[rkennedy01]

Those who know me will attest that I'm a huge PB fan. In fact, I've gotten into my fair share of trouble defending the PB vs. various challengers here on the forums. However, lately I find myself spending more and more time with my AOKP Jelly Bean-equipped Acer Iconia Tab A200. Simply put, the ecosystem "over there" is maturing faster in the areas that matter most to me.

For example, Chrome for Android - long neglected while Google focused on Chrome OS/Chrome for the desktop - is receiving some much needed attention. And it shows: The browsing experience is now top-notch, better in most instances than the native PB browser. It's also more compliant (445+11 on HTML5Test.com) and much, much faster. I'm clocking under 1100ms on Sunspider, and overall the page rendering and scrolling is buttery smooth. I'm also digging Google's new proxy-based browsing - sort of like Amazon's "Silk" but done better. For someone operating in the 3rd world over slow connections, it makes a huge difference.

And then there's JB itself. I'm running the AOKP 4.1.2 M1 build and it is insanely fast. Combined with a custom kernel and some overclocking (Tegra 2 running at 1.504GHz), it is extremely responsive. So while nothing can compare to the effortless swiping of PB OS 2.1, the combination of "tweakability" (System Tuner Pro is awesome) and raw performance are making Android's stunted multitasking model a bit more palatable.

I'm thinking out loud here because I'm planning a trip back to the States and I really only want to bring one device. In the past, it would be a no brainer: The PB would go into the bag and Tab would sit on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. However, this time I'm seriously leaning towards leaving the PB at home - a first for me since the device hasn't left my side in nearly 18 months. I'm also looking to pick up another tablet or two while I'm in the U.S., and the thought of quad-cores powering something like my AOKP build makes all of those Samsung tabs look rather enticing.

Perhaps if Blackberry would get on the ball and give us a decent new OS build that addresses the PB's myriad lingering shortcomings I'd find the grass a bit less greener over there. As it stands, PB development has been stuck in limbo for nearly a year. And while we all like to cheer on the many announcements surrounding BB10 phones and apps (after all, it's still QNX), the truth is that we have no idea *when* we'll see any of that attention spread in our direction.

So I sit, and I wait, and I watch as my Android tab gets more and more useful while my PB is the one collecting dust. This shouldn't be the case - we at least ought to know *when* to expect fulfillment of Thor's promise to bring BB10 to all PBs. "Later this year" doesn't cut it when speaking to one of your longest-suffering, most loyal customer bases.

The PB needs a refresh pronto before it finally fades into the dust pile forever...

RCK

[eddy_berry]

Hey. I just have to say I love my PB as well, but its old tech and it is time for us to move on to better things. Enjoy your Android tab this time. Take full advantage of it. Put it through its paces and use it to its full potential the same way you would the PB when it was your latest gadget. Maybe one day in the future you'll have a BlackBerry 10 Tab with even crazier specs that you could take with you and enjoy. Getting BB10 on the current PB will simply be a novelty and won't be as impressive as newer devices. Whatever you choose, have fun and stay safe. Cheers.

[joshua_sx1]

The PlayBook is a 2-year old tablet by April 2013... and from the world of electronic, a 2-year old device is like Cro-Magnon... although they were robustly built and powerful, they were extinct...

Our PlayBook is still existing because we can still charge it... the BB10 will, probably give it another chance to live again - at least, for another life cycle... until then, we look forward for the future where miracles happens i.e. BB10 will be rolled out to PlayBook or nature take it first i.e. our PB will die peacefully...

Nice sentimental btw...

[rkennedy01]

But here's the kicker: The PB's specs match up almost component for component with the most popular tablet out there right now, the iPad Mini. So clearly it isn't the hardware that is the issue - PB is still more than powerful enough to run a software stack comparable to iOS 6. Rather, it's the legacy holdovers from the early days - buggy, limited system apps (email/calendar, browser) built on Adobe AIR - that make the PB feel outdated. Give it some native coding love a la the Z10 and this thing would shine.

Remember, the PB was ahead of its time when it came out. It should now be in its prime in terms of hardware, especially when paired with an efficient OS like QNX. I'm squeezing an amazing amount of performance out of a dated Tegra 2 tablet under Android. PB + QNX should be able to squash this thing, at least in terms of multitasking, yet the lingering gaps in functionality (which would be resolved with the additiona of BB10 app-compatibility) keep it from reaching its potential. Quite tragic, if you ask me...

RCK

[irrebkcalB]

"PB10" is coming. In its present state, the PlayBook still performs very well and it's two years old. This is testament to the elegance of QNX. I'm sticking with QNX until or unless the PB truly can't match brand new devices that require twice the processing power to achieve the same performance as a two year old, "ancient" piece of technology.

Amazing to think that an update will give the PlayBook another two year+ lease on life. Will my battery last that long?

[Herve5]

(...) For example, Chrome for Android - long neglected while Google focused on Chrome OS/Chrome for the desktop - is receiving some much needed attention. (...)

