[louzer]

Yesterday, I was at Best Buy and had an interesting conversation with the store manager. I detailed the conversation and my thoughts in this topic (first reply).

I'm planning to buy a new Playbook given the current discounting. In anticipation of this, I went to Staples where I found the Targus Truss case (my favorite of the available cases) marked down from $45.00 to $29.99. I grabbed it since it's a very reasonable price for that case.

While holding the case, a salesperson approached me and asked what I thought of the Playbook. I told him that I thought it was great and went on to tell him about my experience at Best Buy. He scratched his head for a second and then said that it's all starting to make sense now. He explained that he was confused about that the price of the Playbooks. They recently re-tagged them to reflect the price minus the $100.00 rebate card. But he said that he noticed that the Playbooks' prices all now end with '.99' instead of '.00'. He told me that '.00' is a 'regular price' but '.99' is a clearance price. He went on to say that products that are repriced at '.99' are either sold or, after a period of time, sent back to the manufacturer.

Combine this with the Best Buy store manager telling me that he heard that the 7" Playbooks (current incarnation) will be returned to RIM instead of continually getting discounted and this tells me that there actually might be something to the Playbook re-release which is more than software.

Both Best Buy and Staples are running sales right now. There's the mysterious 50% off sale from another thread. Is it just me or is anyone else piecing this together the same way? I certainly hope that if this re-release involves a 10" as well as a new 7" Playbook, that our Playbooks are considered current and compatible with all subsequent updates to the new ones.

There's an incredible amount of speculation and extrapolation in this thought. But I thought it was worthy of just putting out there.

Now talk among yourselves...

[thinkbig12]

It just came out 4-5 months ago.. I personally think it's way too early for a refresh.

[Jake2826]

RIM will launch the cellular Playbook model with the 2.0 software and owners with wifi models will be able to download the software. It will essentially be a re-launch of the Playbook because reviewers will be testing the new cellular models with the 2.0 software. Reviewers come away impressed, previous owners get the goods they wanted (android player, native email) RIM gets positive Playbook press and everybody goes home happy.

[irispen]

It just came out 4-5 months ago.. I personally think it's way too early for a refresh.

take Xperia Arc and the Xperia Arc S as an example...

anyway, PB's specs are still on the top of the line. (i mean, theres no quadcore thing yet)

[rickgainsmith]

Only time will tell.

I'm looking forward to OS 2.0 either way.

Any word from CrackBerry? All these discounts / product returns, is certainly smelling like a bigger story is just around the corner?

[lnichols]

I still haven't seen another tablet out yet with a cadre of superior specs. Maybe one spec with one device, and another with another device, but no complete package. Samsung just shut down the 7.7" Galaxy Tab 2 booth at IFA with no warnings or explanations. The OMAP 4 chipset is great and RIM is still maximizing the software for it. My guess is RIM doesn't want the bad press of resellers sending them back and are willing to take a loss to get the platform in more hands till the 2.0 software update and 4G devices are released. If sales pick up and demand for the WiFi only pickup then they can put more in the pipeline.

[d3adcrab]

i think many factors at play, but also has to do with a need to move stock ahead of the Rim shareholders meeting. Better if they can report more units moved in mid september.

[Name_Taken]

If there was new hardware on the horizon the speculation wouldn't start in this manner. Without question we would be seeing photos and or specs leaked before anything. Thats the aspect that would take the longest to confirm and then build for.

[mozzamay]

There may be discounts in Canada & the US but here in the UK they're still at full price. Either way I LOVE my playbook & have no regrets about getting it at full price

[bounce007]

It just came out 4-5 months ago.. I personally think it's way too early for a refresh.

I agree... too early for a complete make over

[lawguyman]

I think that these discounts do mean that some new hardware is on the way.

First, the timing is strange. Usually you see discounts toward the end of a fiscal quarter in an attempt to boost numbers. Here, the discounting is at the beginning of the fiscal quarter. To me this suggests that RIM is getting rid of old inventory for new inventory.

A likely explanation is that the 4G Playbook is coming. But, that is a little bit of a different beast than a wifi playbook. There should be no reason to get rid of wifi playbooks when 4G comes.

Here is my guess: there will be a hardware referesh when the 4G playbooks are launched. Looking at TI's OMAP roadmap, the OMAP 4460 may be available now. It is 1.5Ghz (not 1-1.2 Ghz) and with a faster graphic core. Older units could be discounted because they hold less value than the upgraded units.

