[armrob]

still a lot of shortcomings with the playbook. some major some minor.
the only reason i still have the playbook is because Android is a pile of S--- !
I have had a galaxy tab, a Dell Streak streak 7 and now an HTC Flyer. i keep it in a drawer so i won't have to smash it on the floor. and after trying so many of them, its not the hardware, it's Android.
the 7" is the perfect size for a portable tablet, so i don't like to carry the ipad around everywhere i go. RIM can still make this successful. as in the best 7" on the market at a killer price.

[kbz1960]

This is my first post. I thought about starting a thread, but this is probably a better place.

I've had my 32gb PB for a week now. It was an impulse buy mostly because I wanted to feel like a Starfleet officer (on the cheap). And I've grown to be quite attached to this thing. I love the size, the screen, the speakers and really, really nice engineering and workmanship. I have a lot of films, mp3 and epub files on hard drive and didn't want to be married to any media store so anything Apple or the Fire were out. I was seriously considering the Archos g9 at the time. I bought a Toshiba Thrive for my mom a while back which is working fine for her needs.

The Playbook has not gotten a fair shake from the tech press or public. But comparing it to similar Android products, I feel that RIM itself has treated the little machine most unfairly. There are some small things they could have addressed before the launch and in eight months since that were fully within the specs that could have made it so much more functional for my needs.

1) No Asian languages input. This is a big thing for my mother. She really likes the size but without Chinese input she can't use it. Come on, Rim. It's 2011, what mobile device doesn't have this?

2) No USB host function. They obviously planned it, with a mini usb A instead of a micro on the PB. The Thrive has a full usb port. Archos has TWO usb host ports. I can overlook the absence of a SD or microSD slot. But if they really could have made the PB much more flexible with usb otg support.

3) No MKV. Archos g9, with the same TI chip but cheapo on every other spec can do this. So I know the PB could have, too. I think it's coming in OS2 but how hard could it have been to make the PB a fully functioning personal media player?

I'm keeping my PB because I like the solid engineering and it meets most of my needs. Yesterday was the first day in I don't know how long when I didn't turn on a PC at home and just lazed in bed playing with my PB. But it's hard to shake the feeling that with just a little tweak this little machine could have been so much more functional.

Nice review. I'm not sure but if you check out iOS and android development at the same stage QNX development is at now back then I think you will see they were also lacking and missing things. Just need some more time to mature.

[loneweasel]

Nice review. I'm not sure but if you check out iOS and android development at the same stage QNX development is at now back then I think you will see they were also lacking and missing things. Just need some more time to mature.

Thank you.

The thing is though, I wasn't buying iOS or Android devices before they were mature. I stayed away from Gingerbread because I knew it was crappy. Rim knew they were releasing an incomplete device and it's unconscionable they haven't addressed this in eight months. For 200 bucks I'm more than Ok with my toy as is. However I really wish I could feel as ecstatic as I thought I was going to be.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the OS2, of course.

[kbz1960]

Thank you.

The thing is though, I wasn't buying iOS or Android devices before they were mature. I stayed away from Gingerbread because I knew it was crappy. Rim knew they were releasing an incomplete device and it's unconscionable they haven't addressed this in eight months. For 200 bucks I'm more than Ok with my toy as is. However I really wish I could feel as ecstatic as I thought I was going to be.

Keeping my fingers crossed for the OS2, of course.

True. I knew I was buying a work in progress and it would take time. I just didn't realize how much time. I said it before, RIM made a big mistake buy releasing and advertising it as they did and should've only targeted their user base until Feb. when 2.0 is suppose to be out.

The masses do not want to hear any of it as shown by early sales and the masses don't want to wait or have to mess much with things.

It will make you ecstatic in Feb. if RIM doesn't run into more stumbling blocks again before then that are too difficult.

[scott.slater]

Yeah, I have a feeling that once 2.0 rolls out that RIM is going to treat the Playbook like a new device. New marketing, perhaps they can convince the "critics" to review the product again, better support from their vendors, etc.

[kbz1960]

Yeah, I have a feeling that once 2.0 rolls out that RIM is going to treat the Playbook like a new device. New marketing, perhaps they can convince the "critics" to review the product again, better support from their vendors, etc.

I believe that is the plan. On their site if you looked at buying the playbook they make sure you see "free upgrade to OS 2".

