[simu31]

Lol rim say and promise a lot and they are very good at that, shame they either never deliver or do a year or so later.

Just a quick question: What promises have they failed to deliver on since the new CEO took over?... Oh, and in case you're wondering, the answer is none.

It's easy to complain about what happened with the launch of the Playbook, a lot of things didn't get done right. But people need to get it into their heads that since the new guard has come in, missing deadlines has stopped. So if the trolls could stop wasting everyone's time with their drivel, so we could actually talk about the subject at hand, that'd be great.

I really don't get what these trolls get out of being here, except for coming across as idiots!

Si.

[JTATL]

With the google announcement today it now makes sense that Amazon has moved up the release of kindle fire 2 as rumored on CNBC to July.

All the major players realize the age of the desktop and laptop is almost over and that tablets that can be docked into home entertainment systems and office productivity systems with large screen monitors and peripherals when docked are the future. The tablet wars have begun. The future is entirely mobile devices the non touch computing device will be a dinosaur in less than 5 years. These companies amazon, google, microsoft and apple have 100's of billions to spend on the transition and they will.

[bastospn]

RIM must focus on software. Thats's where they're strong. Right know they just can't compete with other players on the market.

[Sprawl]

With the google announcement today it now makes sense that Amazon has moved up the release of kindle fire 2 as rumored on CNBC to July.

All the major players realize the age of the desktop and laptop is almost over and that tablets that can be docked into home entertainment systems and office productivity systems with large screen monitors and peripherals when docked are the future. The tablet wars have begun.

the end of the laptop / PC era?

HA!
HA HA HA!
(your tablet is just a handheld computer).
The end of the PC will be years away my friend. You will still need a computer. The sheer performance you can get out of a desktop or even laptop isn't rivaled by tablets. don't kid yourself.

Here's the rub. What we're moving towards is what I call "appliance computing". your appliances will all be "smart" and be able to communicate. What a tablet brings you is a perfect central point to control and monitor them. TV's are obviously the first ideal use of such a centralized control system. But to continue along that thought, Housing thermostats, laundry, stoves, microwaves, Fridges. Connect all these up and setup a tablet as your control point.

This is where the tech industry is going. But this is also independant of the actual computer industry, which in itself is still necessary and going nowhere.

RIM's problem is they're just so far behind, with so few details out. They're still treating the tablet as a media consuming device, where android and Apple have moved well past that simple paradigm. Android clearly gets it. They understand that alone, a tablet isn't the best device for everything. BUT using the tablet as your centre point of control for everything else IS.

[ipras]

I couldn't care less about any other device, seriously. It functions the way I expect it and if it ever doesn't, I'll look around. People have too much time on their hands to worry about whether a sack of rice in China falls over or not. I want to have these kind of worries instead of the ones I'm having right now.
Seriously, that kind of immaturity is just tiresome anymore...

A guy who has over 1600 posts preaches about people having too much time on their hands!

[texazzpete]

At $199, the Google Nexus 7 has 8GB of storage and no back camera and a low-res front facing camera. It probably has neither stereo mics nor stereo speakers. How is that supposed to beat the 16GB PB?

That's an easy question. Just look at how the even worse specced Kindle Fire trounced the Playbook at sales.

Seriously, even with hard sales data and consumer purchase trends in recent times, you folks STILL ask these questions?

I think most folks will spring for the 16GB $249 version and easily rationalize the $50 premium over the 16GB Playbook as a small price to pay for access to a much richer app ecosystem and guaranteed OS updates.

[Thunderbuck]

Very well said. I've used the rear camera a few times to take pictures but beyond that, not to much. I've used the front camera once just to make sure it is working, but seeing how no one I know has a Playbook to video chat; and no other decent video chat service exists - it's utterly pointless.

And this brings us right back to the tired phrase that appears on these forums so often - "but the Playbook has great hardware". So what! Without the software, the hardware is irrelevant.

Sadly, I used to be in that camp whereby I praised the Playbook's hardware. The more that I use other tablets/devices, the more that I've learned that the hardware doesn't matter if you have software that performs exceptionally well.

