Playbook is an amazing tablet - but it sucks because of lack of apps
- You would definitely have to push a button to get back to the homescreen. My son has an iPad (& amazingly neither one of us degrades the other one for choosing a different tablet - go figure) and it's the only thing, other than the larger size, that I don't like about it. You don't have to hate on one to like the other. I just happen to prefer my Playbook.Marty_LK likes this.04-15-12 06:10 PMLike 1
- I must admit I don't know what the big fuss is with many of the demands like Twitter and so on... you can go to the twitter site via the blackberry's very good browser.. and there are also perfectly usable 3rd party apps for twitter..
That being said there is a shortage and playbook owners are left wanting with various apps... like a decent podcast app, a sat nav app...
I get the feeling as the year goes on though, the app situation is going to improve quite allot.. I personally try to limit my self to what android apps I use as there seems to be allot of people talking about it draining the playbooks juice and processing quite allot..
The Android pod cat app I use now is the best there is available, but its a shame I cant use the BB podcast like I have on my phone, which is a silly situation.Last edited by tunes666; 04-15-12 at 06:15 PM.
04-15-12 06:13 PMLike 0 -
But to compare our app or any of the other good ones to the website is just absurd. We know exactly what we were able to do and not do on each platform.
The local storage on the app is significantly faster (by more than two orders of magnitude). The app has much more fluid scrolling (at least twice the FPS). The app has push notifications. It manages context in ways that the site just can't. It manages last reads much more consistently.
The current popular PB apps are not really native. One is Air, and one is Android. Wait til you see a real native PB Twitter app. I think you'll all get it then.04-15-12 06:13 PMLike 0 - I worked on the official one. I can understand comparing that to other apps. In fact, I would say some of the third party apps for iOS exceeded ours in certain ways, and I respect those teams very much.
But to compare our app or any of the other good ones to the website is just absurd. We know exactly what we were able to do and not do on each platform.
The local storage on the app is significantly faster (by more than two orders of magnitude). The app has much more fluid scrolling (at least twice the FPS). The app has push notifications. It manages context in ways that the site just can't. It manages last reads much more consistently.
The current popular PB apps are not really native. One is Air, and one is Android. Wait til you see a real native PB Twitter app. I think you'll all get it then.
But for a tablet, I can't see using an app when the web browser is large enough to read the website and do all that I need. Same goes for Facebook.04-15-12 06:20 PMLike 0 - There's no doubt, the Twitter app for Android is a fine app. I rarely visit Twitter and even more rarely boot up a Twitter app, but I just now booted the official one up on my Sensation XL and it is a sweet one. It seems to be all that you said in your post. Very nice. Apologies if I inadvertently dis'ed your work on this app.
But for a tablet, I can't see using an app when the web browser is large enough to read the website and do all that I need. Same goes for Facebook.Last edited by app_Developer; 04-15-12 at 06:42 PM.
04-15-12 06:34 PMLike 0 -
All of the advantages I listed are the same on the tablets. For example, do you just get all of your notifications through your email?04-15-12 06:44 PMLike 0 - I really love my Playbook and I don't have any complaint to RIM.
My only complaint is to the big companies that develop apps; they are really wasting time and opportunities not thinking in RIM's playbook.
For example IM apps like Yahoo!, WhatsApp, MSN, Skype; game developers like Zynga, Big Fish, Alawar.
It would be great create an online protest04-15-12 07:02 PMLike 0 -
- I have noticed that the app selection has gotten alot better since the opening day. When the playbook first came out the apps were straight up garbage hands down and it was a total joke but since then they have really improved and it is noticeable.
I think there are larger issues though than a twitter approved app though. Blaq is just fine for an app, I would prefer a seamless interation like there is with facebook and linkedin for twitter to be honest. As far as the bigger issues though what I want to see them address is the consumer ecosystem. I like that the current CEO understands that consumers dont care if there is a blackberry stamp on the ecosystem or not we just want one.
I hope that they just sign on with amazon and call it a day. Let us buy all our books, music, and movies from amazon and allow the blackberry id to operate under their banner and merge with whatever amazon account the user already has. It would be perfect, a one password system for all apps and goodies just like apple so it would stay competetive but not be apple.04-15-12 07:25 PMLike 0 -
on a lark i checked the prices for used playbooks on craigslist.
16 gb retail price: $199. craigslist: $185-$250!!!
one ad was charging a $40 fee for the application of a $40 screen protector! some other item was included for another $40. and the ad was pretty much full retail, so it was $120 over for a used tablet!
insanity!04-15-12 07:46 PMLike 0 - I worked on the official one. I can understand comparing that to other apps. In fact, I would say some of the third party apps for iOS exceeded ours in certain ways, and I respect those teams very much.
