- the playbook browser has alot of flaws, anyone who says it doesn't is just a diehard rim fanboy, every problem that the op listed i have experienced time and time again, and for a browser that has flash, it struggles to browse certain sites like youtube.I would not say the playbook is a POS, bu i would not say that the playbook out performs any other browser, my girlfriend has an ipad 2 and she browses websites just as good as the playbook. My main gripe with the playbook browser is the crashing and random time outs, neither i have experienced on the ipad06-25-12 06:33 AMLike 0
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- My browser hasn't crashed since this last update and I have no trouble browsing YouTube.
I do get checkerboard if I scroll fast before the page loads but so does my PC. Just to a lesser extent. I don't expect a mobile device to render a Page as fast as my PC.
I can only compare it to the ipad2. It's no faster or slower but has access to more websites. That gives the PB the advantage in my opinion.kbz1960 likes this.06-25-12 06:50 AMLike 1 -
- You don't need Desktop Manager but you do need Blackberry Device Manager 7.0 or higher. The Playbook (with OS 2) will install this be default when you first connect it to your computer.06-25-12 06:56 AMLike 0
- I think I mostly agree with the OP. The browser isn't as great as people make out. I think it's OK, but here are my gripes:
- Navigating long webpages is impractical because of a lack of search and the lack of a secondary way to scroll. (Try loading a very long webpage like those when viewing the contents of a group on easynews and scrolling to the bottom, your finger will start to ache with the amount of swiping - on the Android stock browser you can grab a handle on the right side of the screen and use that to scroll elsewhere on the page)
- Speed of the browser is quite slow. I think this has become more of a problem recently. I swear the OS1 browser was quicker, but maybe that's just my rose-tinted specs.
- Opening links is painful. Again, I swear this is worse in OS2. On some websites I have to tap the out of hyperlinks to get them to load.
- Flash doesn't seem stable. I have to refresh the page quite often to get videos to play on 4OD or Demand 5 (UK TV streaming websites) as it will inevitably freeze after commercials have been inserted into the stream. This isn't a problem on my PC.
It makes me chortle a bit when people make a big deal of having flash support, because most websites seem to have stopped using Flash so much or have workarounds for the ipad. Just a couple of weeks ago my wife squealed with delight when the BBC news website started providing their videos through an alternate method to her ipad. She rarely complains that websites won't work because of Flash, and those few that still use it (Argos is the only one that springs to mind) have apps available anyway.
Apart from those gripes, I think the browser is pretty cool. Since the last firmware it's been pretty robust (the firmware before it crashed randomly) and it seems to load most websites without error. Here's hoping further releases fix the things above and add a function to remember usernames and passwords!06-25-12 07:07 AMLike 0 - My browser hasn't crashed since this last update and I have no trouble browsing YouTube.
I do get checkerboard if I scroll fast before the page loads but so does my PC. Just to a lesser extent. I don't expect a mobile device to render a Page as fast as my PC.
I can only compare it to the ipad2. It's no faster or slower but has access to more websites. That gives the PB the advantage in my opinion.06-25-12 07:17 AMLike 0 - Can you try loading the chive.com on your pb and ipad? I don't have an ipad to compare it to, but on my pb it's checkboard city even after the pages are fully loaded.
The ipad belongs to a family member. It's not here to test.06-25-12 07:23 AMLike 0 - in my opinion playbook would have been better accepted (and got more usable apps) if it runs OS7.1
current QNX experience is still inconsistent; applications are not well written; similar experience as in WP ( i bought Nokia Lumia 900 a week ago). WP is even worse because the marketplace doesn't work in many countries.
quality wise, there is no way we can compare qnx applications vs android or ios; its a completely different ballpark, completely different ballgame.
as far as the interface and UI experience, playbook does not really ring any new experience since i have had webos devices (pixy et al), meego (nokia n9500 developer edition), WP(lumia 900), android (droid bionic), ios (ipad) and of course BB (9900 and PB 64gb).