As to Google's new tablet; regardless of what the hardware is, and how it competes to the specifications of the Playbook or any other device, one thing is for sure - it will have the software that people are looking for and wanting to use. And therein, is RIM's Achilles heel.

The point has been made in many other places, but to repeat: we don't know what's been lined up for the BB10 launch. We are aware that RIM's Developer Relations team has a "top 100" list of apps they really, really want to have in place.

[SifJar]

That's an easy question. Just look at how the even worse specced Kindle Fire trounced the Playbook at sales.

Seriously, even with hard sales data and consumer purchase trends in recent times, you folks STILL ask these questions?

I think most folks will spring for the 16GB $249 version and easily rationalize the $50 premium over the 16GB Playbook as a small price to pay for access to a much richer app ecosystem and guaranteed OS updates.

Playbook is guaranteed to get BB10, and while Nexus devices generally get the next official version or two of Android, that's usually it. (e.g. Nexus One launched with FroYo, got Gingerbread, no ICS. Nexus S launched with Gingerbread, got ICS, is getting Jelly Bean but probably won't get anything beyond that. Nexus Galaxy launched with ICS, is getting JB and will probably get the next version, but quite possibly no further).

PB had OS1, OS2 and will have BB10. That's as many OS versions as any Nexus device has had thus far.

[Rangrfan]

Playbook is guaranteed to get BB10, and while Nexus devices generally get the next official version or two of Android, that's usually it. (e.g. Nexus One launched with FroYo, got Gingerbread, no ICS. Nexus S launched with Gingerbread, got ICS, is getting Jelly Bean but probably won't get anything beyond that. Nexus Galaxy launched with ICS, is getting JB and will probably get the next version, but quite possibly no further).

PB had OS1, OS2 and will have BB10. That's as many OS versions as any Nexus device has had thus far.

yep PB will have BB 10 on an almost two year old device... now that's marketing right there.... soon after bb10 is launched, they will ditch it for 11, just like they always do.... i tried giving my torch 9810 to a homeless guy and even he didn't want it.......

[southlander]

I think most folks will spring for the 16GB $249 version and easily rationalize the $50 premium over the 16GB Playbook as a small price to pay for access to a much richer app ecosystem and guaranteed OS updates.

Yes most will. Then some of us that enjoy a unique feature called the bridge will still opt for PlayBooks.

[PineappleUnderTheSea]

Nexus 7 as I predicted has no stereo mics and no stereo speakers. So the PB can still put up a fight AS LONG AS it has content.

Seriously, does anyone care if a tablet has stereo mics and speakers? If that's your main selling point, you're in trouble.

I agree that content is king. BB10 better be ready for the fight, lots of competitors making announcements between now and its release.

[JTATL]

Yes most will. Then some of us that enjoy a unique feature called the bridge will still opt for PlayBooks.

True however ATT didnt support bridge. RIM has charged premium prices to carriers for years for access to BBM etc and now they dont have the market power to do that anymore. What if like ATT they see bridge as a tether and start charging for it as ATT did?

[kbz1960]

yep PB will have BB 10 on an almost two year old device... now that's marketing right there.... soon after bb10 is launched, they will ditch it for 11, just like they always do.... i tried giving my torch 9810 to a homeless guy and even he didn't want it.......

What do you mean ditch it? Maybe the current PB won't get beyond BB10 but by the time BB11 is out the battery will be dead in it anyway. QNX is good for a decade or so and I think they can make newer versions work on older hardware but don't quote me on that!

[Sprawl]

using the PLaybook getting PB OS1->2>BB10 is a diamon in the rough for comparisons.

RIM has always been absolutely dreadful at futureproofing their hardware so that past models support new OS rivisions.

of all the OS5 devices, only 1 could move to OS6.
Of all the OS6 devices, ZERO. Thats right. ZERO could move to OS7
Of OS7 devices, ZERO will move to BB10.

not a good track record if you ask me

[kbz1960]

It's a new OS and a new game there now.