What you say is, a corporation that is one hundredfold larger than Blackberry does more and better software. This was true from the very beginning and will always remain so, whatever Blackberry does.
I knew this the day I bought my PB, most of us did presumably.
The reason I bought it was simple: I am extremely worried by the Google/Apple duopoly, I had to go somewhere else.
I decided for PB not when I saw the best of softwares there, but as soon as I found acceptable ones (which already was not instant; among other, I knew I'd just not use a browser without ad-filtering... also I must admit I didn't expect the mail app would be this abysmal)
For me, I'll stay with PB, switching to BB10 only when I'm sure all my key apps will transfer, and also keep an eye on the Ubuntu version for tablets -Linux being a domain where there are far more apps than on either android or BB, and actual machine control, but which is enormously late wrt tablets.

[kbz1960]

And guy has to do what a guy has to do. I can understand. I know you have been a real supporter of the pb and it's a shame someone like you is feeling that it's only worth collecting dust. Good luck.

[taz323]

There's nothing wrong with being tempted, new technology what it's all about. As of now my PlayBook is still strong and fits my needs,this after or about two years is amazing. Looking forward to growing till can't grow anymore.

[FF22]

When I will be more sorely disappointed will be if/when they finally provide bb10 to the pb and BRIDGE is as crippled as it now is in the z10 devices. That's when the pb will join the failed products lineup in my book.

But I have no doubt that the apps, sheer number and wide variety, and even the OS's of other devices will make looking and using them more and more appealing.

[kbz1960]

When I will be more sorely disappointed will be if/when they finally provide bb10 to the pb and BRIDGE is as crippled as it now is in the z10 devices. That's when the pb will join the failed products lineup in my book.

But I have no doubt that the apps, sheer number and wide variety, and even the OS's of other devices will make looking and using them more and more appealing.

The bridge apps wouldn't be an issue if the apps are on both and sync.

[SlcCorrado]

OP, I love my PB too, but there are plenty of "better" tablets. It just depends on what you are doing with it. If you value security and mainly browse or use apps that are already available, then the PB is great. If/when the PB gets BB10 (hopefully slimmed down) it will come back as a competitor, which is actually really impressive if you consider the fact that it is almost 2 years old.

[FF22]

The bridge apps wouldn't be an issue ifthe apps are on both and sync.

That's a BIG IF

[kbz1960]

That's a BIG IF

Yes and it may be coming soon

I couldn't help myself

[FF22]

Yes and it may be coming soon

I couldn't help myself

I like your avatar except the wrong person is front and center!

[kbz1960]

I like your avatar except the wrong person is front and center!

I'll have to let louzer know that and I agree. It's a 5K thread louzatar

[rkennedy01]

Frankly, what is pushing me over the edge is Chrome. I'm a big fan of Chrome on Windows, so with Google finally bringing the Android version closer to that experience, it makes it harder to find instances where the PB browser is "better." Of course, this wasn't always the case. Previous versions of Chrome for Android were a joke - if it wasn't crashing/hanging its process, it was locking-up the entire tablet. I was hard pressed to make it through a whole day without having to forcibly reset the thing. By contrast, these newer Chrome builds are rock stable, allowing me to spend more time with the OS running smoothly vs. constantly rebooting/cursing at Google.

Another factor for me is that I mainly use Android apps on my PB. gReader Pro, TapaTalk, Swarm, ES File Explorer, RepliGo - all are staples of my daily PB use. When Android was still a mess, it made sense to use them on the PB - it was truly a "better Android than Android" type of experience. However, with Google now getting its act together, it's harder to defend the PB's implementation. For starters, it's outdated - Android 2.3 just doesn't cut it anymore, with most apps now targeting 4.xx or at least providing a tailored experience on newer versions. For example, gReader looks and works a whole lot better (split panes, more controls) on ICS or JB than when it "downshifts" into GB mode on the PB. And TapaTalk's tablet-specific sibling, TapaTalk HD, doesn't work at all on the PB since it's designed for Android tablets running HC or later.

Bottom Line: What I really want to see is the PB with some implementation of BB10 that brings over the newer browser and also features an upgraded Android runtime with at least ICS-level compatibility. Throw in auto-text/correct for Android apps and a new, native email client and you'd have a killer tablet package that would rejuvenate the PB and put it right back at the top of the tablet conversation list.

I'm still holding out hope. But until then I'll have to salve my tablet envy by dabbling in the dark side for a bit...

RCK

[dbmalloy]

the question for me is "what is my current device NOT doing for me?".... not what apps or is it newer.... my Playbook and 9800 does everything and then some for me so I have no inclination to upgrade,... make two lists what can the your current device versus your potential device can do for you.... which ever has the most is the one you want... after all... the point of changing to anything is not a case of brand name but usuability......

[Mickrick]

I can't see me feeling the same way as the OP because:

I don't need or want skype - I've managed almost 50 years on normal phone calls and I've no desire to change now

I don't need or want netflix - free cloud storage is readily available and any movies I want to watch or music I want to listen to I can store there and stream to my pb with video and audio which is second to none

I don't need or want lots of games - my phone can do all that if I want them and really, at my age I have better things to do

Everything else, my pb copes with admirably. It has the highest local storage capacity of a 7" tablet as well.

