[Chaucer498]

Hi,

I recently became interested in Blackberry after helping a work associate hook up his Blackberry email on his new Bold phone. I really liked the feel and look of the phone. I have been an Apple user for a very long time. I have been using their products before it was "cool" to have an Apple.

In fact, I was mocked for having Apples. I still have the original ipod that I got after buying into the mini-disc hype before mp3. I remember I had a Sony mini-dsic player. I was able to sell it off after not liking the format very much and got my first mp3 player, which was the first gen ipod that I still have today, and still works and holds a decent charge.

Anyway, I need a change. I have become quite bored with the platforms and with the lack of innovation lately. I was so close to pulling the trigger a while back on the HP tablet and possibly the Pre 3 (which never released in US) then HP dropped the ball big time on their tablet and smartphone market.

I have been looking into the PB and heard Blackberry is coming out with a new phone and BB X (this month?) and it definitely has my interest but I am scared this is going to end up being a last atttempt type of thing considernig the company isn't doing very well.

I don't even do too much on my tablet and smartphone devices but there are some things that just have to work for me to be satisfied. Things like texting, emails and internet browsing. I have used some phones where these basic tasks were clunky or just hit or miss. I can't have that type of experience.

I was also wondering if blackberry has any app like Air Video on Ipad? I use that pretty frequently. Other than that I don't see why I can't give it a shot. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Donnee]

As far as browsing / emailing etc goes the pb should handle that no problem, if not slightly better due to the addition of flash in the browser.

As for other things it depends what you want from it, if you expect a full IPad/apple style ecosystem you'll be disappointed but there's enough there to keep me entertained (I've been running a pb since launch alongside a 4s, and more recently a bb 9790 and I've not really felt the urge or need to swap it for an IPad at any point).

The new phones are actually now supposed to land in Q1 of 2013, whether they'll top an iphone remains to be seen but what may be worth doing is picking up a pb now if you can get a good deal and seeing what you think. The phones are (from what's been leaked so far) loosely based on the playbook with gesture controls etc so it may give some idea of what to expect (plus the pb will be getting bb10 so you can try before you buy a phone effectively)

If air video does what I think (video streaming?) there's a vlc streaming client on the app store now which does that (and it's free) or you can use wireless file sharing to drop stuff onto the pb and take it with you

End of the day it's one of those where it might work for you or it might not, best bet would be to find a store that has them in, give one a try and see how you get on.

Hope that helps

[masqueofhastur]

BBX is now BB10, and will be launching early next year, rather than this month.

Like you I thought webOS was very innovative (I still have high hopes for Open webOS), and PlayBook OS definitely comes the closest to it (and surpasses it in some areas, plus the hardware is just better). I wouldn't be too concerned about RIM disappearing, they have no debt, cash reserves and excellent relationships with carriers worldwide. BB10 mostly has to be just a polished PBOS to be better than everything else on the market, and they're taking the time to make sure they do that.

BB10 will impress the early adopters, and they'll speak of it positively to their friends, and the user base will just keep growing. It might take a while for the app selection to grow to match Android, iOS and even Windows Phone, but it'll be better than it is now for the PlayBook.

AirPlay is Apple's name for DLNA, not sure if the PB has it as it's not something I ever use.

[axllebeer]

My advice is to buy a PlayBook as they are so cheap to find online. If you like it then it is extremely likely that you will love the BB10 OS when it comes to the light of day in the beginning of 2013. Find one that is the 16GB version to save on the cost of "trying it out". If you like it then resell online and get one with more storage. Unless you find a higher capacity one for what you deem to be an acceptable price from the get go.

If you are board with another platform, then the PlayBook will likely be a great breath of fresh air for you.

[Chaucer498]

BBX is now BB10, and will be launching early next year, rather than this month.

Like you I thought webOS was very innovative (I still have high hopes for Open webOS), and PlayBook OS definitely comes the closest to it (and surpasses it in some areas, plus the hardware is just better). I wouldn't be too concerned about RIM disappearing, they have no debt, cash reserves and excellent relationships with carriers worldwide. BB10 mostly has to be just a polished PBOS to be better than everything else on the market, and they're taking the time to make sure they do that.

