[BlackJack-21]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently a proud Playbook owner, since last year. Now, I understand that 2.1 is coming soon, whenever it is announced and Thorsten Heins made a promise during the summer, the Playbook will be upgraded to BB10 OS.

Firstly, after viewing information on html5test.com. I see 2 BlackBerry OS browser, which is still under development. Playbook 2.1 and BB10. Now, how come they are still developing two browsers? Shouldn't they skip Playbook 2.1 browser and jump to BB10 altogether, rather then differentiating the two. And I don't think it's a transition from 2.1 to BB10.

Secondly, Many reports of BES server not supporting BB10 OS but a new server called BDS will. Other BlackBerry forum states:

"An important point to note here is that the BDS will not manage the current blackberry handsets or even the PlayBook tablets."

If, our playbook was to get BB10. Shouldn't it be automatically be supported by BDS?

Something, in between the lines doesn't make sense. I hope for all first generation Playbook owners will get BB10 as promised by the CEO. It will be a win win situation.

I'm just speculating, but time will tell.

Thanks.

[Knightcrawler]

The PB will get bb10 "at some point". When that will be has not been revealed. Personally, i think we wont see bb10 on the playbook till late 2013, which is why they're working on a separate line of updates for the current PBOS. They're gonna have to optimize bb10 for the playbook form factor, and they probably havent focused much on that recently, with their "laser focus" on gettin bb10 phones out the door.

As for BES, i dont know much since im not an IT guy, but from what i understand, the current servers cannot support bb10 devces, so companies will need the new BES10 servers. The new servers however will be able to support all devices, legacy OS, playbookOS and bb10.

[Thunderbuck]

You're just seeing some gaps in the implementation.

1) As far as the browser goes, the one on OS2.1 is probably the ultimate development of the Adobe Air-based browser that's been on the Playbook from the beginning. The word is that on BB10 the browser is all-new, and based on Cascades. Yes, you can argue that RIM could just stop development on the current software and just steam full-on with BB10, but personally I'll take the improvements where I can get them.

2) QNX just flat isn't compatible with BES. It IS served by BDS, and now we're waiting on BES 10, which will actually be a massive piece of software with "old-BES", Fusion, and BDS all living under one unified interface. That sounds a little frightening to me (I'm a BES admin in my day job), but it's in RIM's best interest to make sure it just flat works.

3) Yes, all Playbooks will get BB10. There's no reason why they wouldn't (unless RIM loses faith in BB10 and starts building Windows devices, in which case they'll all get Win 8 RT anyway )

[littd]

I have wondered about Win RT for Playbook as well.

[Thunderbuck]

I have wondered about Win RT for Playbook as well.

Somebody posted a rumor about that a while back.

To me, the ultimate proof that RIM is committed to BB10 and believes it to be a great platform is the simple fact that if they didn't, Heins could call Ballmer up and in a heartbeat MS could swoop in to the rescue.

[BerryClever]

I think that 2.1 will be on the PlayBook soon and BB10 will be on the PlayBook shortly after the release of the phones. It is not 2 completely different OSs sharing the same name, and so pushing it out to the PlayBook with some tweaks shouldn't be an issue. I would suspect that within a month or two after the release of BB10 phones that the PlayBook will get the update.

[BB_Bmore]

I've read BlackBerry10 is already on the PlayBook ,they even managed to load it on a motorola xoom. RIM has done this to show the licensing possibilities of BlackBerry10.

[THBW]

My impression is that 2.1 will be a solid update of the current QNX software on the playbook platform. From what has been previously mentioned, the three most significant improvement will be related to portrait mode, PIM functions, and the Android player. All will be quite valuable. As to BB10, I think it will be a different animal with a heavy emphasis on platform flexibility and increased functionality. It is my view that in the new year RIM will start pushing the 4G tablets hard, turning this platform into a fully functional communication device. So phone, data, and BBM. I think BBM is likely to see a significant revamp in functionality. Combine this with BES and one now has a WiFi tablet with enhance communication properties. This would be real selling point and a way to differentiate one self in the tablet field. Just my thoughts.

[BlackJack-21]

Thank you everyone for your insight. I guess it's just a waiting game until BB10 is release for our 1st gen playbook.

I still own a "dumb" phone and I'm patiently waiting for a BB10 device to roll out for it to be my first smartphone.

Why BlackBerry? It's gonna be unique and I want to be unique.

[masqueofhastur]

I have wondered about Win RT for Playbook as well.

Win RT isn't as advanced a UI as PBOS, that would be a step back in my view.

[DrBoomBotz]

It is my view that in the new year RIM will start pushing the 4G tablets hard, turning this platform into a fully functional communication device. So phone, data, and BBM..

The London looks like it will be a very nice phone but I would choose a 4g Playbook with BB10 including proper dialer and Bluetooth support. I think it would be a bold move for RIM to put a dialer on the Playbook. Better still... integrate a SIP client with said dialer. There seems to be a tacit agreement at least in North America that tablets can not have phone functionality and that just makes me want have one more.

[Stewartj1]

I think that 2.1 will be on the PlayBook soon and BB10 will be on the PlayBook shortly after the release of the phones. It is not 2 completely different OSs sharing the same name, and so pushing it out to the PlayBook with some tweaks shouldn't be an issue. I would suspect that within a month or two after the release of BB10 phones that the PlayBook will get the update.

