[Rikk009]

Hi,
Ebay India was offering PB LTE 32GB version for throw away price. And, I was looking something to read e-books on, surf net, play some occasional games too. PB looked like the right match, received my PB a week back but the honeymoon seems to be over now.

1. PB won't charge through my power bank's 2.1A port. (The port is fine,checked) Charges only via 1A port, which is painstakingly slow. [SOLVED, Thanks to @Robsteve]
2. Some apps even made for PB like Kalemsoft's media player doesn't work(just shows the opening shot of the video, that's it). Tried some other app which only plays video, no sound. [SOLVED, USING ANOTHER APP]
3. After using the default video player once, if I close it and launch again anytime later. The videos won't play, unless I restart the Tab. [SOLVED, ON IT'S OWN]
4. The default Music player worked once or maybe twice(as far as I can remember) then has never played a song again. [SOLVED, ON IT'S OWN]
5. Ofcourse the dearth of apps, but could have lived with it as my primary use is to use it as an e-reader but the problems persisting with the Tab and BB's apathy towards the PB is not encouraging either.(Including OS 10 couldn't have hurt them) [WELL, CAN'T BE SOLVED ]
6. Then there are little problems that annoy me like
a.Even the lowest possible brightness is not suitable for long time reading . [SUGGESTIONS STILL AWAITED]
b.Everytime I play even a small arcade game, the app hangs on completion of a game. Have to restart the app to play again.
7. The Tab has very peculiar taste for sim cards. Some work, others don't(some users on gsmarena forum report working with local sim). Still in hunt for a sim which will work with my Tab. Meanwhile, have to use my Andriod phone's hotspot to make the PB work. [STILL LOOKING]

Regretting choosing PB over an Android device. Wondering what can this Tab do? Do I have to sell it and accept my losses or is there any help?

P.S I really liked the BB OS more than Android's and was planning for a Z30 but this experience has taught me not to be fooled again. This was my first and probably the last 'adventure' outside Andriod OS.

[kbz1960]

A lot. Good luck selling it. It was an OK tablet a year and a half after it came out. Then it stayed stagnate and was swept under the rug.

[Rikk009]

I forgot an important note to put up there. "BB FANBOYS PLEASE IT'S NOT ABOUT WHICH IS BETTER OR HOW BB IS THE BEST OF 7 KINGDOMS". I bought a BB device and am I trouble figuring out what's wrong with it? So, if you have a constructive solution then you are welcome to reply. It's NOT a rant post.

[Leatherfacez10]

Hmmmm... obviously you have not formatted it and started from a clean slate. I have three playbooks, 32Gb Wifi, 32Gb LTE and 64GB wifi and they run practically anything I throw at them.

Since you bought it used, why carry the previous owners problems. If you had an Android device, would you not reinstall the firmware to correct any issues?

Playbook is no different. Hold down the Volume Up and Power buttons while plugged into your computer and then follow the on screen prompts on your computer. It will install a fresh OS on your PB and it will be fast as hell again.

Posted via CB10

[anon(5597702)]

I forgot an important note to put up there. "BB FANBOYS PLEASE IT'S NOT ABOUT WHICH IS BETTER OR HOW BB IS THE BEST OF 7 KINGDOMS". I bought a BB device and am I trouble figuring out what's wrong with it? So, if you have a constructive solution then you are welcome to reply. It's NOT a rant post.

Exactly. Well said. Hopefully others will help you and not post their own biases.

[Rikk009]

Hmmmm... obviously you have not formatted it and started from a clean slate. I have three playbooks, 32Gb Wifi, 32Gb LTE and 64GB wifi and they run practically anything I throw at them.

Since you bought it used, why carry the previous owners problems. If you had an Android device, would you not reinstall the firmware to correct any issues?

Playbook is no different. Hold down the Volume Up and Power buttons while plugged into your computer and then follow the on screen prompts on your computer. It will install a fresh OS on your PB and it will be fast as hell again.

Posted via CB10

Apologies, I failed to mention that I have purchased a new one(seller opened it to make sure the Tab is working) but still I wiped the Tab and installed the latest update 2.1.

