Playbook reviews are out!

[DivideBYZero]

It doesn't need USB mass storage? Wait, let me guess - are you one of those people who put all their faith in "the cloud"?

This is all deja-vu - the original iPad, anyone?

Why would anyone buy this at $500, when working alternatives are available now, for less hassle and less money? If the tablet's available now, but people have to wait until the summer (or beyond) for it to actually function properly, this is a massive failure.

... and people say the Xoom is bad?

Ask yourselves where else in the commodity world would people accept to buy something crippled at a premium today, only on the basis of solemn promises that it will be made better tomorrow, next month or next year. Would you buy a car under these conditions? A camera? A house? A "real" computer?

The only place where this works is religion. And even there you have to die in order to get to the goodies.

Wow, scale it back with the personal crap, will you? Just discuss the devices.

If you're buying a tablet to store your digital life you need to reassess your requirements. Even with the biggest SD card you can only extend by 32GB, and if you're lugging an HDD around with your tablet I would suggest you're just doing it wrong.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

as long as it's stable, can run hulu, i'm happy. E-Mail will come when carriers starting carrying the devices on their network! I'll get it then!

I would think Hulu would not allow you to watch it on a Playbook.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I would think Hulu would not allow you to watch it on a Playbook.

Hulu has been confirmed as working as the PB browser Agent presents itself as a desktop browser. :awe:

 

[Deeko]

Hulu has been confirmed as working as the PB browser Agent presents itself as a desktop browser. :awe:

It works now - Hulu has explicitely blocked other browsers that represent themselves as a desktop (GoogleTV being one). Hopefully that doesn't happen here, but we'll see.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Lets say they do add all the missing stuff by summer (which is when they'll be selling it through carriers). Do you think RIM is going to go bankrupt if they sell it in high quantities in July, as opposed to April?

Ahh, but here is the rub. Will they sell it through carriers? Is this the primary objective? Won't it cannibalize the sale of Blackberry phones?
And if the word-of-mouth spreads around that the tablet is not finished (again, you only need to look at this forum, proclaiming both the Atrix and the Xoom as failures), and people won't buy them until June, will this make consumers more inclined to give the device a second chance?

The computing world moves in leaps and bounds... three months (until June) can make or break a device, and the competitors are very likely to bring more stuff on the market in the meantime.

Plus - have you folks seen the stuff RIM has developers go through, just to allow them to create content for the device? Check this out, as well as the follow-up - http://blog.jamiemurai.com/2011/02/you-win-rim/

The iPad - with all its flaws at launch time - was the first to the market, and that made a big difference, because it had a headstart. With a barely-existent applications store, and waving a yet-one-more-OS flag in front of the eyes of the consumer, RIM is positioning themselves as a "Johnny-come-lately" and a "me-too".

How many people will have a second look at the Playbook in June, after a disappointing launch? Nobody can say. But RIM will need a miracle in order to avoid turning this into a HP Slate.


*edit*
As a Canadian, I want to see RIM succeed. I really do. But there is something eerily wrong with the way in which they've set up a product that could make or break the company. Kinda reminds me of Canadian politics - good on paper, wrong in real life.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

Wow, scale it back with the personal crap, will you? Just discuss the devices.

If you're buying a tablet to store your digital life you need to reassess your requirements. Even with the biggest SD card you can only extend by 32GB, and if you're lugging an HDD around with your tablet I would suggest you're just doing it wrong.

I'm discussing the device, mate. You're confusing passion about a subject in general with anger directed at you. I get it, you're in love with the Playbook, you don't need to get defensive.

A tablet is a consumer gizmo. I don't expect it to store all my digital life, but I want it to be flexible in response to my needs. You just touted earlier the fact that it can play 1080p content (by the way, the G-Tablet does it as well!), but when a 1080p movie takes 8 GB, you can only fit a maximum of.... drum roll... ONE film on a 16 GB Playbook ('cause it does need the rest of the storage space for apps). In other words, if you take an 1080p film with you on the plane, and even though the battery's still half-full after you're finished watching the damn thing, you need to wirelessly sync your Playbook to a (gulp!) real laptop, in order to get more content. With a couple of SD cards available, you could at least swap for more content.