[scott.slater]

Yeah, I think that is their plan as well. Seems like a decent idea, get the product into peoples hands (which will make their user base grow), makes the developers take a second look at RIM. RIM needs to treat the current Playbook as their Fire device (lose money now to make money later, following the Amazon model). Using this strategy for the current would make their devices much more developed in the future as well from a developer viewpoint. RIM would be wise to focus their resources on getting content (Amazon, Netflix, movies, T.V. Shows, etc.) for their future devices (look at what Microsoft has been able to do for the Xbox). These devices are bought for their content, plain and simple. The fact that RIM has a great browser and the QNX OS to build on is a big thing they need to use to their advantage. I would love to be at the helm of the RIMpire right now.

[TgeekB]

Great conversation going everyone. It shows we can talk about this products pros and cons and still be civil.

I for one am glad I bought at $199 and am loving the os2 beta though it has some bugs. The potential is there, now we have to wait for Rim to hot a home run.

[pythons]

All tablets, even I ipad have short comings, that all have this or that that will be fixed in the next os release and on and on it goes.

An ipad killer would at the minimum need to have native email...
...That's something that should require zero fixes - should have shipped with that.
...Lack of native email fails in both social and business applications.

RIM was evidently trying to apply pressure to the blood loss of Blackberry users leaving for Apple / Droid...
...They didn't build a slate that would cause a person alien to Blackberry to be interested in looking at a BB phone.
...That's the problem I see.

What if rim said' we really don't have a fully functional tablet that every single person is going to love,

They did say just that when they released the Playbook the way they did.....
...And those who didn't hear that loud and clear absolutely heard it in the reviews.
...The market validates the promulgation to be sure.

Well folks, no company has a tablet that everyone loves, I pad like the iPhone sells mainly because it has sexy, hype, commercials, most people are cattle and will buy a car because there is a sexy woman in the ad and men will imagine they will have a bigger dingus if they own that car, well folks I buy for function and other ideals ad n I prefer not to be trapped within apples market, when Playbook gets android functionality it will be set free and I will have the best of rim and andoid, and it is coming, then rim can run sexy commercials that will pull the mindless drones in.

The ipad sells more because it is functional - it does light years more "business" than a Playbook...
...And is on another planet for "fun stuff" ( play time ).

This is why if RIM has the ability to release the native email NOW they should just do it...
...Go after the segment of people who have never had a BB phone and get them interested with the Playbook.

If they see the Playbook as functional AND realize they can bridge it to a BB phone IF THEY BUY ONE....
...And not pay a cellular company EXTRA for data I would say that's a no brainer.
...RIM could recover things rapidly if they play this smart.

Don't screw around and wait until November to make a big dog and pony show over releasing something that should have released with the phone to begin with - get native email on every Playbook that was sold as soon as possible then release other things as they come along.

[kbz1960]

If they see the Playbook as functional AND realize they can bridge it to a BB phone IF THEY BUY ONE....
...And not pay a cellular company EXTRA for data I would say that's a no brainer.
...RIM could recover things rapidly if they play this smart.

Cut down to respond to this

Huh and this is exactly what RIM was thinking along with the security of email etc. not being on the playbook except when paired with a bb. Sounded great if out of their user base even if 1/4 of people bought it would be a success.

We all know how that turned out now don't we. So it was back to the drawing board, more delays and it is why we are now waiting until Feb. All most like they had to start all over again.

[pythons]

Cut down to respond to this

Huh and this is exactly what RIM was thinking along with the security of email etc. not being on the playbook except when paired with a bb. Sounded great if out of their user base even if 1/4 of people bought it would be a success.

We all know how that turned out now don't we. So it was back to the drawing board, more delays and it is why we are now waiting until Feb. All most like they had to start all over again.

To be honest, even with as critical as I have been about the 99xx 'Flagship'...
...Everything except the pdf reading appears to be solid on the Playbook.
...For me there is simply more to like about it then to dislike.

All that needs to happen is for RIM to get this device functional and do it fast...
...If they are able to UN - defalcate their next flagship phone and update their B.I.S.
....So that owners can get the same size of emails as IOS and Droid.
...It will be game on and things will change rapidly for the better.

I love the form factor of the new Bold, love the keyboard and everthing about the phone except the camera and lack of larger email support...
...Rim can pull this off and I hope that they do.