[slyder0244]

I just won a Playbook in a sweepstakes online and started using it today. So far I don't see many apps worth using. I mostly use imdb, messaging apps, and a handful of games I play with my friends on ios. I can't find a messaging app for Playbook. I thought BBM would have been included so I could at least chat with my couple of friends who actually use that but it doesn't. Also while auto correct can be a pain sometimes I'm really missing it on the Playbook why isn't that included? I never realized how much I rely on that for typing on a mobile device.

I guess I could just use imdb in the browser but I find using the app on ios a lot easier than using the site itself. I could also try some of the websites for web messaging, and play some flash games which aren't multiplayer, but I always found the apps to be way more polished and more enjoyable on mobile devices.

Anyways, how are you guys using your playbook and do you have any good free apps or websites you use on it?

[rjkolo]

I use mine as a coaster for drinks on my night stand so I don't get rings on it any more because the lack of a new OS is making me sick....

No, serious answer is I used if for the last few weeks of school this semester to take notes and I actually even used it to do a presentation from class that worked out pretty well. Now that school is out I use in instead of my laptop for playing on the web. Weather it be playing on Facebook (not the app, I hate that thing) checking e-mail, trolling the forums on CB and things of that nature. I check out the app world at least once a day to see what is new.

I would use it a lot more if it had a working spell correction not just the lines telling me things are wrong. I am not the best speller but I am anal about things being right and proper so I find myself using my phone to check the spelling then getting frustrated and pulling out my laptop due to that fact. But off the soap box and back to my usage of my PlayBook.

The main thing I do is watch videos on it, I lay in bed and watch TV shows I miss or movies I have been meaning to watch almost every night. I download them from a site and the download speed is actually faster than I expected. I get a 700mb video in about 8-12 minutes depending on what the site limits me which is the same as my PC. From time to time I do hook it up to the big screen via the HDMI port which has to be the best feature of the device right now.

All in all I do love the device and I am very happy with it, BUT I am slightly disappointed that RIM is taking what I fell is too long to get the OS to use the device to it's full potential. I see great things in videos from developers that leaves me wanting all of it now and I am not sure why RIM is waiting so long to be honest. If the developers can do it on their devices why hasn't RIM went and made it available, the longer they wait the longer the smaller companies what can't afford to wait drop out. RIM is a HUGE business and they have the money to pump into a device and take all the time in the world, the developers in the smaller companies do not, they try with great intent as we have been shown but when they have to stop and look at their bottom line why wouldn't they go with someone like Apple or Android because they release it, with A TON OF BUGS and just fix it with more updates then people know what to do with. We sit her with device with all this potential that has specs that rival that of most laptops and PC's that are in ever office building and corporation out there today. Yes the OS is clean and nice with a few bugs here and there, but come on...let us be the testers of the next OS, who cares if it has a hand full of bugs, fix them as they arise and move on! Come on RIM!!! Hear us!!!

I do understand that RIM is waiting because they want things perfect, and they don't like releasing half done things. But it is just frustrating to me. Alright, I'm done...sorry for the lengthy post and I tried to stay on topic as best I could. I just didn't feel I could talk about what I do with it and why I do it without stating the few things I do dislike. I like to be through...I guess like RIM...go figure...But I do love it and wouldn't think of taking it back and would recommend it to anyone looking for a tablet.

[vintagesteez]

the browser...lol

[Snick Snack]

Listen to music, watch videos, web surfing, docs for work, power point presentations and PDFs for work (download and use PB as presentation monitor), read... play some basic games when I have time... go on FB using full website, don't like app... go to full newspaper websites because it's more current and I like looking at bigger picture and not have headlines spoonfed to me all the time... tether to my BB phone and use BING maps to get around... take some pictures, send emails via BB bridge...

[mmcpher]

Checking, drafting and sending emails (through the Bridge), browsing, reading my newsfeeds through Geereader, some games and I also use the calculator a lot in conjunction with work on my desktop. It also is very good to browse to a site or a document that I want to reference or quote in something I'm working on my desktop. It works much better for me than switching on my desktop from an open Word document, to a desktop browser window or some other doc or program, and back to the Word doc, etc. It would be nice to be able to easily cut and paste from something on the PB directly into a desktop doc or program. The Playbook also does a better job of streaming video and audio, so much so that I do not mind the much smaller screen.

[sportline]

read kobo. or lay it facing up and listen to music.

[Gilahiker]

Taking photos, jotting down notes in meetings, all docs to go applications (laptop and netbook rarely used at home, not taken on road with me either), browser, twitter (web page, would love an app), calculator, bridge mode calendar (easier to read than on Storm2), sending emails, music player, etc., etc., etc.

Love it!

[therapyreject174]

It pretty much replaced my laptop, and then some.

I used my laptop for browsing the internet when I'm away from home (or don't feel like turning my desktop on). Watching streams of hockey games while on the go is pretty big for me. Also some music, watching movies and TV shows, the occasional Word or Excel document, and some light games.

My PlayBook does all of that while being much, much smaller and lighter. Plus it lets me access my email and BBM. For me, it's perfect.

[ryanaddsion]

Mostly watching movies, Youtube, surfing and playing games. For me, it's too large to listening music, I like listening music while walking or driving.. But it pretty well to watch movie. I can put it on my lap, and the size is suitable.

[belsunce]

in order of actual usage:

#1 - web surfing / email / facebook

#2 - movie watching (perfect form factor in bed)

#3 - to do list with CONQU (great free app btw. very polished UI)


and what I WOULD LIKE to do but don't really at the moment because the apps just aren't polished enough yet:

#1 - reading (PDF app lacks too many features, like remembering what page you were last on; can't sideload ePubs..)

