[BBOttawa]

I think it was started to show that these stores and or RIM are inept at even having a working playbook when every other tab seems to be functioning like they should.

No kbz1960, most Bestbuys etc. have bad demo models of all tablets/laptops/everything, no conspiracy needed, they just don't care.

But if you own a Playbook and want better apps it's worth 5 minutes to set a demo model up correctly, as the store drones definitely will not (I know, I used to work in a computer store many moons ago). And if it sells more PB's it's a win on all sides, stores get more sales, users get more big name apps, developers get more money from sales, RIM gets more money to continue updating the PB, how could you object to that, unless you're in the wrong thread and should be commenting on something else?

[kbz1960]

You got me all wrong. I was responding to blackjack. I don't own a playbook yet but it is the only tab I'm interested in. I'm waiting to see if RIM is going to self destruct or if they are going to get the needed updates done and dev support. You would see that if you've read my posts elsewhere on here.

I did post in one of the threads that blackjack was talking about.

[Technerd.McLeod]

My local store, which is the only one I know of carrying PB's in my town, doesn't even have display models. I guess they assume that the people coming in to buy them have down the research on the device to make sure it is what they want. I love this thread though because I would absolutely love to be able to walk into my local store and do that with their devices.

[kbz1960]

My local store, which is the only one I know of carrying PB's in my town, doesn't even have display models. I guess they assume that the people coming in to buy them have down the research on the device to make sure it is what they want. I love this thread though because I would absolutely love to be able to walk into my local store and do that with their devices.

Hummm, I've done plenty research but that doesn't mean that I don't want to actually use one before I buy it. You can do all the research in the world and think it is what you want but then when you actually use it you may not like it.

If that were the case when I research cars I should just go and buy it without driving it to see how I how I feel sitting in it, how it rides etc. for myself.

[Technerd.McLeod]

Hummm, I've done plenty research but that doesn't mean that I don't want to actually use one before I buy it. You can do all the research in the world and think it is what you want but then when you actually use it you may not like it.

If that were the case when I research cars I should just go and buy it without driving it to see how I how I feel sitting in it, how it rides etc. for myself.

I said I ASSUME thats what THEY (My local store) think because they do not have a display PlayBook. I wasn't saying I just do research without testing, although I had to with my PB.

[kbz1960]

Sorry friend I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about your store.

[_StephenBB81]

This is a great Crackberry initiative!

It really is a fan movement to help RIM help themselves, those of us who love our playbooks show them off, but spending the time at a store to set up the demo units, maybe even talk to a sales rep or 2 and help them learn the advantages might bring a few more people to crackberry learning about why we love our devices.

IF you have web access be sure to visit crackberry.com and add it to the book marks

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[kbz1960]

Some one that owns one should post all of the steps needed to get them set like they should be, then it can be printed out and taken along or read from our phone.

Too bad RIM can't get this done themselves. As I've said avg joe will see the non functioning units and just walk away. I know people have said that they've done the research so it doesn't matter to them, I say I've done the research but until I hold it and use it I can't just buy it because there may be something about it that doesn't bother someone else but it would bother me.

[backslaps]

rim will not self destruct. Wow all companies go through some BS.....and most pull out of it. Rim will be one of them. I guarantee u once rim starts fixing up their bs watch it. They are to strong to fold up like a deck of cards. It just seems fashionable these days to bash rim.

[Schlymer]

I think that RIM needs to take some initiative here to correct this problem, but they don't seem to be getting to it. I am not sure if the RIM executives actually make it to the street level. If they did, they would realize that these tablets in bricked format are not going to jump off the shelves.

I love the OP's idea and I always carry a pocket wifi, so when the playbook comes to Japan, I will hit up the stores here update playbooks and educate the staff in the stores. I could care less about RIM and their head up their a$$ approach to sales, but I actually would like to see the playbook succeed in the tablet arena, as competition will serve to improve the end product and user experience.

I think that word of mouth is still the most reliable way to sell anything, but when RIM hasn't finished the OS yet and added the features that they promised, word of mouth will not work. I would say hurry RIM, but they know what they are doing and know what they need to do to get it done.

