1. racetron's Avatar
    and the customer service and tech support is not friendly on this and not knowledgeable enough to help me...
    04-29-11 08:36 AM
  2. sjonesmcd's Avatar
    The real underlining point of Concepts99 post is that if the above average technical user (I'm assuming Concept99 is the above average user because he's a member and poster of this forum.) has this many problems, just think about the frustrations the average consumer will have. There's going to be alarming rate of returns simply because the average user is going to be confused and frustrated, even more so than Concept.

    Which brings me to another point: In order for a tablet to be successful in terms of sales, the tablet needs to be simple to use and have a clean UI and be prone to "just work". From my limited experience of having a playbook at work to mess around with and from all the crackberry posts, it sounds like RIM dropped the ball on this.
    This is a very good point. I consider myself an average user, and I don't enjoy spending time on forums trying to make a device I just purchased work. Say what you want about how the pb has a new OS, and apple has been using the same OS for years so has had time to work out the bugs, the fact of the matter is this: when I got my IPad1, I opened the box, plugged it in, and used it. I have had no issues since I bought it. Since I bought my playbook on opening day, I spent hours on forums trying to make it functional. Which is why I am returning mine this week.

    RIM made a big mistake launching this without working out the bugs. The average user is not going to spend that much on a tablet that is so quirky.
    04-29-11 08:37 AM
  3. concepts99's Avatar
    I think a lot of you are close minded about your opinions on your playbook, go out and play with other tablets, ipad, android, whatever. See the differences. The playbook has some pros and some cons.

    Lets be honest here, there are some issues with the playbook, and it needs to be addressed.

    Will I repurchase the playbook?

    The answer is yes, if they improve the browsing experience. Isnt what you use a tablet mainly for? The browsing experience? and - If they improve the email bridge to make it more useful, I will repurchase in a heartbeat.

    As for apps, lets me fair.

    If you were a developer, are you going to develop for a device that sold 50k, 500k by the year or something that has sold already 5 million devices. Also, the trend is that Android phones and Ios are taking over for cell phones. Rim just got knocked out. If Rim dont get their act together with a new OS for phones, they are going to drop off the chart. I dont think OS 6.1 is going to cut it. Nokia is the back just waiting to drop a ton of Windows phones onto the market.

    Enterprise used to be Rim's trump card, but talk to people in the corporate environment, more and more companies are deploying iphones and androids. I've talked to a few people at big companies, and they were already deploying Ipads.

    Remember, there is a lot of brand loyalty. This thread shows this.

    Iphone users translate into Ipad sales.
    Android phone users= Android Honeycomb sales.

    What kind of experience are people getting on their Os 5.0 and Os6.0 phones? 6.1 doesnt look all that different, and they now calling that 6.1 version 7.0 now?

    At least microsoft had the sense to call their windows mobile .5 when it went for an update, and not jump into a whole new version #, when it is basically the same phone OS.


    To give you an idea, I never flinched when I walked into an AT&T store on Torch launch and AT&T employees were giving me funny looks as I was the only one in line for it, nor when I went to Radio shack and other cell stores, showing off my Torch (the new Flagship) and those employess called it a "whack phone" (go figure)

    I didnt give up, when my new blackberry bold on launch was full of bugs.
    I didnt give up when all of my Curves had a sub-par browser
    I didnt give up when 8800 worldphone seemed outdated compared to palms, etc

    I wont give up on Rim, but what does it take to shake them up?

    Look at what happened to Nokia.
    04-29-11 08:40 AM
  4. concepts99's Avatar

    I purchased my PlayBook on opening day and 2 days ago returned it. I really had high hopes for that device and it made my stomach hurt thinking that I was going to return it. So I kept trying to make myself like it. I am going to list a few of the things that for me, with business use in mind, didn't work.

    2.) Secure Website access. The PlayBook could access our secure report site, but every time we switched pages we had to re-enter our login credentials. This was very annoying as we often have to dig down deep into folders to get to the reports we want. This especially was unacceptable.

    4.) Bridge Email - The email was very very basic. I mean so basic that it got to where I would just pick up my Torch to do all my emailing because you couldn't click a link, couldn't highlight and copy text, or zoom in and out for better reading size. This was a very pesky problem.
    .
    As a Blackberry Fanatic, I also tried my very best to make this Playbook experience work. I actually left my Ipad 2 and my Macbook Pro downstairs for a few nights, as I continued to use the Playbook. I wanted to give it a chance. I didn't want to "cloud" the experience.

