Explaining the playbook advantage

[frankzaman]

“But now 2.0 is a complete overhaul. It changes the experience. We’ve added apps like print-to-go, new file transfer capabilities, and enhanced every other app.”

One of the most important of these enhancements, and probably the very heart of the device in terms of differentiating it from all others, is that the operating system is separated from the apps and data that have been installed on the device. The result: PlayBook users don't have to back up and restore every time an update of the operating system is released.

The implication of this is simple but powerful: the PlayBook has leapfrogged all other tablet makers in ensuring the stability of the user experience across versions.

“The single biggest issue on any platform is that customers hate backing up all data and having to restore it. Firstly, there is often a lot of data to restore. Secondly, you can’t use the device while you are doing the upgrade. Thirdly, you are never sure if you will get it all back,

“Yet, it is an unnecessary step. One of great things we have done is that we have partitioned the device, and used the QNX micro-kernel to partition areas of the OS quite effectively. We have separate the radio function from the core OS. That will help is speed up carrier certification as well, which was part of the bottleneck we were trying to fix.

Gadget Web Site - Playtime at RIM

[Palmless]

Originally Posted by frankzaman

Thirdly, you are never sure if you will get it all back,

Is this really a problem? I remember some struggles with early Treos, etc., but have restores been problematic in the past decade?

[sinsin07]

If you have to explain it, it's not an advantage.

iOS introduced over the air incremental updates. No need to back up. Next.

[anthogag]

Can't wait to see how this works, a seamless upgrade 'flowing' in the background

[CrackedBarry]

Even on Android it upgrades in the background while you do other stuff, turns off for ten minutes or so while it does file system stuff, and that's it. On iPad you also have incremental upgrades, with your stuff being backed up to iCloud without the user ever noticing.

There's no advantage to explain here, since nobody with an iPad or Android tablet is bothered or inconvenienced by this stuff.

[Economist101]

Originally Posted by CrackedBarry

There's no advantage to explain here, since nobody with an iPad or Android tablet is bothered or inconvenienced by this stuff.

Exactly. Had the PlayBook launched with this feature it would've been an advantage over the iPad, but with iOS 5 available. . . not so much.

[missing_K-W]

What's really cool is how BB10 will also target the embedded device market....certain parts of the OS can be removed or even added onto based on how it is applied in the environment ....cool stuff

[anthogag]

Lion running on a mac needs to restart after an upgrade...

The RIM rep is stating it happens without any kind of interruption...this is a leap-frog situation...this probably comes from QNX's roots in critical systems where it has to function without any interruption

QNX is ice-cold

[missing_K-W]

Originally Posted by anthogag

Lion running on a mac needs to restart after an upgrade...

The RIM rep is stating it happens without any kind of interruption...this is a leap-frog situation...this probably comes from QNX's roots in critical systems where it has to function without any interruption

QNX is ice-cold

Now they just need to introduce QNX "Fast boot" or "no re-boot" technology

[anthogag]

Originally Posted by missing_K-W

Now they just need to introduce QNX "Fast boot" or "no re-boot" technology

They'll have no re-boot when they fix the software bugs…the only time I re-start is when GPS isn't working properly…otherwise the OS has been 'solid' for my pb …ideally it seems like the OS is designed not to reboot

[dentynefire]

Originally Posted by anthogag

Lion running on a mac needs to restart after an upgrade...

The RIM rep is stating it happens without any kind of interruption...this is a leap-frog situation...this probably comes from QNX's roots in critical systems where it has to function without any interruption

QNX is ice-cold

With macs only changes to the (monolithic)Kernel require rebooting.

QNX having a micro kernel design has drivers, filesystem, and services run outside of the kernel. That means if the server or driver fails or is updated it doesn't affect the OS. If it fails then hopefully the OS restarts the failed service and life continues. QNX has QNET which is just a server that is being run by QNX devices to talk to one another. That means talking over bluetooth, LAN or the internet. Hmmm the internet

Bridge is basically QNET and allows a user to control other QNX devices or push/pull information/media. We've see that with the remote control, typing and opening a file (Open on) on a PlayBook as if you did it yourself. Also possible is the ability to control a robot natively, or ANY other QNX operated machine/device. Pretty sure you can't do that with IOS or Android lol.