[Eric Yong]

dont let the experience with the playbook turn you away from the Z30
try the reload and see how it goes maybe you were sold a defective device

[anon(5597702)]

Apologies, I failed to mention that I have purchased a new one(seller opened it to make sure the Tab is working) but still I wiped the Tab and installed the latest update 2.1.

Hmmm, was the install/upgrade done over wifi? I've never done so, but I believe reloading the OS from scratch through BB Link or Desktop is preferred. Hopefully others will confirm or clarify.

Hope you get your new PB up and running. Lots of negativity in this thread but there are some great folks who want to help.

[achiquitachaser]

Just a quick question you have a 64gig LTE model, I thought the 32gig was the only LTE variant?

Posted via CB10

[bb4ty]

It is my understanding that the PlayBook LTE version only comes in 32 GB. So, if the seller advertised the unit as a 64 GB LTE PlayBook, it is perhaps a sign the seller was unscrupulous or unfamiliar with PlayBooks. If the former, then there is a possibility you were sold a defective unit. Did you even check the seller's rating before buying?

You indicated in a later post that it was a new unit but the seller had opened it to make sure it worked. You have more trust in people than I do. For me, if something I am considering buying is advertised as new but has been opened by the seller, then it is no longer new. I chuckle when people advertise their merchandise as brand new but when you read more, it says it was opened but never used or used very little.

Don't give up on BlackBerry products. I have 4 PlayBooks and they all work fine, some better than others but overall, I am very pleased with them. I also have several other newer tablets but the PlayBooks are still my favorite. Other posters have offered good suggestions to help you try to get it to work and I do not have anything to add in that respect as I am not an expert on the PlayBook, just a very satisfied user who understands its age and limitations but nonetheless still derive substantial satisfaction from its use. I think if you get a good working unit, you will too. If not the PlayBook, then some other product such as the Z30 which you mentioned. Don't let this bad experience sour you to Blackberry, especially since you bought it from, in my opinion, a seller of used merchandise who may have also misled you on the storage capacity of the unit.

Finally, and please forgive me but I cannot help it. I do not know how much you paid for it, but you said it was a "throw away price" so perhaps the seller intended you to do just that - throw it away because it is a dud.

If it turns out you were indeed sold a defective unit by an unscrupulous seller, I hope you will be able to get the seller to make amends with the help of ebay. Good luck.

[bambinoitaliano]

Hi,

Ebay India was offering PB LTE 64GB version for throw away price. And, I was looking something to read e-books on, surf net, play some occasional games too. PB looked like the right match, received my PB a week back but the honeymoon seems to be over now.

1. PB won't charge through my power bank's 2.1A port. (The port is fine,checked) Charges only via 1A port, which is painstakingly slow.
2. Some apps even made for PB like Kalemsoft's media player doesn't work(just shows the opening shot of the video, that's it). Tried some other app which only plays video, no sound.
3. After using the default video player once, if I close it and launch again anytime later. The videos won't play, unless I restart the Tab.
4. The default Music player worked once or maybe twice(as far as I can remember) then has never played a song again.
5. Ofcourse the dearth of apps, but could have lived with it as my primary use is to use it as an e-reader but the problems persisting with the Tab and BB's apathy towards the PB is not encouraging either.(Including OS 10 couldn't have hurt them)
6. Then there are little problems that annoy me like
a.Even the lowest possible brightness is not suitable for long time reading .
b.Everytime I play even a small arcade game, the app hangs on completion of a game. Have to restart the app to play again.
7. The Tab has very peculiar taste for sim cards. Some work, others don't(some users on gsmarena forum report working with local sim). Still in hunt for a sim which will work with my Tab. Meanwhile, have to use my Andriod phone's hotspot to make the PB work.

Regretting choosing PB over an Android device. Wondering what can this Tab do? Do I have to sell it and accept my losses or is there any help?

P.S I really liked the BB OS more than Android's and was planning for a Z30 but this experience has taught me not to be fooled again. This was my first and probably the last 'adventure' outside Andriod OS.

