[cherolis]

I have not only boomed - I've busted. I am at the bleeding BEGINNING edge of the caravan. For an OLD geezer I do pretty well with technology but I really do miss the IBM 360's I use to program in cobol!

But you tell me how you would get your email in a plane unless you spend those nifty dollars on in-air wifi. And, really, I fly very infrequently and sometimes only my phone accompanies me. It is just I've read and re-read the arguments for an against.

And I'll let you try logging into Compuserve (2 addresses), AT&T (5 address), 3 gmail addresses and a yahoo or so thrown in. Yup, I really do miss trying to use webmail on all of those accounts - very, very efficient. And they all work NOT identical. And that guy whose corp email ain't web-friendly?

And my filtered email? I guess I should just stop filtering out the riff raff.

But, again, the solution really is DO NOT USE IT IF IT DOES NOT SERVE YOUR PURPOSE.

This is a really hard concept for humans in general... but times change. Tools that were invaluable in 1999... are in fact outdated. I wouldn't dream of telling you how to log in to all those different email addresses... anymore than I would bother explaining to an ice delivery man in 1915 the importance of a compressor in a refrigerator.

In 1997 there were still companies clinging to their individual workstations...refusing to network... carrying around individual files from station to station with floppy disks. Just like in 2012 there will still be companies with employees checking 4 or 5 different email accounts.

You don't need any of those accounts. There are better ways of communicating.

Also...

Its not 2001.

You can get inflight wifi.

[kennyliu]

I have lactose intolerance and believe milk should not be sold in grocery stores

[kennyliu]

This is a really hard concept for humans in general... but times change. Tools that were invaluable in 1999... are in fact outdated. I wouldn't dream of telling you how to log in to all those different email addresses... anymore than I would bother explaining to an ice delivery man in 1915 the importance of a compressor in a refrigerator.

In 1997 there were still companies clinging to their individual workstations...refusing to network... carrying around individual files from station to station with floppy disks. Just like in 2012 there will still be companies with employees checking 4 or 5 different email accounts.

You don't need any of those accounts. There are better ways of communicating.

Also...

Its not 2001.

You can get inflight wifi.

I am with you, it's 2012. It surprises me that people still use paper to write and print on. Internal combustion engine, wtf? That's so 19th century.

But on a serious note, email is a dominant medium of corporate communication now. This may change, but I doubt this will happen any time soon.

[cherolis]

I am with you, it's 2012. It surprises me that people still use paper to write and print on. Internal combustion engine, wtf? That's so 19th century.

But on a serious note, email is a dominant medium of corporate communication now. This may change, but I doubt this will happen any time soon.

Yes... and in 1914 men were still carrying ice to people's homes to store in little boxes to keep their food cool. But refrigerators for home use had already been produced in 1913 and writing was on the wall.

The writing is on the wall now with email. You can ignore it as you will. As is... even if your company is one of the dinosaurs... I still cannot imagine it requiring you to have yahoo, compuserve, hotmail, and gmail addresses... much less multiple accounts of each.

and umm... I don't know if you've noticed but pen and paper is dying even faster than email. In many, if not most, schools they don't even teach cursive anymore.

And to further demonstrate my point about email I would ask that you note the most recent survey of incoming college freshmen. Most don't even have email accounts at all.

[kennyliu]

Yes... and in 1914 men were still carrying ice to people's homes to store in little boxes to keep their food cool. But refrigerators for home use had already been produced in 1913 and writing was on the wall.

The writing is on the wall now with email. You can ignore it as you will. As is... even if your company is one of the dinosaurs... I still cannot imagine it requiring you to have yahoo, compuserve, hotmail, and gmail addresses... much less multiple accounts of each.

and umm... I don't know if you've noticed but pen and paper is dying even faster than email. In many, if not most, schools they don't even teach cursive anymore.

And to further demonstrate my point about email I would ask that you note the most recent survey of incoming college freshmen. Most don't even have email accounts at all.

Pen and paper have been dying for decades. We'll see how long it will take email to die.

As for freshmen, I can tell you that some/most of them can't even do simple math. That doesn't mean math as a science is dying.

Most freshmen also don't have credit cards, but somehow end up having tens of them.

Similar to credit cards, those who didn't have email, get their first account as soon as they get admitted. Then, they get another one when they find an internship. Yet another one when they get employed.

The point is, at present, email is what people use to communicate. Again, this may change (alternatives being?), but definitely not within the few years of the Playbook's life cycle.

[OneArseneWenger]

I'm with kennyliu, everyone has its preferences... as far as I'm concerned, the bb phone remote is a gimmicky gadget that I will not use (ok, I'm biased, I dont own a bb phone... yet :-) ), it's not like my couch is 20 feet away from my tv anyways... on the other hand, native email, calendar and contact, all integrated will boost my productivity 300%, which is what I'm using the device for.

