Kevin's BlackBerry PlayBook CTIA Insights that didn't get on video...
Hey All,
So as you probably saw on the blogs, I've been at CTIA this week and managed to get some more time on the BlackBerry PlayBook for a few minutes. The software builds we're the newest to date, so I got to see a lot of new things beyond what I saw at the New York media event a few weeks back, and it also looked newer than some of the videos we pop up from SXSW.
So for videos, I was allowed to do up the following:
http://crackberry.com/blackberry-pla...s-apple-ipad-2
http://crackberry.com/first-look-fac...-photos-camera
http://crackberry.com/blackberry-pla...app-first-look
http://crackberry.com/blackberry-pla...app-first-look
http://crackberry.com/blackberry-pla...tor-first-look
But beyond that I did get to see a few new things. I wasn't allowed to video some yet as they were a) still going to change before release or b) some of the legal stuff was being worked out. So while I wasn't allowed to video it, nobody told me I wasn't allowed to talk about it in the forums. Here goes:
a) Notifications - Were working, and as we hypothesized before, the top left corner of the screen glows in and out and you swipe down from the top left corner to pull out the notification popup.
b) Settings Menu - Had WAYYY more options on it now. When I first saw the PlayBook at CES there were literally six... now there's at least double that. New options I saw included Internet Tethering (i think that's what it was called if I remember right) along with File Sharing.
c) App World - I was playing around in there... it's looking real nice. SUCH a massively different experience from the phone app. If you check out the PlayBook page on the BlackBerry.com website and click to apps, at the bottom there is a screen cap of the homescreen of it, which seemed spot on still.
d) Video Chat - I tried logging into this... well, actually I DID login using my BBID, but then it wanted me to add somebody via their email address to chat with. I started to do that, and then I got busted so that was all I saw of that.
e) Youtube App - There was youtube app installed on the phone. I think a "native" app vs. a third party one... seemed pretty basic but good.
f) Portrait mode - My first time playing with the PlayBook in portrait mode. Not all of the PlayBooks there were on the latest build... on of the units it was kind of acting funky (the open apps on the launcher weren't rotating to the new orientation, so they were scrolling through sideways), but on one of the units there that had the newest build it seemed to be running quite smooth.
g) Help - There was a help icon installed that pulled up a help app that looked pretty well populated with topics.
Beyond that, there were just a LOT more icons on the phone... my time was really limited so I didn't even have a chance to open up everything, nor did I get a good chance to dive through all the new settings (which again, sound like they're not yet finalized).
Overall, the experience is definitely getting much more polished, and much more "full" compared to when I first used the PlayBook. One of the things that makes me most excited about this new QNX platform is the rate of development. Seriously, it feels like RIM can do in six months on QNX what it may have taken them six years before on the BlackBerry OS. Very encouraging overall.
Also, I hit up a panel discussion today where one of RIM's Sr. Guys was there, and Walt Mossberg asked him the question on why no native email at launch. Again RIM made it clear that they are working on it. Basically the Bridge came about as a result of enterprise requesting RIM to build a tablet that worked in a similar way to the Smartphones - was secure, could be deployed and managed, etc. At the same time as those conversations were taking place (a while ago now), RIM bought QNX and decided to make that their platform. The bridge is the quick way for RIM to get to market quickly with a secure tablet device for enterprise (since it utilizes the BB as the secure tunnel to the NOC), while RIM works to build all that functionality into the PlayBook itself (a necessity that has to be in place before a QNX phone launches). Hopefully they're working fast on this. And the good thing with the PlayBook of course is the upgrade cycle won't be held back by carrier approvals - RIM will be able to push out the updates as fast as they can onto consumers.
But overall, getting reallllly excited for the PlayBook. Still lots of questions to be answered, but just want one already!