[rugrat5288]

Well i can't find anywhere on the web with any playbooks for sale. Amazon is down to a few units left. only place i could find with any stock This is very disturbing to me who really liked the playbook and was hoping to see it succeed. if rim wants to sell more of these they better do something to let people know the future of the playbook. nobody wants to buy a dying horse!

[alnamvet68]

Well i can't find anywhere on the web with any playbooks for sale. Amazon is down to a few units left. only place i could find with any stock This is very disturbing to me who really liked the playbook and was hoping to see it succeed. if rim wants to sell more of these they better do something to let people know the future of the playbook. nobody wants to buy a dying horse!

Two questions, are you looking to buy NOW? Second, where are you looking? Third, why do you call it a "dying horse?" OK, that was 3 questions.

Where to buy:

SBB
Sprint
Walmart

...just to name a few.

[BERaddict]

You also have Staples, Office Depot, Best buy and RIM directly.

[andy957]

I got mine from a 100% positive seller on eBay for $266 US (32GB), which is cheaper here in Canada than buying even at the $249CA because of the 13% sales tax I'd have to pay at BestBuy or FutureShop. The seller has several left in 16 and 32GB versions. Highly recommend them.

[kerry6]

Well i can't find anywhere on the web with any playbooks for sale. Amazon is down to a few units left. only place i could find with any stock This is very disturbing to me who really liked the playbook and was hoping to see it succeed. if rim wants to sell more of these they better do something to let people know the future of the playbook. nobody wants to buy a dying horse!

Lets not forget Radio Shack....and of course RIM...

[rugrat5288]

radio shack online---out of stock
best buy online----not available for shipping
office depot online----sold in stores only
i guess walmart and staples do have stock but the price is back up to $499 for 16 gb.

i'm still nervous about all these flash sales . they don't seem right to me. maybe just me though i guess only time will tell.

[BERaddict]

radio shack online---out of stock
best buy online----not available for shipping
office depot online----sold in stores only
i guess walmart and staples do have stock but the price is back up to $499 for 16 gb.

i'm still nervous about all these flash sales . they don't seem right to me. maybe just me though i guess only time will tell.

Office Depot and if I am not mistaken Staples too matches prices. I just bought 2 more 32 GBs and had them match prices with Best Buy.

[silversun10]

what a joke...

[djnshores]

I wouldn't call the Playbook a "dying horse" either!

The hardware is first rate and quite a good value. Abandoning the PB at this stage would send the wrong signal to BB customers and sales of all its products would suffer. Save the PB - Save the company! Delivering a better OS ontime is a must!

[logosteel]

nobody wants to buy a dying horse!

I'd buy a dyed horse

[Hgouck]

what a joke...

If it is a joke what is the punch line? Is it a buying down of existing inventory, or sell off of old product for new device? Why are PB becoming harder to find for purchase? Why are retailers accross the board having limited supplies? It is common knowledge that when you buy the PB you must dowload/update the OS first. So why not stock more? I want to buy 5-10 Playbooks but have not been able to locate that small quantity in one location.

[rotorwrench]

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Watch out, that's a sharp hook he's using guys LOL

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[bbfan1040]

Remember - Many of us early buyers have bought one or more since at fire sale prices. Why? Because we know they have excellent hardware with growing software. And, we believe RIMM and Playbook are here to stay, but don't be surprised if the new tablets have a new name (with same quality & Blackberry software.).

[d_pang]

i bought min 32gb for $249 at future shop in canada

[jafobabe]

radio shack online---out of stock
best buy online----not available for shipping
office depot online----sold in stores only
i guess walmart and staples do have stock but the price is back up to $499 for 16 gb.

i'm still nervous about all these flash sales . they don't seem right to me. maybe just me though i guess only time will tell.

and of course you didn't mention ShopBlackBerry.com .. and you surely didn't read the front two pages of CRACKBERRY.

*shaking head*

[KermEd]

radio shack online---out of stock
best buy online----not available for shipping
office depot online----sold in stores only
i guess walmart and staples do have stock but the price is back up to $499 for 16 gb.

i'm still nervous about all these flash sales . they don't seem right to me. maybe just me though i guess only time will tell.

