[rkguy55]

Hi I just got my playbook last night and I'm new to all this stuff. LOL

I couldn't find this on the search so here it goes...

If you root your playbook....does it void the warranty?

Thanks
Ryan

[jostnyc]

That's a good question!! I just got mine last month and its already rooted. But I think if you wipe it the root will go away. And it will be back to normal. Well at least I hope so.

[peter9477]

You can decide for yourself: BlackBerry - PlayBook Limited Warranty

By my reading of it, "...will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use..." pretty much says it all. Rooting is not "normal use", so you'd likely have no grounds for a warranty claim if something went wrong with your PlayBook while or after you had rooted it. I suspect RIM wouldn't go to great lengths to reject a claim for a rooted device which had a defect unrelated to rooting, but I also suspect anyone relying on that possibility would be foolish.

There are other sections too: Exclusions and Limitations includes "(vi) to damage to the BlackBerry PlayBook caused by operation or use outside the permitted or intended uses described by RIM ..." and I suspect the referenced BlackBerry Solution License Agreement doesn't cover use of a rooted device or one modified in non-standard ways.

As always with legal stuff, whether or not any of this applies depends on your local jurisdiction, case law, and the fact that I Am Not A Lawyer, etc...

[jostnyc]

Yeah but would they be able to tell if it was rooted if the device is wiped and rooting gone. I mean I don't anyone would be mindless enough to return a rooted device.

[peter9477]

I doubt it's a big risk, but consider your position if the device actually fails, like you can't get it to boot up no matter what you do. Hard to remove traces of the rooting in that case. Also, I don't know if anyone here is willing to guarantee yet that the factory reset procedure does in fact remove all traces of the rooting.

If it's rooted, consider what may happen if you return it under warranty, and then they say "uh, sorry, but this device has been tampered with, but we can send it back repaired for the usual fee if you'd like". Or whatever... I doubt that would happen, but I'm just pointing it out as a possibility since rkguy55 asked.

[xeju]

The other thing you might want to consider being paranoid about is your BlackBerry ID and device PIN. I have no clue what data mining could provide, but someone who repeatedly signs up for the developer beta - especially those who (when it was still an option) first signed up for the rootable version then immediately for the new version. Or if you're signing your own .bar's - I believe that creates a connection to RIM. What if those converted .apk's were only available on Android market. Is there a way for RIM to tell when you log into AppWorld that your device has been rooted? I have no clue.

Most of this isn't damning, but it's all something to be aware of. Basically you have to figure if you're doing something with your device that it was clearly not intended to do, you may breach your warranty.

I too am not a lawyer, and this is in no way intended as legal advice.

[bluemax413]

The other thing you might want to consider being paranoid about is your BlackBerry ID and device PIN. I have no clue what data mining could provide, but someone who repeatedly signs up for the developer beta - especially those who (when it was still an option) first signed up for the rootable version then immediately for the new version. Or if you're signing your own .bar's - I believe that creates a connection to RIM. What if those converted .apk's were only available on Android market. Is there a way for RIM to tell when you log into AppWorld that your device has been rooted? I have no clue.

Most of this isn't damning, but it's all something to be aware of. Basically you have to figure if you're doing something with your device that it was clearly not intended to do, you may breach your warranty.

I too am not a lawyer, and this is in no way intended as legal advice.

Spoken like a law student XD

[erisdroid]

This is one of those questions that gets tossed around frequently. I come from the android world where everyone and their brother roots their devices. I have never heard of that voiding a warranty. But look here for the official word;

DailyTech - Library of Congress: Jailbreaking, Rooting Phones, Video Montages are Legal

I can't remember if this mentions warranties or not, but this is the official word. This came out because of a certain innovator wanting to prosecute people that would "jailbreak" his devices. I won't mention names but we all know who.