For other people it may be fascinating, confusing or just downright difficult.
the browser is indeed dissapointing. most of the time its just closes..i get tired of clearing caches and whatnots. even the super-adjustable-complex-multiple setting android phones or tablet does not need me to clear caches. its so windows 9806-25-12 07:26 AMLike 0 - A POS? No, I dont think so.
I just got an Ipad 3 quite literally 2 hours ago (was required by work ) and in the first 30 minutes of use, I'm about ready to huck the thing on the ground, stomp on it, and then light it on fire. This will sum of my thoughts:
I want to go to Zen Studios website at Zen Pinball 2 only to be told that the entire site is a flash site so it's not viewable on via Safaria. Next, I want to go to the forums on Zen Studios to read some comments about some of their products only to load the forums and then receive a message saying that it's recommended to download a special "Ipad app" that will allow for easier viewing of the forums. Is the app free? Of course not, it costs money.
So then I go to CTV news website and want to view some of the videos of the news of the day - nope, cant do that via Safaira. Aha you say! There's an app for that. Well, it's free, but then I read the reviews and the words "horrible", "useless" "disgusting" and "embarrassment" comprise almost every review of CTV's official app.
Oh, as to the Playbook; none of these problems exist - the websites just load as they are meant to.
Oh, and as an aside, the ability to simply plug in the Playbook to a computer with the computer seeing iti as a hard drive and not requiring any other special software in order to move files to it is in one word - heaven-sent. Never have I appreciated that more than now - utterly unbelievable what one has to do to get files onto the Ipad.
Playbook rocks!
As for the PB browser, it's OK in terms of performance. A little slow with a lot of checkerboarding, but OK. However, feature-wise it is a joke compared to e.g. Dolphin. I don't know what folks at RIM have been thinking when they designed a web browser without virtually any standard and basic functionality/features. It just feels so 1990s when you use the PB browser and for example try to find a word on a page or organizebor sync your bookmarks.06-25-12 08:03 AMLike 0 -
As far as BB10 and a Cascades version of the browser go, we don't even know whether it will include the missing features and when it's going to be released. It's quite possible that we finally get bookmark management and other basic stuff when the PB turns 2. It is also quite possible that we will never get the BB10 update. Nobody knows what will happen to the company in a half a year.Last edited by kennyliu; 06-25-12 at 08:30 AM.
06-25-12 08:24 AMLike 0 - kbz1960Doesn't MatterWhy do much with it when it takes a company 1.5 years to add the simplest functionality to its browser that has been touted to be the only thing one needs?
As far as BB10 and a Cascades version of the browser go, we don't even know whether it will include the missing features and when it's going to be released. It's quite possible that we finally get bookmark management and other basic stuff when the PB turns 2. It ie also quite possible that we never get the BB10 update. Nobody knows what will happen to the company in a half a year.
Yep it ain't perfect and neither am I but we both work.06-25-12 08:33 AMLike 0 - I would def take it up to your company and tell them that they made you buy the ipad and it cant even do what you are supposed to do with it. I would have thought that a company like Zen Studios would have known that their site uses flash and not tell employees to get ipads. or at least they should pay for the app.
A POS? No, I dont think so.
I just got an Ipad 3 quite literally 2 hours ago (was required by work ) and in the first 30 minutes of use, I'm about ready to huck the thing on the ground, stomp on it, and then light it on fire. This will sum of my thoughts:
I want to go to Zen Studios website at Zen Pinball 2 only to be told that the entire site is a flash site so it's not viewable on via Safaria. Next, I want to go to the forums on Zen Studios to read some comments about some of their products only to load the forums and then receive a message saying that it's recommended to download a special "Ipad app" that will allow for easier viewing of the forums. Is the app free? Of course not, it costs money.
So then I go to CTV news website and want to view some of the videos of the news of the day - nope, cant do that via Safaira. Aha you say! There's an app for that. Well, it's free, but then I read the reviews and the words "horrible", "useless" "disgusting" and "embarrassment" comprise almost every review of CTV's official app.
Oh, as to the Playbook; none of these problems exist - the websites just load as they are meant to.
Oh, and as an aside, the ability to simply plug in the Playbook to a computer with the computer seeing it as a hard drive and not requiring any other special software in order to move files to it is in one word - heaven-sent. Never have I appreciated that more than now - utterly unbelievable what one has to do to get files onto the Ipad.
