[DanTheDriver]

OK so I am not a review writer so go easy on me. So after having my Blackberry Playbook for awhile now I decided I would let those thinking of buying one know my experience and thoughts on it, for what its ever worth I guess.

I have come to love this tablet. It, like anything, has it faults, but I am very happy with my choice. Paired with my 9900 I really feel this tablet was a great match for me. The biggest complaint I have about the “Playbook” is the fact that it seems every Apple user out there wants to slam and flame it at every chance. Probably not even, ever having used the thing.

It is a good sturdy and robust product. Well built. I dropped it onto a ceramic floor and felt my heart sink as I was about to pick it up and look at a broken screen or the like. I found there was not a mark on it, and it fired up without any issues at all. Now I don’t recommend throwing your tablet around but I was happy to see it survived a fall like that. Just increased my confidence even more in it.

The other complaint I have is the name. Ya I know that seems like a trivial thing but geez RIM, ya want to sell a tablet to the business market, then don’t demean it by naming it like a toy. “Playbook” was a bad marketing name from the outset. If ya want to hit the real business market then try and at least be serious about it. I have found that this is in no way a “Playbook” for the serious user. I have used the IPADs and they are for entertainment, the BB tablet is for work.

I have seen many complaints about it not working with other cell phones and that the Contacts, Calendar and files etc are only bridged with the stuff on your cell, sorry your BB cell. Well freak’in bravo RIM. That’s was a very smart idea. I don’t want my information all over the place. In my pouch or pocket where it is safe. I also do not want to have to repeat all my contacts etc on each device. The BB tablet was, and is a very powerful tool when used with a BB cell. My 9900 is an awesome phone and now the tablet has just made it that much more powerful. I wish I could answer and talk on my tablet though. Geez I would never have to take my cell out then.

As a business tool the BB tablet is great. This is NOT a toy. If you want to play then yes, go to Apple. The Apple line has always been good for entertainment. The RIM line has always been good for business. I am surprised at how many people have been sucked into the negative views of people who in most cases have not even used BB that much, if at all. Having said that, I will say however, that the BB tablet is very powerful, when it comes to graphics, sound, and game use. I have a few games to pass a bit of time and this tablet has been very good indeed. As for apps, it does need some help in that area. Developers have shied away from it because of all the negative publicity but it is a very good platform. There are enough business apps though and that is what it should be strong in. I have a lot of music on my BB Tablet and I really enjoy the sound. It has a stereo set of speakers and they sound pretty good.

I do have a few complaints though. The camera for one. I use my camera for work to send pictures back to my office. I wish they had put a flash on the camera. That was a big disappointment for me. Unless you have good light the camera lacks. If you have a good light source, its great though. This also goes for the video camera. Another area is the video chat. As of now you can only video chat between Playbooks. Skype or GMail would have been nice to have working. I hope there will be an app for that one soon. My other complaint is that it does not have a built in GPS or the BB Protection service. Two areas that should have been added for the business world.

All in all I like my BB Tablet. It is a very powerful tool when used with a BB phone. It is a business tool and a very good one at that. It is safe and secure to use. It does what you ask of it.

If you want entertainment, try the Apple line. The BB tablet is very, very good at music and playing videos, but with the lack of apps for that, another vendor may be better. Hopefully we will see an increase in the BB Tablet use for this. If you want a business tool that works well and is strongest, in my opinion, for this, then you can not go wrong with the BB Tablet, or “Playbook”. Geez I hate that name.

[omniusovermind]

I have a wall roughly the same size as this in my house...

sorry j/k but man, you really need some more paragraphs in here because many people will just flat out skip reading huge blocks of text like this

[scott.slater]

The closest you can get to not having to pull your phone out for calls is a bluetooth headset. That's what I do, I pair my Torch 9810, Playbook, and my Blue Ant headset, works great.

[slalom]

Yah...might be something good in there, but I looked at this on my hi res 24" monitor and it made my eyes ache before I read word 1.

[evrdazed]

It is my understanding that it does have a built in GPS. Or do you mean a built in turn-by-turn navigation program?

[GlowingBlue]

I have to admit, I read to about halfway, and I gave up. I just didn't have the will power to plow through that wall.

BUT I did make it far enough to agree with a lot of what you said. I find the iPad to be great, and I use it for entertainment and also studio work (musician), but I don't have any information (personal) synced to the iPad. I find it too much of a liability to have personal email and contacts on my iPad because when I'm working in the studio, or just kicking back with friends, the iPad gets passed around and I don't really want messages popping out into the notifications bar, or personal contact information exposed to anyone that is holding it.