When using Citrix, or Google Docs in desktop mode, you need fine mouse control. Also, a separate keyboard is nice because you don't lose half the screen. I use a bluetooth mouse and, from time to time, a bluetooth keyboard. Soon I won't need them because I can just use my 9900. Genius!

[gladiatorofyale]

The PlayBook, as I and every other Playbook lover knows, has received her share of negative reviews. They were brutal and most of the criticism stemmed from the notion that the PlayBook shipped without a native email client.

I was never a strong proponent of native email on the PB so perhaps I'm a bit biased. With all the latest news and video previews that I've seen over the past few days with respect to PB 2.0 and the new native email, I'm not impressed. I'm thinking ok now people will have their beloved native email but how much will their user experience improve as a result.

In those same seek peaks, however, I also see the new remote control feature added to BB Bridge and my interested is really piqued. WOW, so my BB device can be used to control my PB while outputting to my TV? Now that's a feature worth its weight! As well, I can input from my BB keyboard AND I can also display what's on my BB to my PB - that's so similar to what I thought the PB should add to 2.0 as an improvement - - to be able to use the PB as sort of a virtual screen to "project" whatever's on the BB to it. Hopefully (if not already at the time of launch), that feature would work with anything displayed from the BB screen. Imagine using something like google maps using your device's data but projecting it on the PB when on the road.

I realize that native email (on a tablet as well as a smartphone) is really important to some but for me, the email on my phone and bridging is fine. It's those other things that 2.0 has to offer that will make the PB a better device.

thanks for this post. i also believe native email aint a big deal but its fixed now.
so what will they complain now .
and NO email is not the best thing blackberry does. yes its great but theres so much more to blackberry. 2.0 os looks great .

[[email protected]]

F

In many, if not most, schools they don't even teach cursive anymore.

And where is this?

[Pearl9100]

The writing is on the wall now with email. You can ignore it as you will. As is... even if your company is one of the dinosaurs... I still cannot imagine it requiring you to have yahoo, compuserve, hotmail, and gmail addresses... much less multiple accounts of each.

and umm... I don't know if you've noticed but pen and paper is dying even faster than email. In many, if not most, schools they don't even teach cursive anymore.

And to further demonstrate my point about email I would ask that you note the most recent survey of incoming college freshmen. Most don't even have email accounts at all.

I don't know if you are serious because the things you are saying are pretty ridiculous. You really sound like you live in opposite land.

In California, it is mandatory to teach students cursive in 3rd grade. No if, ands, or buts. California is larger than Alabama, so obviously a large proportion of our youth is still learning cursive.

And a lot of college freshman in California have email accounts before they enter college. I don't know what is going on in Alabama, but here in the UC and Cal State system, you are even given an email address when you enter college. So email is still heavily used on college campuses. Something smells very fishy about that survey.

And businesses still use email as the primary source of communication. Have you worked for a big company before? Because big companies give you a company email address too. We send out company wide emails/memos all the time. We have important conversations all the time via email because it provides a written record of what was said in case something goes down.

I am floored by the nonsense you are saying. I don't know if you are serious, or maybe we just live in very very different parts of the world.

[Mr.Willie]

And to further demonstrate my point about email I would ask that you note the most recent survey of incoming college freshmen. Most don't even have email accounts at all.

What survey would that be ? Where did this email is dying theory come from ?

thanks for this post. i also believe native email aint a big deal but its fixed now.
so what will they complain now .
and NO email is not the best thing blackberry does. yes its great but theres so much more to blackberry. 2.0 os looks great .

So what is the best thing that Blackberry does ? What more is there to Blackberry than there is to say iOS ? (Screw Flash)

I use a BB phone because of the email. Being able to send attachments without having to open them is where BB kicks iOS's rear. Security and not being part of Google is one of several major ways BB kicks Android's rear.

Being late to the party was one reason I don't have a PB. (Already had an iPad). If I would have been in the market, no native email, contacts, or calendar would have steered me away. (I didn't get my BB until Aug) In a few months it will be time to upgrade my first gen iPad. I like my phone, but what will BB offer in the tablet market ? Still first gen Playbook or will it be PB 2 ?

[esqlaw]

Glitchy software, the lack of software, and the lack of features on the software that was there was more disastrous for the playbook.

[FF22]

native pim would be sooo handy right now. i am out of town and forgot my blackberry. all my contact info are there. wish i had contacts on the pb.

You only think you need it. And if you had not forgotten your phone you would not need it. So suck it in and do without! Or as many of us - we hope rim has gotten it right this time and in the future you would not have this problem.

[barskin]

I do believe that native email is a big deal, but I also think that the total PlayBook package (non-beta) at present, with the QNX OS and without native email is vastly superior to the Android and iPads with native email. So, I am thrilled as can be when I see the videos with the new messaging/contacts program coming up on OS 2. It's adding important functionality to an already excellent device.

