1. airbbtran's Avatar
    I don't own a bb phone, but everyone talks about bridge as one of the biggest advantage.

    This is what I know about bridge

    - Lets you tether your internet connection
    - Lets you read your email on your playbook
    - Lets you use the mouseball on your bb to control your playbook

    Seems to me bridge is just a way to tether your playbook and nothing else really. Why is everyone making a big deal out of it?

    Why would you want to read your email on your playbook on the go? Most email consist of couple of line and it is probably faster to respond with a physical keyboard on your phone anyway. Why would you want to waste battery on both device to do one thing?

    Why would you want to control your playbook with the mouseball? wouldn't it be easier to just touch the screen? also, where are you going to put the playbook if you are on the go? u use one hand to scroll with your bb and another to hold the playbook?

    Am I missing anything else? please enlighten me.
    09-21-12 11:38 AM
  2. marka351's Avatar
    Myself I like reading some emails on the Playbook vice my phone as they are usually longer than just a few lines. Also if there is attachements in Excel or Word it is much easier to read on the 7 inch screen instead of my phone's screen. Same with the Calendar having a bigger screen makes it more user friendly for me.
    TheScionicMan, Xopher and Hgouck like this.
    09-21-12 11:47 AM
  3. robsteve's Avatar
    If you don't have a BlackBerry Phone, a tablet with a similar OS to your phone may be a better choice.

    The shared internet is important to some customers that have to pay an extra fee to tether.

    The reading email on the PlayBook also includes reading attachments on the larger PlayBook screen.

    The mouse/keyboard capabilities can make it easier to use web sites that are not touch screen friendly.

    There are other features to Bridge, such as transferring all the wifi profiles to the PlayBook so any wifi source you have connected to with your phone will be setup on the PlayBook, passwords included.

    In a corporate world, multiple people can use one PlayBook and all the personal data can reside on the phone and be protected by the phone's password/security.

    In a secure corporate, military, law enforcement use, the PlayBook can connect to the private intranet via the phones BES connection.
    Xopher, esk369, Xopher and 2 others like this.
    09-21-12 11:52 AM
  4. TheScionicMan's Avatar
    I wouldn't use both while walking down the street, but there are many times when I do need to type more than a few lines and using the BB keyboard makes it much easier. Also, don't think of it as just holding the two, imagine connecting your PB to a large flatscreen and then controlling it remotely. The larger screen on the PB is helpful for many things as well. Showing someone pictures from my BB by sending them to my PB is just much nicer. You can run the show from the background so they only see pics, not you flipping through dozens, etc.

    Having the abilities of a BlueTooth mouse is very important in apps like Citrix where you're controlling a Windows environment. The pinpoint precision is there that you can't get with your finger. Also, it gives you easy access to right-click and other commands. Try that with an iPad. (You can't connect a BT mouse to iPad)

    When most people tether, it's during a finite time. You turn on the tethering, do your thing and then turn it off to save batt and bandwidth. Those machinations aren't needed with Bridge. It's always connected for me, it fills in the blank spots when I'm away from wifi and keeping info on my tablet up to date.

    I tend to gravitate towards the largest screen that is convenient. Whether that's my BB, PB or PC depends on the circumstances.
    esk369, Hgouck and Xopher like this.
    09-21-12 11:54 AM
  5. rcm1301's Avatar
    Why would you want to control your playbook with the mouseball? wouldn't it be easier to just touch the screen?
    Not if you are watching movies with HDMI on TV via PB and that is 10+ feet away. Unless you have veryyyyyyy long arms.
    esk369 and goaliegirl33 like this.
    09-21-12 11:57 AM
  6. trsbbs's Avatar
    Tethering establishes separate Internet connection. It does not use the connection that the BB phone uses. Thus you could be charged for tethering. Only the evil AT&T charges for using the Bridge function. This is a way to use you PB without paying for the additional connection.

    You can send and receive emails via your BB phone.
    You can remotely control your BB via Bridge.
    Tasks and contacts etc. on your BB phone show up on your PB.

    Its the reason I purchased the PB.