1 .Did the playbook not come with the original charger? You better off using the original charger.
2. I'm surprise you have so much issue with KalemSoft, it has its problem on the earlier version. I exclusively use Kalemsoft for my viewing.
3. The stock video player could be picky on what format to play, I have not encounter such issue.
4. Same thing with the stock music player.
These 4 question you raise seems to indicate you do not have an optimum device even by Playbook standard. Short of returning the unit, you might want to wipe and reload using BB link or BB Desktop Manager.
5.The playbook are known to have least apps available. Including those you can sideload.
6. Some apps are not working really well with playbook. The brightness i do agree could have better if adjustable even within the ereader app itself.
7. I do not own a sim require playbook, I've read the kind of service your carrier provide can make a difference between a workable and a non workable tablet.

Base on 5 , 6 and 7, you are better off returning the unit for refund.
If screen size is not an issue for you, Z30 at current OS software should be what a Playbook suppose to be. Otherwise get an android tablet you will be much happier.

[Rikk009]

Oops...mistake on my part. It's 32Gb.

[robsteve]

When Blackberry devices like the Playbook so not charge properly from third party chargers, it usually means the charger is wired for Apple devices, which do not use the data lines to signal that the charge source is a high current ( over 500milliamp) port. The solution is to use a charge only cable to connect to your charge source. These cables have the proper connection on the data cable so the BlackBerry will try to draw the higher current needed to charge a PlayBook or fast charge a phone.

Apple makes this connection in their cable, not their usb port. Blackberry expects the connection in the USB port to signal the charge capability of the charger.

Incidentally, I had the same problem with a battery bank and just used the 1amp port. The 1amp port still charged the PlayBook see photo below.

Battery Guru is the app shown and is indispensable to ensure your PlayBook is charging, especially when using the charge cradle or magnetic quick charger.


Posted via CB10
Attachment 290515

[Rikk009]

It is my understanding that the PlayBook LTE version only comes in 32 GB. So, if the seller advertised the unit as a 64 GB LTE PlayBook, it is perhaps a sign the seller was unscrupulous or unfamiliar with PlayBooks. If the former, then there is a possibility you were sold a defective unit. Did you even check the seller's rating before buying?

You indicated in a later post that it was a new unit but the seller had opened it to make sure it worked. You have more trust in people than I do. For me, if something I am considering buying is advertised as new but has been opened by the seller, then it is no longer new. I chuckle when people advertise their merchandise as brand new but when you read more, it says it was opened but never used or used very little.

Don't give up on BlackBerry products. I have 4 PlayBooks and they all work fine, some better than others but overall, I am very pleased with them. I also have several other newer tablets but the PlayBooks are still my favorite. Other posters have offered good suggestions to help you try to get it to work and I do not have anything to add in that respect as I am not an expert on the PlayBook, just a very satisfied user who understands its age and limitations but nonetheless still derive substantial satisfaction from its use. I think if you get a good working unit, you will too. If not the PlayBook, then some other product such as the Z30 which you mentioned. Don't let this bad experience sour you to Blackberry, especially since you bought it from, in my opinion, a seller of used merchandise who may have also misled you on the storage capacity of the unit.

Finally, and please forgive me but I cannot help it. I do not know how much you paid for it, but you said it was a "throw away price" so perhaps the seller intended you to do just that - throw it away because it is a dud.

If it turns out you were indeed sold a defective unit by an unscrupulous seller, I hope you will be able to get the seller to make amends with the help of ebay. Good luck.

Well, yes when you make a purchase over a site like ebay you have to take that leap of faith :P But seriously, the seller had sold more than 1300 pieces in last 2-3 months!

Something unexpected happened today when the PB refused to accept my power bank, I let it's battery die completely. It switched off itself then after charging it over everything was working normal, yes. The music player worked, the videos played. I had downloaded 'Play D' app which wasn't playing 'flv' videos earlier was now working. Lags are omnipresent but still. Atleast it works now.

I thank the users for giving their valuable time.

Now, the major issues remain are the powerbank issue and sim card. Also, does someone know an app which has it's own brightness adjustment feature for e-reading?

[pacoman03]

How much free memory are you showing- look in settings/about, then hardware from the dropdown menu. Try a hard boot and see if things improve at all. Hold down the volume up and power buttons together until your Playbook turns off and then reboots.