BB10 will impress the early adopters, and they'll speak of it positively to their friends, and the user base will just keep growing. It might take a while for the app selection to grow to match Android, iOS and even Windows Phone, but it'll be better than it is now for the PlayBook.

AirPlay is Apple's name for DLNA, not sure if the PB has it as it's not something I ever use.

I was really interested in what their plans were going to be for the synergy between the tablet and smartphone. I was really liking their ideas on how the two devices should interact and be an extension of each other. I like how you could dock the phone and then take all calls on the tablet or touch the phone to the tablet to transfer all browser pages. It was just the innovation I have been missing and looking for. I was soooo close to pulling the trigger on the combo but luckily I didn't.

Airplay is different than Air Video. Air Video is an app that lets you set up a server on your computer and then the mobile device can stream from it over wifi. It works flawlessly and it's the main app I use. Someone mentioned BB has VLC player and I actually used it for a while so I believe I have the server setup on my computer still so that would work for me.

I know I have tested out other phones and it just didn't retrieve email as fast as the iphone would fetch emails. Browsers on other phones were just not up to snuff either but like I said I have never really tested a BB so this may just be the change I have been looking for. I have been looking to try something new for a while.

[Chaucer498]

My advice is to buy a PlayBook as they are so cheap to find online. If you like it then it is extremely likely that you will love the BB10 OS when it comes to the light of day in the beginning of 2013. Find one that is the 16GB version to save on the cost of "trying it out". If you like it then resell online and get one with more storage. Unless you find a higher capacity one for what you deem to be an acceptable price from the get go.

If you are board with another platform, then the PlayBook will likely be a great breath of fresh air for you.

Very good idea. In fact, I was already planning something like this. I noticed the 16gb model is only 200 and that's not bad at all. I may not even need more storage as I have an ipad with max storage and do not even come close to filling it. I do not really download many apps. I really just use it for browsing, emails and I would use it much more if there were some sort of synergy between the tablet and phone.

What exactly is Bridge? It sounded like it may be what synergy was to Web OS. Am I wrong?

[Fmar]

The plus is it is cheap enough I guess to try a PB out.

Email... well opinions differ. Personally I feel that Blackberry, having made its reputation on email, have a rather poor and weak email client with (IMHO) a terrible screen typing experience. File attaching is a nightmare for me with files not presented within their folders but as a list of every single file you have on the device regardless of location. There is no portrait facility either, though I believe this will change in the next patch.

The strongest card the PB has is the exceptional on board sound. For watching movies (supported by a wide range of codecs) and listening to music. Don't expect much in terms of UI or functionality for these though. Movie player is ok. Audio player is diabolical and will only support one playlist that can be edited on the device. Workarounds exist to import others.

Browser is ok. Don't take my word for it alone, some folk have a flawless experence others don't. I find it laggy and drives me crazy when it appears unresponsive when typing a URL in to the address bar for example. A single keystroke will take a few seconds to register.

Flash, not a plus for me and RIM advise in turning it off till the next patch is released due to security issues. But Flash have had those from day one, not sure why folk keep it alive.

Go out pick one up, play with it... but take the pro's on board with the con's and then decide.

[Chaucer498]

As far as browsing / emailing etc goes the pb should handle that no problem, if not slightly better due to the addition of flash in the browser.

As for other things it depends what you want from it, if you expect a full IPad/apple style ecosystem you'll be disappointed but there's enough there to keep me entertained (I've been running a pb since launch alongside a 4s, and more recently a bb 9790 and I've not really felt the urge or need to swap it for an IPad at any point).