[Kerms]

This is a good start but RIM is going to step up it's marketing also.
I worked at Office Depot part time(my getting out of debt job which i am now) in their Tech Dept. We had HP reps that came in and made sure the printers had ink or the PC running. Microsoft also had the same and a few other companies.

The main thing that's going to be the problem is the Sales Rep. Personally IMO in this day and time I think people should be informed about purchases already by using the net to research but guess what's going to happen. Sales Rep is going to say, It doesn't have built in email, calendar or contact like the iPad or they will say you have to have a BB to take full advantage of it and they're going to point them to either the iPad or the Samsung 10.1

RIM has got to get PIM on the PB in another thread here some said they don't care if RIM puts native on the PB but without it it's always going to be a talking point and it looks like the bridge won't be a talking point for AT&T BB users

Last RIM has to stop with the Flash/movies commericals it's not the only tablet that can play flash. I saw one and in it showed the PB playing 3 videos and NFS at one time yes that's powerful but I don't want to imagine what's possible, I want to know what's possible. The iPad shows you reading a book, facetime calling,movie watching and then at the end using AR to look at the stars. This is what you have to do. The Samsung 10.1 commerical does this to a lesser extent

[kbz1960]

I agree with Daps on the sales reps, they are mostly minimum wage and not very knowledgeable plus it would be difficult (not real hard though) to learn the ins and outs of every device there is.

A real good salesman/rep would take the time to learn at least the basics of them all.

[Kerms]

Yes the Reps will need to have the knowledge but a problem is the information that is passed down to the Reps. Office Depot once again LOL I got my brother a job there and he worked in the Tech Dept also while in shool but left the weekend the PB was released after getting a nursing job. I had planned on using his discount and a coupon I had but any way I asked him what did he know about the PB before left and he said "well from reading and doing the portal training it looks like you need a BlackBerry to make it fully functional" so see it's not all the rep fault when it comes to the PIM.

I still say RIM made a mistake leaving off a non BB PIM and not just using the bridge PIM for BES/BIS until they came up with it onboard but if the stores are getting their training notes from RIM then even RIM isn't doing a good job informing stores. I don't know where the training comes from that goes on the portal but I would think it would comes from a kit from the company who's device is being sold

[rmenaar]

I think that it is a little pathetic that a company that sells high end devices has to rely on their loyal fan base to update their hardware and actually sell it at the retail level. Don't get me wrong, I have updated a few myself at BB but I am getting a little tired of the direction this company is going.

I hate to do it, but RIM needs to take a little lesson from Apple. They don't have the best hardware, or the best apps, or even the best functionality, but they do have the best experience for the average user. Apple controls the purchasing process from top to bottom. They don't rely on the retail stores to control their image. They have specially trained staff that make sure their product is presented in the best possible light. If it isn't, they pull their product from the store.
RIM needs to stop touting the specs and focus more on the experience. I don't care two ****s about the type of processor in my device, I just care what it will do for me. Apple shows real people using their products easily. That is what sells.

I am still a fan, but getting a little impatient. I was also a Palm fan and look where that company went. RIM has a much stronger company than Palm, but they need to radically shake up their company if they are going to last more than 5-10 more years.

[Kerms]

RIM needs to stop touting the specs and focus more on the experience. I don't care two ***** about the type of processor in my device, I just care what it will do for me. Apple shows real people using their products easily. That is what sells.

That's pretty much what I said in a thread, stop talking about flash and show the thing being used in a way the average consumer will use it, actually since they say it's for the professional, they need to show it being used in a business setting, not showing that you can watch videos of Jlo shaking her nice curvy oh wait side tracked speaking of marketing what the bleep happend to the BEP? I remember all the buzz around the superbowl and how they were close with BlackBerry. Is is because Will.i.am is doing something at Intel now

[joshua_sx1]

the idea is great but buyers now are getting smarter... unlike us who bought PB even in "experimental" stage (as they said), most buyers are getting infos from internet... and as long as AppWorld doesn't show what they are looking for, and worst, available in other OS, the status quo would still be the same (if not getting worst)... RIM has to invest more if they want to be competent... others who are already leading a mile away never stop investing... what more if you are behind... just my pov... again, the idea is great... but it would be easy if the other way around i.e. improve the existing system and increase drastically the AppWorld with valuable applications, and then it would be easy to convince others by showing them what we've got...