Lol,

Your nervous about nothing. RIM planned these sales almost 7 months ago for the xmas season. The prices will go back up, but they did a marketing survey and found that 199-299 is what consumers can afford. So they are hesitant to raise it back up. Instead they are looking at other ways (% of app sales) to make up the difference.

Just between the two of us, the PlayBook will be judged in the 4 months following the official OS2 release. At that point, depending on the consumer response to OS2, they will decide the fate of the QNX family of phones and Tablets. Remember: It would cost RIM much more to change plans (development losses) than to scrap the product lines. I don't see how they would abandon the product line unless sales dropped to 0 per month after OS2.

Your cautious because of HP. HP knew it was cheaper to scrap their TouchPad than to continue development because they had little-to-nothing invested in the TouchPad itself. They had four (rumoured) models, two in the media, that were scrapped along with it. But those were early enough in the product life they knew it was worth it.

Just my two cents :P

[NJPhilliesPhan]

Sprint still has them for 199

[robber]

I just bought and I am a little nervous too. Even accessories are on clearance at most stores. Inventory seems low or none at places that should have plenty.

I am blown away by the os, but the applications suck. I cant find a video player that will play mpeg2 files, no netflix and no cross platform video chat. These are three HUGE areas where the pb fails.

I am reluctant to return because the os and hardware is badass but these gaps need to be filled!

[KermEd]

I just bought and I am a little nervous too. Even accessories are on clearance at most stores. Inventory seems low or none at places that should have plenty.

I am blown away by the os, but the applications suck. I cant find a video player that will play mpeg2 files, no netflix and no cross platform video chat. These are three HUGE areas where the pb fails.

I am reluctant to return because the os and hardware is badass but these gaps need to be filled!

I can help you with the videos and Netflix. But you need a Windows PC and about 19.99 to burn (yearly) + 1.99 (optional-helps me).

<edit: You'll also need to save the videos on your PC instead of the PlayBook>

[Magalaan]

Hi, greetings to you all

I bought three, for me, my wife and my daughter and we are all delighted. My wife liked it immediately even though she is a noob and very scary of any change in the the PC. I think the Playbook is exceptional quality. The hardware and the OS is truly great.

I decided my next phone will be a BB too, this stuff rocks. Will BB ditch the Playbook? I do not see how. They need a tablet along with the phones. Their investment is still worth a lot of money if they play it right. Because now they have a user base, and that makes it more attractive for developers to create new apps. That is what you need to get things going. It may have cost a lot, but that money is sunk anyway.

Invest a little more, get the new OS out with some key apps and the Android player. For the developers it is now dead easy to port their android apps and make an extra buck, so the apps will be coming along. Then you have some real good offer in the market.

The problem with the tablet is that people have to taste it before they buy. That is why MS has such a hard time too with WP7. Android and Apple have grassroots movement, but BB has that too. Many people are very devoted to the brand. The price tag was just too high, as it handy business related apps were still lacking and business was not ready for it. But after the huge investments BB already made these are much easier to fix. The OS and the interface are rocksolid and so is the hardware. You really do not need a hundred thousand apps for business, 50 really great apps is enough. I think it is already ideal to record meetings, or to give presentations. But I expected some more apps around that for a business tablet. They have everything in place except for the last few stones.

This product has one thing, most other products have not. It really creates loyal users. It is almost impossible not to fall in love with it. I think after the warm reception on the CES they underestimated the introduction. The product was widely misunderstood. The playbook is not competing with Android or Ipad. A 7" tablet is not a pc-replacement, but it is the ultimate mobile device.

They named it wrong. Playbook? They should have called it Travelbook or Travelmate or Rocker, something like that. I take this device along where I go, to family to show them photo's and videos. To friends to watch movies. To work to show presentations. a 10" tablet is not fitting in you pocket, you need a bag or suitcase, you need a purpose to bring it along and not seem a freak. But this thing is like an Agenda on steroids. That is why it is a real huge mistake, it had no calender app. The Playbook is ideal for secretaries, recording meetings, making appointments, making notes, etc. I had expected a apps for that. for instance an agenda app for meetings, that starts a new recording for each subject, maybe even give a tiny warn when planned time is nearly expired. things like that. I see so many possibilities here. But I think they did not have time to get around to that.