With the playbook, if someone wants to take a look at it, I just unbridge, and there yah go, all sensitive information gone. xD I always thought the bridging was great, it's just that people were looking at it from the wrong perspective.

[kbz1960]

You all are right. I didn't read it as it hurt.

[anon(1035135)]

OK so I am not a review writer so go easy on me. So after having my Blackberry Playbook for awhile now I decided I would let those thinking of buying one know my experience and thoughts on it, for what its ever worth I guess.

I have come to love this tablet. It, like anything, has it faults, but I am very happy with my choice. Paired with my 9900 I really feel this tablet was a great match for me. The biggest complaint I have about the “Playbook” is the fact that it seems every Apple user out there wants to slam and flame it at every chance. Probably not even, ever having used the thing. It is a good sturdy and robust product. Well built. I dropped it onto a ceramic floor and felt my heart sink as I was about to pick it up and look at a broken screen or the like. I found there was not a mark on it, and it fired up without any issues at all. Now I don’t recommend throwing your tablet around but I was happy to see it survived a fall like that. Just increased my confidence even more in it. The other complaint I have is the name. Ya I know that seems like a trivial thing but geez RIM, ya want to sell a tablet to the business market, then don’t demean it by naming it like a toy. “Playbook” was a bad marketing name from the outset. If ya want to hit the real business market then try and at least be serious about it. I have found that this is in no way a “Playbook” for the serious user. I have used the IPADs and they are for entertainment, the BB tablet is for work. I have seen many complaints about it not working with other cell phones and that the Contacts, Calendar and files etc are only bridged with the stuff on your cell, sorry your BB cell. Well freak’in bravo RIM. That’s was a very smart idea. I don’t want my information all over the place. In my pouch or pocket where it is safe. I also do not want to have to repeat all my contacts etc on each device. The BB tablet was, and is a very powerful tool when used with a BB cell. My 9900 is an awesome phone and now the tablet has just made it that much more powerful. I wish I could answer and talk on my tablet though. Geez I would never have to take my cell out then. As a business tool the BB tablet is great. This is NOT a toy. If you want to play then yes, go to Apple. The Apple line has always been good for entertainment. The RIM line has always been good for business. I am surprised at how many people have been sucked into the negative views of people who in most cases have not even used BB that much, if at all. Having said that, I will say however, that the BB tablet is very powerful, when it comes to graphics, sound, and game use. I have a few games to pass a bit of time and this tablet has been very good indeed. As for apps, it does need some help in that area. Developers have shied away from it because of all the negative publicity but it is a very good platform. There are enough business apps though and that is what it should be strong in. I have a lot of music on my BB Tablet and I really enjoy the sound. It has a stereo set of speakers and they sound pretty good.
I do have a few complaints though. The camera for one. I use my camera for work to send pictures back to my office. I wish they had put a flash on the camera. That was a big disappointment for me. Unless you have good light the camera lacks. If you have a good light source, its great though. This also goes for the video camera. Another area is the video chat. As of now you can only video chat between Playbooks. Skype or GMail would have been nice to have working. I hope there will be an app for that one soon. My other complaint is that it does not have a built in GPS or the BB Protection service. Two areas that should have been added for the business world.
All in all I like my BB Tablet. It is a very powerful tool when used with a BB phone. It is a business tool and a very good one at that. It is safe and secure to use. It does what you ask of it.
If you want entertainment, try the Apple line. The BB tablet is very, very good at music and playing videos, but with the lack of apps for that, another vendor may be better. Hopefully we will see an increase in the BB Tablet use for this. If you want a business tool that works well and is strongest, in my opinion, for this, then you can not go wrong with the BB Tablet, or “Playbook”. Geez I hate that name.

Sorry, humble opinions aren't accepted here; only pretentious ones.

[amccray5]

Good review man. I still haven't bought my playbook yet. I will soon though. Appreciate the feedback.

[DanTheDriver]

GEEZ YES ... I agree with you all and the wall....Sorry about that. Hope the fixes helped.

[reschp]

I'm must be getting old. I had to take a nap halfway through.

The only things that makes the ipad more "entertaining" are the apps and the size, and i prefer the playbooks size.

[NickA]

Sorry, humble opinions aren't accepted here; only pretentious ones.

The only thing worse then seeing one of these huge posts, are people that quote the post, and leave a one liner...

[Unsure2]

Playbook does have GPS, just not very good GPS apps.