Plus... doesn't flash storage have a life limit of read-erase cycles? Why should you submit the internal storage of the device to this risk, when external media is much cheaper and way more versatile?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Ahh, but here is the rub. Will they sell it through carriers? Is this the primary objective? Won't it cannibalize the sale of Blackberry phones?
And if the word-of-mouth spreads around that the tablet is not finished (again, you only need to look at this forum, proclaiming both the Atrix and the Xoom as failures), and people won't buy them until June, will this make consumers more inclined to give the device a second chance?

The computing world moves in leaps and bounds... three months (until June) can make or break a device, and the competitors are very likely to bring more stuff on the market in the meantime.

Plus - have you folks seen the stuff RIM has developers go through, just to allow them to create content for the device? Check this out, as well as the follow-up - http://blog.jamiemurai.com/2011/02/you-win-rim/

The iPad - with all its flaws at launch time - was the first to the market, and that made a big difference, because it had a headstart. With a barely-existent applications store, and waving a yet-one-more-OS flag in front of the eyes of the consumer, RIM is positioning themselves as a "Johnny-come-lately" and a "me-too".

How many people will have a second look at the Playbook in June, after a disappointing launch? Nobody can say. But RIM will need a miracle in order to avoid turning this into a HP Slate.

Christ... did you wear out your FUD generator?

Who cares about carriers? They are committed at this point but it has no impact on software updates. RIM produces OS updates almost constantly for their phones and these are restricted by carriers. The PB does not have the restriction of carriers deciding when OS updates can be released, so it's safe to say the development should be swift.

That 'you win RIM' post is so out of date it's hilarious. Ask Deeko, he's a PlayBook dev...

Disappointing launch.. wow, only if you want it to be, and you clearly do.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I get it, you're in love with the Playbook, you don't need to get defensive.

Grow up.

 

[Deeko]

Ahh, but here is the rub. Will they sell it through carriers? Is this the primary objective? Won't it cannibalize the sale of Blackberry phones?

They've already announced carrier versions. Sprint has a page up about the WiMax version: http://now.sprint.com/playbook/?ECID=vanity:4Gplaybook

If having a tablet cannibalizes your phone sales, tell Apple they they'd better stop selling 3G iPads.

And if the word-of-mouth spreads around that the tablet is not finished (again, you only need to look at this forum, proclaiming both the Atrix and the Xoom as failures), and people won't buy them until June, will this make consumers more inclined to give the device a second chance?

The computing world moves in leaps and bounds... three months (until June) can make or break a device, and the competitors are very likely to bring more stuff on the market in the meantime.

You really overestimate the savviness of the average consumer. Most people have not heard of the PlayBook. They don't read Engadget or Anandtech. They'll hear about it when there are commercials, which so far, I haven't seen any.

Plus - have you folks seen the stuff RIM has developers go through, just to allow them to create content for the device? Check this out, as well as the follow-up - http://blog.jamiemurai.com/2011/02/you-win-rim/

Yes - I'm aware of what developers have to go through to write a PlayBook app: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/35610?lang=en http://deekodev.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/setting-image-sizes-in-actionscript/

Yes, its a pain in the ass, but all of the platforms are in one way or another. Once you get going with it, its not so bad. Android has a learning curve too. I haven't done iOS development yet, but considering they use a programming language no one else does, I'm sure it can be a rocky start as well.

The iPad - with all its flaws at launch time - was the first to the market, and that made a big difference, because it had a headstart. With a barely-existent applications store, and waving a yet-one-more-OS flag in front of the eyes of the consumer, RIM is positioning themselves as a "Johnny-come-lately" and a "me-too".

How many people will have a second look at the Playbook in June, after a disappointing launch? Nobody can say. But RIM will need a miracle in order to avoid turning this into a HP Slate.

The iPhone had a huge headstart over Android, look where we are now. If the product is good, people will buy it, its as simple as that. We'll find out.

 

[Aikouka]

You really overestimate the savviness of the average consumer. Most people have not heard of the PlayBook. They don't read Engadget or Anandtech. They'll hear about it when there are commercials, which so far, I haven't seen any.