Here is another guess. There will be no more wi-fi Playbooks but the 4G Playbooks will be sold off contract with the OMAP 4460 upgrade for the same prices as the older wifi Playbooks. So, a 16 GB 4G Playbook will be $500. This would be pretty killer and would be a way to undercut Apple's pricing, assuming that the 2.0 upgrade really is what it should be.

It could also be that there is no hardware upgrade but that 4G Playbooks will be sold off contract at the same price as wifi models. This would still be pretty cool.

I am hoping that my second guess is what is going on.

As an aside, I have to question why the Playbook needs any more processing power at the moment. I also would not want to sacrifice battery life for more speed.

[anon(4018671)]

Anybody remember talk about the module cavity.

[lawguyman]

Anybody remember talk about the module cavity.

Yes. There was talk that it could be filled with NFT. NFT does not seem to be very useful at the moment, assuming it would ever be. Maybe that is where the cell radio goes?

[anon(4018671)]

IDK what NFT is, by NFT do you mean NFC? Personally I wouldn't use the PB for NFC so I say good call not having it, I'd rather use a phone for that.
If RIM planned to swap in a radio, that would be genius! It must be really small tho. The iFixit video shows there isn't much room in there

[GJW]

It's all well and good that the hardware specs of the PB are great. But the fundamental problem with the PB remains that there is absolutely no Developer ecosystem in place. Apps make or break a tablet. Without developers, the app problem will never be solved.

Until we have a semblance of high quality, compelling applications, the PB will remain a beautiful device with almost no end user value!

[anon(4018671)]

It's all well and good that the hardware specs of the PB are great. But the fundamental problem with the PB remains that there is absolutely no Developer ecosystem in place. Apps make or break a tablet. Without developers, the app problem will never be solved.

Until we have a semblance of high quality, compelling applications, the PB will remain a beautiful device with almost no end user value!

Tablet OS 2.0 is probably aimed to silence the criticisms at launch sans the power button lol. With more positive reviews and useable to non BB phone users, it willl get better apps. Then there is Android app player. But what I hear lately is that many companies are opting to create cross platform web apps to reach the most users and to escape iTunes charges. RIM has yet to let loose their NDK so what super high quality apps are going to be made now (on a large scale)

With the release of OS 2.0 and the NDK will draw more people into the QNX/BB fold with usability and apps. Hopefully there will be a good native OBD2 app

[bbhybridchris]

It's all well and good that the hardware specs of the PB are great. But the fundamental problem with the PB remains that there is absolutely no Developer ecosystem in place. Apps make or break a tablet. Without developers, the app problem will never be solved.

Until we have a semblance of high quality, compelling applications, the PB will remain a beautiful device with almost no end user value!

Why are soo many people stuck on this APP thing. I know that alot of people enjoy Apps but they are not the end all of anything. I am 29 and absolutely LOVE my playbook. I hardly ever use any apps on it...podcasts the need for speed is pretty neat. My point being the reason I got a playbook is two things, connecting with my blackberry, and a portable laptop in a sense. With the additions of native email coming this is the perfect device for me. I have not even touched my laptop since purchasing and I love the fact that i can get my bbm while I am multi-tasking with watching podcasts or surfing the net all on one device! I understand some need all these games and apps....but not me...and with the future addition of android based app world being available I really don't see the concern.

[joshua_sx1]

I believe the 4G PlayBook is really on the way now. Perhaps manufactured half of it and ready for OS installation. Remember the mutual decision between Sprint and RIM to cancel the 4G version? This may tell us that the production has been already started and RIM is looking for a partnership. I believe that an "experimental unit" has been already tested or being tested prior to discussion since this is one of the basis of final agreement i.e. test result. So, we can assume that there is already a 4G version of PlayBook.

So, this clearing up is probably the preparation for introduction of 4G PlayBook having new version of OS.

[Xterra2]

It just came out 4-5 months ago.. I personally think it's way too early for a refresh.

