[US Ratter]

Switched years back to Apple (phone + iPad) because my BB Bold software was lame and the phone actually came apart. However, using the iPad for getting work done is difficult on a good day due to its lack of a file system and reliance on potentially not secure iCloud/Dropbox storage (although I use SpiderOak when I can). I also liked having a fiscal keyboard on my Bold so I am considering switching back to BB phone + Playbook if I can work with files more easily than with Apple.

I have not kept up with BB since I switched so this might be a naive question, but how easy and secure is it to work on MS office files on the BB platform, especially on the Playbook? Assuming this will be easier, should I wait for the new crop of phones due out near the end of calendar year 2012? Is the current Playbook the one to buy or is there a newer iteration due out?

Regards,

[axeman1000]

Docs to go comes with the playbook fresh out of the box and has a word excel and powerpoint editor/viewer with great editing capabilities for free. When you bridge your bb to the playbook you can use the keyboard on your phone to type with if you don't like the onscreen one. Not sure what bb10 will bring but from what was shown so far the phone experience will be the latest one available with lots of new features.

[DINGSTER1]

Check out Files and Folders in App World...

[NaijaBerry]

I just traveled for the first time with my playbook, my dad is on the same trip with his ipad, I didn't actually realize that document handling was such a problem with the ipad, while I've got ms office apps on my phone and playbook. He's got his ipad and bluetooth keyboard, huge combo, I've got my playbook and 9900 as the keyboard and mouse. But what's really making me extremely happy is having to connect only my phone to the wifi network and browse with my playbook connected to my phone via bridge. I've always wondered if I would have to pay for 2 devices to get Internet access in a hotel, but apparently not with this duo! I would usually travel with my macbook pro, but not anymore. The experience can only get better from next year....

[US Ratter]

Thanks for the quick responses. Right now, if I can't use a not secure cloud share, I need to email files to myself to be able to work on them when away from work. I can turn my iPad into a "USB" drive but the lack of a file system prevents access of these files on my iPad. Would the files and folders APP combined with how the BB operates obviate this? Right now, my iPad is almost exclusively a consumption and not a get work done device. Thus, it is slowly become less useful for work.

[LazyEvul]

Docs to Go on the PlayBook should have you covered, as should its phone counterpart. If you're willing to spend the extra money, the PlayBook keyboard is absolutely excellent. Once you get used to it, you get to type very fast. I used the PlayBook and the keyboard today to write up a blog post, and I managed to do everything (researching, finding and uploading an image, typing and publishing the actual post, and promoting it on Twitter and Facebook) right from the PlayBook - all while I was texting a friend through BlackBerry Bridge. It's a very powerful tool, and apart from some minor kinks when I was on Facebook, it did everything without flaw.

I wouldn't be as willing to do the same thing on my Torch (Though I have toyed with the idea and might give it a try one day), but a BlackBerry 10 device should be nearly as good as the PlayBook for such tasks - just with a smaller screen.

Edit: Yes, the PlayBook does offer access to the device's file system on your PC.

[tack]

Docs to go is a poor substitute on any platform, yet is the best substitute available. I am going Windows 8 as far as tablet so I can have full Office and a keyboard and mouse when needed. Docs with a mid level of complications just don't work on another mobile platform well. I think MS has done a great job with Windows 8.

I love my iPhone 5, more than I thought coming from the 4s. However, I see myself having a BB10 phone and Windows 8 convertible tablet. Seems like the best combo.

[itmccb]

If you're not one to take advantage of apps/cloud services, then the Playbook should work well enough, though between the Playbook, iPad, Win8 and Android tablets, I'd say it has by far the clunkiest workflow. I'd sooner recommend the Surface, Vivo Tab RT, or Transformer Pad Infinity if you're not interested in the iPad.

[LazyEvul]

If you're not one to take advantage of apps/cloud services, then the Playbook should work well enough, though between the Playbook, iPad, Win8 and Android tablets, I'd say it has by far the clunkiest workflow. I'd sooner recommend the Surface, Vivo Tab RT, or Transformer Pad Infinity if you're not interested in the iPad.

Although I admit I have never tried any of the other devices, I find it strange that the PlayBook workflow can be considered clunky at all - I personally feel it's extremely fluid. To each his own I suppose.