[ew800]

I have come very close to purchasing the PB and had pretty much made the decision to pull the trigger, until I went to a couple of retailers yesterday. I was on a business trip and found myself with a few free moments, so...

Best Buy in LA -- They had a basically a row setup for tablets. There were probably 6 or 7 on display. They were all working and looked great, except the BB PB. It was dead. I asked a sales rep about it. He seemed very disinterested and said, "well they all come back anyway...."

Stapes in LA -- Similar to above. All on display were working, however the BB PB was completely frozen. I asked a sales rep about it and he said that they have not been able to get it to work for days....

Although this was only two stores, it was very disheartening to see basically no interest in the PB by these two stores. The other models were powered up and looking good, but no interest in the PB.

Anyone else see stuff like this?

[californiablackberry]

It's all over, everywhere.
The Blackberry's get this treatment in basically every carrier store also. Now the Playbook gets the same treatment.
Everyone thinks RIM is a joke. It sucks, yes. There's not much we can do about it now.

They'll continue to push iOS and Android, while RIM just keeps getting pushed/bullied into the corner.

[Cozmik]

Unfortunately that seems to be the status quo for the PlayBook at this point. The media beat the **** out of it at launch and haven't let up much and here we are 90 days later and no one has any interest in promoting it or selling it. It could have gone so much better...

[Send Again]

Save your $500 to $700. Rim can't even put out an update without screwing it up. Do not buy the PlayBook.

[Michelle Haag]

Save your $500 to $700. Rim can't even put out an update without screwing it up. Do not buy the PlayBook.

There are plenty of people that are happy with their purchase, and satisfied with what the PlayBook offers and what's to come. It's not perfect, but it's still a worthwhile product.

[sk8er_tor]

I love my PlayBook. Those who make stupid comments like the one above by Send Again are too stupid to know how to use it.

Also, think about it. What respectable store manager would be okay with their display units not working? Even if they don't like the PlayBook, why would they not want to have a proper display? I would say incompetent store managers, and there seems to be plenty of them around. This is exactly why Apple has its own stores.

[Send Again]

There are plenty of people that are happy with their purchase, and satisfied with what the PlayBook offers and what's to come. It's not perfect, but it's still a worthwhile product.

While that's probably true, and I'm not really too disappointed in the PlayBook, I am not encouraging anyone to buy this product anymore. There have been too many gaffs that, in my opinion, make RIM look like a bunch of bumbling idiots. Until the "professional tablet" starts looking like a professional tablet, I'm not encouraging anyone to waste their money on a product that is just not ready for prime time.

[lyricidal]

after reading this I've now decided my new goal in life is to make all the PlayBooks at all the retail stores work because it seems the trained monkeys can't.

(not really, but come on... WTF!?)

[whackamac]

Went back to Staples and OD today and updated the PB's again to find the surge protector turned off on the staples display and no one knowing why the PB wasn't working. Taught the OD staff a bit more too.

[rm2092]

Same at my local Best Buy, all of them were on except the Playbook dead also the power cord was all screwed up most likely from kids playing with them or adults that just don't care.

[DX9]

Until the "professional tablet" starts looking like a professional tablet, I'm not encouraging anyone to waste their money on a product that is just not ready for prime time.

Crazy when we are 90 days after launch and it still hasnt developed all that much. I bought one at launch and eventually returned it. Picked up a brand new 16GB $200 off retail last week and to me not a whole lot has improved. OS is smoother and faster but besides that i don't see a lot of improvement. Kinda disappointing.

[ScottsdaleHokie]

He seemed very disinterested and said, "well they all come back anyway...."

This was all you had to say.

[ScottsdaleHokie]

There are plenty of people that are happy with their purchase, and satisfied with what the PlayBook offers and what's to come. It's not perfect, but it's still a worthwhile product.

Only if it were priced a couple hundred dollars less.

[mcront35]

I have come very close to purchasing the PB and had pretty much made the decision to pull the trigger, until I went to a couple of retailers yesterday. I was on a business trip and found myself with a few free moments, so...

Best Buy in LA -- They had a basically a row setup for tablets. There were probably 6 or 7 on display. They were all working and looked great, except the BB PB. It was dead. I asked a sales rep about it. He seemed very disinterested and said, "well they all come back anyway...."

Stapes in LA -- Similar to above. All on display were working, however the BB PB was completely frozen. I asked a sales rep about it and he said that they have not been able to get it to work for days....

Although this was only two stores, it was very disheartening to see basically no interest in the PB by these two stores. The other models were powered up and looking good, but no interest in the PB.

Anyone else see stuff like this?

Apple owns Staples too,

Both stores will represent any other tablets besides the PB!