[Rikk009]

1 .Did the playbook not come with the original charger? You better off using the original charger.
2. I'm surprise you have so much issue with KalemSoft, it has its problem on the earlier version. I exclusively use Kalemsoft for my viewing.
3. The stock video player could be picky on what format to play, I have not encounter such issue.
4. Same thing with the stock music player.
These 4 question you raise seems to indicate you do not have an optimum device even by Playbook standard. Short of returning the unit, you might want to wipe and reload using BB link or BB Desktop Manager.
5.The playbook are known to have least apps available. Including those you can sideload.
6. Some apps are not working really well with playbook. The brightness i do agree could have better if adjustable even within the ereader app itself.
7. I do not own a sim require playbook, I've read the kind of service your carrier provide can make a difference between a workable and a non workable tablet.

Base on 5 , 6 and 7, you are better off returning the unit for refund.
If screen size is not an issue for you, Z30 at current OS software should be what a Playbook suppose to be. Otherwise get an android tablet you will be much happier.

1. I purchased the power bank for the Tab since I travel a lot. The charger is useful only for home.
2. No worries. I side-loaded another app. Working good now.

I had Samsung Tab 2 earlier which I didn't like much. It had mediocre hardware and pathetic Samsung UI. I gave it to my dad. Maybe would exchange the PB with him and put CM OS. Would be better for my taste. Thanks for your time. Appreciated.

[Rikk009]

When Blackberry devices like the Playbook so not charge properly from third party chargers, it usually means the charger is wired for Apple devices, which do not use the data lines to signal that the charge source is a high current ( over 500milliamp) port. The solution is to use a charge only cable to connect to your charge source. These cables have the proper connection on the data cable so the BlackBerry will try to draw the higher current needed to charge a PlayBook or fast charge a phone.

Apple makes this connection in their cable, not their usb port. Blackberry expects the connection in the USB port to signal the charge capability of the charger.

Incidentally, I had the same problem with a battery bank and just used the 1amp port. The 1amp port still charged the PlayBook see photo below.

Battery Guru is the app shown and is indispensable to ensure your PlayBook is charging, especially when using the charge cradle or magnetic quick charger.


Posted via CB10
Attachment 290515

Wow, that's informative. Will try that tomorrow. The PB charges via 1A port but it's very slow. It charged 5% in an hour I guess. Btw, I am charging via the cable BB provided for connecting to PC. So, yes your theory seems right.

[Techno-Emigre]

A lot. Good luck selling it. It was an OK tablet a year and a half after it came out. Then it stayed stagnate and was swept under the rug.

Remember our new policy of generous help to those asking sincere questions here? I am sure you read too fast and accidentally thought the OP somehow warranted a slam.

[Heinz Katchup]

Time to get a new one.

Posted with X10 via CB10

[Carl Estes]

Wow, that's informative. Will try that tomorrow. The PB charges via 1A port but it's very slow. It charged 5% in an hour I guess. Btw, I am charging via the cable BB provided for connecting to PC. So, yes your theory seems right.

Charging from your pc "will" work but veeerrrryyyy slowly. USB 2.0 does not have the current, Now USB 3.0 with thunderbolt, you may be golden. You may not even see the charge icon now, BB did something in the last/final "update", You need 1.8 amps to charge that puppy.

c

[Rikk009]

[/HL]

Charging from your pc "will" work but veeerrrryyyy slowly. USB 2.0 does not have the current, Now USB 3.0 with thunderbolt, you may be golden. You may not even see the charge icon now, BB did something in the last/final "update", You need 1.8 amps to charge that puppy.

c

I am charging via USB 3.0 port but I think I need some other kind of cable/drivers for thunderbolt(have no idea about it).

[Rikk009]

Tried what @Robsteve suggested and viola it worked! Now the PB is charging via 2.1A port using a non-data carrying wire. Thanks a lot.

[apache1680]

The main charging port is no longer charging. Is there any way for me to charge it? Feel free to pin me on BBM at 333BDDB5. Thanks in advance for any & all input.

Posted via CB10

[anon(5597702)]

The main charging port is no longer charging. Is there any way for me to charge it? Feel free to pin me on BBM at 333BDDB5. Thanks in advance for any & all input.

Posted via CB10

Many have had good luck with the rapid magnetic charger, which, depending on where you are, can be purchased online for a steal.

[castoridae]

When I use an ereader on my playbook, I switch from white background / black text to black background and white text = no glare and easily read