Playbook reviews are out!

[shortylickens]

at this stage, it's a toy. A netbook would be more of a business tool than tablets (at this point in time)

Oh I totally agree. My netbook only cost me 279 and so far is much superior to all the other toys. Especially with VLC.

 

[finbarqs]

Oh I totally agree. My netbook only cost me 279 and so far is much superior to all the other toys. Especially with VLC.

amen!

 

[Deeko]

Can't cancel my T.V. Sub because of the live broadcasts of certain programs (news, sports). But what I'm mostly pissed is that it's free with anyone on the PC! plus playbook doesn't have hulu plus!

Haha...we really get it, you want Hulu on the PlayBook, you've made that quite clear

Anyway, depending on where you live, a cheap $15 antenna should pick up all of your local Fox/NBC/etc. You lose the cable sports/news, but between that and Hulu Plus, you get the vast majority of popular stuff.

at this stage, it's a toy. A netbook would be more of a business tool than tablets (at this point in time)

They all are. This is why I don't think any of the tablets are really worth the money. They're expensive toys.

 

[dud]

I've had to do a lot of research on the Playbook because the wife wants one. I visited my local Staples B&M store to check the unit out. I also had a chance to discuss the Playbook (and other tablets) with the store manager.

The manager told me something VERY interesting ... that 95% of all the tablets (to include the Playbook) that are purchased from Staples are returned! The problem is that the advertising/hype created by the manufacturers inflates the "ability" of the units to the point where 19/20 people's expectations (for what they pay) are NOT met. Returned units are returned to the manufacturer.

I wonder how long it will be before tablet prices come falling down?

 

[Pliablemoose]

I've had to do a lot of research on the Playbook because the wife wants one. I visited my local Staples B&M store to check the unit out. I also had a chance to discuss the Playbook (and other tablets) with the store manager.

The manager told me something VERY interesting ... that 95% of all the tablets (to include the Playbook) that are purchased from Staples are returned! The problem is that the advertising/hype created by the manufacturers inflates the "ability" of the units to the point where 19/20 people's expectations (for what they pay) are NOT met. Returned units are returned to the manufacturer.

I wonder how long it will be before tablet prices come falling down?

Yep, I keep checking at Costco, Xoom sales are slow, and the return rate is high.

Christmas season should be very interesting...

 

[finbarqs]

be safe and get yourself an ipad 2. I bet the return rates on those are no where near 95%!

 

[dlock13]

be safe and get yourself an ipad 2. I bet the return rates on those are no where near 95%!

This.

Anyone who has an iPhone loves their iPad, and iOS has the better support for applications. I'm holding onto my Xoom for a little bit longer in hopes that support will ramp the hell up for Honeycomb. Honestly though, if nothing happens this coming week at Google IO, then in a month or so, I'm going to sell it/trade it for an iPad 2 so I can at least have a completely 100% supported device.

 

[alent1234]

I've had to do a lot of research on the Playbook because the wife wants one. I visited my local Staples B&M store to check the unit out. I also had a chance to discuss the Playbook (and other tablets) with the store manager.

The manager told me something VERY interesting ... that 95% of all the tablets (to include the Playbook) that are purchased from Staples are returned! The problem is that the advertising/hype created by the manufacturers inflates the "ability" of the units to the point where 19/20 people's expectations (for what they pay) are NOT met. Returned units are returned to the manufacturer.

I wonder how long it will be before tablet prices come falling down?

i might just buy one to complement my ipad 2

probably the xoom since it has better app support than RIM

 

[DivideBYZero]

i might just buy one to complement my ipad 2

probably the xoom since it has better app support than RIM

This is not the case at all.

 

[alent1234]

ios App store > android market > blackberry app world

use all three OS's and this is my opinion

 

[DivideBYZero]

ios App store > android market > blackberry app world

use all three OS's and this is my opinion

So do I, but I'm not about to state that the Xoom has 'better app support' when Playbook Apps outnumber Honeycomb apps.

 

[gsaldivar]

App store > android market > blackberry app world

Agreed. Though Android is catching up rather quickly both in the quantity and quality of apps.

 

[alent1234]

So do I, but I'm not about to state that the Xoom has 'better app support' when Playbook Apps outnumber Honeycomb apps.

the regular android apps should also work as well

like my ipad 2. a lot of my 15GB or so in apps for it are just iphone/ipod apps and they work with no problem

 

[dlock13]

ios App store > android market > blackberry app world

use all three OS's and this is my opinion

I would hope so. The App Store has been out since.. what? 2008? Android didn't really start booming till about last year. BlackBerry hasn't had quality hardware or the software to allow for the plethora of applications, but that should change with the PlayBook and their switch to QNX-based OSes.