Can't agree that the iPad is for entertainment while the Playbook is for work. The same qualities apply to both areas--usability and apps. Most people will find the 9.7" size of the iPad a lot more suitable for serious busuness use. As for apps, the iPad has lots of useful business apps for every conceivable profession. I know people who have bought the iPad just because of particular specialized apps they lusted after. To date, the Playbook has few business apps. Maybe this will change, but at present that's just the reality.

The Playbook's strengths are that it can fit in a coat pocket, is less obtrusive in use, has good cameras and great speakers. QNX, its main claim to fame, has yet to prove itself in terms of developer support and apps. Bridging might tip the balance for a BB phone user, which unfortunately I am not.

[anon(1035135)]

The only thing worse then seeing one of these huge posts, are people that quote the post, and leave a one liner...

I know, right? It was far too much fun to pass up.

[Tank1978]

OK so I am not a review writer so go easy on me. So after having my Blackberry Playbook for awhile now I decided I would let those thinking of buying one know my experience and thoughts on it, for what its ever worth I guess.

I have come to love this tablet. It, like anything, has it faults, but I am very happy with my choice. Paired with my 9900 I really feel this tablet was a great match for me. The biggest complaint I have about the �Playbook� is the fact that it seems every Apple user out there wants to slam and flame it at every chance. Probably not even, ever having used the thing.

It is a good sturdy and robust product. Well built. I dropped it onto a ceramic floor and felt my heart sink as I was about to pick it up and look at a broken screen or the like. I found there was not a mark on it, and it fired up without any issues at all. Now I don�t recommend throwing your tablet around but I was happy to see it survived a fall like that. Just increased my confidence even more in it.

The other complaint I have is the name. Ya I know that seems like a trivial thing but geez RIM, ya want to sell a tablet to the business market, then don�t demean it by naming it like a toy. �Playbook� was a bad marketing name from the outset. If ya want to hit the real business market then try and at least be serious about it. I have found that this is in no way a �Playbook� for the serious user. I have used the IPADs and they are for entertainment, the BB tablet is for work.

I have seen many complaints about it not working with other cell phones and that the Contacts, Calendar and files etc are only bridged with the stuff on your cell, sorry your BB cell. Well freak�in bravo RIM. That�s was a very smart idea. I don�t want my information all over the place. In my pouch or pocket where it is safe. I also do not want to have to repeat all my contacts etc on each device. The BB tablet was, and is a very powerful tool when used with a BB cell. My 9900 is an awesome phone and now the tablet has just made it that much more powerful. I wish I could answer and talk on my tablet though. Geez I would never have to take my cell out then.

As a business tool the BB tablet is great. This is NOT a toy. If you want to play then yes, go to Apple. The Apple line has always been good for entertainment. The RIM line has always been good for business. I am surprised at how many people have been sucked into the negative views of people who in most cases have not even used BB that much, if at all. Having said that, I will say however, that the BB tablet is very powerful, when it comes to graphics, sound, and game use. I have a few games to pass a bit of time and this tablet has been very good indeed. As for apps, it does need some help in that area. Developers have shied away from it because of all the negative publicity but it is a very good platform. There are enough business apps though and that is what it should be strong in. I have a lot of music on my BB Tablet and I really enjoy the sound. It has a stereo set of speakers and they sound pretty good.

I do have a few complaints though. The camera for one. I use my camera for work to send pictures back to my office. I wish they had put a flash on the camera. That was a big disappointment for me. Unless you have good light the camera lacks. If you have a good light source, its great though. This also goes for the video camera. Another area is the video chat. As of now you can only video chat between Playbooks. Skype or GMail would have been nice to have working. I hope there will be an app for that one soon. My other complaint is that it does not have a built in GPS or the BB Protection service. Two areas that should have been added for the business world.

All in all I like my BB Tablet. It is a very powerful tool when used with a BB phone. It is a business tool and a very good one at that. It is safe and secure to use. It does what you ask of it.

If you want entertainment, try the Apple line. The BB tablet is very, very good at music and playing videos, but with the lack of apps for that, another vendor may be better. Hopefully we will see an increase in the BB Tablet use for this. If you want a business tool that works well and is strongest, in my opinion, for this, then you can not go wrong with the BB Tablet, or �Playbook�. Geez I hate that name.

I love debating against the I pad faithful, they can't compare the graphics, sound or portability... All they have is the, RIM is going down argument, THAT'S IT!! And even that's wrong..

[dejanh]

Still too much to read...

[laterBB]

I have friends and associates that use ipads and pb for business use. They each have their strengths depending on individual requirements.