    Tim
    esk369 likes this.
    09-21-12 11:57 AM
  7. dugggggg's Avatar
    Here in the states at least, tethering is usually $15-30 a month, whereas Bridge lets you tether FOR FREE. Those savings add up so fast, it only took seven months of ownership to justify my PB purchase.
    Hgouck likes this.
    09-21-12 12:00 PM
  8. kyleheney's Avatar
    My favourite thing about Bridge is that it is always connected (if I choose to keep BlueTooth on). Other platforms can offer similar services as Bridge, but it's done through a WiFi hotspot. This not only involves turning it on and off when you want to use it, but also uses a considerable amount of battery life compared to BlueTooth (in my experience). This means that a person is less likely to use the feature as often, whereas I have Bridge always connected because there really isn't any liability in doing so. It turns my PlayBook into an H+ tablet ALL the time without having another data plan or having to turn something on and off when I want to use it.

    There is also the "Open On" feature that allows you to easily open a web link or photo on your PlayBook with the push of a button. Great for reading longer articles that benefit from a larger screen.

    The remote control is a great feature that I use daily. Since the PlayBook has HDMI output, I hook up my PlayBook to my TV, then can go sit on the couch and control everything with my phone.

    I think the best features of Bridge are yet to be explored, though, and with the launch of BB10 we should see even more features to enhance how the two devices (phone and tablet) work together. When we think of other devices that use QNX as well and that could also take advantage of something like Bridge, that's when the wheels really start turning in terms of Bridge's true potential.
    esk369, Xopher and Hgouck like this.
    09-21-12 12:03 PM
  9. si001's Avatar
    sweet sweet bridge
    1) internet on my PB anytime/anywhere when nowhere near wifi
    2)remote control with my phone when PB is hooked up to sound system or LCD to skip song, pause movie, etc.
    3)BBM on PB (soon texting)
    sweet sweet bridge
    AcADIeN, rshew and esk369 like this.
    09-21-12 12:14 PM
  10. esk369's Avatar
    Op don't understand he seems to have agood grasp of it get a bb phone and a playbook
    And if you still don't understand I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn cheap unless you just casting to see who bites.
    09-21-12 12:45 PM
  11. airbbtran's Avatar
    Note the OP (with 8 posts to his credit, none of which can be considered PlayBook friendly) has disappeared now that good reasons for Bridge have been posted. Tough to argue most of these, so he's vanished (or struggling to come up with reasons why these examples aren't valuable).
    yes you caught me, since i disappeared for over a month... o nevermind it been an hour...

    ever consider people don't refresh every sec like you? people have work.

    let me get something straight, 8 posts to my credit ( which is irrelevant to the content. you have over 700 and 100 percent sucks, so don't know what's your point) that are not playbook friendly. At which point do you have to be a playbook lover to be credible in posting in a forum. Link me to that section of the forum rule please. Also, link me to a post where i openly lie about playbook and bash it like a troll?

    I posted the reason why i don't think bridge is all that. People responded with their personal opinion and reason why it is useful for them.

    So that means I have to come back and bash playbook? Sounds to me you are welcoming people to bash playbook and hoping it and then calling people "troll".

    You are the reason why this forum is so slow and no one really cares about it. Unless you are a hardcore playbook fan you are not welcome. Why don't you try to convince people playbook is good instead of just bashing them? All the previously respond were valid until you showed up.
    Last edited by airbbtran; 09-21-12 at 01:03 PM.
    09-21-12 01:00 PM
  12. airbbtran's Avatar
    Op don't understand he seems to have agood grasp of it get a bb phone and a playbook
    And if you still don't understand I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn cheap unless you just casting to see who bites.
    I'm not grammar police and my grammar sucks too, but can you please put period next time. It is really hard to understand what was the point of your post.
    09-21-12 01:06 PM
  13. AcADIeN's Avatar
    yes you caught me, since i disappeared for over a month... o nevermind it been an hour...

    ever consider people don't refresh every sec like you? people have work.

    let me get something straight, 8 posts to my credit ( which is irrelevant to the content. you have over 700 and 100 percent sucks, so don't know what's your point) that are not playbook friendly. At which point do you have to be a playbook lover to be credible in posting in a forum. Link me to that section of the forum rule please. Also, link me to a post where i openly lie about playbook and bash it like a troll?