This is exactly why I think this will not sell. A consumer is going to look at what they get for the price and they'll see a 7" tablet costing as much as a 10" tablet. Doesn't take much to see, "hey, this one is about 40% bigger!" (just taking the rough 7 and 10 values of course) It's going to be a hard sell unless someone just really wants a 7" tablet.

In a similar fashion, I think ASUS's biggest hurdle is their brand name. Except for their eeePC line, they don't have much market penetration among the average consumer. Buying the ASUS tablet will not be much different than buying an Archos tablet... both names most people haven't heard of.

 

[runawayprisoner]

Heated debate once again... I think I got caught up in some lately...

That said, all I can pull out of this is that Flash support, even flawlessly, does not guarantee a device's success. And it doesn't even look like it matters that much.

Don't get me wrong, I love Flash... as I'm a developer, and Flash has helped me through these past years. But I have to admit, this is quite a sad end. If I have to rewrite my video player framework to take advantage of touch, what prevents me from using video tags and javascript in HTML5 instead of another Flash framework? Security? Not all websites care about people taking their videos.

 

[QueBert]

I read the review where the reviewer said he'd recommend the Xoom over this, and that was all I needed to know. I've used a Xoom and honestly, I'd recommend ANYTHING over a Xoom Tablet wise. I really hope HP delivers, I <3 WebOS

 

[Deeko]

This is exactly why I think this will not sell. A consumer is going to look at what they get for the price and they'll see a 7" tablet costing as much as a 10" tablet. Doesn't take much to see, "hey, this one is about 40&#37; bigger!" (just taking the rough 7 and 10 values of course) It's going to be a hard sell unless someone just really wants a 7" tablet.

In a similar fashion, I think ASUS's biggest hurdle is their brand name. Except for their eeePC line, they don't have much market penetration among the average consumer. Buying the ASUS tablet will not be much different than buying an Archos tablet... both names most people haven't heard of.

People still buy 3.5" iPhones even when a 4.3"-5" Android phone is setting next to it on the shelf. Its all a matter of preference. The iPad is a better "couch surfer", whereas the PlayBook is better to take with you.

 

[lupi]

Woot for the fanbois a hate'n.

I'm a little concerned about lack of user capable memory expansion via sd crad, but otherwise as I said if this sucker came without a camera I'd buy one now. And many of the things peoplle are trying to label as its flaws are the reasons I'd like about it. In the end, it's all up to the consumers.

 

[randomlinh]

I read the review where the reviewer said he'd recommend the Xoom over this, and that was all I needed to know. I've used a Xoom and honestly, I'd recommend ANYTHING over a Xoom Tablet wise. I really hope HP delivers, I <3 WebOS

you and me both. I think it will be a solid tablet, but 3rd party app is what will bite HP. there's little love for us webOS users that are still hanging on to a thread that HP is dangling in front of us.

HP is just being completely silent, so it doesn't help either. They're trying to be apple, when they aren't.

 

[Aikouka]

People still buy 3.5" iPhones even when a 4.3"-5" Android phone is setting next to it on the shelf. Its all a matter of preference. The iPad is a better "couch surfer", whereas the PlayBook is better to take with you.

I don't think you can directly translate phone purchases as a mirror to tablet purchases. Yes, I stated that there is a matter of preference, but I still believe that you're going to have the "less for same" mentality running in people's heads when comparing these tablets.

Also, I still don't see how the PlayBook is magically much more portable. I kind of chuckled a bit when I was reading the Anandtech review... I mean, do you really have a coat with pockets big enough to put a tablet? I sure don't. I could maybe slip it in the inside "pouch", but I could also fit an iPad in there.