For myself I'm encouraged by recent developments and my company will continue to wait and see. The PB and our BB phones are currently doing most of the things we require for business. A recent purchase of a 9860 has been a bit discouraging as it has spent most of the last 2 months in exchange due to major defects. The 3rd replacement seems to be okay, fingers crossed.

Overall the PB is doing ok for a newer device. Much of the bashing was due to promises made and not kept. This isn't the fault of the device.

I hope business owners will support the development of business apps by BUYING them. Why would a serious developer invest their resources for little or no hopes of a return? I'm willing to pay a premium for good business specific apps. My business doesn't need tools that fart or play games. We buy tools to increase productivity and increase profits.

[tabulus]

I am a new user as well. I love the small screen (the wife's Xoom now feels like a desktop in comparison). The UI is great, (swiping etc) and the Xoom is not as simple to use because of it. For �199, it ranks as one of my best ever buys.

[boldkeyboardholic]

so I have to admit too that I stopped reading your comment after a while, the reasons are already written above.

but I just want to add my opinion and what I have read about the name PlayBook.

I am not a native English speaker so when I first read about the PlayBook I thought as well that this name is a little bit funny.

Playbook does mean also something different.

I think Kevin or some other crackberrian explained it in one article on crackberry.com.

"a notebook containing diagrammed football plays" or

"a stock of usual tactics or methods"

RIM had these meanings in mind.


btw ipad is also somehow a funny/ stupid name - on youtube is a (prop. a lot) parody of it, colleges humor? i-pad for female hygiene

[Coyotebc]

First off I do not have a bb phone.
I find it hard to take when people talk about how business oriented the pb is.
The company I work for uses Lotus Notes for corporate e-mail, I cannot use my pb to check my work e-mails via web-mail because I cannot double click on the message to open it up.
I was very happy to see that lotus domino was mentioned as being compatible with the new os.
I really like my pb, but as is it just a small web surfing toy for me, I can't wait for it to become a tool I can use

[RF8655]

I have both, and for me the iPad is far superior. Easier to read and use larger display, better user interface, and overall more natural. I'm not slamming Playbook as it has its goodpoints, i.e., portability, build quality, price (only after few wanted it). But no doubt in my mind.

[alnamvet68]

I had no problems reading the OP's long post; took about 45 seconds. Apparently most here, if not all, never heard of Evelyn Woods....she's been my friend since 1964.

[robsteve]

First off I do not have a bb phone.
I find it hard to take when people talk about how business oriented the pb is.
The company I work for uses Lotus Notes for corporate e-mail, I cannot use my pb to check my work e-mails via web-mail because I cannot double click on the message to open it up.
I was very happy to see that lotus domino was mentioned as being compatible with the new os.
I really like my pb, but as is it just a small web surfing toy for me, I can't wait for it to become a tool I can use

Your problem reminded me of another thread. The solution was to select the email then open the virtual keyboard and press the enter key. You might want to try it and see if it works on the Lotus Notes web interface.

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...e-mail-683333/

[Coyotebc]

Your problem reminded me of another thread. The solution was to select the email then open the virtual keyboard and press the enter key. You might want to try it and see if it works on the Lotus Notes web interface.

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...e-mail-683333/

tried it but it doesn't work
our IT guy couldn't find a solution

Here is another story
My youngest daughter's best friend dropped her laptop and broke it, she lives on her own and works full-time.
Last semester she was taking 2 on-line university courses so she had to go to her parents house to use their desktop, while she is saving up for a new laptop.

Her parents bought her a pb for Christmas, after a week she returned it and putting the money towards a laptop.
She could not access her university e-mail with the pb
The pb kept freezing while on the internet
Couldn't load music on her ipod

These were all important things for her and she has told all her friends on how useless a pb is.
She does have a bb phone, but even that didn't help her much.
I can see where the pb really missed the boat for university students.

Hopefully the new os addresses these problems

[kbz1960]

tried it but it doesn't work
our IT guy couldn't find a solution

Here is another story
My youngest daughter's best friend dropped her laptop and broke it, she lives on her own and works full-time.
Last semester she was taking 2 on-line university courses so she had to go to her parents house to use their desktop, while she is saving up for a new laptop.

Her parents bought her a pb for Christmas, after a week she returned it and putting the money towards a laptop.
She could not access her university e-mail with the pb
The pb kept freezing while on the internet
Couldn't load music on her ipod

These were all important things for her and she has told all her friends on how useless a pb is.
She does have a bb phone, but even that didn't help her much.
I can see where the pb really missed the boat for university students.

Hopefully the new os addresses these problems

How do you load music from the ipad to the ipod?