    I posted the reason why i don't think bridge is all that. People responded with their personal opinion and reason why it is useful for them.

    So that means I have to come back and bash playbook? Sounds to me you are welcoming people to bash playbook and hoping it and then calling people "troll".

    You are the reason why this forum is so slow and no one really cares about it. Unless you are a hardcore playbook fan you are not welcome. Why don't you try to convince people playbook is good instead of just bashing them? All the previously respond were valid until you showed up.
    Don't feed the troll, haha
    Branta likes this.
    09-21-12 01:07 PM
  14. esk369's Avatar
    I'm not grammar police and my grammar sucks too, but can you please put period next time. It is really hard to understand what was the point of your post.
    Sorry don't understand myself most of the time
    PERIOD............................................ ..........
    STOP TRYING TO BE A VICTIM PERIOD.
    And I took the bait period.
    BlackStormRising likes this.
    09-21-12 01:22 PM
  15. samab's Avatar
    I don't own a bb phone, but everyone talks about bridge as one of the biggest advantage.

    This is what I know about bridge

    - Lets you tether your internet connection
    - Lets you read your email on your playbook
    - Lets you use the mouseball on your bb to control your playbook

    Seems to me bridge is just a way to tether your playbook and nothing else really. Why is everyone making a big deal out of it?

    Why would you want to read your email on your playbook on the go? Most email consist of couple of line and it is probably faster to respond with a physical keyboard on your phone anyway. Why would you want to waste battery on both device to do one thing?

    Why would you want to control your playbook with the mouseball? wouldn't it be easier to just touch the screen? also, where are you going to put the playbook if you are on the go? u use one hand to scroll with your bb and another to hold the playbook?

    Am I missing anything else? please enlighten me.
    Well, the best answer is that you are talking about people (and RIM) hyping bridge's advantages in the past --- which RIM doesn't even hype about anymore.

    (1) Playbook has native email now --- don't need to have bridge email
    (2) American carriers have share data plans now --- don't need to have bridge as a tether.

    But if you don't have a share data plan (whether you don't want to pay for it or your carrier/country doesn't offer it) and you want to have a fool-proofed method to tether without your carrier doing anything about it --- then bridge is still a major advantage. If you hack your android phone or root your iphone to give you mobile wifi hotspt for your tablet --- your carrier can detect that.

    This is the difference between bridge and other hacked tethering method --- it is a LEGAL and free first party solution.
    Hgouck likes this.
    09-21-12 03:32 PM
  16. djenkins6's Avatar
    From the Blackberry official blog "10 ways to use BlackBerry Bridge with your blackberry playbook" 10 Ways to Use BlackBerry Bridge with your BlackBerry PlayBook �Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog
    Hgouck likes this.
    09-21-12 03:41 PM
  17. Chaddface's Avatar
    RIM never really did hype the bridge or the PB for that matter.
    As Sam pointed out, going to a shared plan would mean losing my unlimited plan. I'm not willing to give that up just yet.
    Free tethering is a major advantage.
    I used the bridge remote this afternoon with the PB hooked up to the bigscreen. Just another bonus.
    Hgouck likes this.
    09-21-12 03:45 PM
  18. southlander's Avatar
    The real flexibility of the bridge will come in apps that take advantage of it properly. An example of this that comes to mind is Poynt. In Poynt you can look up local businesses using the larger screen of the PlayBook and then pass that data to your phone in various ways. For example "Call this business" is touched on the PB and it feeds the dial string to your phone and auto-dials the number. Same idea with maps, etc. The PlayBook can pass directions over to BB Maps on the phone. Same thing with contacts. PlayBook can pass over the business's contact details and auto-add it to your phone contacts.

