Blackberry Playbook 64GB - £129!!

finatra26

Many thanks OP - I have been trying to get this at this price for taking on trips for ages - now glad I paid the extra for 1st class (free wifi & power) back up from London on the train next month

kiorhassan

finatra26 wrote: »

Many thanks OP - I have been trying to get this at this price for taking on trips for ages - now glad I paid the extra for 1st class (free wifi & power) back up from London on the train next month

For what you've paid extra to travel 1st class, you probably could have got a second PlayBook.

finatra26

kiorhassan wrote: »

For what you've paid extra to travel 1st class, you probably could have got a second PlayBook.

That wouldn't be very money saving though would it - I only needed 1 playbook;)

It was £28 more for first class & I have £20 in red spotted hanky vouchers free from posts on this site - the journey is about 6 hrs - I suffer from back problems - the first class seats are comfier & support my back better
It will save me £42 on a chiropractor visit when I get home
:money::money: £8 well spent:money::money:

Mr_Bigglesworth_2

prowla wrote: »

As I see it, there are a number of problems with the BB:

1. It is a dead end product - the hardware isn't being developed and the OS may not be.
2. The screen is small.
3. The need to tether with a BB phone for mobile internet (silly design!).
4. Questions about apps availability.

On the plus side, it does feel like a quality machine.

and

Thanks for your thoughts...

1. So, they've changed their minds about canning it then?
2. Yes - 7" is a small screen; IMHO a sort of no-mans land compromise between a phone and an iPad size.
3. I meant tether to a phone as opposed to working standalone.
4. So, the initial OS release was too early and basically they pushed out a crippled product. I'm not sure what "majority" means in real terms, but the devil is bound to be in the detail.

I just had a play on one in a shop and in all honesty it's not a bad piece of kit. The shop (Currys) had the 16 GB one at £129.

Some comments to add: in response to certain of your initial points and follow up post
(1) RIM have just released an updated version of this on the hardware front in the US/Canada and the OS is being developed - there have been a couple of main OS updates this year, a couple of recent beta (test versions) which suggest that new version will be out shortly and early next year it will get a completely new OS which RIM have been working on.

In addition, the hardware was actually substantially better than other products when it was initially released (e.g. has front and back camera, screen has good resolution and is excellent in sunlight compared to others, hdmi out so you can connect to a tv, very good stereo speakers) so it still stands up reasonably but is no longer cutting edge given the advances of the ipad3 etc.

(2) The screen size is obviously down to personal preference, how you use it - plenty of 7 inch tablets (e.g. new Google one) out there as well as 10 inch tablets. E.g. easier to carry the 7 inch tablet on a commute, but 10 inch tablet is probably more useful around home

(3) It is a WIFI tablet first and foremost (e.g. IPAD have a WIFI versino), with the bonus that you can link to a BB smartphone to get mobile on the move as well as tether to other phones. BB linking is a bonus as you can get away with a separate data plan compared to usually having to pay extra for tethering.

(4) The app selection is still poor (although the game selection is not bad) compared to android and iOs in my opinion, and this likely won't be addressed until Q1 of 2013 when the latest operating system is released. That said the situation is improving and it does have a browser that is good at viewing a variety of webpages which can reduce the need for many apps which are in essence just directing you to the mobile versino of a website.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think tablet this would suit everyone, but thought it worth correcting some facts. I personally think it is a good but of kit, covers my needs (simple browsing, emails, reading papers and the economist on the move) and at a fraction of the price of an Ipad or a Samsung Galaxy might be worth considering - but the pitfalls will put some people off.

mrs_sparrow

I can pick up the houses that have wifi around where I live..... I just checked.

I get confused at the best of times but I can get Wifi on my 32G playbook I bought a few weeks back.

mrcomment

I bought one at Christmas,

It's a bit frustrating...limited apps compared to apple.
Doesn't support Skype ...can't do Sky Go.

It's great for browsing internet and I-player, so really, it depends what you will be using it for. Do a little research before diving in.

CCFC_80

Just to establish then for technophobes like me. Is it worth buying then if you don't have a blackberry or is it essential to have a blackberry phone for this

Bikertov

Took the plunge and ordered one.

I reckon it will be a good purchase - a 64GB, 7", well built tablet for £129.

OK - it is not a 10" iPad, but then it is also not £500+ either. From what I have read, they make great portable media devices and I am not really after 1000's of apps and games - got Wii's we don't play for games and who needs apps for everything anyway ?

Mr_Bigglesworth_2

CCFC_80 wrote: »

Just to establish then for technophobes like me. Is it worth buying then if you don't have a blackberry or is it essential to have a blackberry phone for this

You do not need a blackberry phone, this is a standalone tablet. Having a blackberry phone does enable you to access enhanced features. You will need to connect the tablet to wifi or a computer to complete the startup process and to download the latest operating system.

mrs_sparrow

I also asked a question about the PB when I got it, apparently you can also connect one of these to it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004ZMYEMY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_9?ie=UTF8&smid=AT03S1450633N and then you can use a mobile broadband dongle with it. I've tethered mine now but I am going to give it a try when I buy the cable.