[samab]

So why do we read so many threads winging about the fact that the playbook can't just download and run Android apps straight from the Android application sites? Most of the apps everyone clammers over and asks bb for are android apps. If that is correct then buy an android tablet.

But the fact is that not even android fans buy these android tablets. The whole thing is a big myth. The biggest selling android tablet --- the kindle fire --- is not bought by end-users. The kindle fire is primarily bought as cheap gifts that the gift purchaser thinks the kindle fire is too crappy for their own usage.

[sad_old_man]

But the fact is that not even android fans buy these android tablets. The whole thing is a big myth. The biggest selling android tablet --- the kindle fire --- is not bought by end-users. The kindle fire is primarily bought as cheap gifts that the gift purchaser thinks the kindle fire is too crappy for their own usage.

So who are the developers writing the Android apps for?

[bbranny]

Well don't blame me for this, blame the fine upstanding member, rossjackson01, he made me do it.

Anyway we are all here for one reason, we believe the pb works for us. The problem being that it could potentially have been great and IMHO far better that the ipad so then in its basic form why do you think it failed?. Now it's time to find out for real.

Please do not try this at home without an adult present and a safety net.

pretty sure its mix of stuff that made it a flop.

it not being an ipad
it sucking when it came out
the long delay on the update
no apps
no apps
no apps
no apps
it doesn't really offer much compare to the other tablets now a day. and whatever unique function it offer doesn't outweigh the con

[taz323]

Interesting that the responses in this thread seem to reflect my experience in life with PlayBook owners.

Group A: The pissed group .... paid $499 as loyal BlackBerry users for 1.0 and are bitter. Some sold it and swore they'd never buy another BlackBerry.

Group B: The general consumer. Paid $100-$200 for it with 2.0 or 2.x and love it. Some never even owned a BlackBerry.

Fortunately, I think Group B is a lot larger than Group A.

Not all, yeah I paid full price for a 16g and then half that less than a year later for a 64g, what it cost isn't what's made some bitter. Guess you need a group C.

[samab]

So who are the developers writing the Android apps for?

They are writing Android phone apps that just happened to work on tablets --- they didn't go out of the way to write android tablet apps.

There are more BB10 apps than android apps on the Amazon app store (for the kindle fire).

[axeman1000]

Roots sweaters sold better than all the rest but at the end of the day it was a sweater, but it was cool to own them. That's the main reason for the maxi pad. Status. Seriously it is not practical on the fly.

Posted via CB10

[Barracuda7772]

Roots sweaters sold better than all the rest but at the end of the day it was a sweater, but it was cool to own them. That's the main reason for the maxi pad. Status. Seriously it is not practical on the fly.

Posted via CB10

are you saying bbry should of used the olympics to advertize and market tje playbook ? ........genious

[PTZ]

RIM failed to promote their product. RIM failed to equip the PlayBook with the basics, things that people felt necessary. RIM failed to support its loyal followers with a timely os update. RIM failed to price the PlayBook to sell.
I use my PlayBook everyday- even use it at church as a reader. Great device, a big missed opportunity for RIM now BlackBerry.

[samab]

RIM failed to promote their product. RIM failed to equip the PlayBook with the basics, things that people felt necessary. RIM failed to support its loyal followers with a timely os update. RIM failed to price the PlayBook to sell.
I use my PlayBook everyday- even use it at church as a reader. Great device, a big missed opportunity for RIM now BlackBerry.

But people like you missed the big point --- it wouldn't have mattered in the big picture.

The Xoom had a native email client, a few hundred thousand android apps... --- sold fewer units than the Playbook.

The best selling non-ipad tablet that is priced to actually make a profit (i.e. not the Amazon Kindle Fire business model) probably has a 1% tablet market share --- which in the big picture would have been as much a massive failure as the Playbook.

[dphjeff]

I didn't vote because all of the reasons list are true in one way are another.
I believe the PlayBook suffers it it came out on the decline of the BlackBerry smart phone and the rise of Android and Apple. The marketing for the PlayBook was nonexistent in the US. (don't know about the rest of the world). Lack of apps. Os and hardware could have been a bit better. This being said I wouldn't trade it for an Android or Apple table. The PlayBook is still a good little tablet.

[mhmediaonline]

They don't give to people what most of people want - apps

Lack of apps is the problem.

The Playbook, with bb10, or the most wanted apps in the market, and this price, would be a BIG success

Tell me about it! It's so FRUSTRATING to try and find anything mildly specialist (like an SSH or FTP client for instance) for the PlayBook.

[Wongsky]

Tell me about it! It's so FRUSTRATING to try and find anything mildly specialist (like an SSH or FTP client for instance) for the PlayBook.

Ghost commander has an ftp client within.

As for ssh - well there's payware in BlackBerry world, or the whims of whether bbsh.org provides a PlayBook release.

[ChrisMay]

I'm quite suprised to see that 15% of people think the OS one of the main reasons for the PB not doing as well as it could. Really? Surely the operating system is one of it's strongest features?? Well, that's my opinion anyway. I'd be interested to hear from anyone that selected that option to hear their reasons (and it'd better not be 'because it's not BB10!!)

EDIT: Hmm, I've just thought a bit more about this, and I we are talking about when it was first released, yes? So I guess there were a few niggles back then, and I suppose the lack of native email etc. could be classed as a fault of the OS, though that's not strictly true. Maybe I've answered my own question...

Cheers,

Chris.

[dan1shmemon]

Simple, because it doesn't have apps what most of the people need it today in a smart device.