I think they developed it fairly quickly and they did a much better job than most of the competitors. HP totally failed on nearly every aspect. Google is simply struggling along, but has this very loyal open source crowd. Apple had a huge head start. MS is far behind. But BB managed to do it right the first time, except that it is incomplete. It still needs that finish, but every thing that they did make is great and needs no overhaul.

How much can it cost to create a few key apps after you invested billions already and make it perfect. Really the product is sound, it is just not finished. And the marketing was not OK. Why did they not explain that the little power button was actually a feature to not accidentally activate when carrying it in ones pocket. Why didn't they stress the quality of the hardware more. Those reporters nowadays are no more than bloggers, they copy each other and all tell the same thing, you have to feed them with the right info, like MS does. They do not even have tablet and their phone flunked badly many times, but reporters make it seem like it is the great promise.

I believe in this product, because it is so damned good, and people are starting to notice it. Well I am spreading the word myself, because I think it deserves credit. I bought it because I was interested in a 7" tablet for the size. I watched the youtube testimonials of users and that is what convinced me. The people were so enthusiastic. They really loved this product. Personally I will stick to it. Sure I like the iPad and I like Android, but i like the Playbook better. I was willing to pay more, so now picked up three and are even happier.

I think BB does wise in getting rid of stock. They have deals with suppliers and retailers to think of, thing need to keep moving. Also to get this thing along it is better to create a user base fast, so developers have a market. You have to invest and build before you can harvest. They are going to develop QNS anyway which is probably the best OS in the world. there is nothing like it. Real-time, that is why everything is so fluently. That is one of the things that struck me watching the HD-video recordings: Even when fast moving traffic is recorded, nothing is skipped. Other video's become real bad when recording moving objects, but not with the Playbook. The micro-kernel also makes it pretty safe. So BB only has one direction to go.

Dumping the tablet? And then only living of phones? I think that would put them at a real disadvantage. People forget BB does not need to win the whole market, just the segments that they have been successful in. Business, people that like privacy, youngsters that like the difference. Many youngsters do not like iPads, iPhones because their parents buy them. Android is ok, but hardly fashionable. BB should build in some unique communication features in the PB to serve them. Like they had ping. Why is no video ping? Make the playbook ready to for incoming videochat even in standby. Kids will love it if friends can ping them when in bed. Things like that. That would be great. All the requirements are met, we just need a few great apps and it will be a succes, because the format, the hardware, the interface and all that is spot on.

For me personally it is already a good investment. It is a great ereader, I love it as an mp3 player sound being so good, I use it to take voice notes, the camera is awesome, I love the browser, I love the timer that can close and still wakes you from standby. (But why no alarm clock added?). And how many portable HD-quality media players are ther in the market? (but please support more than MP4).

I truly believe in this device, I like to see it succeed.

[robber]

I can help you with the videos and Netflix. But you need a Windows PC and about 19.99 to burn (yearly) + 1.99 (optional-helps me).

<edit: You'll also need to save the videos on your PC instead of the PlayBook>

Thanks but I am really wanting a native app and my point is that video chat, netflix and music/movies may be the top 3 killer apps for tablets across the board and the pb is lacking.

RIM is so close but so far away... Hopefully Feb is a big month and I can keep away from the flyer or iconia until then. I really do want to like it.

[KermEd]

Thanks but I am really wanting a native app and my point is that video chat, netflix and music/movies may be the top 3 killer apps for tablets across the board and the pb is lacking.

RIM is so close but so far away... Hopefully Feb is a big month and I can keep away from the flyer or iconia until then. I really do want to like it.

Gotcha. I have a few Android tablets, they have their issues as well and some apps that are missing. I think Android is the best of the bunch for # of applications + flash support. But there are some pretty big quirks with it.

I dont use video chat, I do use Netflix (but I have a PlayOn so I dont really have problems with Netflix on my PB) and I have OS2 so I have other non-RIM movie players + my TVersity server. So video isn't really an issue with me either.

You'll have have problems with media formats on all the systems though. You might need to convert them for Android as well - it has some quirks.