But to compare our app or any of the other good ones to the website is just absurd. We know exactly what we were able to do and not do on each platform.
The local storage on the app is significantly faster (by more than two orders of magnitude). The app has much more fluid scrolling (at least twice the FPS). The app has push notifications. It manages context in ways that the site just can't. It manages last reads much more consistently.
The current popular PB apps are not really native. One is Air, and one is Android. Wait til you see a real native PB Twitter app. I think you'll all get it then.
And you are right - if a PB user experienced a written for PB official app and wasn't forced to use a third party app or the browser, they WOULD get it. Repeating the mantra "just use the browser blah blah blah" isn't a sufficient answer to this. It's a band aid.
There's a world of difference. For the sake of argument I used the twitter website on my iPhone. It was painful compared to the ease and speed of the app.
Sent from mah braiiiiinzzzz using
Tapatalkapp_Developer likes this.04-15-12 10:02 PMLike 1 - you can always read longreads articles directly from the web - just like reading nytimes or reuters directly from the web - but using an application does makes it a lot easier, and you don't tap on the wrong buttons.
So an app is a must. the browser does help but applications would make a whole world of difference on a playbook where you can actually open many apps at once and all it takes is swipe to go to the next app.04-15-12 10:55 PMLike 0 - Tre LawrenceBetween RealitiesI have to tell you that, as a user of the iOS Twitter app, I appreciate the work you did on it. So, while I doubt you hear it a lot, from a user, thank you.
And you are right - if a PB user experienced a written for PB official app and wasn't forced to use a third party app or the browser, they WOULD get it. Repeating the mantra "just use the browser blah blah blah" isn't a sufficient answer to this. It's a band aid.
There's a world of difference. For the sake of argument I used the twitter website on my iPhone. It was painful compared to the ease and speed of the app.
Sent from mah braiiiiinzzzz using
Tapatalk
If you say "Hey, I use the browser because there isn't an app, and I do just fine," hey... that is logical. If you say that for some sites, you prefer a bookmark, I get that. I do too. But to imply that you would rather use a browser rather than a dedicated native app ALL the time... well, that borders on the laughable. C'mon.
Of course, it is all part of the brainwashing conspiracy, I guess. I did have a friend who hit a rough patch say something similar: "I don't have a car; don't need one! My feet and bus pass work fine."
We still smile about it to this day.04-16-12 12:35 AMLike 0 - Playbook lacks some imp apps but I don't miss twitter app at all. hootsuite on browser - three columns aided by a 'blackberry phone' mouse is the best twitter experience I've had on a mobile / tablet device.04-16-12 12:55 AMLike 0
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- Buwee.. do a security wipe and then install os.. after i did this.. the browser crashes are rare.. i stream music through live365.com all night.. no probs there.. i've even been watching some online video streaming for hours.. no probs there again..
lately ive been using my playbook for 80% browsing.. works really well..buwee likes this.04-16-12 02:39 AMLike 1 - So now PB has a coffin too? Mine still works. Don't get all caught up in the US market. Theres a whole world outside the US. It feels like people think we are at the end of the mobile market and tablet story, but its just beginning. Don't sell? thats laughiable, but I get it, US wise only relatively if you understand that.
The competing products have had this right from the beginning. There's no official words on this from RIM even after a year of the PB's release, so I'm not holding my breath on this.
BB10 will definitely need to have this on its release..04-16-12 07:01 AMLike 0 - Browser apps, having to type in the bloody password every other time you use it, multiple that by a few apps, and it gets tiresome quickly.
Browser apps, rarely designed for a 7" screen size, buttons too small, too close together, and/or not designed for a touchscreen at all, expecting a mouse.
Browser apps, when the Playbook browser crashes, they all go down together and reopening doesn't always get you back to the same spot.04-16-12 07:30 AMLike 0 - RIM have approached the App issue from completely the wrong angle. Some services and games are part of an existing lifestyle for both users and potential buyers, (often with a subscription and existing play-lists etc) and represent a love affair independent of any OS. They existed before the PB and will live alongside if the PB continues (and live on if the PB dies).
Two that spring to mind are Spotify and LoveFilm. I don't love Spotify because it's on my I-pod or my Dell Laptop or my MacMini, I love it because it is a fantastic service. I won't give up Spotify because I can't get it on my Playbook, but I may buy my next tablet BECAUSE it supports Spotify. There is NOTHING on the Playbook AppWorld that beats or competes with the music streaming service and that's my opinion. And my opinion affects my spending. You can disagree with my choice but you can't disagree that it is my choice and hence my choice will assist RIM's nosedive because they seem to know better than me and the other people who want this and Skype and etc.
And why should I have to change to another app even if it existed? Is the tablet serving me or am I a slave to it's inadequacies? So as a user it affects my choice. RIM should add the must-have apps by commisioning them to save the product.