I just don't see this thing selling. Who knows, I could be wrong though.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I read the review where the reviewer said he'd recommend the Xoom over this, and that was all I needed to know. I've used a Xoom and honestly, I'd recommend ANYTHING over a Xoom Tablet wise. I really hope HP delivers, I <3 WebOS

I think it's a shame you're so easily influenced by one negative review. Topolsky is a well known Apple advocate, hence his removal from Engadget. The point here is you've used a Xoom, just use a PB yourself and then decide rather than allow yourself to be herded by one persons opinion.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Topolsky wasn't removed from Engadget, and to evaluate any device not using the iPad as a yardstick is unrealistic to say the least

 

[poofyhairguy]

You just touted earlier the fact that it can play 1080p content (by the way, the G-Tablet does it as well!), but when a 1080p movie takes 8 GB, you can only fit a maximum of.... drum roll... ONE film on a 16 GB Playbook ('cause it does need the rest of the storage space for apps). In other words, if you take an 1080p film with you on the plane, and even though the battery's still half-full after you're finished watching the damn thing, you need to wirelessly sync your Playbook to a (gulp!) real laptop, in order to get more content.

You are completely missing the point on this. The fact that it can play a 1080p movie is not about "airplane viewing."

I have an ION netbook that pretty much just exists to play a portion of my 1080p/720p mkv movie collection when I stay at hotels (and homes of less technically advanced friends). I hook up an external drive via USB, hook up a TV via HDMI, and enjoy the comforts of home anywhere. Not having to re-encode is a big deal because I can bring a large collection without having to make the choices of what my friends might want to watch days before I leave. But I hate dragging that netbook around when I will use my Nook for internet/everything else. They don't make me take my Nook out of the bag at the airport.

My requirement for purchase of a "real" tablet is something that can replace this function. The fact that the Playbook might eventually be able to play these files unchanged is a big deal, and is something NO Tegra tablet can do yet. Tegra isn't expected to play high profile till the next generation. My wife's iPad 2 should technically be able to play these files (haven't had time to jailbreak it yet), but I have seen no Apple adaptor with HDMI AND USB. So for someone with my needs, who can stand RIM (I can't so I am still waiting), now has a solution (if they can get the USB drive to work).

 

[poofyhairguy]

Also, I still don't see how the PlayBook is magically much more portable. I kind of chuckled a bit when I was reading the Anandtech review... I mean, do you really have a coat with pockets big enough to put a tablet? I sure don't. I could maybe slip it in the inside "pouch", but I could also fit an iPad in there.

Don't knock it till you try it. I feel my 7 inch Nook Color is WAY more portable than my wife's iPad. It does fit in my coat pockets, but more importantly I can conformably hold it with one hand for a very long time. I am hooked on the 7 inch form factor. I can't wait to see an Android tablet with these basic specs.

 

[zerocool84]

Don't knock it till you try it. I feel my 7 inch Nook Color is WAY more portable than my wife's iPad. It does fit in my coat pockets, but more importantly I can conformably hold it with one hand for a very long time. I am hooked on the 7 inch form factor. I can't wait to see an Android tablet with these basic specs.

Yea a 7" is much more portable than a 10". 10" is great for lounging around the house but when transporting you basically have to treat it like a laptop when transporting. I would like to see a smaller iPad as that'd be great but we know that'll never happen as that's just not Apple.

 

[runawayprisoner]

I think it's a shame you're so easily influenced by one negative review. Topolsky is a well known Apple advocate, hence his removal from Engadget. The point here is you've used a Xoom, just use a PB yourself and then decide rather than allow yourself to be herded by one persons opinion.

Well, I think of it this way: the tone is the same whether it's Topolsky reviewing the PlayBook or not, so it's not just Topolsky. And regardless of his preference of Apple gears, he hasn't shown disfavor to other brands, so his review is still as relevant as the next guy's.

And even Anand's review of the PB reached the same conclusion as Topolsky's. I think it is safe to say beyond a reasonable doubt that "many" just don't like the way the PlayBook is executed right now.

 

[finbarqs]

just seeing anand's review with him holding in landscape mode typing an email in gmail is ridiculous! The keyboard takes up half the screen!!!! I just hope that hulu let's blackberry keep it's compatibility! The good thing is that it's running a true version of flash on the desktop browser. Maybe it is the platform that hulu can eventually blacklist... but they block this, then playbook is that much less attractive to me

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I hate the massive bezel, but I love that it's functional.

 

[finbarqs]

yeah! ditto! The functional part almost makes up for the huge bezel! but messing around with it at CES has me all hyped up!