So do I, but I'm not about to state that the Xoom has 'better app support' when Playbook Apps outnumber Honeycomb apps.

Honeycomb supports virtually any Android application and will run it regardless of what it was designed for. The Honeycomb supported applications are coming, and I think rather quickly. A lot of developers have started updating their app to support Honeycomb and a better tablet interface. However, there still aren't enough to justify having an Android tablet. IMO.

Agreed. Though Android is catching up rather quickly both in the quantity and quality of apps.

I would agree with quantity. I'm not really set to agree on the quality of applications. The quality is moving slowly IMO. I'm starting to think come mid-summer is when we'll see a boom in quality applications for Honeycomb/Ice Cream Sandwich or whatever they'll call it. That's when there will be one standard OS developers can write for and it will work on a myriad of applications.


Also, getting back to alent's post, I feel as though the application stores go as thus:

iOS > Android > WinPho7 > WebOS > BB

However, depending on how many developers stick to WinPho and how well they roll out updates and new hardware, it is going to be a platform to watchout for.

BlackBerry JUST rolled out their new operating system, and they're saying that BB OS 7 won't support BB OS 6 apps because it will run on QNX. I'm just going to say that BB is shooting themselves in the foot by not having a better plan. They should have focused on QNX when they purchased and rolled out a whole line of phones this year so that developers can attach to the best platform instead of a soon-to-be outdated one.

WebOS is still an amazing opportunity for most developers. HP just needs to be able to market it well, and they need to be able to get that strong fan base from Android seeing as how it's a hackable/customizable phone. Also, the user interface is so functional and so very, very smooth. I think the TouchPad will be a decent product. but once again, all that matters anymore is how well the community/developers attach to products.

I think the PlayBook will be decent in it's own respect, but I don't think it will deter any sales from iOS (iPad) or any Android related tablet. I wonder if MS is going to get into the game with a WinPho7 based tablet or if they're going to stick to the whole Win8 with a lot better support for touchscreens though I think that won't be a good idea. That will alienate their WinPho7 platform. When people go to purchase a tablet, they want to be able to access their applications they've been using on their phone/current operating systems (most of the time).

 

[DivideBYZero]

BlackBerry JUST rolled out their new operating system, and they're saying that BB OS 7 won't support BB OS 6 apps because it will run on QNX.

While this is going very off-topic BB OS 7 is not based on QNX. The reason you cannot have OS 7 apps run on OS 6 or below is because of the complete rewrite of the graphics pipeline to use GPU acceleration in the new generation devices, along with a plethora of new UX APIs, the magnetometer, NFC, etc.

 

[dlock13]

While this is going very off-topic BB OS 7 is not based on QNX. The reason you cannot have OS 7 apps run on OS 6 or below is because of the complete rewrite of the graphics pipeline to use GPU acceleration in the new generation devices, along with a plethora of new UX APIs, the magnetometer, NFC, etc.

I thought... oh wait. The next update was supposed to be 6.5 or so, but they've managed to make it OS 7 if I'm not mistaken on that one. QNX will be OS 8 I'm assuming if it ever makes it to handsets (though they've said it will).

Right?

Anyway, it is definitely going off-topic, but it still gets back to the main point of the thread, the PlayBook. To make it simpler on a developer, they want to create for the platform that has the most gain/most return. The PlayBook won't sell nearly as many as BB handsets so it won't get as much 3rd party attention and IMO will be just another tablet. That's why I'm saying RIM is shooting themselves in the foot here. They're losing ground because they can't update their operating systems fast enough, and instead of updating OS 6 to a QNX based OS, they've segregated their own market unless OS 7 apps will work on QNX. That's the main selling points for Android tablets/iPad. You can still use that back catalogue of applications if there aren't quality ones out for that new kid on the block.

Honestly, I think the Playbook has extreme potential, but until RIM decides on what they're doing for their handsets, the PlayBook is trying to battle on it's own out there. With a tsunami full of Honeycomb tablets set to take over this year and the iPad continuously dominating sales, I don't know how well this guy is going to do. Businesses will need to see it as worth it to purchase over an iPad/iPhone combo. RIM needs to stop messing around by developing separate platforms. I really see nothing but a dead end for them if they continue to go down this road instead of trying as quickly as possible to merge into QNX.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I thought... oh wait. The next update was supposed to be 6.5 or so, but they've managed to make it OS 7 if I'm not mistaken on that one. QNX will be OS 8 I'm assuming if it ever makes it to handsets (though they've said it will).

Right?

