Was early adopter of PB then returned it; buy another one now?
- Not to engage in false love. The pb is a device, forums are a place to discuss said device. i have made positive and negative posts, always truthful. I really hope the pb gets better, but to imply that someone should buy the pb in its current state over the galaxy, well thats just a disservice absent some special situation.
RIM? Disease free and still an excellent roll.06-28-11 07:51 PMLike 0 - I fully agree with Bla1ze.
WAIT. While there have been some improvements many are subtle. There is still no spell-correction, email cannot be pinched zoomed, bookmarks canNOT be renamed or reorganized, you cannot add any folders to the main screen and you cannot organize documents or videos into folders. You canNOT hide apps you don't like and if you delete them you will generate yet another thread on a small update which did nothing. It still does not support a2dp bt headsets. And for me, at least, placing the cursor to edit typos remains a major pain.
Frankly, since there is no shortage and there probably will be no price change (up, anyway), you can wait. Unless there is something about the device you feel you are missing. With all of my cranky comments above, the device is still neat in many areas. So, if you think rim might discontinue it and you want one, buy it. But there's no rush from what you already purchased and returned once.bb-bandit likes this.06-28-11 07:51 PMLike 1 - I just returned the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and picked up a 32gb PB.. I know it's probably too early to "retry" the PB.. but I find it having more utility over the SGT10.1 and the 7" form factor makes me feel more confident that I can quickly type without having to find a table or place to lay it on. You can't thumb-type on Honeycomb unless you grab an app from the Market (I tried a free one and it still was annoying).
I don't know exactly what is about QNX but I like it a lot better than Honeycomb. Another thing is that Flash functionality on the PB runs about 100% better than it does on Tegra2 devices. It can play HD Flash videos within the browser, without lagging the device.. that's pretty impressive. Honeycomb's browser goes to a crawl when a Flash video (no matter the resolution) starts to play. And then it can't hardly run a video at 30fps..
I'm guessing PB's SOC is superior to the Tegra2.. Tegra2 is pretty old afterall.BrokenSaint likes this.06-28-11 07:53 PMLike 1 - I just returned the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and picked up a 32gb PB.. I know it's probably too early to "retry" the PB.. but I find it having more utility over the SGT10.1 and the 7" form factor makes me feel more confident that I can quickly type without having to find a table or place to lay it on. You can't thumb-type on Honeycomb unless you grab an app from the Market (I tried a free one and it still was annoying).
I don't know exactly what is about QNX but I like it a lot better than Honeycomb. Another thing is that Flash functionality on the PB runs about 100% better than it does on Tegra2 devices. It can play HD Flash videos within the browser, without lagging the device.. that's pretty impressive. Honeycomb's browser goes to a crawl when a Flash video (no matter the resolution) starts to play. And then it can't hardly run a video at 30fps..
I'm guessing PB's SOC is superior to the Tegra2.. Tegra2 is pretty old afterall.06-28-11 08:08 PMLike 0 - Bla1zeCB OG
However, I stand by my previous statements. If you didn't like it the first time around, you're still not gonna like it but alas, you'll never know unless ya try. Also, as far as I'm concerned there is still a ton of "weird issues" with the PlayBook -- I'm not saying RIM won't fix em but to me, they've swapped out some old issues for new ones. Some of what I've experienced
- Constant update reminders of a new OS because you simply deleted a shortcut.
- App World advising you of updates to apps for which you've already updated.
- Ghost notifications that never seem to go away.
- Mac users still left out of the loop when it comes to BBDM (may not be relevant to OP but it is to me)
- The inconsistency of BlackBerry Bridges ability to open images / downloads from messages.
- The inconsistency of BlackBerry Bridges ability to upload image attachments to composed messages. (Stalled uploads from BB)
I could go on with these lil' quirks that I personally don't care about since they don't really bother me but to the OP these could potentially be the "weird issues" they are hoping to avoid -- they all seem like "weird issues" to me.howarmat likes this.06-28-11 08:19 PMLike 1 - I got the HP slate 500 win7 tablet. everything works, being used in and out of my company intranet (vpn, rdp, ssh, sql tools, outlook email, excel, OCS, word, Power Point, usb otg and SD slot for extra storage, better bluetooth support (a2dp) etc.etc.etc.) lost interest in the PB. Of course I lost interest in the PSP pretty quick since it really is a toy (expensive toy). I guess if you are a gamer, the PB will be a wonderful toy, that can do other "stuff". I take my PSP so I can watch movies on business trips.
I need productivity, the PB isn't there and won't be for at least a year/18 months.Last edited by dkingsf; 06-28-11 at 08:28 PM.
06-28-11 08:25 PMLike 0 -
All I can say is that I was ready to return mine prior to the last two upgrades, especially after being frightened silly by the unfair and unreasonable bashing going on in here, but happy I held on to it.
