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Hi! After being a newbie to all things Blackberry, the Playbook is the first Blackberry I have ever owned (my cell is an Android) and I have had it for a couple of weeks and wanted to share my impressions.
I have had a lot of time to use my Android phone. Yes, the platform is different, there are tons of apps but truthfully like most devices/OS systems, I get bored and do not even download anymore apps to my phone. Now I use use it to text, read email, occasionally look something up on the internet and make calls. I customized my screens, I read 4 books on my phone (not with Kindle), watch You Tube Videos and tinkered with it all I could.
I looked at many Android tablets, went to the store and played with them, was close to getting one of the Samsung Tablets but then realized I would be just getting a bigger cell phone without the phone capabilities. So started to look at the HP Touchpad but something told me to stay away. But through it all, the Playbook was always at the top of my list. As I stated in my first post ever here, the Playbook just kept moving in the forefront of the contenders no matter how hard I tried to veer away and stay with Android. Apple products annoy me so they are never in consideration.
Well I jumped in head first, bought the Playbook 32GB because it just felt like it was meant to be and for the most part I love the experience. Yes, there are moments things lag and do not open correctly or freeze. I have the same thing on my Android phone and my laptop. These things are normal. I honestly do not Skype, I do not read tons of books on the laptop, phone or tablet (I personally like to read physical books when I get time), and I like to see movies in a theater or on a normal size TV and I really do not have the time to sit in front of my tablet and watch movies.
The games I downloaded are a lot of fun, my son hijacks my playbook everyday to play and is thrilled. The clarity of the screen is beautiful, the browser works great, I have a lot of backgrounds to choose from for the screen to make it look nicer, I downloaded some music from the music store, watched some TV, downloaded a free book and watched You Tube videos. I downloaded a great weather app, battery guru, angry birds (and about 20 other games), and countless other apps to make the Playbook fun and useable. I have my documents from my laptop on it, took a video the other day and it looks awesome, used the camera and it looks great as well and noticed there are new apps in the store all the time.
Since I am busy and cannot keep a tablet on my hip 24/7, this tablet is great and does all I can ask for, relatively seemlessly. The best thing I can advise is do research before buying, see what you cannot live without and buy a tablet based on that. Do not buy a Playbook and complain as to what it does not have. I did my research and could not care less about Skype and Kindle because I do not use them and I have had every opportunity to use it on my phone and laptop and never did.
I bought the rapid charger so I do not use the USB port too much because it is a little fragile and I love the rapid charger. Bought a car charger for the road and I am all set. I do not need a bluetooth keyboard at this point but perhaps down the road I will and I will buy one.
I am happy with my purchase, I have no buyers remorse and if I ever want an android tablet down the line, I can buy one. But honestly right now I do not want to. No need. My phone is enough for that. This Playbook rocks! And I am happy with it without OS 2.1 or even BB10...those will be an added bonus and I am excited if and when they do come out. But I do not obsess over it, I bought it for what it could do now and I am happy. I know this is long but hopefully it may help someone who is on the fence about buying one or has one and is not sure if it was a good purchase.
Thanks for listening!
Last edited by wafa510; 09-22-12 at 02:31 PM. Reason: Edited my spelling!
09-22-12 01:55 PM - I have the mini keyboard too with my PB, and use these two almost 24/7. The PB/Mini Combo goes in the purse with me to work. It has saved my sainity many times, using the headphones and listening to my music instead of the office chatter. I also use it to take notes in meetings.
The BBbridge is a life saver and it gets a lot of usage. I love the 'Open On' feature, so I can see pics in a larger format on the PB, than just on the BBphone.
Have I told you lately how much I love my Blackberries???Last edited by jafobabe; 09-22-12 at 02:59 PM.
09-22-12 02:54 PM - We have two in the house and I could not agree with you more. I take mine (with keyboard) everywhere and use it for work and play, so much so I had to get a murse to cary mine. I've even found that at home I almost never pull out the laptop anymore, it's playbook all the time. When I want to view something on a larger screen I simply plug the HDMI into my 52" tv and "bam" all the goodness in a bigger format. I've owned one since the day it launched and with bridging, not having native email or calender wasn't an issue, I actually preferred it vs native email. I watched the playbook growing up in front of my eyes and I'm waiting patiently for the day it graduates to BB10.
I know it's been a couple of weeks already but happy belated welcome to the CrackBerry nation...