[Chaddface]

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvBCl3CBMXA[/YT]

[SifJar]

yep PB will have BB 10 on an almost two year old device... now that's marketing right there.... soon after bb10 is launched, they will ditch it for 11, just like they always do.... i tried giving my torch 9810 to a homeless guy and even he didn't want it.......

Wait, you're complaining about them continuing to support their hardware? I give up...

[Bakamushi]

Ummm ... why settle for an Android when you can get the Playbook.

LOL... really...

[mzceetee]

Seriously Why is this even still open, enough with this,the end,died,dying all ready geezz

[southlander]

True however ATT didnt support bridge. RIM has charged premium prices to carriers for years for access to BBM etc and now they dont have the market power to do that anymore. What if like ATT they see bridge as a tether and start charging for it as ATT did?

Currently bridging for folks that have BlackBerrys and PlayBooks is a killer feature. A reason all in itself to buy the PlayBook.

RIM took a risk with bridge. To my recollection it was almost like they sprung it on the carriers at the 11th hour. AT&T is the only one that retaliated by apparently getting RIM to supply an altered build of the bridge app.

My guess is the other carriers let it slide because they all saw the dwindling sales of BlackBerrys and the low sales of the PlayBook and figured it was not worth messing with.

But it is evident that RIM is intending to milk the bridge for all it is worth. They have constantly improved it and rolled in new functionality.

So to answer your question:
If BlackBerry stays marginal in terms of volume I'd not expect anything to change with regards to bridge and BlackBerry phones.

If BB10 becomes a hit and BB10 devices start jumping on to the carriers' networks en mass at some point then I expect there to be a renewed showdown over bridging. There is no way carriers are going to allow free devices in large numbers.

But that could be a couple years out. So until then I will enjoy my "free" access. The point I was making is that if my PlayBook failed tomorrow and the Nexus 7 was out, I'd go get another PlayBook.

[Bakamushi]

If RIM didn't mess up with the release of Playbook, I think it is the best tablet on the market today. When Playbook releases with BB10 software, it will blow competition away.

Yes, obviously, a two year old device with a marginal OS will blow the competition away.

And those who will prefer a brand-new device with a mainstream OS are just big trolls anyway, so...

[moretreelessbush]

I think most folks will spring for the 16GB $249 version and easily rationalize the $50 premium over the 16GB Playbook as a small price to pay for access to a much richer app ecosystem and guaranteed OS updates.

Not to mention much faster CPU/GPU. Also, much can be left on the cloud. I don't see 8GB storage is very lacking except for hardcore gamers.

[CairnsRock]

Nexus should do very well vs the Kindle Fire. Remember that the Fire is an eReader first and foremost. It also has a fatal flaw as an eReader, as do Nexus and Playbook. You can't read it outside, on the beach etc as you can do with eInk screens.

Amazon have a great advantage with their online distribution system, which will be key in 4Q xmas sales.

However, if you want an eReader for the beach or pool, buy an eInk screen, otherwise buy a tablet and download the Kindle eReader app.

[igor10000]

Every day when I come to the forum, a "this is the end of BB" post is listed among the first five :-D hilarious!

[glamrlama]

using the PLaybook getting PB OS1->2>BB10 is a diamon in the rough for comparisons.

RIM has always been absolutely dreadful at futureproofing their hardware so that past models support new OS rivisions.

of all the OS5 devices, only 1 could move to OS6.
Of all the OS6 devices, ZERO. Thats right. ZERO could move to OS7
Of OS7 devices, ZERO will move to BB10.

not a good track record if you ask me

The move to QNX and away from BBOS should solve this upgradability issue.

I think the PB will out last the Nexus 7 in terms of useful life span. GOOG had 14 months additional hardware and software development time versus my PB. YAWN! Seems to be a glorified consumption device. (But they will most probably sell millions.) Competition is good but Nexus isn't getting me excited. I'm still more interested and expecting to run BB10 on a PB (and a phone.)