The new phones are actually now supposed to land in Q1 of 2013, whether they'll top an iphone remains to be seen but what may be worth doing is picking up a pb now if you can get a good deal and seeing what you think. The phones are (from what's been leaked so far) loosely based on the playbook with gesture controls etc so it may give some idea of what to expect (plus the pb will be getting bb10 so you can try before you buy a phone effectively)

If air video does what I think (video streaming?) there's a vlc streaming client on the app store now which does that (and it's free) or you can use wireless file sharing to drop stuff onto the pb and take it with you

End of the day it's one of those where it might work for you or it might not, best bet would be to find a store that has them in, give one a try and see how you get on.

Hope that helps

Thanks. Yes, VLC streaming does what Air Video does. I haven't used it in a while but last I check on ipad I think it was okay.

What's this wireless file sharing you speak of?

[diegonei]

You may be. But you tell me.

Here is what Bridge does:

- Allows you to share your BB's data plan (BIS) to your PB, so you don't need to pay extra tethering fees;
- Remote control the PB using your BB device, as well as type using the device's keyboard;
- View /edit/add/delete your phone's PIM apps data on the PlayBook - it does not sync nor store any of the data, it is just a window into the phone;
- Access (some) files from the phone on the PB;
- "Open on" files, links and even emails from the phone on the PB.

Now, lots of people complain they want full sync from phone and tablet data and that is not there. Best option so far is using Google as a proxy (BB > Google > PB > Google > BB).

Wireless file sharing is the ability to access your PB's file system over wifi, like a network drive.

[Chaucer498]

The plus is it is cheap enough I guess to try a PB out.

Email... well opinions differ. Personally I feel that Blackberry, having made its reputation on email, have a rather poor and weak email client with (IMHO) a terrible screen typing experience. File attaching is a nightmare for me with files not presented within their folders but as a list of every single file you have on the device regardless of location. There is no portrait facility either, though I believe this will change in the next patch.

The strongest card the PB has is the exceptional on board sound. For watching movies (supported by a wide range of codecs) and listening to music. Don't expect much in terms of UI or functionality for these though. Movie player is ok. Audio player is diabolical and will only support one playlist that can be edited on the device. Workarounds exist to import others.

Browser is ok. Don't take my word for it alone, some folk have a flawless experence others don't. I find it laggy and drives me crazy when it appears unresponsive when typing a URL in to the address bar for example. A single keystroke will take a few seconds to register.

Flash, not a plus for me and RIM advise in turning it off till the next patch is released due to security issues. But Flash have had those from day one, not sure why folk keep it alive.

Go out pick one up, play with it... but take the pro's on board with the con's and then decide.

Yes, I hear you on the Flash bit. That's why Apple does not support it on their tablet. I have never had a good experience with Flash on any mobile device that supported it so I'm not expecting greatness there.

Interesting about the file system. I was wondering how it worked on BB, seeing as BB has been primarily used by business for years, you think they would have at least ironed out a file system for sending emails. I'm actually in shock. This is one of the things I do not like about the iPad. Wish there were more control of the files on deck.

I think I will be picking one up soon to give it a test run. Was I incorrect about a new phone being released soon? I thought I had seen pictures of a full touch screen phone that BB was working on. I really like the look and feel on the Bold which is the phone that I had some time to mess around with. The only thing I'm not sure about is the screen size for internet browsing. I actually do use my phone a fair bit on the internet and it didn't look like the Bold would be good for that. Any Bold owners disagree? I do love the keys though.

[Fmar]

Bridge is the function to have a BB phone handshake with you PB and integrate the two very closely.

You can have email delivered to your phone and open it in the PB, reply in the PB and have your phone send it. Use your data plan on your phone to allow your PB to connect to the web. Though not a bridge function, you can use your BB phones keyboard as the PB's keyboard, open files from your BB phone on the PB without permanent transferring them, even use the BB phone trackpad as a mouse for your PB.

Last time I looked there is no VLC for the PB. Not to be confused with a VLC remote.

BB10... phones, don't expect to see them till early next year.

BB10 for the PB, well I don't think that will happen till very very very late 2013 if at all. If I were placing bets with real money... I don't think it will happen. I know RIM said they would, but they have their hands full.

[Chaucer498]

You may be. But you tell me.

