My PlayBook thoughts

Ok, i'll admit it - I was a might put out by the continued lack of interest in the PB by BBRY last week.

However, i've had a lie down in a darkened room and had a good think about things and now all I feel is dissapointment at an opportunity lost by BBRY and I thought i'd share my reasoning - just to get it off my chest :)

The PB is a great device with a lot going for it. It's well built, still well specified, in a good form factor and has the best audio bar none of any tablet i've ever owned. The OS is pretty good on the most part and the gestures are just awesome and make the PB a pleasure to use.

The thing is it just needed BBRY to finish it, to listen to it's userbase and improve the things that everyone's been telling them is incomplete. If they just worked on one thing at a time rather rolling out massive updates progress would not have seemed so slow.

Fundamentally, it's the best tablet experience out there, but they have let themselves down by not fixing the browser, not including BBM, continualy failing to include USBOTG etc and it's such a shame.

I still don't think it's too late to fix, and I still beleive they can salvage something from it, certainly in the eyes of PB users and on a more general note to the BBRY using community as a whole and I just wish they pull their finger out.

If they put a little more effort into it the PB would show what the tablet experience should be and then perhaps BBRY would see that there is a future in this sector of the market.

'll get me coat :)

I agree, even if they don't "see that there is a future in this sector of the market", it is still worth supporting the existing users and their PlayBooks. As I've mentioned before, I still use mine every day!

They have fixed the browser though, and it's much faster than it was a year ago.

I still think, as a person looking from the outside, that the PlayBook was a very half hearted attempt to break into the tablet market. Even now one could see that Thorsten is unwilling to reveal much about the tablet side of Blackberry's business. No news was about the PlayBook at Blackberry Live, and I can see this as Thorsten wanting to figure it all out carefully and thoroughly before commiting into the tablet business. He clearly doesn't want to get out mediocre tablets before they can substantially benefit from them.

The point is, we can pretty much dismiss their current efforts as work of a lesser company or of an ill conceived inception, and just wait out the initial push of BB10 to hear where they want to take their tablets.

My feeling is that Thorsten will create a winner once more when that time comes.

Posted via CB10

There are plenty of other concerns. The Android player is far from working right many apps are only partially functional and frequently crash or fail to act in the manner they were meant to. Few new apps are being written for the Playbook and many apps that have been updated for BB10 are not being updated for the Playbook.

I get that some people feel their Playbook does everything they want it to do, but for many of us we want it to be able to do more. We want the newer apps, we want the "promised" apps, we want full integration with the BB10 platform. If Blackberry wants to have a single platform OS they need to do it across it's line. Android does it, even Apple does it, I see no reason that Playbook users should be left behind.

I can't agree that android 'does it'. Googles own nexus tablets may do it but everyone else is on their own where android is concerned.

Most tablet manufacturers tweak android to suit their own tablets ( some don't even bother ), some even contribute code back to android but no two andoid tablets are the same as far as software is concerned.

At the very least, after the initial mention months ago that "BB10 is coming later this year", the million or so users still deserve a progress update. For example - "It's not happening on schedule as problem A has arisen, but we are working on it" or even "It's not happening due to _____". It would be simply a matter of goodwill toward the BB & PB community at this late date. I think that's what most of us are looking for, an official definitive yes or no so that we can move on. I'm still holding out for a "lite" version of BB10 so we can at least get some updated apps for this still viable piece of hardware.

A letter I’d like the CEO of Blackberry to read….

I use a Torch 9810 and a Playbook 16 gig. My work has me connected in the office, home, and traveling. The economics of the pared devices is a feature I greatly appreciate. The seamless integration between the Playbook and the Torch provide a user friendly mobile computing system. In my opinion Blackberry should have a winning combination, pared devices (shared internet) and Android compatibility. Playbook running 2.1.0.1526 is very good, Torch running 7.1 is very good... I have a truly functional mobile computing system that is affordable and efficient; why Blackberry hasn’t been able to captivate this audience puzzles me greatly. With all the positives I’m beginning to realize the Playbook may become the Palm pilot of its day. I’m exploring and contemplating native Android, iSO, and Microsoft devices. I’m seeing Playbook fading as a long term solution to my mobile computing needs because application development is at a standstill. I will probably continue to use my Playbook / Torch combination however it most likely will fade to an entertainment device. I would see a future if BB10 was pushed immediately to Playbook and we experienced an expansion of Android compatibility by making the BB10 Android run time support Android 4.2 applications.

Playbook users were your test bed for BB10, the QNX OS was refined on the Playbook. Stop waiting for us all to run out and purchase a BB10 phone... if BB10 is pushed to the Playbook and it's as good as you claim it to be ... my torch will be replaced with a BB10 device.

My Playbook / Torch combination is nearly 2 years old and I have zero regrets. That being said, my piggy bank is growing and the tablet market is about to explode with a diverse selection of highly capable devices that will be priced between $200 - $400. Blackberry; help me save my money a little longer.

Originally Posted by Creaulx

At the very least, after the initial mention months ago that "BB10 is coming later this year", the million or so users still deserve a progress update. For example - "It's not happening on schedule as problem A has arisen, but we are working on it" or even "It's not happening due to _____". It would be simply a matter of goodwill toward the BB & PB community at this late date. I think that's what most of us are looking for, an official definitive yes or no so that we can move on. I'm still holding out for a "lite" version of BB10 so we can at least get some updated apps for this still viable piece of hardware.

I really don't think they can divulge that type of confidential information publically. Admitting to "problems" no matter what they are makes a company appear weak, unorganized, inept, etc. So they have to put their best face forward. And that usually means no info or good news, e.g. product launches.

First: jmh11 - EXCELLENT POST. I do hope you send that letter.

Originally Posted by Gooseberry Falls

I really don't think they can divulge that type of confidential information publically. Admitting to "problems" no matter what they are makes a company appear weak, unorganized, inept, etc. So they have to put their best face forward. And that usually means no info or good news, e.g. product launches.

But they already did that when they held up the launch of bb10 devices by that month or two. Admitted it was not ready and they only wanted to release it when it was working right and well. Do the same for the pb.