It may be too early but the playbook has been a disaster so far!! It has been plaqued by pooor sales !!
RIM wants to compete that's why, Samsung showed their galaxy tab 10 afterr Apple showed their iPad2. They went ahaead and redesign it, and came back with a better tablet
You have to do everything to compete even if it means releasing a new model 4 - 5 mmonths after

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[PineappleUnderTheSea]

So, a 16 GB 4G Playbook will be $500. This would be pretty killer and would be a way to undercut Apple's pricing, assuming that the 2.0 upgrade really is what it should be.

The only problem I see here is how Samsung will price their Tab 7.7. Samsung is getting a lot of attention lately due to the back and forth lawsuits, their tablets are basically getting tons of free marketing. I'm just afraid that a simple 2.0 upgrade on the PB will get one paragraph of news on the websites, unless RIM manages to announce something incredible that appeals to non-BB users. But for those of us that do use a BB, I'm really eager to see what 2.0 brings.

[rleo25]

I agree with GJW . This weekend I gathered with my daughter and son, two apple fans, she with an Iphone 4 and he with the Ipad 2, we compared everything against my PB. Here are my conclutions on this comparative and honest exercise:
1. Form factor. PB wins in portability.
2. Connectivity. PB wins in options. Bridge helps recover some bucks invested in PB
3. File sharing. PB wins.
4. Lack of system hangs Ipad wins. (surprisingly with less procesor and memory !)
5. User Interface and user experience Ipad wins.
6. Web browsing. PB wins by far.
7. Apps. Ipad wins by far, even the basic functionality as word processor, spread sheets and mail, not to tell about radio and music listening and books reading which are an enjoyable experience.

Resume apps sell the Ipad and if RIM doesn't speed the pace this will kill our otherwise excellent tablet.

Have a good day!

[Economist101]

I still haven't seen another tablet out yet with a cadre of superior specs.

Still more proof that specs are irrelevant to market success. What RIM plans with the PlayBook and this 2.0 relaunch is unclear, but what is clear that PlayBook sales are falling short of retailer and/or RIM projections.

[dkingsf]

Why are soo many people stuck on this APP thing. I know that alot of people enjoy Apps but they are not the end all of anything. I am 29 and absolutely LOVE my playbook. I hardly ever use any apps on it...podcasts the need for speed is pretty neat. My point being the reason I got a playbook is two things, connecting with my blackberry, and a portable laptop in a sense. With the additions of native email coming this is the perfect device for me. I have not even touched my laptop since purchasing and I love the fact that i can get my bbm while I am multi-tasking with watching podcasts or surfing the net all on one device! I understand some need all these games and apps....but not me...and with the future addition of android based app world being available I really don't see the concern.

Then you never used your laptop for any sort of work other than browsing the web or maybe internet poker. So that was pretty much a wasted purchase also.

Without apps, this is nothing more than a media/internet device. You can get the same thing waaaay cheaper. Who needs dual core/dual camera anything to surf the net?

[elgolfman]

It's all well and good that the hardware specs of the PB are great. But the fundamental problem with the PB remains that there is absolutely no Developer ecosystem in place. Apps make or break a tablet. Without developers, the app problem will never be solved. Until we have a semblance of high quality, compelling applications, the PB will remain a beautiful device with almost no end user value!

I will get the PB when it has native email, BBM, and cellular connectivity � the tethering thing is unbelievable given it�s a RIM product. If you have a Blackberry phone and a PB, there should be a way the two automatically sync your email. Email is just as important as the apps and having to carry both devices to bridge is silly. I have been holding out from getting the iPad but I don�t know how much longer I can wait.

[ilker-uk]

It always kind of gamble buying non apple tablets ,look what happened to HP tablet RIP.
so if you are looking after apps. and kind of stuff its time to look for somewhere else...
I used ipad and archos 70 and mainly for net browsing @work
ipad was too big ,archos was too weak...
Playbook is just perfect!
net browsing is equal to any laptop ...
we have here samsung p500 laptop just done adsl speedtest result is 19mbps where playbook gives 23mbps!!!
browser loads pages faster than laptop most of the time...
i was using ebay app. before but now I dont need it I have fully functional web browser...
apps are good but look back and remember how fast you stop using them or do you really need them anymore on playbook...
hardware on this device is more than enough why do they want to update it not enough ram? lack of cpu speed? they are all ok...
we only need email app. and some other apps like better flickr,youtube log in feature maybe ebay app for ending soon reminder
Overall I find playbook quite good balanced tablet but it might be a little bit marmite you love or hate it LOL