Here is what Bridge does:

- Allows you to share your BB's data plan (BIS) to your PB, so you don't need to pay extra tethering fees;
- Remote control the PB using your BB device, as well as type using the device's keyboard;
- View /edit/add/delete your phone's PIM apps data on the PlayBook - it does not sync nor store any of the data, it is just a window into the phone;
- Access (some) files from the phone on the PB;
- "Open on" files, links and even emails from the phone on the PB.

Now, lots of people complain they want full sync from phone and tablet data and that is not there. Best option so far is using Google as a proxy (BB > Google > PB > Google > BB).

Wireless file sharing is the ability to access your PB's file system over wifi, like a network drive.

Interesting about the tethering option. Is that with all carriers? I have AT&T, I could see them not being too happy about that.

Bridge sounds like it's making it way to being a sort of Synergy between the two devices. I really like that. Web OS had some really neat ideas with connecting the two devices together. It's a shame they never go to deliver on those ideas. Maybe BB will take those ideas and make them better. Sound like that is what Bridge is doing.

[Chaucer498]

Bridge is the function to have a BB phone handshake with you PB and integrate the two very closely.

You can have email delivered to your phone and open it in the PB, reply in the PB and have your phone send it. Use your data plan on your phone to allow your PB to connect to the web. Though not a bridge function, you can use your BB phones keyboard as the PB's keyboard, open files from your BB phone on the PB without permanent transferring them, even use the BB phone trackpad as a mouse for your PB.

Last time I looked there is no VLC for the PB. Not to be confused with a VLC remote.

BB10... phones, don't expect to see them till early next year.

BB10 for the PB, well I don't think that will happen till very very very late 2013 if at all. If I were placing bets with real money... I don't think it will happen. I know RIM said they would, but they have their hands full.

So do you think now is not a good time to jump on the BB bandwagon? It almost sounds like the full force of BB will not be unleashed until BB10 so maybe a noob to BB should wait until then?

[Fmar]

The flash thing is also very much about battery life too. Flash is decoded on a software level and not by hardware like other codecs. Software decoding is not great for mobiles devices as it uses far more power.

You can often hear fans on desktops and laptops kicking in when you go to a flash enabled website or watch streaming FLV files.

The file system is FLAT FILE on the PB, so ignores directories when presenting files to you, just gives you them all. I would often have hundreds to a couple of thousand images on the device whilst out and about. A customer would email me to send some images to preview of the ceremony part of their wedding... well the ones they want are in the ceremony folder of the wedding on the 29th of March... scratch that the PB gives me every single image from every single folder. Useless.

I have a feeling the BB 10 phones will be something exceptional though. RIM can't afford for them not to be. I just hope they dump flash.

[Fmar]

So do you think now is not a good time to jump on the BB bandwagon? It almost sounds like the full force of BB will not be unleashed until BB10 so maybe a noob to BB should wait until then?

I can't answer that for you.

Other than if it is a phone... then yes wait for the BB10 devices. Unless... RIM have stated that some current devices will be compatible with BB10.

The PB... just go out, pick one up and play with it. I'll be honest, I don't like the device... but doesn't mean you will/won't. You'll see plenty of folk here really digging the PB. It's horses for courses.

[diegonei]

AT&T does charge for it, but it is the only carrier we know of that does that. All others don't. But fear not, rroyy.com always hosts a version of the Bridge app that allows you to use Bridge as the rest of the world.

The PlayBook is getting BlackBerry 10, so it is a cheap way to get into the new OS. You'll have to wait till,, 2013 and the release of the phones, but it will happen.

If you can find a cheap 9780, then you'd be covered on most bases and have a good enough experience.

[diegonei]

I can't answer that for you.

Other than if it is a phone... then yes wait for the BB10 devices. Unless... RIM have stated that some current devices will be compatible with BB10.

The PB... just go out, pick one up and play with it. I'll be honest, I don't like the device... but doesn't mean you will/won't. You'll see plenty of folk here really digging the PB. It's horses for courses.