I didn't like it the first time, but I love it now.
True story. For what it's worth. So I am at least one exception to your claim.
.Last edited by blackjack93117; 06-28-11 at 08:31 PM.
Bla1ze likes this.06-28-11 08:27 PMLike 1 - Bla1zeCB OGOk well I've been banned before for having strong opinions about RIM and Playbook bashers taking a hike and telling them to... but I considered it a sacrifice to make the forums more pleasant.
All I can say is that I was ready to return mine prior to the last two upgrades, especially after being frightened silly by the unfair and unreasonable bashing going on in here, but happy I held on to it.
I didn't like it the first time, but I love it now.
True story. For what it's worth. So I am at least one exception to your claim.
.06-28-11 08:46 PMLike 0 - it depends on what you'll used you PB for... I had have mine since launch and started using it as it was... yes browser was awfully slow and had other problems, but i kept using it... in time must of those issues where addressed and the browser got way much better, the bridge got way much better, and a lot of other things also got better... today I have a very useful file browser and sync my most important documents from my laptop and leave my laptop at the office, and with my playbook I have been able to respond to my boss late hour and weekends demands, been able to attend emergency meeting without my laptop and have all the information I need to success... my PB has become a very important part of my everyday work, and what truly amaze me is that it will only get better... so, think about what you need it for, and you will have your answer...06-28-11 08:53 PMLike 0
- Geez.. ban you for having your own opinion? That's just silly.
However, I stand by my previous statements. If you didn't like it the first time around, you're still not gonna like it but alas, you'll never know unless ya try. Also, as far as I'm concerned there is still a ton of "weird issues" with the PlayBook -- I'm not saying RIM won't fix em but to me, they've swapped out some old issues for new ones. Some of what I've experienced
- Constant update reminders of a new OS because you simply deleted a shortcut.
- App World advising you of updates to apps for which you've already updated.
- Ghost notifications that never seem to go away.
- Mac users still left out of the loop when it comes to BBDM (may not be relevant to OP but it is to me)
- The inconsistency of BlackBerry Bridges ability to open images / downloads from messages.
- The inconsistency of BlackBerry Bridges ability to upload image attachments to composed messages. (Stalled uploads from BB)
I could go on with these lil' quirks that I personally don't care about since they don't really bother me but to the OP these could potentially be the "weird issues" they are hoping to avoid -- they all seem like "weird issues" to me.06-28-11 09:05 PMLike 0 - On one hand, I agree with Kevin...Buy the PB! On the other hand, I agree with Blaze...since you returned it once, the functionality you may be looking for still might not be there. Only you can decide if you want to jump back in or wait a while longer.
I got my PB on day one, still have it and still love it. Yes, it still needs some work (file management) and apps (a few core biz apps would be helpful). Having said that, I am finding my PB more capable every day...or maybe I'm just learning how to use it more effectively. The browser is awesome! When at work, I live in Google Chrome...gmail, google calendar, dropbox, google docs and zoho. The PB handles all these with ease. Add a bluetooth keyboard and there's your laptop.
If your looking for apps then wait. But if you use a BB and/or want a tablet that handles the internet with ease, get the PB.
One other observation...the 7" form factor is great for portability; I take my PB everywhere, but you may want to consider the size that's best for you. One function I need in a tablet is to take to court to view docs. A larger form factor (10") would be nice. If RIM doesn't release a 10" form factor by next spring, I'll probably pick up a larger form factor just for court appearances.06-28-11 09:23 PMLike 0 - In my opinion the PlayBook is still immature. I don't see a reasonable amount of maturity until late fall maybe around Nov/Dec. I would suggest maybe a Xmas present for yourself, but not in Jun/Jul. It needs much more growth to live up to its own expectations. The engine is solid, but as for the rest of the car ....well, it needs a lot of work to compete in the Daytona 500. With that said ....I still love this little tablet with the BIG heart
Last edited by spencerdl; 06-28-11 at 10:05 PM.
bb-bandit likes this.06-28-11 10:03 PMLike 1 - NASCAR? Yep. Apple is king of the turn in one direction thing. Now when you want to navigate the web, you'll need something more capable than an ipad as there are plenty of rights out there in the wider world.06-28-11 10:11 PMLike 0
- So I bought a PB on launch day loved the hardware and software, but had a lot of weird issues and missing functionality in the software.
If I were to go pick another one up now that there's been a slew of new updates? Would you say things are a lot better now?
One of my main issues was how SLOW the browser was.. is that fixed?
I was an early adopter and lived through the updates. Since day one I have found the device to be somewhere between ok and good. It is now quite good but not perfect.06-28-11 10:31 PMLike 0 - So I bought a PB on launch day loved the hardware and software, but had a lot of weird issues and missing functionality in the software.
If I were to go pick another one up now that there's been a slew of new updates? Would you say things are a lot better now?