[Gregory Ryan]

I was actually surprised they now got their PlayBook actually working now at my local best buy. Now it is on demo mode and people are already noticing.

[Gregory Ryan]

I just updated a PlayBook display model, couldn't believe they actually had it paired to a blackberry curve

[Nikeem24]

i have failed guys... the damn wifi at best buy is so terrible it keeps failing to update. I bridged my blackberry to this unit to even type out this email. I informed the girl helping me about the wifi and she just brushed it off saying its very spotty on/off all the time. I also checked out the web os hp tablet while i thought the playbook was updating and that thing is horrible!!! they must have a faulty unit because it lags with every single swipe and you cant even type on it. When you touch the keyboard it starts typing all kind of giberish on it.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

SAME HERE, I hought it was just the one at my bestbuy in Abilene....

[Charlieo132]

Visited 4 stores today. Pineville, NC and Matthews, NC. Office Max sand Best Buy in both locations,

4 were set to showcase and demo mode
2 version updates. Other two stores didn't have wifi
1 sold

[BBOttawa]

LOL, interesting post dandbj13, and I hear what you're saying, but Blackberry users can never reach the insane level of Apple evangelists, as we don't have a likeable cult-leader..I mean company leader to follow, Mike's a genius but a poor communicator, and Jim is a ****** (true story, confirmed from many people who have met him).

My original post is simply enlightened self-interest, saying if you happen to be in an electronics store, take a few minutes to check out the Playbook and make sure it's setup right. Not exactly fanatical behaviour.

Bottom line is that I want the Playbook to succeed as I've invested $500 in it and I want continued improvement, support, and better apps. If there was a better 7" tablet on the market I would have bought it, but there simply isn't imho.

Brand X activism is not cool, attractive, or entirely sane. It is a sure sign that you have gone too far.

While intellectually you may have a point, if you compare it to sports fans around the globe who cheer for their home or favourite team the stuff on this forum is nothing (soccer and hockey riots are recent examples)! Platform wars are sports for tech users. Why should I care if the millionaire hockey players on my team beat the millionaire hockey players on the opposing team, it does nothing to improve my lot in life. You're fighting a losing battle looking for rationality in the human race, because we're not (although I would argue my proposal is at least somewhat rational, as if it helps sales of the PB it WILL benefit me).

At least I haven't seen anyone break out the Blackberry facepaint yet like at sporting events, at that point I'll agree with you

[Send Again]

went to walmart today for something unrelated to playbook and noticed they had a playbook on display. The store did not have wifi so the web browser did not work. I set it to showcase and ran the demo video. I walked away and when I passed by later and it had shut down.

I also happened to go to a best buy mobile store in the mall and saw that they had a few tablets up and running. The first thing I noticed was that BlackBerry shot themselves in the foot with the 5 minute timeout. The playbook was the only tablet that was in standby. I set the playbook to showcase and played the demo video. I also hit the reloop on the video player so that the video would play over and over. I think the one at walmart stopped playing the video and shut off because I didn't set it to reloop.

[Darlaten]

The Playbook on display at BestBuy Coquitlam is now working properly - hooked it up to the charger so that it could actually charge. Shut down 25 applications that were open so that it wouldnt keep showing the memory problem message. Cleaned the screen as it looked atrocious. Couldn't update the OS as this Bestbuy has the worst wifi connection ever. Oh, and I organized the shelf space to properly display the accessories.

Fanatical? Nope - but you can tell where Bestbuy employees spend their times - the Ipad section looks immaculate and clean and every other tablet section looks utterly horrible.

[Maiev]

I went to the Future Shop at Yonge/Dundas and they don't even have a PB on display. There's a stand but obviously the playbook was removed. The charger and stuff still there.

I then went to BestBuy and ... lol one PB wasn't even operateable. Like the red light remains on, I went to the second PB, set homepage to globeandmail and dont open last visited tabs. Demo mode, showcase etc !

Lol feel way too nerdy ... to be doing this :3 to help RIM lol

[papped]

Who gives a rats *** about best buy though. Half the time their displays for <insert device here> aren't even on or don't work for months on end...

This goes for phones, game systems, portable game systems, tablets, etc...