So the advantage of the PlayBook isn't in having ONE PB, but the advantages when there is more than one (QNX device)
Yeah ice-cold QNX I want some!

[bbpandy]

Originally Posted by dentynefire

With macs only changes to the (monolithic)Kernel require rebooting.

QNX having a micro kernel design has drivers, filesystem, and services run outside of the kernel. That means if the server or driver fails or is updated it doesn't affect the OS. If it fails then hopefully the OS restarts the failed service and life continues. QNX has QNET which is just a server that is being run by QNX devices to talk to one another. That means talking over bluetooth, LAN or the internet. Hmmm the internet

Bridge is basically QNET and allows a user to control other QNX devices or push/pull information/media. We've see that with the remote control, typing and opening a file (Open on) on a PlayBook as if you did it yourself. Also possible is the ability to control a robot natively, or ANY other QNX operated machine/device. Pretty sure you can't do that with IOS or Android lol.

So the advantage of the PlayBook isn't in having ONE PB, but the advantages when there is more than one (QNX device)
Yeah ice-cold QNX I want some!

Just think of what BRIDGE will be like on a BBX Phone The 2 devices will be super intergrated

[CrackedBarry]

Well, if you're talking about stuff like using your phone to control and app on your tablet, iOS also has that. For example you can use an iPhone as a control pad for ipad games. I can transfer files wirelessly between my Android devices, or use one of them as a remote.

We'll see a lot more integration between devices that's true, but it's not a Playbook advantage like the poster suggested.

However, if you want to educate people on how to use their Playbooks to control their household robots, good luck marketing to that particular niche.

The point we were raising in regards to the OP was that reboots are really a thing of the past, at least on iOS and Android.

And yes, while QNX has an interesting architecture, there is a reason why other operating systems have moved away from micro kernels. (Like the old Windows Mobile for example) they have their disadvantages as well as some advantages, and a micro kernel by itself is far from an advantage. One could in fact make the argument that QNX really wasn't built or designed for what RIM is using it for. There is a big difference between a relatively simple task like controlling a valve in a pipeline or a traffic signal, and controlling a whole computer, like mobile devices increasingly are. Time will tell whether RIM chose the right tool for the job.

[anthogag]

Originally Posted by CrackedBarry

Well, if you're talking about stuff like using your phone to control and app on your tablet, iOS also has that. For example you can use an iPhone as a control pad for ipad games. I can transfer files wirelessly between my Android devices, or use one of them as a remote.

We'll see a lot more integration between devices that's true, but it's not a Playbook advantage like the poster suggested.

However, if you want to educate people on how to use their Playbooks to control their household robots, good luck marketing to that particular niche.

The point we were raising in regards to the OP was that reboots are really a thing of the past, at least on iOS and Android.

And yes, while QNX has an interesting architecture, there is a reason why other operating systems have moved away from micro kernels. (Like the old Windows Mobile for example) they have their disadvantages as well as some advantages, and a micro kernel by itself is far from an advantage. One could in fact make the argument that QNX really wasn't built or designed for what RIM is using it for. There is a big difference between a relatively simple task like controlling a valve in a pipeline or a traffic signal, and controlling a whole computer, like mobile devices increasingly are. Time will tell whether RIM chose the right tool for the job.

I recall one example they gave was QNX in routers

Here is what I found in one article...

The real-time operating system is used where software failure can lead to catastrophic consequences, even death - from high-speed trains to air traffic control towers to highway toll systems. It's also used in more than 100 different types of cars on the road.

Here's a link to the article...

CDN - Nuclear plant powers up on real-time OS

Your pipe and traffic light examples look pretty lame in comparison

[howarmat]

im not sure why people are thinking this is new. Android has been operating like this for a while as mentioned and iOS does now too. Previous BB devices also could do this if the carriers allowed for it.

Now I am sure there is more to it then what BBOS 5 had back a couple years ago. But the concept is not "leapfrogging" as suggested above