[bungaboy]

I like your avatar except the wrong person is front and center!

Its a Louzatar.

[taz323]

I can't see me feeling the same way as the OP because:

I don't need or want skype - I've managed almost 50 years on normal phone calls and I've no desire to change now

I don't need or want netflix - free cloud storage is readily available and any movies I want to watch or music I want to listen to I can store there and stream to my pb with video and audio which is second to none

I don't need or want lots of games - my phone can do all that if I want them and really, at my age I have better things to do

Everything else, my pb copes with admirably. It has the highest local storage capacity of a 7" tablet as well.

I love my Playbook the way it is too, but there is nothing wrong with wanting more, and I have also managed with a normal phone for 50 years, and you know what, it was pretty boring.

[sibeans]

Those who know me will attest that I'm a huge PB fan. In fact, I've gotten into my fair share of trouble defending the PB vs. various challengers here on the forums. However, lately I find myself spending more and more time with my AOKP Jelly Bean-equipped Acer Iconia Tab A200. Simply put, the ecosystem "over there" is maturing faster in the areas that matter most to me.

For example, Chrome for Android - long neglected while Google focused on Chrome OS/Chrome for the desktop - is receiving some much needed attention. And it shows: The browsing experience is now top-notch, better in most instances than the native PB browser. It's also more compliant (445+11 on HTML5Test.com) and much, much faster. I'm clocking under 1100ms on Sunspider, and overall the page rendering and scrolling is buttery smooth. I'm also digging Google's new proxy-based browsing - sort of like Amazon's "Silk" but done better. For someone operating in the 3rd world over slow connections, it makes a huge difference.

And then there's JB itself. I'm running the AOKP 4.1.2 M1 build and it is insanely fast. Combined with a custom kernel and some overclocking (Tegra 2 running at 1.504GHz), it is extremely responsive. So while nothing can compare to the effortless swiping of PB OS 2.1, the combination of "tweakability" (System Tuner Pro is awesome) and raw performance are making Android's stunted multitasking model a bit more palatable.

I'm thinking out loud here because I'm planning a trip back to the States and I really only want to bring one device. In the past, it would be a no brainer: The PB would go into the bag and Tab would sit on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. However, this time I'm seriously leaning towards leaving the PB at home - a first for me since the device hasn't left my side in nearly 18 months. I'm also looking to pick up another tablet or two while I'm in the U.S., and the thought of quad-cores powering something like my AOKP build makes all of those Samsung tabs look rather enticing.

Perhaps if Blackberry would get on the ball and give us a decent new OS build that addresses the PB's myriad lingering shortcomings I'd find the grass a bit less greener over there. As it stands, PB development has been stuck in limbo for nearly a year. And while we all like to cheer on the many announcements surrounding BB10 phones and apps (after all, it's still QNX), the truth is that we have no idea *when* we'll see any of that attention spread in our direction.

So I sit, and I wait, and I watch as my Android tab gets more and more useful while my PB is the one collecting dust. This shouldn't be the case - we at least ought to know *when* to expect fulfillment of Thor's promise to bring BB10 to all PBs. "Later this year" doesn't cut it when speaking to one of your longest-suffering, most loyal customer bases.

The PB needs a refresh pronto before it finally fades into the dust pile forever...

RCK

an interesting post, I actually had a reverse experience coming from webOS & ICS via CM9, to a playbook and it is pretty fun messing around with different mobile operating systems and seeing all the quirks. And also considering the new entrants to market, it'll be interesting how a 2 year tablet stacks up to the competition!

[texn884]

I really like my old technology. It works great and the price kicks button and the PB works perfect.

[8820man]

Temptation is a good way to put it. I would rather have a 10' playbook that has access to music apps that I want to use, but realistically I don't think that will happen. I will have to buy either an ipad or windows 8 tablet for my needs. My PB will be my daily driver for everything else, it is just too handy!!!

[irrebkcalB]

I would tend to believe that when the PlayBook is updated music and other apps developed for BB10 will be available for the PlayBook. The question just remains as to when the when will happen.

[brianatbb]

But here's the kicker: The PB's specs match up almost component for component with the most popular tablet out there right now, the iPad Mini. So clearly it isn't the hardware that is the issue - PB is still more than powerful enough to run a software stack comparable to iOS 6. Rather, it's the legacy holdovers from the early days - buggy, limited system apps (email/calendar, browser) built on Adobe AIR - that make the PB feel outdated. Give it some native coding love a la the Z10 and this thing would shine.

I've been saying much the same thing for some time now. It's got decent hardware, still, but due to inadequate optimizing of software/OS (not to mention the outright shortage of apps that work well), the PB has fallen behind alternative tablets running similar specs. BB has had more than a year to deliver a major upgrade, which definitely should have arrived last fall to keep the unit in competition. But it hasn't. And OS10, with its heavy demands on hardware, doesn't promise to reverse that situation. Only a new tablet, with better optimized software and probably 2 gigs of ram and a better screen, will put the PB back among the contenders in $200-$300 price range, where BB can make a profit on it. But there is no word of such a tablet in the reasonable future. Too bad, isn't it?