You can substitute here NetFlix or any other streaming app worth mentioning. I'm bracing myself for the 'use the browser' arguement with some apps. Well regardless of how many times you tell me mr fanboy, some things AREN'T workable in the browser.
I simply cannot access Spotify on my Playbook period so I will never drop my other devices and become a one device guy with Blackberry in my life. But I could drop my Blackberry and buy and Android or Ios device and have everything on a single piece of hardware albeit with some email compromise but that gap is narrowing and diminishes ever competitor update. BES tie-in is probably all that's stopping many users like me from simply walking away from RIM - that and perhaps a sense of loyalty instilled in me by my parents that you should let your friends and family screw up from time to time and be given a chance.........unless they screw up over and over....
The brilliant platform that is the Playbook is useless if you can't bring your life to it. Did I mention Skype anywhere here?
The problem around here is that PB fanboys keep telling us how great the OS and the hardware is and I doubt anyone disagrees. Delicious, slick and top drawer from the camera to the screen. You can marvel at it all evening stroking and whooshing around the UI and taking pictures at high-res and talking to the one guy who you can Video Chat with who owns the other Playbook but that's probably it. I just can't run my life on it after 6pm.04-16-12 10:36 AMLike 2 - The OP's title reads "Playbook is an amazing tablet - but it sucks because of lack of apps" and is the phrase most potential buyers utter as they leave a store with another product under their arm so maybe it could help RIM get their marketing/programming act together and either get the apps or write an alternative solution that makes people want to buy it.04-16-12 10:55 AMLike 0
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Sorry if my response reads a tad bit condescending; its meant to of course.
The many, many posts about a lack of applications is comical at best. I wonder what specific applications one considers earth shattering enough to claim the PB 'useful'?
I have 78 apps (14 of which are games) on my PB. I find only about 24 to be truly useful (used at least once every day) and the balance somewhat useful (used at least once per week). I have deleted 18 apps that were completely useless and find more of that sort being posted on the App World far too often.
iOS and Android have way toooooo many useless crap being posted and if RIM can keep the junk off line, all the Better.
I've said it before and i'll say it again..... Just because you can create an app; does not mean you should create an app.
Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk04-16-12 10:57 AMLike 0 - Here again is a partial list of apps I consider important, and that are not available on my PB
Bank of America (the tablet version)
eBay
Huffington Post
New York Times
Politico
Salon.com
Slate
Wall Street Journal
Xfnity (for scheduling my TiVo remotely)
These are more than web links. For instance, I pay dearly for my tablet edition of the Wall Street Journal. It saves whole issues for me. It saves particular articles, whcih I choose. Amongst other functions. Other apps give me notifications and alerts. And how about shopping apps? This is just the most elementary stuff.
For the Huffingfton Post, all they have to do is fix the one they supposedly gave us, by the way.04-16-12 11:04 AMLike 0 - Buwee.. do a security wipe and then install os.. after i did this.. the browser crashes are rare.. i stream music through live365.com all night.. no probs there.. i've even been watching some online video streaming for hours.. no probs there again..
lately ive been using my playbook for 80% browsing.. works really well..04-16-12 11:43 AMLike 0 - i think its funny ppl keep saying "Just use the browser" for Twitter.
last time I checked the browser didn't give you notifications.
why cant they just make a bigger version of Twitter for Blackberry? It cant be that hard.
And the whole "most people just want games"...um...whats wrong with that? Why wouldnt you wanna play games on a 7" screen??
Is the Playbook only for business and "real" work too?
I love my Playbook, but the honeymoon stage is over and Im realizing that Im spending more of my time trying to make into an Android tablet.
Every app that I really want has to be sideloaded and the Android app player doesnt work well all the time.
So for the most part its being used as a web browser and an occasional Andorid app player when it runs smoothly.Last edited by shemaree09; 04-16-12 at 12:12 PM.
jimbo_hippo likes this.04-16-12 12:09 PMLike 1 - Apps are important and they're not going anywhere. It's akin to telling someone to use their browser to check email on their mobile device instead of the app. It can be done, but it's more convenient and practical to use the app.
Yes, I can use the browser instead of social networking applications, but then I won't receive notifications when someone sends me a message on Facebook or Twitter. Also, on twitter's website you can't even perform a basic function like quote tweeting a user. I won't be able to take advantage of options like muting specific users/hashtags. Even on my laptop I'd much rather use a twitter app than the website. Additionally, some apps don't even have a web counterpart and probably never will. Think Instagram. Apps provide for a richer experience. These are just a few examples, though.04-16-12 01:55 PMLike 4
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Playbook is an amazing tablet - but it sucks because of lack of apps
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