Last edited by kozmo68; 09-22-12 at 04:51 PM. Reason: Missing commas
09-22-12 04:48 PM - Thank you everyone for your kind words! I really hope this post helps people who are on the fence about buying one. There is always going to be new technology, always something that you may think could be better, but to me, as long as it accomplishes what I need and want to do, no need to look any further. It is a great tablet and as good or better than anything else out there!09-23-12 06:47 PM
- I ask these questions in all sincerity and do not intend to be negative. I own a Playbook and feel for the $168 I paid for it it's nice, but had it cost more, I would not have purchased it.Hi! After being a newbie to all things Blackberry, the Playbook is the first Blackberry I have ever owned (my cell is an Android) and I have had it for a couple of weeks and wanted to share my impressions.
Was this from curiosity or was there something specific Blackberry had that you needed?
I have had a lot of time to use my Android phone. Yes, the platform is different, there are tons of apps but truthfully like most devices/OS systems, I get bored and do not even download anymore apps to my phone. Now I use use it to text, read email, occasionally look something up on the internet and make calls. I customized my screens, I read 4 books on my phone (not with Kindle), watch You Tube Videos and tinkered with it all I could.
Does the Playbook do those tasks better than your Android?
I looked at many Android tablets, went to the store and played with them, was close to getting one of the Samsung Tablets but then realized I would be just getting a bigger cell phone without the phone capabilities. So started to look at the HP Touchpad but something told me to stay away. But through it all, the Playbook was always at the top of my list. As I stated in my first post ever here, the Playbook just kept moving in the forefront of the contenders no matter how hard I tried to veer away and stay with Android. Apple products annoy me so they are never in consideration.
What about the Playbook made it top of your list? Price? Unfamiliarity? What?
Well I jumped in head first, bought the Playbook 32GB because it just felt like it was meant to be and for the most part I love the experience. Yes, there are moments things lag and do not open correctly or freeze. I have the same thing on my Android phone and my laptop. These things are normal. I honestly do not Skype, I do not read tons of books on the laptop, phone or tablet (I personally like to read physical books when I get time), and I like to see movies in a theater or on a normal size TV and I really do not have the time to sit in front of my tablet and watch movies.
You admit to the Playbook under performing and suggest that because your use of a tablet is limited to a few items a Playbook would suffice. Price by chance? I am concerned with your lagging Android and Laptop, I have not had a lagging laptop since Win '98 and Android for the last two years.
The games I downloaded are a lot of fun, my son hijacks my playbook everyday to play and is thrilled. The clarity of the screen is beautiful, the browser works great, I have a lot of backgrounds to choose from for the screen to make it look nicer, I downloaded some music from the music store, watched some TV, downloaded a free book and watched You Tube videos. I downloaded a great weather app, battery guru, angry birds (and about 20 other games), and countless other apps to make the Playbook fun and useable. I have my documents from my laptop on it, took a video the other day and it looks awesome, used the camera and it looks great as well and noticed there are new apps in the store all the time.
How do you like the price of Playbook apps being 3 times Android? Is there something the Playbook does the Samsung tablet wouldn't do better by chance?
Since I am busy and cannot keep a tablet on my hip 24/7, this tablet is great and does all I can ask for, relatively seemlessly. The best thing I can advise is do research before buying, see what you cannot live without and buy a tablet based on that. Do not buy a Playbook and complain as to what it does not have. I did my research and could not care less about Skype and Kindle because I do not use them and I have had every opportunity to use it on my phone and laptop and never did.
So you bought a tablet that was clearly limited in options which did not matter since you did not need them, had the Playbook costs $399, would you have still bought it?
I bought the rapid charger so I do not use the USB port too much because it is a little fragile and I love the rapid charger. Bought a car charger for the road and I am all set. I do not need a bluetooth keyboard at this point but perhaps down the road I will and I will buy one.
This I still try to figure out why people say the USB is fragile, does the Playbook have a problem with the USB? There are hundreds of phones on the market using the same connector, why is Playbook's fragile?
I am happy with my purchase, I have no buyers remorse and if I ever want an android tablet down the line, I can buy one. But honestly right now I do not want to. No need. My phone is enough for that. This Playbook rocks! And I am happy with it without OS 2.1 or even BB10...those will be an added bonus and I am excited if and when they do come out. But I do not obsess over it, I bought it for what it could do now and I am happy. I know this is long but hopefully it may help someone who is on the fence about buying one or has one and is not sure if it was a good purchase.
Thanks for listening!
BTW, if you turn off flash in the browser you won't accidently click on a flash ad when you scroll, I hate that about the PB browser.Last edited by SugarMouth; 09-23-12 at 09:25 PM.
09-23-12 08:54 PM - A more informed opinion can be found at the beggining of this thread, however all opinions are valid and fair. We can all agree that a certain enjoyment is had by owning the playbook tablet.
I would also like to add that should you believe you found a good device that meets your needs, consider investing in the company that brought it to you.. and yes I meen it09-23-12 10:27 PM