#2 - stylus note-taking (SKIT is as good as it gets right now but it's far from perfect)

#3 - gaming (I can only PRAY for quality premium titles like on iOS!!)

[blackranger3d]

The main thing I do is watch videos on it, I lay in bed and watch TV shows I miss or movies I have been meaning to watch almost every night. I download them from a site and the download speed is actually faster than I expected. I get a 700mb video in about 8-12 minutes depending on what the site limits me which is the same as my PC. From time to time I do hook it up to the big screen via the HDMI port which has to be the best feature of the device right now.

Are you downloading torrents?

[vicshannon]

I'm browsing, typing this with my Playbook, watching Looney Tunes cartoons, Movies (I found a great program to convert my DVD movies to Playbook format), and of course playing games.

[WonderOtter]

Mostly web browsing and media use. I do enjoy the BBM bridge, which is pretty clever. I'd like to use Word To Go more for my writing but haven't really buckled down for that yet. I was going to get a new laptop but opted for this instead and really glad I did!

[frfghtr]

Anyways, how are you guys using your playbook and do you have any good free apps or websites you use on it?

I'm using mine for cloning experiments.

I've already created the PlayBook Mini.

[ishka]

My goal is to eventually get rid of my 5 year old 17" laptop....just waiting for all the apps I need to become available on the playbook...best laid plans right.

[yzf.shaun]

At the moment it is mostly an expensive web browser. All be it a very useful and portable one.

[jjrimfan]

So, here we are at the south end of Lake Huron, gearing up for the first tune-up sailing race of the season. The last radar plot I printed from Intellicast Cadillac MI is at least 40 minutes old by the time I get to the boat. The skipper and some club members are curious about the incoming T-storms. So, fire up the PB, and try the club WiFi. It's not so hot, since we are a fair distance from the router. So, fire up Internet tethering to my Torch, in the boat. In 45 seconds, I have the latest radar maps from three sources that we trust. And they are all saying, duck for cover. Then, 10 minutes later, the race organizers hoist alpha flags N over A (all races abandoned today). Who says the PB doesn't work?? It sure gave us the correct pictures we needed, and before skipper could haul his laptop out of the bag. Hang in there, BB, and tell the naysayers to go pound salt. Cheers. A RIM fan.

[Cupillac]

works great for web browsing around the house since i use my computer at work all week the playbook is perfect for home.
flash works great
web email is ok, really hoping for some updates soon such as printing wifi.

[phantom189]

At work: VNC and access to internal company webpages (intranet).
At home: Web browsing on couch in front of TV.

[drudometkin]

95% web browsing with the remaining use mixed between kobo ebooks, music and games. This thing has changed my morning routine. Now I have my coffee and web browse in the morning on my couch rather than on my desktop. My cat used to sit in my lap now my pb does.

[wheresmy600]

web browsing (especially couch browsing)

obnoxious showing of pics of the kids (instead of pulling out my wallet or tiny cell phone screen)

viewing docs during meetings (instead of scrolling on BB trying to read on tiny screen)

Reading emails in full screen instead of looking at a lot of blank place-holders

and the #1 use of my Playbook - old black and white Perry Mason Episodes!!!! It's the only place I can find them and it doesn't stop for buffering the way it does on my laptop

[slyder0244]

I've been trying to put it more to use here lately but for writing emails or taking notes like some people have mentioned. I really miss auto correct for that. Also I type so slow on it compared to a real keyboard that it's just frustrating, especially typing a word like "don't" where on ios I just type dont and it auto corrects so I don't have to switch the keyboard to the extra characters.

I guess I need to get use to using more web based services for it like trillian.im for chatting or playing flash games on kongregate.com. One thing I really miss is the email app I have on my ipod where I can have multiple gmail accounts setup and the layout looks and works much nicer than the layout on the playbook. As the layout there is some sort of mobile layout or something not the full gmail page. I don't see a calendar app on the playbook either. While on my ipod the calendar tied right into my google calendar, and gives me pop up notifications for events and emails, another big plus to using an app over webpages. Also I can't play some of the multiplayer games which I liked playing on my ipod.

I've always wished that ios would support flash and found that was the biggest plus for the playbook, but now I also find it as it's biggest annoyance. I use adblock in firefox and don't see about 98% of flash ads online I had forgotten how many flash ads there were out there. It's very annoying especially accidentally clicking on them while trying to scroll. I thought at least with flash I might be able to watch hulu on the playbook but no they have hulu locked down. I guess they only want people to access it from a real computer but any other device you need the app so you can pay for the service. So right now I'm not seeing a huge plus for having flash on a tablet, that is if you have access to lots of apps for messaging or playing games.

I really miss the lack of free apps I use vnc a lot on my ipod and would love to have it on a bigger screen like the pb, but of course no free apps and no web based alternative that I know of. I'm really trying to find a good use for the playbook and some pluses for it, but maybe I'm just too use to the ios and apps.

For the bing maps, does anyone else have a hard time with it finding your location? I've had it find my location once out of the 30 times I've tried it.

[spsuninja]

Hey, I've found a way to easily take notes in my classes with my playbook. Here's a video of my method.

Paperless Note Taking with Playbook (prototype 3)


You can make one of these yourself with minimal money and effort. I've been using this method for two semesters now as a Mechanical Engineering student. It's worked wonderfully so far, and it's really nice to have all my notes in my playbook everywhere I go. Another thread with this idea can be found here