Anyway, it is definitely going off-topic, but it still gets back to the main point of the thread, the PlayBook. To make it simpler on a developer, they want to create for the platform that has the most gain/most return. The PlayBook won't sell nearly as many as BB handsets so it won't get as much 3rd party attention and IMO will be just another tablet. That's why I'm saying RIM is shooting themselves in the foot here. They're losing ground because they can't update their operating systems fast enough, and instead of updating OS 6 to a QNX based OS, they've segregated their own market unless OS 7 apps will work on QNX. That's the main selling points for Android tablets/iPad. You can still use that back catalogue of applications if there aren't quality ones out for that new kid on the block.

Honestly, I think the Playbook has extreme potential, but until RIM decides on what they're doing for their handsets, the PlayBook is trying to battle on it's own out there. With a tsunami full of Honeycomb tablets set to take over this year and the iPad continuously dominating sales, I don't know how well this guy is going to do. Businesses will need to see it as worth it to purchase over an iPad/iPhone combo. RIM needs to stop messing around by developing separate platforms. I really see nothing but a dead end for them if they continue to go down this road instead of trying as quickly as possible to merge into QNX.

I don't think they've shot themselves in the foot at all. With QNX you've got a fully Posix compliant OS. This makes porting *nix based apps, of which most phone OSs are based today in one shape or form, very simple. Secondly consider the other common frameworks RIM have included, Adobe AIR, ActionScript, Webworks and standard C++. These are completely portable between platforms. Then consider things such as the Unity 3D game engine (here running Samurai Vengance 2 on PlayBook,took minutes to port apparently from iPad). Then consider that the PlayBook can run Android apps with, in some cases, NO modification at all.

Combine this with an App Store that has a higher revenue in total than Android Market and the highest $ per App revenue value of any App Store means that a developer would be foolish not to at least try to take a slice of the pie, especially when the door to entry is no longer a restrictive Java only environment like BB OS. Then they are also in front for when QNX based phones are launched, as they have experience and presence in the market.

In reality, rather than shoot themselves in the foot, they've shot themselves back into the game.

 

[silverpig]

I don't think they've shot themselves in the foot at all. With QNX you've got a fully Posix compliant OS. This makes porting *nix based apps, of which most phone OSs are based today in one shape or form, very simple. Secondly consider the other common frameworks RIM have included, Adobe AIR, ActionScript, Webworks and standard C++. These are completely portable between platforms. Then consider things such as the Unity 3D game engine (here running Samurai Vengance 2 on PlayBook,took minutes to port apparently from iPad). Then consider that the PlayBook can run Android apps with, in some cases, NO modification at all.

Combine this with an App Store that has a higher revenue in total than Android Market and the highest $ per App revenue value of any App Store means that a developer would be foolish not to at least try to take a slice of the pie, especially when the door to entry is no longer a restrictive Java only environment like BB OS. Then they are also in front for when QNX based phones are launched, as they have experience and presence in the market.

In reality, rather than shoot themselves in the foot, they've shot themselves back into the game.

Yup. And when their new QNX superphones come out in early 2012, things will really start to fly for them.

 

[finbarqs]

any cool apps yet for the PB?

 

[shortylickens]

any cool apps yet for the PB?

Didnt I give a huge list of things in one of my above posts?

Also, I really wish they had a web based store like Apple and Google so I could browse online conveniently and send stuff to my device. That would make it a lot better.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Didnt I give a huge list of things in one of my above posts?

Also, I really wish they had a web based store like Apple and Google so I could browse online conveniently and send stuff to my device. That would make it a lot better.

App world has had that for years:

http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/

 

[Deeko]

I was reading BGR's review of the Samsung Tab 10. It was interesting that throughout, they kept praising the PlayBook. Saying they wish it had a brighter screen like the PlayBook, or they wish the the OS was as smooth as QNX. For as "negative" as their PlayBook seemed to some, in hindsight, they sure seemed to like it.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I was reading BGR's review of the Samsung Tab 10. It was interesting that throughout, they kept praising the PlayBook. Saying they wish it had a brighter screen like the PlayBook, or they wish the the OS was as smooth as QNX. For as "negative" as their PlayBook seemed to some, in hindsight, they sure seemed to like it.

Geller, "Boy Genius" is a pretty big BB fan, and BGR usually has the inside scoop on BB products, etc.

After using a PlayBook a couple of times in stores, I'm much more positive on what RIM will bring to the table in the future. If they keep up the pace of development on QNX, I think they have a very good shot at remaining a major player.

And I guess the thought of the world dominated by Android seems more than a little boring...

I liked having an Android handset when no one else did, now I'm a lemming.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I'm checking the sky for Flying Pigs...

 

[Pliablemoose]

I'm checking the sky for Flying Pigs...

Sigh, yeah, I'm always a fan of the underdog...

Just tired of watching Google sell out and watching the fanboys eat it up...