capacity battery, thinner design, high quality materials, HD speakers, optional LTE
2. Low end Dual core 32GB- HD, 1024x720 display, Low end front and back camera, lower capacity battery, thicker design, mostly plastic, low quality speakers,

I could imagine new type of snap on keyboard. (similar to surface)

[jamesharmeling]

Playbook 2 will come out in two version1. High end Quad core, 64GB+ HD, 1280x960 display, HD front and back camera, high capacity battery, thinner design, high quality materials, HD speakers, optional LTE2. Low end Dual core 32GB- HD, 1024x720 display, Low end front and back camera, lower capacity battery, thicker design, mostly plastic, low quality speakers, I could imagine new type of snap on keyboard. (similar to surface)

Are you a psychic, a cousin of Thor, or a bad guesser?