The only "current device" getting BB10 is the PlayBook. No other device will see a BB10 update.

If flash issues are such a biggie, install the device beta OS. It is stable enough now for most users and already updated to a version of flash that's patched.

[Fmar]

Flash will be an issue regardless of what patch the PB gets. And if it does turn up... that's a big 'if'... expect close to a year from now for BB10 on PB. It took one year to get a native email application.

[diegonei]

I'll stick with RIM's official statement instead of your opinion, if you don't mind. Take no offense on it.

Having BB10 on the PB after it hits on phones is a business decision and has very few to do with technical issues. They need to sell phones. BB10 on the PB does not generate them any income.

So... What ifs are we talking about again?

[masqueofhastur]

Very good idea. In fact, I was already planning something like this. I noticed the 16gb model is only 200 and that's not bad at all. I may not even need more storage as I have an ipad with max storage and do not even come close to filling it. I do not really download many apps. I really just use it for browsing, emails and I would use it much more if there were some sort of synergy between the tablet and phone.

What exactly is Bridge? It sounded like it may be what synergy was to Web OS. Am I wrong?

Bridge is more like the touch to share thing. Synergy was more like what BB phones had for a long time with a unified inbox and all your accounts synced properly.

It's uncertain whether there will be another PlayBook any time soon, so if that's something you want, then yeah, I'd recommend jumping on one now while you can still buy them. By the time BB10 is out, there won't be any PlayBooks left aside from the LTE version.

At the moment the messages app on the PlayBook is pretty crappy though. I've taken to just using the online interface. I'm not too concerned about it still being crap in BB10, as I suspect that's one of the reasons they decided to push back the release.

[Chaucer498]

One more thing if you don't mind.

Text messaging on a BB. Is it like the old txt interface where you had to open each individual text message or is it like the newer interface where you open a contact and every text message between you shows up like a conversation? How does the group texting work?

[diegonei]

One more thing if you don't mind.

Text messaging on a BB. Is it like the old txt interface where you had to open each individual text message or is it like the newer interface where you open a contact and every text message between you shows up like a conversation? How does the group texting work?

This is how it looks like on OS6:



OS7 shouldn't be too different.

As soon as you start typing on the To: field, it will populate with your contact list. No screenshot of that though, as I am not showing my contact list.

[masqueofhastur]

Honestly, if you're looking for innovation, I wouldn't get even a BBOS7 device - it's more playing catch up and sort of does it. At the moment I'd say stick with whatever smartphone you have and use the WiFi hotspot feature to connect your PB.

[Xopher]

Flash is something that will probably be around on the PlayBook for quite a while. AIR especially, since a lot of apps are AIR apps (although Native apps are getting better). It takes a little getting used to the gestures, but now that I've been using hte Playbook, I keep wondering why all my other devices don't work that way.

One of the biggest pluses is Bridge. I didn't realize how much I actually would use it until I got the PlayBook. It surprised me how the Android player has access to the internet via Bridge, so a lot of the Android apps I have still have access to the internet when I'm away from wifi. I don't do a lot of texting, so my 9700 sits in its holster most of the time, and I just open the Bridge apps on the PlayBook instead. I'm really interested to see how they integrate Bridge in the BB10 phones.

Like others have suggested, I would try the PlayBook and see if it is something that interests you. A BB7 device might not, unless you do a lot of typing (emails, texting, friends on BBM). If everything goes as RIM has planned, the BB10 phone will be a nice compliment to the PlayBook.

[Chaucer498]

This is how it looks like on OS6:

Click to view quoted image


OS7 shouldn't be too different.

As soon as you start typing on the To: field, it will populate with your contact list. No screenshot of that though, as I am not showing my contact list.

That looks fine but assuming there were multiple text from one contact are all of those texts in one window where you can see the back and forth conversations? I have seen some phones where you have to open every text individually. I'm not trying to go back in time.

What happens when you receive a group text or respond to one?

The reason I ask is because it is different from iOS to Android so I am unfamiliar with the way this is handled by BB.

Thanks again for all the insight.