    I am not a big apps maven. This is just one I have used. Point is with BB10 the apps will be bi-directional between the phones and tablets in useful ways one would not predict.
    Hgouck likes this.
    09-21-12 03:57 PM
  19. Hgouck's Avatar
    Another advantage is when you are doing a presentation and the playbook is connected to a monitor or flat screen. Using the remote function is extremely convenient. Also using bridge instead of tethering consumes less power.
    09-21-12 04:04 PM
  20. TheScionicMan's Avatar
    I think it is a hard thing for RIM to push Bridge too much. Make a big deal out of the free data connection and other carriers will look to block it or monetize it like ATT. It's a fine line between pleasing your end consumers while not cheesing off the carriers which are your main sales channel.
    09-21-12 04:11 PM
  21. airbbtran's Avatar
    The real flexibility of the bridge will come in apps that take advantage of it properly. An example of this that comes to mind is Poynt. In Poynt you can look up local businesses using the larger screen of the PlayBook and then pass that data to your phone in various ways. For example "Call this business" is touched on the PB and it feeds the dial string to your phone and auto-dials the number. Same idea with maps, etc. The PlayBook can pass directions over to BB Maps on the phone. Same thing with contacts. PlayBook can pass over the business's contact details and auto-add it to your phone contacts.

    I am not a big apps maven. This is just one I have used. Point is with BB10 the apps will be bi-directional between the phones and tablets in useful ways one would not predict.
    now this is a good respond. it actually shows how the phone and playbook sync together for something useful and actually make people want to get a playbook.

    so sicken tired of the troll calling people a troll if they don't come out and say playbook is the perfect tablet. they're the reason why playbook is failing. your own customer is pushing away new potential customer.
    09-21-12 04:44 PM
  22. BlackStormRising's Avatar
    To be honest, you had me at "mouseball" <3.
    esk369, Hgouck and TheScionicMan like this.
    09-21-12 05:15 PM
  23. crackberryjill's Avatar
    I had my playbook for 7 months before I got a BB phone. Had to pay for data plan to tether my android phone and data plan is expensive. When I got my BB phone, I changed carriers and pay for unlimited internet for $8 a month. This plan does not allow tethering, but I can bridge. So it saves me tons as I use the playbook/phone combo at trade shows to connect to internet and send paypal invoices on the spot to my customers.

    I am also a big Youtube viewer, so I hook the playbook to the tv and use the phone to surf through my subscriptions to select my viewing. Also allows me to use the big widescreen tv for surfing the web using the phone as the mouse.

    And in both cases I can keep both the playbook and phone plugged in so don't worry about battery usage.
    Hgouck likes this.
    09-21-12 09:16 PM
  24. southlander's Avatar
    now this is a good respond. it actually shows how the phone and playbook sync together for something useful and actually make people want to get a playbook.

    so sicken tired of the troll calling people a troll if they don't come out and say playbook is the perfect tablet. they're the reason why playbook is failing. your own customer is pushing away new potential customer.
    A simpler way to put it is bridge is v1 of BB10 as a platform -- where devices share data seamlessly and hopefully act as one. RIM hopes to leverage the QNX install base in automobiles for example. So if you have phones/tablets and in console devices in cars you can see where having them act together on one data set would be great.

    The problem is this kind of stuff can and is being built into iOS and Android by third parties, even if in a piece meal way. So if RIM takes too long getting it mature and right, it won't matter .. my guess.
    09-21-12 09:30 PM
  25. greenberry666's Avatar
    First post here. I've been browsing this forum for a while.

    Just so you know, I love my playbook.

    I don't know why some people got weird and behaved aggressively toward the OP. He asked a perfectly valid question.

    As a relatively new Playbook user I too have wondered about the benefits of Bridge. Such information would certainly be perused in deciding whether to get a Blackberry phone when the BB10 handsets are released.

    Presently I can tether my Playbook to my �50 Android phone (on a �6 per month negotiated deal ) and have internet access wherever I go. (I'm in the UK).

    I have email set up on my playbook.

    So for these two features I would not need Bridge.

    So the features that would be useful to me are:

    Using the phone as a remote control for various tasks.
    Using various apps that utilize the Bridge feature (hopefully more with BB10).

    And that's it? It sounds compelling enough for me to get a BB phone when BB10 comes out, depending on how much the feature is used in applications.

    This forum has been very helpful to me and my little Playbook.

    I hope Rim flourishes:

    Thorsten Heins has such a friendly, trustworthy face!


    EDIT: I use my phone as a portable wifi hotspot for my playbook (not sure if that's the same as tethering).
    Last edited by greenberry666; 09-22-12 at 02:56 AM.
    09-22-12 02:54 AM
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