Heins and Boulben have both said exactly that. The existing PlayBook's will be updated to BB10 shortly after the BB10 phones are released.

[Dim-Ize]

Is Blackjack back?

[itmccb]

Win RT isn't as advanced a UI as PBOS, that would be a step back in my view.

I've done a thorough comparison of the two (though the one I posted here was pretty lazy and incomplete), and Win8 is far more advanced. From what I've read of BB10 design docs, they'll be much closer in the future, but Win8 really is a force to be reckoned with. Also, RT's minimum resolution is 1366x768, so it wouldn't work on the PB anyway :P

[pacoman03]

I've done a thorough comparison of the two (though the one I posted here was pretty lazy and incomplete), and Win8 is far more advanced. From what I've read of BB10 design docs, they'll be much closer in the future, but Win8 really is a force to be reckoned with. Also, RT's minimum resolution is 1366x768, so it wouldn't work on the PB anyway :P

But Windows RT is not Windows 8.

[itmccb]

But Windows RT is not Windows 8.

As far as the Start Screen and "Metro" apps/features are concerned, they're identical.

[Fuzzballz]

If and when PB gets BB10, its hardware will be essentially obsolete.

[BB_Bmore]

If your OS isn't very demanding then it really doesn't matter. The PlayBook's hardware will do fine with BlackBerry10.

[dynot]

As for BES, i dont know much since im not an IT guy, but from what i understand, the current servers cannot support bb10 devces, so companies will need the new BES10 servers. The new servers however will be able to support all devices, legacy OS, playbookOS and bb10.

Wait, what? So if your company decides not to upgrade you're SOL. That's a recipe for disaster. No better way to guarantee BB10 failure.

You think that they would make sure the new devices are compatible so as not to risk them not selling because of this. And if this is the case that means RIM is staking its future on companies upgrading their servers. Another dumb move in an endless string.

[AT_Nepal]

You're just seeing some gaps in the implementation.

1) As far as the browser goes, the one on OS2.1 is probably the ultimate development of the Adobe Air-based browser that's been on the Playbook from the beginning. The word is that on BB10 the browser is all-new, and based on Cascades. Yes, you can argue that RIM could just stop development on the current software and just steam full-on with BB10, but personally I'll take the improvements where I can get them.

2) QNX just flat isn't compatible with BES. It IS served by BDS, and now we're waiting on BES 10, which will actually be a massive piece of software with "old-BES", Fusion, and BDS all living under one unified interface. That sounds a little frightening to me (I'm a BES admin in my day job), but it's in RIM's best interest to make sure it just flat works.

3) Yes, all Playbooks will get BB10. There's no reason why they wouldn't (unless RIM loses faith in BB10 and starts building Windows devices, in which case they'll all get Win 8 RT anyway )

I hate to say this, but I doubt the Playbook will get BB10 until more than a year from now. Which means that there will be another more exciting technology on tablets by then probably (such as the W RT or better). I like 2.1 beta, but RIM's management wouldn't think of a way to get this released earlier...

[Dapper37]

Is Blackjack back?

First thing I thought when I saw the OP's name. Had a little trip down memory lane I did. I wonder If Jack came back with a different name at some point. He sure loved his PlayBook!

[masqueofhastur]

I've done a thorough comparison of the two (though the one I posted here was pretty lazy and incomplete), and Win8 is far more advanced. From what I've read of BB10 design docs, they'll be much closer in the future, but Win8 really is a force to be reckoned with. Also, RT's minimum resolution is 1366x768, so it wouldn't work on the PB anyway :P

As far as usability it's nowhere near as good. Some compromises had to be made to work reasonably well with a mouse as well as touch. And I'm talking purely about the user interface, not necessarily the underlying OS. PBOS just works very well, Metro is a bit kludgy. For one, the order of open apps can change in Windows 8/RT, which is fine if you're just swapping back and forth between two apps, but less convenient if you have to deal with more. It's also annoying that particularly when it comes to mouse usage, which justifies some of the compromises, it's actually a step back from Windows 7.

[masqueofhastur]

If and when PB gets BB10, its hardware will be essentially obsolete.

Hardly. It's perfectly good now, it'll be perfectly good 3 years from now. The only thing that could screw that up is if web pages start making heavy use of WebGL and like that.

[pacoman03]

As far as the Start Screen and "Metro" apps/features are concerned, they're identical.

Maybe. But RT can't run any Windows programs, with a few exceptions. It's a significantly scaled down version of 8.

[twstd.reality]

Wait, what? So if your company decides not to upgrade you're SOL. That's a recipe for disaster. No better way to guarantee BB10 failure.

You think that they would make sure the new devices are compatible so as not to risk them not selling because of this. And if this is the case that means RIM is staking its future on companies upgrading their servers. Another dumb move in an endless string.

Is that not why BB10 will also support ActiveSync? It is my understanding that ActiveSync would be the minimal protocol needed to connect to enterprises without BES and for companies that need the added layer of security, BES 10 using their BlackBerry Mobile Fusion platform to manage both. Someone correct me if I am wrong.