[playbookster]

I bought my pb in January from FS, they had 1 working PB unit demoed. That is fine. Went back today to get a case for it and now they have 3 PB units demoed. 2 in one location showing off video chat, and 1 in the phone section that is tethered to a 9900 to show of the cursor feature with tether. Best buy is across the street, stopped in there and now both their PB's are functional. Before they were either broken, or dead and unplugged. Is RIM starting to work with retailers now to have these issues resolved?

[herculesinwyoming]

I also have seen a huge improvement at office depot, for the first year they never had the playbook on display, now they do and it gets alot of people trying it

[jafobabe]

Well it looks like our complaining has paid off and RIMM read the threads!!!
Go Get 'em RIMM!

[swyost]

Still just one Playbook demo in any Best Buy I have visited - never any more but it still always works. I have also never seen anyone touch one in any store and the stack of 16 GB Playbooks at Best Buy never seems to get smaller. Granted, it is now back to $499 for the 16 GB version in local Best Buy stores and on the website so I doubt anyone will be touching it. At least around Phoenix, Staples has eliminated Playbook displays and OfficeMax has eliminated most tablet displays. A quick check of Office Depot in the southwest shows limited availability of store stock only for the 64 GB version and slightly better availability of the 16 GB version. Perhaps things are different in Canada....

[FreeJACLive]

Have they increased their stock on accessories? A month or two ago it was pathetic!

[playbookster]

Have they increased their stock on accessories? A month or two ago it was pathetic!

yeah it has its own 4 foot section

[BB_Phoenix]

I was in our local Best Buy and they had a small stand at the end row in an aisle just for the Playbook. I was impressed. They also had coloured flyers on all the features of of the Playbook. It was excellent.

[BboneBerry]

Well it looks like our complaining has paid off and RIMM read the threads!!!
Go Get 'em RIMM!

RIM = research in motion = company name

RIMM= stock ticker name

Usually companies don't get called by their stock name (especially when the stock is doing so poorly)

[jayemmbee]

The Future Shop at Yonge and Dundas in Toronto is Pathetic I walk in and I see whole Apple Display under a light as if it was a halo effect, with their computers and tablets

then off to the side is a wall with Tablets but much darkened in comparrasion but they were all Android
so I walk all the way to the bad where its even darker is a small display for the playbook its not facing the main walkway but towards the wall so you would have to actually walk back there , the good thing about it was it had signage about OS 2.0

but heres the kicker not one Playbook on display even though it shows a slot for it but its as if its been removed

[TNNurse]

Still just one Playbook demo in any Best Buy I have visited - never any more but it still always works. I have also never seen anyone touch one in any store and the stack of 16 GB Playbooks at Best Buy never seems to get smaller. Granted, it is now back to $499 for the 16 GB version in local Best Buy stores and on the website so I doubt anyone will be touching it. At least around Phoenix, Staples has eliminated Playbook displays and OfficeMax has eliminated most tablet displays. A quick check of Office Depot in the southwest shows limited availability of store stock only for the 64 GB version and slightly better availability of the 16 GB version. Perhaps things are different in Canada....

Attachment 105791

As long as it is available to demo and they like it, they will see if they can find it cheaper. As you can see it still is at this time, much cheaper.

[pickles#WP]

RIM = research in motion = company name

RIMM= stock ticker name

Not quite. The stock ticker names is RIM in Canada (on the TSX) and RIMM (on the US exchange). Like the major banks and some other businesses, RIM chose to be listed on both markets.

[louboutins]

Awesome, hopefully more people will get a chance to play with it and love it as much as we do.

[torches]

Passed into Dixons (one of the largest electronic retailers in the UK) several times before at both Newcastle Airport and Heathrow. At Newcastle, I had a 15-20 min chat with the customer rep/representative, who was surprisingly knowledgeable about the PB (well, he knew a lot about all tablets), as I pretended to be a "tablet-doofus." He actually recommended the PB, for its low price range and for BB phone users.
At Heathrow, the PB had it's own small stand, with a poster/banner highlighting its features. However, it was still running OS 1.0...and lagged horribly since they were about 7-10 tabs open in the browser.