One of my main issues was how SLOW the browser was.. is that fixed?
The Playbook is markedly improved since the first weeks after launch, but still a work in progress. If you can see that progress, not merely as providing a more useful and enjoyable Playbook when you re-buy one, but also as a strong predictor of similar improvements down the line, it is now "safe". Particularly if you plan to use the Bridge.06-28-11 11:57 PMLike 0 - So I bought a PB on launch day loved the hardware and software, but had a lot of weird issues and missing functionality in the software.
If I were to go pick another one up now that there's been a slew of new updates? Would you say things are a lot better now?
One of my main issues was how SLOW the browser was.. is that fixed?
I never had any real complaints about the browser. I always thought that was one of the PB's bright spots.
Now to your question, no don't buy it now. The PB still has many issues and is still missing many functional pieces offered by competitive products. I would "wait for the update". This is the mantra of RIM customers. Fortuately, the missing pieces are software related and not due to hardware limitations. The hardware is elegant and is competitive. However, nothing in RIM's past suggests that they will correct these problems, but who knows, mayb RIM has been hit over the head hard enough this time that they will get it right in the coming months. IMO, you should wait until September. iOS5 will be released for the ipad and HP's tablet will be out. You will then be able to compare the PB to two other competitors to see if the PB offers all the features that you want in a tablet (comprehensive messaging, robust and accurate notifications, apps, etc.).06-29-11 10:57 AMLike 0 - First off, I read everybody's responses. Good info, opinions, and etc..
For *me* the ultimate Tablet would be a Win7 tablet. However, i've yet to find one that has any form of respectable battery life to make me feel like I could use it a lot throughout the day without it dying. So until then, I'm on a quest for a light-weight tablet (i.e. non-major OS based tablets). I think the longest running Win7 Tablet to date would probably be the HP 500 with about 5~ hours.. and i'm not sure if it has an IPS screen and what not..
I really wish the PB had the Android player right now because it would make the experience that much better.
People have talked about the browser "pausing/stalling" problems on the PB. When I first opened up my new PB and after updating to latest software; surfing was pretty bad.. it took over 2 minutes to stop "loading" Google (not kidding).. It was just stalled there doing nothing. But strangely enough after using the PB for about an hour, web surfing all of the sudden became snappier and that "stall" in the middle of loading a webpage stopped happening and pages are now rendering faster than my co-workers iPad2.... about as fast as the GalaxyTab10.1 I had before this.
If there's anything Honeycomb does well it's the browser (yet it still crashes occasionally), it's by far the fastest rendering browser in a mobile OS at this time. I think the PB has a close 2nd place (if you can manage to avoid the stalling problems).. Even though the PB's sunspider score is 2600ish~ compared to iPad2's 2200~ it still seems like it renders pages and displaying all content faster.
Another thing, supposedly the iPad2 Jailbreak is right around the corner now - and when that comes out, I might ultimately going back to the iPad (I had a iPad1 Jailbroken) because I can honestly say I enjoyed a jailbroken iPad better than any other tablet i've owned. It's hard to compete against a polished Appstore with titles QNX nor Android will ever see.
Such as FL Studio Fruity Loops app on iPad.. it's a whole music composing studio (albeit a light version), and there's NOTHING like this on QNX/Android/webOS, etc... When a big company decides to stand behind iPad and nothing else, it controls the market to a huge degree. And let's be honest here, iPad has the largest big companies developing apps for ONLY the iPad and nothing else.
I don't really want to be an iPad owner, it's too big, I would rather have a 7" tablet. I love the PB, it's my most favorite tablet next to the iPad.. and I prefer the hardware/size over the iPad.. if only there was a stronger development scene for QNX (and it may be much bigger after the QNX phone comes out) then I think this would be nearly perfect for my needs.
BTW, I do have a company Blackberry Bold but I haven't Bridged it to my PB yet.. I'll have to comment on this later.06-29-11 02:31 PMLike 0 - Buy it today if you want what it can do today - otherwise wait. But really what is it you are wanting? Email, calendar, etc? That will be coming within the next month or two and the browser is faster than my relatively new PC's - so if yours was slow maybe it was your wireless connection (or were you talking about the bridge browser?)06-30-11 02:15 PMLike 0
- Three weeks ago I purchased the Playbook from BestBuy. I had two weeks to return it for my money back. After the first day of owning the PB, I was ready to give it back. An update came through and made a huge difference in the BB Bridge. I was suckered into holding it past the two weeks because it was almost as good as I hoped it would be. Now I regret purchasing the PB at this point. It's not worth the price; quite frankly my Blackberry Bold is more capable for what I need. I have no doubt it will be a great device, but right now. NO. So, I hope like many that they continue to improve the software.06-30-11 07:00 PMLike 0
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Was early adopter of PB then returned it; buy another one now?
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