Posted via CB10

[wafa510]

I remember first knowing the Playbook existed just by reading Consumer Reports. They reviewed it along with the iPad and the Motorola Zoom. I bought it this past September because I wanted something different than my Android phone and saw the potential in it. However, when it intially came out, it did lack a lot of functionality and the iPad was all the rage at that time. People buy mostly based on brand recognition and word of mouth and what is cool to own. The general consumer wants apps and lots of them. They do not care about how great it is to swipe up and down and how great QNX is. I love tech and like to sometimes think outside the box when it comes to electronics but the fact is, the general public who are the revenue producing factors in tech, do not think that way. I think we tend to forget that. The masses are into whatever is popular. The masses are Android and Apple users. It is pretty simple to figure out in my opinion why the Playbook did not and will never outsell the others (cheapie Android tablets excluded because there are too many out there to know how they sell).

[Wongsky]

I'm quite suprised to see that 15% of people think the OS one of the main reasons for the PB not doing as well as it could. Really? Surely the operating system is one of it's strongest features?? Well, that's my opinion anyway. I'd be interested to hear from anyone that selected that option to hear their reasons (and it'd better not be 'because it's not BB10!!)
Cheers,

Chris.

I'm not.

Many conflate reasons why they say whatever. Besides, the thread and poll is same-old, same-old, really. If there was actually some details on sales volumes, but I suspect there's a big assumption in all of this, not necessarily borne out in stats.

Why didn't it do so well to start off with? Well it was a very well built device, with good spec, and decent base OS, released at a premium price, that was released before it was ready, really. Some key things missing at launch, some key focus squandered in terms of unique / rare features.

I suspect, since the very substantial price drops, though, it has probably sold very well. Problem is, it's another tablet, highly tied into a vendor, with a particular slant, in a market that's currently largely dominated by 2 OSs and ecosystems.

The poll should really be something like "Why for those crackberries that have a bit of a downer on the PlayBook, is it such a downer" - because there will be a sizable demographic (including me) who weren't dedicated BlackBerry patrons, who bought a PlayBook because it's a decent spec tablet being sold at a bargain price. That I might, for my next handset get a BlackBerry handset, that's more about ideally not wanting an iPhone, not really wanting an Android handset, and a BlackBerry handset might make a nice change.

Truth be told, I'm a slut when it comes to tech. What I buy must suit primarily in terms of price, then other aspects. If it was the choice of iPad, or nothing, I wouldn't have bought a tablet, because going back a few years, I simply wouldn't have paid iPad money for something I didn't currently have a true need for. If BB produces another tablet that's very good, would I buy it? Maybe, if it was sold at the same kind of pricing that I've bought my 2 PlayBooks for - otherwise, they can whistle Dixie, and when it's time to buy another tablet, I'll buy one on the basis of best bang-for-buck, again.

Those that truly get themselves caught up in this vendor fixation, need a slap and to look themselves in a mirror - they're just playing the game that vendors want you to play.

As to the poll? Who bloody cares...

[Gooseberry Falls]

But people like you missed the big point --- it wouldn't have mattered in the big picture.

The Xoom had a native email client, a few hundred thousand android apps... --- sold fewer units than the Playbook.

The best selling non-ipad tablet that is priced to actually make a profit (i.e. not the Amazon Kindle Fire business model) probably has a 1% tablet market share --- which in the big picture would have been as much a massive failure as the Playbook.

Xoom is really not a good benchmark for success. Different form factor, also very expensive at launch, SD card and USB OTG support in Honeycomb severely limited, no marketing. You could also say the same for HP's TouchPad, although if I remember right, HP did have a celebrity sponsor (can't remember who, tho, LOL). I remember seeing the PB at some retail store and looking at the small size and price and saying "are you kidding"? I only bought my Xoom when I found it for ~$300.

[PTZ]

No matter what the sales volumes indicate RIM failed to capitalized on a decent offering. The big picture was Apple had a runaway lead in sales and recognition against all contenders for second place. All tablets seemed premature in their birth against the IPad. RIM had alot of the PB right- the format factor absolutely. IPad mini is selling like crazy now. Perhaps I have missed the big picture that you see. I have had three tablets, one Android, one Apple Ipad2 and my little workhorse PlayBook. This is my favorite of the three. So I guess I am user biased.

[m1a1mg]

But the fact is that not even android fans buy these android tablets. The whole thing is a big myth. The biggest selling android tablet --- the kindle fire --- is not bought by end-users. The kindle fire is primarily bought as cheap gifts that the gift purchaser thinks the kindle fire is too crappy for their own usage.

You make some wild claims. Do you actually have any "facts" to back up these claims?

[Paunngaq]

I would have voted on your poll if there was an option for something like "Product being half baked at launch, thus turning people off to the Playbook".
That is what I think hurt the amazing Playbook.
Cheers,

[darkhawk]

it seemed to miss the mark for the "trendy" thing to have, maybe if it was white and black shadows danced with it would the people be noticing it. perhaps that was it the whole time!

mainly the apps where not! Its all about the apps. and if not apps more native apps and it lacked that. things are changing tho thats the past. (hopefully)

[Barracuda7772]

this thread uded to be fun. what happened

[Wongsky]

this thread uded to be fun. what happened

Project Mayhem moved outta the kitchen?

[Barracuda7772]

Project Mayhem moved outta the kitchen?

seems like seppuku to me lol

[Wongsky]

seems like subuku to me lol

Some place in Kenya? Congrats, and all - kudos on out-obscuring anybody else. Did you try really hard, or did you manage to pull-off this with ease?