Just an FYI

Edit: For those wondering, I absolutely detest the ugly menu system utilized by Android - lame I know but thats why I don't use them much. I saw a few ways (downloading the Android SDK and changing files) that I could alter it. But the amount of work required to make the menu pretty (graphically driven and less phone-like) doesn't justify the end result.

~Ed

[Magalaan]

I do think BB should communicate more clearly to the market. Nowadays CEO's seem to have less of that ability. Steve Jobs knew how to raise expectations and make people believe in his dreams and he sticked to them even if all seemed lost.

But the way Leo Apotheker singlehandedly destroyed his HP's own product, even his whole product division is hard to believe. And then we recently had this CEO of Logitec who totally trashed his google TV device for now and all time to come. What are these guys thinking?

I think there is probably some controversy over the road to follow within BB. But in the meantime they should reassure the market, no matter what the outcome is. It is plain stupid to do anything else. It is not enough to deny giving up on the Playbook, they should bring plans how to go ahead, give us a time schedule.

OK in februari we get the v2.0 and then? Give us your plans. You can always change them, but meanwhile you have to reassure people you are having a plan. And as long as you have a product out there, you need to plan for its future.

I think BB communication is lacking. I guess because they are internally divided. Nowadays managers quickly want to distance themselves from failures. But that is nonsense, this product is sound, it needs finalization. And ditching a product is stupid if you have no alternative path offering growth. A future without a tablet and just phones offers fewer possibilities. You need this product in your line up even if it sells less than you phones.

I like to see BB somewhat more ambitious. There is too much rumor in the press BB is struggling. Struggling? They made the biggest profit growth ever and make bigger profits every year, but they do not seem to be very strong in their communications department.

Take Nokia and MS boasting confidence even if they are losing billions and only lose market share. Christmas sales was again a disaster for them, but a least they keep the moral high. BB is doing quite good but makes a rather timid impression, it does not show confidence, it does not give a road map. Well if they are silent because they are creating the next great thing that is fine, but at least they should tell people they are working on it. They should stop feeding rumors. They have the best OS in the market but do not seem interested in telling.

I read the new Android is a big improvement? Really what does that tell about the earlier attempts? Google has a lot of problems too. The have security problems they find it harder and harder to support all those different versions and formats. But they keep improving and people love it. They continuously bring positive news. We made this, we made that. Even MS that is years behind makes it seem they did something great because they now have a feature that others have had for more than a year. They are constantly seeking coverage even if they have nothing more than plans, presenting their vapourware. But Rim is silent. Are they monks. Is it a silent order? This way you only come into the picture if something bad happens, no wonder people are starting to believe RIM is struggling.

[TheStanger]

I just bought and I am a little nervous too. Even accessories are on clearance at most stores. Inventory seems low or none at places that should have plenty.

I am blown away by the os, but the applications suck. I cant find a video player that will play mpeg2 files, no netflix and no cross platform video chat. These are three HUGE areas where the pb fails.

I am reluctant to return because the os and hardware is badass but these gaps need to be filled!

Just out of curiosity, does the iPad do cross platform video chat? Even if it does, the camera on it is pretty mickey mouse. Ipad also has brutal video file support. I only bring this up because iPad seems to be the benchmark people always point to and I think the the only area it beats the Playbook is in apps.

[Magalaan]

Just out of curiosity, does the iPad do cross platform video chat? Even if it does, the camera on it is pretty mickey mouse. Ipad also has brutal video file support. I only bring this up because iPad seems to be the benchmark people always point to and I think the the only area it beats the Playbook is in apps.

I think the biggest problem here is BB is: not communicating. If they would only say, this is in our roadmap, this support is planned for fall or something like that, it would make a huge difference. Even if some things take longer, that is not too much of a problem.

BB should present something of a roadmap, like: Now we are building a userbase to give the new plaform presense, that is why we are lowering prices. In februari v2.0 is planned. Next this and these apps are planned, etc.

But silence? It is stupid, but it seems to be the way RIM operates. They say they postphone new phones and leave it at the market to speculate what is the real reason. Then you get the most dreadful stories. I think BB is very good at developing and creating great products, but not marketing. Well that is often so with highly technical companies, and as long as they keep on delivering these great products they will fare well.