[ew800]

In regard to the one store employee that told me that all the PB's come back, does anyone here know how returns impact the store? Are they able to return them to RIM for some type of credit or does the store just have to try to sell them cheaper and eat the difference? Just curious if they really are getting a lot coming back in the door.

[SourBB]

Best buy put out a nice commercial advertising summer tablets and the PlayBook was the center of attention. Dont know if anyone else has seen this but it was a good promo. I recently saw HP7 and saw a good long BB PB advertisement, pretty nice. The PB has a small stand at my local BB with a torch next to it but it is working. I saw some kids playing NFS and also having trouble navigating on the PB lol. So hopefully the PB is up and running at most retailers.

[BBThemes]

In regard to the one store employee that told me that all the PB's come back, does anyone here know how returns impact the store? Are they able to return them to RIM for some type of credit or does the store just have to try to sell them cheaper and eat the difference? Just curious if they really are getting a lot coming back in the door.

well when i worked for a carrier, of course you get sales comission but any returns come out of that comission (effectively negating that sale you did) because the sale hasnt stayed sold if that makes sense so you dont see the comission from it. of course our total return rate was about 1%, simply by making sure people had what was right for them.

If a store is unprofessional and doesnt have it turned on, then customers cant try it out, which means they may not enjoy it, which means they may return it. its really a self defeating purpose, if it was running they may have less returns, which would mean more comission and also more sales because your doing another sale because your not doing a return.

[SourBB]

In regard to the one store employee that told me that all the PB's come back, does anyone here know how returns impact the store? Are they able to return them to RIM for some type of credit or does the store just have to try to sell them cheaper and eat the difference? Just curious if they really are getting a lot coming back in the door.

From my understanding they sell them as open box items. I call BS on all coming back to the store though, the PB might not have the cult following Apple has but when i bought mine on Launch their was like 5 people including me waiting outside early in the AM to get our grubby little hands on it. So its not all doom and gloom for the PB

[wrh310]

this will be the first time I've ever posted, so it's too bad that the topic is negative. I've been a BB user for years and love them. I've had a playbook for about a month and LOVE it. the browser is killer, it has what few apps i need. I'm a bit annoyed by little things like no BBM through the bridge and no spell check on email, but i find those small inconveniences in the bigger picture. i've showed it off to literally dozens of people through my consulting work and everyone is impressed. i hope to be personally responsible for dozens of new users. so when i walk into the staples store where i bought my playbook and the display unit isn't even charged, i'm frustrated. there wasn't even someone around to talk to complain to. RIM needs to get out its update with android player, native pim, bbm, etc and then go kick some retailer ***.

[Dapper37]

Funny thing, my mother bought a PB, she had seen how I was using and enjoying mine. Plus it was a way for her to keep in touch with me as I travel a lot. She has never rely used the internet before and thought it would be a fun introduction. I set her up with email and some favorite sites she liked. Showed her the basics rely. She loves it, she is learning more ever day and suprising me with what she can do and has learned. Shes just amazed. I'm very happy it worked out so well for her. I'll be sure never to show her what is being said about her 3 month old baby.
Perhaps not the right tread for this but its a demonstration of the fact, PB is not for all but works very well for others.

[togardergrosse]

OMG the legendary lyricidal has spoken!
Didn't knew u were in this forum! (OOT)

ps: In every thread like 'this', I just look for MOD's comment and that sums it all up.

[jvictor77]

I don't go much for conspiracy theories but the more I see and read this kind of stuff, the more it seems IMO to be an organized campaign. I mean....we're talking about different retailers, at different locations, with different personel - and they're all trampling the PB underfoot! Couple this with all the negative media ( not only negative reviews, but blogs and comparison discussions where they talk as if the PB doesn't exist!) and RIM's own incompetence, and we have the perfect recipe for disaster!

[Economist101]

I don't go much for conspiracy theories but the more I see and read this kind of stuff, the more it seems IMO to be an organized campaign. I mean....we're talking about different retailers, at different locations, with different personel - and they're all trampling the PB underfoot! Couple this with all the negative media ( not only negative reviews, but blogs and comparison discussions where they talk as if the PB doesn't exist!) and RIM's own incompetence, and we have the perfect recipe for disaster!

Good point. Let's see if Oliver Stone is available. . . there's a movie in there somewhere.

[jvictor77]

Good point. Let's see if Oliver Stone is available. . . there's a movie in there somewhere.

[blackjack93117]

There are plenty of people that are happy with their purchase, and satisfied with what the PlayBook offers and what's to come. It's not perfect, but it's still a worthwhile product.

Michelle - with all due respect you're too nice. Why not delete useless, baseless inflammatory comments like that instead of commenting on them (fueling the fire )?