[MeHoo]

Seriously?

How hard is it to make the stock photo viewer rotate portrait photos when you rotate the device?

Am I missing some hidden feature?

[SharpieFiend]

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of new features in this release, it's mostly bug fixes and optimizations.

[ssbtech]

How hard would it be to take the features you already thought of and included on the Torch (like photo rotation, autocorrect, etc..) and copy them forward to the PlayBook?

It's almost as if RIM is acting like they've never heard of or thought about these features before.

[SharpieFiend]

I'm sure it's on their 'to do' list - there is a limit on how much that can be done in a certain time period. Optimization obviously was something very important to RIM for this release.

[jsp5000]

I have been waiting for this "fix" since day one... Is there anyway we can get RIM to work on this?

[ifarlow]

Pick up the phone and call them. But I'll go ahead and warn you that they probably won't jump just because you say so.

[NO_CARRIER]

Contact these guys: Teknision Inc.
They built the photo app, ask them to make the changes and implement for RIM's next release.

[JustAnotherBeerbot]

How hard would it be to take the features you already thought of and included on the Torch (like photo rotation, autocorrect, etc..) and copy them forward to the PlayBook?

I dunno.. how hard is it to get a design dump from an English speaking team in one country to a team in some (possibly non-english-speaking) other country while both teams are already fully loaded and also moving from one OS and API set to a new OS and API set, and switching from Java to C/AIR/Python while you're at it?

Not hard I guess.

[achapuis]

I'm just hoping they SLOW DOWN the slideshow feature... gives me a friggin headache just watching it... On a plus note for RIM, at least they don't have an issue with pic size during the slide show... I've downloaded all the pic apps already and all of them SUCK... most just crash on large pic files.

LOVE my Playbook! Amazing on the plane...

[johnoliver]

I agree, this is rediculous! How hard could it be for them to add the rotation in the update.......I like to view photo and scanned notes on the playbook, but there is no way to view them in portrait mode~ you have got to kidding me! Plus there is still no support for bluetooth headphone, this is really a disappointing product

[dothadamthang]

Feels good to know I'm not alone .... I'm a pro photographer and it sucks when I cant rotate from landscape to portrait..

[MeHoo]

I get that there's a bit of love to blackberry here, for obvious reasons, but the responses that are even defending them not implementing this are complete and utter garbage.

It's simple. It isn't a feature that ANY 3rd part photo app I've ever downloaded on any device I've owned has ever been without.

You add screen real-estate, but don't even keep the base functions that are prevalent throughout the rest of the OS?

Dunno. No sense whining I guess, but it's the one feature that I care about. This device was purchased by myself for very specific reasons. THEIR OWN WEBSITE shows this app in portrait mode.. It's false advertising and as a photographer, it makes showing others my photos pretty pointless.

I don't think it's too much to ask for. I wouldn't be so upset if their own damn website didn't show this feature that wasn't implemented from day one.

[FF22]

I just found a bizarre partial workaround for Portrait mode.

The Browser will display jpg images. And it will rotate those images. The unfortunate limitation is that for some reason the Browser will not drill down to the Photo folder but will drill down to other folders like Documents or Downloads and show jpg's in those subfolders.

Method:

Enter

file:/

Into the address bar. Then click Accounts, then click 1000 and then Shared.

Then click whatever folder you stored the images in but NOT Photos or Music/videos.

Then find your image and click it. You could create a subfolder called Portraits in the document folder.

Again, not like a real portrait mode but .....

To show more, you can lessen the status bar of the Browser by press the icon on the extreme right.

edited to add: I realized that showing in this manner can be tedious, and while I have not tried it, one could probably design a webpage that is a table or list of all of those photos for portrait mode and using that Main webpage to show the photos. At least, I can load other html files using links within a webpage I created.

[RicZoh]

Feels good to know I'm not alone .... I'm a pro photographer and it sucks when I cant rotate from landscape to portrait..

I'm an amateur photographer, and this is an annoyance for me as well. I've loaded several pictures I've taken onto my PlayBook. For the purpose of being able to show prospective clients/customers what I've done. I wish I could just flip the PB sideways and display FULL SCREEN my portrait shots.

IMO, if RIM can't fix a minor detail like this, what are the big problems stopping them from getting to this? Its like asking someone to complete a simple task. If they are incapable of completing that task. How am I ever going to trust they can handle a major task?

.....bit of a rant. Sorry.

[FF22]

well, I decide to tweak my PBhomepage.html to reference a few photos. It worked

You can see the links in the table. Greenlake, garden, ducks - those are Portrait orientation.

The screencapture is the Browser in portrait mode showing the image. At the top is the minimized Browser status bar

Attachment 88546

[RDslva]

Problem is we as PlayBook owners should not have to resort to work arounds to get this basic feature. RIM needs to step it up.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[blackjack93117]

I have discovered a workaround!
Step by step instructions. Thinking of making a youtube demo for those who may have difficulty.

1) Turn on orientation lock (icon on Home screen title bar)
2) Grab Playbook in Landscape mode with unoccupied or dominant hand.
3) Using atrophied forearm muscles, rotate Playbook 90 degrees to left or right, depending on which is dominant hand.
4) Voila! Portrait mode the old fashioned way. It's simple! Much easier than the programming involved to add this.

Have we become so lazy and fussy that this is a huge priority issue that demands RIM to drop everything to feed the whiny babies? I hope they do this last just to annoy you people. I have to laugh when people are disappointed with an update that "just fixes bugs and makes it faster" LOL!

[RicZoh]

No, it shouldn't be a huge priority that RIM has to drop everything for. It's a simple gesture that should have been in the first build.

[kirson]

I have discovered a workaround!
Step by step instructions. Thinking of making a youtube demo for those who may have difficulty.