♫February,
February,
I love you, February
It's only two weeks away!♫

[meltbox360]

I was okay without native email but now that its here It's just another bonus. I like the integrated features but they better not add syncing contacts with gmail/facebook or I will implode. I hate that on my phone. Google is becoming increasingly interested in what I do.

[sjefferson21]

i honestly dont think its an extremely useful feature, but everyone is different.

[southlander]

And to further demonstrate my point about email I would ask that you note the most recent survey of incoming college freshmen. Most don't even have email accounts at all.

But at their first job they'll be forced to use it. We still force people to use faxing here because some companies we deal with require it. So whether or not any employees we have here owned a fax machine in college is not even relevant.

[world traveler and former ceo]

Playbook 2.0 will be epic!! .. and make the Playbook an amazing tool in many ways! .. I can't wait to get the update ... and more enhancements are sure to follow ... that's the beauty of RIM's commitment to the tablet and to the seamless integration with other RIM products and ecosystem .... bring it on!!

[raino]

I did the whole email-in-a-browser thing for three years when I didn't have a data plan on a 9000, and let me tell you, now that I do have data and have email set up, there's just no comparison. By extension, I believe the experience will be similarly awesome for browser email checking PB users upgrading to 2.0!

Much like phone OS updates, I hope you guys get to pick and choose what features to install. I would like all you posters saying you don't need native email to put your money where you mouth is, and not install the native email feature.

[Richdog-]

I was okay without native email but now that its here It's just another bonus. I like the integrated features but they better not add syncing contacts with gmail/facebook or I will implode. I hate that on my phone. Google is becoming increasingly interested in what I do.

I find posts like this so bizzarre... why woyud you hate that feature being present? If it was there why would you have to use it?

As an android user also, i find Google sync one of the most indispensible contact and calendar management systems ive ever used, and it allows me to keep all my work and private pc's completely in sync at all times.

[Tablet 1996]

Can't wait to see all the new features on 2.0. Native calendar is what I am looking forward to the most.

[conix67]

I do believe that native email is a big deal, but I also think that the total PlayBook package (non-beta) at present, with the QNX OS and without native email is vastly superior to the Android and iPads with native email. So, I am thrilled as can be when I see the videos with the new messaging/contacts program coming up on OS 2. It's adding important functionality to an already excellent device.

♫February,
February,
I love you, February
It's only two weeks away!♫

If you have BB and a big fan of RIM, yes.

General public simply don't agree with this. It doesn't matter how technically superior PB is over others, if one cannot make use of it, it's useless.

I'm excited about OS 2.0. However, it won't put PB ahead of others overnight. RIM still has a long way to go. I hope RIM gets it right this time.

[barskin]

If you have BB and a big fan of RIM, yes.

General public simply don't agree with this. It doesn't matter how technically superior PB is over others, if one cannot make use of it, it's useless.

I'm excited about OS 2.0. However, it won't put PB ahead of others overnight. RIM still has a long way to go. I hope RIM gets it right this time.

Well, actually even with alll my BB devices, I cannot call myself a big fan of RIM. They often annoy me to no end. For instance, I bought the Torch 9810, OS 7, the first day it was on the market, only to find out that many -important- apps that were available on my OS 6 Torch were gone. When I registered a complaint about this on the official BB support forum, I was told (to paraphrase), "Go {bleep} yourself, if you want the {bleeping} app, you go ask the developer for it." Like I (a)knew any developers or (b)any developers listened to me.
But, sigh, I like my PB OS, and think that it's great that we are getting native email soon.

[mbanole03]

I really need to see this in the real world. I have no idea whether I will be able to use the native e-mail for my corporate e-mail...not sure what my IT people will do or how it actually works. I may have no choice but to bridge.

[Pearl9100]

I find posts like this so bizzarre... why woyud you hate that feature being present? If it was there why would you have to use it?

As an android user also, i find Google sync one of the most indispensible contact and calendar management systems ive ever used, and it allows me to keep all my work and private pc's completely in sync at all times.

I just don't like big brother watching me. Little weird if you ask me.

I really need to see this in the real world. I have no idea whether I will be able to use the native e-mail for my corporate e-mail...not sure what my IT people will do or how it actually works. I may have no choice but to bridge.

I too would like to see what os2.0 would be able to do on a bes server...assuming os2.0 has bes support. Since os 1.0 left such a bad taste in the mouths of those above me, I don't think I would be able to test os 2.0. They would see it as a waste of time...and they'd probably be right...

[Richdog-]

I just don't like big brother watching me. Little weird if you ask me.

If you were actually aware of how much of your personal data if loose and flying around on various companies and government agencies then trust me, Google would be the last thing on your mind. Google do not share your personal info, and it is all stored only on secure servers. Google may be ubiquitous on the internet, but they pose far less risk than most things you willingly sign up to.