One thing about demo units of PBs...I have noticed most do not mention HOW to use it. I think a big USP about the PB is its ease-of-use & swipe gestures, but most people won't actually know them w/o prior research!

P.S. BB still has a decent reputation in the UK, unlike the US.

[Angus_CB]

The last two times I went to Staples the demo Playbook has been fully functional.
Both times an employee was showing a customer how it worked and was doing a good job. In both cases the customer bought one.

The last time I was at The Source the demo unit hadn't even been updated to OS 2.0 and this was within the last two weeks.

[world traveler and former ceo]

Passed into Dixons (one of the largest electronic retailers in the UK) several times before at both Newcastle Airport and Heathrow. At Newcastle, I had a 15-20 min chat with the customer rep/representative, who was surprisingly knowledgeable about the PB (well, he knew a lot about all tablets), as I pretended to be a "tablet-doofus." He actually recommended the PB, for its low price range and for BB phone users.
At Heathrow, the PB had it's own small stand, with a poster/banner highlighting its features. However, it was still running OS 1.0...and lagged horribly since they were about 7-10 tabs open in the browser.

One thing about demo units of PBs...I have noticed most do not mention HOW to use it. I think a big USP about the PB is its ease-of-use & swipe gestures, but most people won't actually know them w/o prior research!

P.S. BB still has a decent reputation in the UK, unlike the US.

Thanks! . Nice observations ... PBis a great product and each day i find more ways to use it for both business and personal ... and the form factor is perfect for travel and most situations! ....

[Bluemoonjules]

Sounds v positive....

[Bluemoonjules]

sounds positive

[coolaide]

I really dont think Rim has anything to do with the stores stepping up on marketing. I really think that enough people have walked in and asked for the playbook by name that the store realized that they can sell more an are just doing the advertising that they should have been doing in the first place. Store sales number is what drives product placement unless a deal was struck. And we all know Rim marketing sucks bigtime and im sure they had no part.

[DD1968]

I was in a Currys in a UK airport over the weekend and they had a great little stand with a PB (2.0 installed) alongside a Curve 9360 to show off the bridge features, guy came straight over when he saw me looking at it, and when I told him I had one already he asked me straight away if I had a BB phone.

[Stewartj1]

The Future Shop at Yonge and Dundas in Toronto is Pathetic I walk in and I see whole Apple Display under a light as if it was a halo effect, with their computers and tablets

then off to the side is a wall with Tablets but much darkened in comparrasion but they were all Android
so I walk all the way to the bad where its even darker is a small display for the playbook its not facing the main walkway but towards the wall so you would have to actually walk back there , the good thing about it was it had signage about OS 2.0

but heres the kicker not one Playbook on display even though it shows a slot for it but its as if its been removed

Those are well designed displays provided by Apple. The Playbook's just lay on a bare shelf because RIM hasn't been providing a display, much less an attractive display.

Marketing 101 and it looks like RIM is starting to get their marketing house in order. It's a good sign.

[PiotrJot]

(...)At Heathrow, the PB had it's own small stand, with a poster/banner highlighting its features. However, it was still running OS 1.0...and lagged horribly since they were about 7-10 tabs open in the browser.(...)

<lowering voice to whisper>: Hey, let's do like that: next time tap on the 'update OS' button, and I will do that same when I have a chance while coming across OS 1.0 on a demo unit ;-) <voice back to normal>
Argh....Ergh... had to clear my throat ;-)))

[jeffgp]

My local best buys dont have a pb for demo just alot of apple and they push it hard as well . No cases or screen protectors . They just tell you to get them online . If im going to order on line im going to order through SCB ... Just sayin

[jeffgp]

<lowering voice to whisper>: Hey, let's do like that: next time tap on the 'update OS' button, and I will do that same when I have a chance while coming across OS 1.0 on a demo unit ;-) <voice back to normal>
Argh....Ergh... had to clear my throat ;-)))

Ive tryed that when my store still had there demo out . It was screen locked with a password just kept looping the demo video .

[bitek]

RIM should put more effort into the US market....here things look much better but then we are so much smaller as well

[haveusean]

I went into a Carphone Warehouse and the guys and girls in there couldn't praise it highly enough, must admit though I've seen little (or none) advertising on this product here in the UK. Took my PB into work the other day and everyone was well impressed with this little beauty...