Blackberry Playbook - Worth it now?

Erme

Well there's a way round that. go on the crackberry forums & sideload anything you're desperate for. Kindle should b out with the new OS as should some type of android help.

seriously thou. any problems with the pb & i have found the best help on crackberry.

E

almillar

scottishperson2 - you're misinformed by attention grabbing overly negative headlines. There IS a new OS coming out, and there ARE more BB tablets coming out (they're on their roadmap).
ferry - not really, but more apps will come as developers write them. There weren't may iPad apps when it first came out - it's a bit of a leap of faith. Don't think about apps, think about what you want to do with the device.

scottishperson2

almillar wrote: »

scottishperson2 - you're misinformed by attention grabbing overly negative headlines. There IS a new OS coming out, and there ARE more BB tablets coming out

I never said there wasn't a new update coming out.

scottishperson2 wrote: »

Upgrade was scheduled before he came.

You're also talking about an alledged roadmap that was (again) alledgedly leaked from RIM a couple of days after the new CEO was announced.

nomoneytoday

ada1988 wrote: »

it is fine to buy the playbook.In my opinion,it seems much better than ipad.

in what way?

screen / apps / usability or just cheaper?

Lifeforms

Over the two I'd suggest a wifi only Motorola Xoom actually. Certainly wouldn't compare it to an Ipad2/3 because one is high end and the other is not. But for the current going price (~£250 for 32gb (expandable upto 64gb with micro sd card), with ICS available for it) it's a good tablet to invest in. You don't need an additional piece of hardware to make the best of it (ie blackberry phone) and it can take the current version of ICS (either official US release, or unofficial UK roms) which is the OS for Tablets. Possibilities are endless with it for use, and ability.
BUT it's all apples and pears. I suggest you go into a shop and actually play with them for a good amount of time because what one person suggests, when you actually get it, might not be what you like/want. Do bear in mind that shop models are usually quite bloaty though, for any tablet/playbook. People were complaining the xoom was laggy, slow in shops, but actually in use it's perfectly fast enough etc. Same with ipads with the sheer amount of junk apps and stuff shop installed.

IF you want net on it, tethering seems to be a good option, but there are also mifi units out there, as well as various other travel routers working with broadband dongles that you can unlock and use cheap data cards with (uk/elsewhere)

almillar

I never said there wasn't a new update coming out.

You said it was dead. Dead devices don't get updates.
Roadmap - yes, that's a leaked roadmap, which I would take more from than attention seeking journalists and analysts. RIM are also on record saying that they will build more tablets. We're talking about getting a bargain on a run-out model.

Erme

Roland wrote: »

You couldn't be more wrong. If the PlayBook is dead, then why is RIM about to release a major upgrade to the OS in about 3 weeks time?

I bought mine on Boxing Day and it has been excellent so far. The new OS will address many of the main problems so far, such as the lack of an e-mail client and the lack of apps.

If you already have a BlackBerry phone with OS6 or OS7 then you would also get mobile data access within your existing contract. The 64GB model is £259, the equivalent iPad is £659 plus £10 pm for a data package. If you don't have a BB phone, you could buy one for half of the difference of the cost to the iPad.

Now is most certainly the time to buy a PlayBook.

I haven't tried this cos it's going to cost me £5 but believe you can pretty much tether it to any wifi phone using tethering. Have android phone. Don't know about iphone cos I am not a sheep LOL

E

Lleucu

I bought a playbook at the end of November and am very pleased with it.

++
Robust, feels a quality product
excellent screen and picture
enough preloaded apps to keep me going
speaker is good
easy link via USB to PC ie can load music videos etc through simple cut and paste
tethers to my blackberry
works well for me as mobile working device using a keyboard

--
battery life
poor wifi ie if it is weak signal wont find it
no native email client
I would prefer a bigger screen

It is absurdly under priced for what you get. An example would be it works far more reliably with the BBC iplayer than our old internet radio yet these cost about £100 just for an unreliable radio.

Go for it!!

Jonnytwotimes

RIM have admitted that the PB has not been a success that is common knowledge. If you buy the PB now you are buying it in the hope of updates sorting current issues, and the future possibility of it running ICS. At present apps are thin on the ground and expensive compared to the same ones on Android and IOS. Of course some people will say they are happy with the pre-loaded apps and the apps that are currently available but if you have not seen the price quality and range of apps on Android and IOS then you will not know any better. Otherwise its just a very good media player. Also I feel everything should work straight out of the box without having to resort to crackberry etc. IMHO

Erme

Well actually I enjoy a bit of playing and programming. I find it fun ...guess everyone doesn't have the time for that though but I just mentioned crackberry to save people googling for 2 days like I did

Also with newer and newer apps coming out all the time the PB is far from dead. Maybe not as fancy as android and ICS but still. I used it last night for the first time at a prayer meeting taking notes and having my bible side by side - worked fine for me and everyone was jealous I had everything legible and bullet pointed. Okay so the bible wasn't pre installed (and is was AV but then I'm a fan of the AV ) but the notepad was and it takes word documents no bother.

So this am I got up early. Typed out all my notes for today's 'doo' on my word an then transferred. Doddle

Maybe the lack of apps doesn't suit the younger end of the market but there's deffo room in the market for a low spec, hardwearing tablet that just 'does the basics' and right now the PB is deffo that

E