Playbook rocks!06-25-12 08:43 AMLike 0 - Yep taking time like all new OS's do. Yep also to we don't know either way. For all we do know android could self destruct due to viruses and malware and iOS could too. But as you said we don't know. I think other much more mature platforms have problems worse than bookmark management.
Yep it ain't perfect and neither am I but we both work.06-25-12 08:56 AMLike 0 -
What is disappointing is that Rim has thrown out its promise (okay, not exactly a promise) that there would be incremental upgrades. Now we keep getting the BIGGER upgrades but they are rare and a few and far between. Meanwhile the Browser is stuck in the first era of computing and the web!06-25-12 08:56 AMLike 0 - There are things that are cool about the Playbook and other things that annoy the crud out of me, particularly with the browser. I experience checkerboarding on certain sites, but would I call the browser a POS? No. Everyone is always quick to compare the "my iPad has this", "can your iPad do what my Playbook can do?" etc. Both tablets have their advantages. Remember that QNX and the Playbook OS is new while the Apple OS has been out for a while. I don't even bother arguing about Playbook vs. Android vs. iPad. I only show off what my Playbook can do, strengths and weaknesses.
But when all is said and done, there is a reason why there are software updates...06-25-12 09:14 AMLike 0 - sleepngbearRetired ModeratorWell he isn't any more off-topic than folks who turn any complaint about the Playbook browser to an 'iPad can't render flash sites' bashfest.
I mean, the OP is complaining about sluggish page load times, checkerboarding and issues with text entry/editing. While i haven't had these issues on my Playbook, getting all defensive and harping on and on about flash compatibility in Safari just doesn't make any sense.
BTW, I have issues with a few sites on the PB. Turns out my wife with her iPad has the same issues and more with many of the same sites. Pages load slowly or not completely, interactive text entry drags or just doesn't work, to the point where she pretty much avoids browsing with it. Does that make Safari a POS too? Perhaps we all need wake up to the reality that mobile browsing on any platform isn't yet quite as robust an experience as desktop browsing.
* Counting down to the first Android user to refute this: 3, 2, 1 ...06-25-12 09:20 AMLike 0 - sleepngbearRetired ModeratorSOON??? Really? It sounds as if it will not see the light of day for almost TWO YEARS after the pb was launched.
What is disappointing is that Rim has thrown out its promise (okay, not exactly a promise) that there would be incremental upgrades. Now we keep getting the BIGGER upgrades but they are rare and a few and far between. Meanwhile the Browser is stuck in the first era of computing and the web!
Anyway, where would you rather see RIM dedicating resources, making a browser better that already works, or getting the next gen device and OS that are the last hope for saving the company out the door?kbz1960 likes this.06-25-12 09:25 AMLike 1 -
- How can a Site be experiencing network errors when I can load it fine on my iPhone in blazing speed? How can I not access access sub pages of a site, freezing, blue bar disappearing, while my iPhone loads the Page on first attempt? I'm on the same home network, in the same room on the same planet. Why when I load crackberry i get checkerboarding out the whazoo when I'm only scrolling down a paragraph? Why when attempting to select text for correction in this very Window I have to tap 4 times just to get the pins to appear somewhat close to the vicinity where I need to make adjustments?
Why can't I select all the text in this input box!!!??(for fear that I'll lose my entry to a surprise crash) why when I open multiple tabs (5) its stalls and eventually crashes or mixes up the web view?
This browser is a POS and It better be flawless by the time BB10 comes, Or I'll be moving on. Yes, I'm only one individual, but out of 6 of my colleagues that picked the PB up, I am the only faithful one still using it. (I'm submitting my post here because the POS browser won't let me scroll to the end of this test input to complete my entry. This is such a POS browser)
It's just more and more frustrating and apparent that RIM doesn't seem to care or is acting fast enough to cross the T's and dot the I'sLast edited by rcm1301; 06-25-12 at 10:04 AM.
06-25-12 10:00 AMLike 0
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Sorry PB web browser is a POS.
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