    The most enjoyable experience I got was probably watching movies on it.

    the one thing I liked about it is that the file system is open on wifi, I set up a password and username, and I was able to transfer files (in this case movies) to the device wirelessly over my Network. Since I am using an Apple airport with N protocol, this was actually pretty quick for the large .avi files.

    I agree with you on the password, username thing. This is something RIM has to work on. I work on a lot of backend web sites to check on things essential to my business, some of them I dont need a super secure login for (I usually use lastpass), but with an Ipad, or an Iphone, there is something called keychain which saves your username and password.

    I believe this will be a great feature to add to a Blackberry or a Playbook. Heck, even for saving stuff for forum logins at Crackberry, etc.

    This is just a logical step where everything requires usernames and passwords now.
    04-29-11 08:47 AM
  5. concepts99's Avatar
    return the playbook...return it...dont buy it...i have it for 6 hours try to connect to my computer and its not working and the analyst cant solve my problem why it cant connect to my pc...now im staying with ipad cuz i could transfer my file n finish my job early...
    Try a different computer.
    04-29-11 08:47 AM
  6. Branta's Avatar
    return the playbook...return it...dont buy it...i have it for 6 hours try to connect to my computer and its not working and the analyst cant solve my problem why it cant connect to my pc...now im staying with ipad cuz i could transfer my file n finish my job early...
    Maybe if you start a new thread explaining the problem, a simple descrition of what you tried and what you see... some of the other users will be able to help.
    04-29-11 09:55 AM
  7. forsakenwaste5's Avatar
    Actually, the iPhone (and presumably the iPad) does carry good apps. For example my mum has CoPilot on her iPhone. �26, lifetime free updates. On a motorway for example when you need to turn off, it tells you which lane you need to be in to get off the motorway at the right stop. As in, it displays all the lanes and where they're going, and puts arrows facing up in the lanes you can use to get off the motorway.

    Please show me an app for my BlackBerry Torch that will let me do that. iPad apps are not crappy. And you're saying about the camera? In all fairness, how many pictures will you be taking from your tablet? And also, for Skype video calls, isn't a 3Mpixel camera little overkill?

    Each tablet has their own merits and downfalls. I want a PlayBook yes, but don't underestimate the iPad.
    Ugh first of all I don't care about your mum's copilot whatever app.

    Second I didn't say the iPad apps are crappy. I said the skype. I have iPad 2 and try the skype it's really small like the iPod touch. What I am saying is that qnx is a brand new OS there's not alot of apps and crappy apps. iPad is same as the iPhone or the iPod touch they just made it bigger.

    Third I don't think 3 megapixel is an overkill. If you are really ugly person then get the iPad cause it's pixelated u really want to hide that bushy eyebrows and pimply face. And Playbook is for handsome and hot people. If you are hot don't you want to flaunt? 3 megapixel is good more details
    Last edited by forsakenwaste5; 04-29-11 at 10:26 AM.
    04-29-11 10:17 AM
  8. forsakenwaste5's Avatar
    lol i love this comment.

    if this was serious at all, I'd say try using Skype on the Playbook. Or any other kind of video chat. Sigh, it's coming

    I'd say it doesn't matter what megapixel or resolution your camera is if you can't even use it. That's just my opinion I guess.
    Thanks.

    Ugh! I said u can't really compare the two right now. Qnx is a brand new OS. There's not much apps andthey are crappy!
    Last edited by forsakenwaste5; 04-29-11 at 10:29 AM.
    04-29-11 10:23 AM
  9. brucep1's Avatar
    we get it. it's a brand new OS.
    04-29-11 10:32 AM
  10. HelixInc's Avatar
    All I can say is that I also returned my PlayBook... almost with tears. My PlayBook experience was similar to having to sit through Episode 1 once Jar Jar Binks hit the screen. I have defended RIM in incredibly heated battles. This was even my signature:

    -------------------------------------------
    Powered by blackberry torch.
    IPhone - nice round corners for those of you that don't like risk Droid -
    For those of you who want to take the risk, but let your friends go first.
    BB- for us that take the bull by the horns and get sh!t done.

    Here is the problem... RIM is making really bad decisions... we all know that. I've been on the defending RIM until I am blue in my face. Thing is that the reality is that they have really dropped the ball on many fronts. I wish they would just admit that they suck right now and listen to their loyal user base.

    Switching to Android was a move that I just had to make because the BB platform just can't do it anymore. I was the LAST user on my BES server (that I managed) and I have to say that inside I am sad, but on the outside I am just bitter at the moment.

    More in my blog about the PlayBook and my switch to Android @ helix4life
    04-29-11 11:21 AM
  11. E92Vancouver's Avatar
    Will I repurchase the playbook?