1) Turn on orientation lock (icon on Home screen title bar)
2) Grab Playbook in Landscape mode with unoccupied or dominant hand.
3) Using atrophied forearm muscles, rotate Playbook 90 degrees to left or right, depending on which is dominant hand.
4) Voila! Portrait mode the old fashioned way. It's simple! Much easier than the programming involved to add this.

Have we become so lazy and fussy that this is a huge priority issue that demands RIM to drop everything to feed the whiny babies? I hope they do this last just to annoy you people. I have to laugh when people are disappointed with an update that "just fixes bugs and makes it faster" LOL!

Not that I have a strong preference on this particular issue, but I think you're missing the point. When you rotate the image the size of the displayed image on the screen is supposed to change to fill the available real-estate. As others have stated, this is not necessarily a high priority for many people, but this is a really basic feature, and is pretty helpful/useful to many people. Just my $0.02.

[Zizzzzy]

More avail memory, better bridge functions, better browser function, Power management changes, better wifi options, language options, and numerous other os tweaks that have improved the function of the device.....

But what about a feature to use it as a picture frame!? i mean come on, get your priorities straight RIM!!

[blackjack93117]

No, it shouldn't be a huge priority that RIM has to drop everything for. It's a simple gesture that should have been in the first build.

"simple" is a judgement that should only be made by those who are doing the actual programming and sorting through priorities. In other words - easy for you to say. Why did you buy it without this very important feature?

Not that I have a strong preference on this particular issue, but I think you're missing the point. When you rotate the image the size of the displayed image on the screen is supposed to change to fill the available real-estate. As others have stated, this is not necessarily a high priority for many people, but this is a really basic feature, and is pretty helpful/useful to many people. Just my $0.02.

More avail memory, better bridge functions, better browser function, Power management changes, better wifi options, language options, and numerous other os tweaks that have improved the function of the device.....

But what about a feature to use it as a picture frame!? i mean come on, get your priorities straight RIM!!

LOL my point exactly, and no I wasn't missing the point, I was making fun.

[FF22]

While it might not be major, it is just one more irksome quirk. If the browser can change mode and alter the graphic image/jpg, the Picture app should be able to do so, too. After all even the video app changes orientation which is weird since it shrinks the image and does not really enhance the experience but yet it does change orientation.

[kirson]

"simple" is a judgement that should only be made by those who are doing the actual programming and sorting through priorities. In other words - easy for you to say. Why did you buy it without this very important feature?


LOL my point exactly, and no I wasn't missing the point, I was making fun.

I know I'm going to regret getting pulled into this debate, but I guess it's worth putting this out there. There are a handful of very basic must have features the PlayBook needs, and without them, the device is really extremely flawed for most users. The rotating picture feature is probably not high on this list. But pinch and zoom in email (given that MANY messages come through with such small fonts they cannot be read by most people and there is no option to zoom or increase the font), cut and paste (other than the EXTREMELY limited cut and paste possible within a single message), and the ability to create folders are so completely basic, and so completely necessary in order to use the device for even close to its intended purpose, that I am baffled why RIM is focusing on getting FaceBook integrated into the OS and fixing APP Store notifications. I am a huge BB fan - I've had my BB surgically grafted to my hip - and I am going nuts waiting for the PlayBook to come out with these absolutely necessary fixes. I will also mention that while the Bridge has gotten much better in the last 2 updates, it still sucks wind compared to the alternative tablets out there. I am fortunate enough to have both the iPad (first gen) and PlayBook. I was at the airport the other day, trying to download a 1MB PowerPoint file I had emailed to me. I wanted to edit it, so I really wanted to use the PlayBook. But the Bridge was taking 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes and still no file (I had strong 3G signal on AT&T). So, I took out the iPad, clicked the attachment, and 20 seconds later was flipping through the presentation. I had to make my edits using iAnnotate, which sucked, but I was well into reviewing the document when the PlayBook finally managed to download the file after 6 or 7 minutes. All on AT&T 3G. Yeah - I'm going to wait and see how this all turns out. But RIM really does need to get some of the very basic features working on the PlayBook - otherwise, they may as well focus on the Picture Frame application, as it's one of the only uses for the device in its current form. <-- that might be a slight exageration...

[MeHoo]

Why do fanboys exist?

Let's just look at the facts, here:

- It's a simple fix in programming terms. REALLY simple. If you don't know that, just research it. Pinch to zoom is much harder. Not knowing how exactly they are doing it, I'd venture to say they actually had to DISABLE it in this app by default.
- Their marketing website showed this feature working since day one.
- Other RIM apps and general system functionalities require and use this feature already.

Defend them all you want, but it's ridiculous. So they can't make changes and tweaks unless they're huge priorities? Sounds like a crappy dev team to me. When I worked R&D, we had large issues, and quick filler issues. They both got worked on in tandem. More gets done that way.

My browser frequently gets all garbled when switching between landscape and portrait. I usually have 11 tabs open, but still.. closing and re-opening it seems to fix it. I'm not whining about that because it at least sometimes works.

But I guess I'm an asshat for wanting a feature that was advertised to me as already being available, is simple to do, and would greatly decrease the laugh factor of people who want to see my playbook and play around with it. This is one of the first things they all laugh at when they realize it just can't be done. It's that basic.

Now, a real want of mine would be apps that can read camera RAW files. Then this would be a great photography tool indeed. Until then, I'll just keep showing my landscape photos on my $900 tablet...

[chiefbroski]

Let's keep asking for these features to keep them RIM on their toes. It's taken Apple at least 4 years to get even the simpler iOS to work the way it does now. Optimization takes time. One of the benefits with the Playbook is that with its good hardware specs, it will support OS updates more than a year from now and in that time, the playbook will be a BOSS.