    The answer is yes, if they improve the browsing experience. Isnt what you use a tablet mainly for? The browsing experience? and - If they improve the email bridge to make it more useful, I will repurchase in a heartbeat.
    Are you serious??? The browsing experience is fantastic. It sounds like you are not aware that the PB browser plays flash, something Steve Jobs thinks is irrelevant for a tablet.
    04-29-11 11:36 AM
  12. E92Vancouver's Avatar
    All I can say is that I also returned my PlayBook... almost with tears. My PlayBook experience was similar to having to sit through Episode 1 once Jar Jar Binks hit the screen. I have defended RIM in incredibly heated battles. This was even my signature:

    -------------------------------------------
    Powered by blackberry torch.
    IPhone - nice round corners for those of you that don't like risk Droid -
    For those of you who want to take the risk, but let your friends go first.
    BB- for us that take the bull by the horns and get sh!t done.

    Here is the problem... RIM is making really bad decisions... we all know that. I've been on the defending RIM until I am blue in my face. Thing is that the reality is that they have really dropped the ball on many fronts. I wish they would just admit that they suck right now and listen to their loyal user base.

    Switching to Android was a move that I just had to make because the BB platform just can't do it anymore. I was the LAST user on my BES server (that I managed) and I have to say that inside I am sad, but on the outside I am just bitter at the moment.

    More in my blog about the PlayBook and my switch to Android @ helix4life
    I have the Google Nexus S. Though the apps are fantastic, this phone is not for people that need to send a lot of messages. Android phones are also really bad on batteries, unless you don't use it, then the battery life is merely acceptable.
    04-29-11 11:52 AM
  13. howarmat's Avatar
    Flash is not everything. Its nice but it will not automatically make your browsing experience better. the 7 inch screen can take away from the browsing experience while a 9.7-10.1 screen makes it better. Having a browser that actually accepts logins for forums for some people will make it better than having flash. Its user dependent. what works for you might mean nothing to something else
    04-29-11 12:02 PM
  14. Rudee66's Avatar
    and the customer service and tech support is not friendly on this and not knowledgeable enough to help me...
    RIM support techs are terrible. I called in the second day it was released asking why my Playbook didn't charge back up after having it turned off and put on the charger over night. They still have a ticket open for this, believe it or not. I found out on the forum earlier in the week that the Playbook doesn't charge when it's turned off, and that you have to keep it on for it to take a charge. Support didn't even know this.
    04-29-11 12:10 PM
  15. E92Vancouver's Avatar
    RIM support techs are terrible. I called in the second day it was released asking why my Playbook didn't charge back up after having it turned off and put on the charger over night. They still have a ticket open for this, believe it or not. I found out on the forum earlier in the week that the Playbook doesn't charge when it's turned off, and that you have to keep it on for it to take a charge. Support didn't even know this.
    Yes, a lot of the tech support know less than the caller and some can barely speak English. Frustrating!!!

    That said, I have had some damn smart and damn good tech support. You usually have to be escalated up 2 levels.

    If you are getting no where with the person you are talking too, ask for an escalation.
    04-29-11 12:20 PM
  16. dz8's Avatar
    The OP was wrong on a bunch of things. But regardless you cannot deny that returning it might be the logical step for a lot of people. Why?

    A lot of things work great on the PB (much better than iPad - flash is so integrated into a large number of sites today that you don't really realize what you're missing on the ipad until you surf those same sites with a PB). I actually like the form factor. And Bridge (not Bridge Browser though) is very nice.

    But there are annoyances too. The Bridge email is missing large chunks of functionality. No options, no zoom gestures (or it's stuck and not letting me do it), quirky copy/paste where it doesn't work half the time, if you have BES *and* some BIS accounts set up on your phone then the presence of BES means security is applied to all your accounts preventing you from saving attachments on your PB even from non-BES accounts, list goes on and on.

    And the OP was right about flick. It's a hit and miss right now. Flick does work to move quickly but half the time it fails. And thus scrolling pages quickly takes a while. In fact the fact that flick up doesn't work always means you start flicking up faster to compensate and this leads to accidentally triggering the push up gesture to go back to the home screen and see your apps. It's kind of annoying.

    These annoyances will be fixed over time, I'm sure of that. But what if they are not? It makes sense to return it for full refund, wait a month or two and buy it again. Sure you could just wait... but what if it's never fixed. The return is a nice hedge since there's no down side since we get a full refund (at least from Best Buy).

    Only downside is some of you will call us fair-weather-PB-users
    04-29-11 12:25 PM
91 ... 234
LINK TO POST COPIED TO CLIPBOARD