Review: BlackBerry Playbook

Simon · Apr 18, 2011, 11:35:54

QuoteOfficially announced in September of last year, the long-awaited BlackBerry PlayBook finally goes on sale April 19th, with a starting price of $499. Featuring the all-new BlackBerry Tablet OS, the PlayBook sports a 7" display that makes this tablet more portable for everyday use than Apple's iPad.

With solid hardware specs, an operating system that utilizes a gesture-based user interface to deliver true multitasking capabilities and a web browser that supports Adobe Flash, on paper the PlayBook appears to have the raw talent to be a contender. Heck, it even won the first ever Tablet World Series before it was ever released. But pre-release hype is one thing and real-world performance is another. RIM hopes to leverage their success in smartphones and emerge as a major competitor in the tablet game when it steps up to the plate. Does the PlayBook have what it takes to crank out a homerun? Read our full review to find out!

http://crackberry.com/blackberry-playbook-review-official

and

http://crackberry.com/why-rim-launching-blackberry-playbook-without-native-email-client-and-why-may-or-may-not-matter-you

Gary · Apr 18, 2011, 13:31:48

Quote from: Simon on Apr 18, 2011, 11:35:54
http://crackberry.com/blackberry-playbook-review-official

and

http://crackberry.com/why-rim-launching-blackberry-playbook-without-native-email-client-and-why-may-or-may-not-matter-you

Looks great but without celluar cabability its a bit pants if you are out and about

why cant they throw the lot in. TBH you would be better of with an Asus N73 Laptop. and a dongle.

Simon · Apr 18, 2011, 15:19:59

As the second link detailed, cellular connectivity will come. It's not the first time things like this have been released before they're finished - it just seems to be the way of things these days. Have to admit, though, I'd wait until it's got cellular connectivity before I bought one. Maybe the UK versions will have it straight away?

pctech · Apr 18, 2011, 16:50:04

I'll find the link in a minute but I remember reading that the Playbook is designed for tethering to a phone or Blackberry if you want e-mail and the reason it does not have a cellular modem is so that customers don't need a separate contract and maybe likely to buy a Blackberry with it.

Simon · Apr 18, 2011, 17:56:31

Not sure if that's two different things, Mitch, but according to Crackberry (my bold):

Quote from: http://crackberry.com/why-rim-launching-blackberry-playbook-without-native-email-client-and-why-may-or-may-not-matter-youThere is no doubt in my mind that the single biggest point of confusion and concern amongst the uninformed surrounding the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is the sentiment that you need to own a BlackBerry Smartphone in order to use a BlackBerry PlayBook (in other words, the PlayBook is an accessory to a BlackBerry Smartphone, vs. a tablet device that can stand up on its own). I've had friends, readers and my next door neighbor raise this issue with me, and last week I even witnessed WSJ's Walt Mossberg relay this same notion/misunderstanding when he was a moderator on a panel discussion at CTIA.

The confusion arises from the fact that the BlackBerry PlayBook, which runs RIM's new QNX-based BlackBerry Tablet OS, will lack native/core email, BBM and PIM (contacts, calendar, etc.) support at launch (however you can still use the web browser to access email/calendar/etc. from the web and there is nothing stopping third party developers from building apps for these purposes). Because RIM built their reputation as a mobile email powerhouse and has always enjoyed a leadership position when it comes to mobile communications (think BBM, BES/BIS), I believe a lot of people have mistakingly took this to mean that RIM made the conscious decision to permanently leave these features off their tablet. I mean, if anybody should be able to implement solid email on a tablet, it's RIM, right? So if it's not there, it must be some sort of sinister tactic to want to try and convince people to buy both a new phone and tablet and use them together only as a package deal, right?

Wrong. The reality of the matter is that RIM simply does not yet have this functionality ready for the new QNX operating system in the way they want to roll it out (and trust that it's secure), and with the usage case of the tablet being different from that of a smartphone, RIM figured it wasn't necessary to wait for it to go live in order to get PlayBook sales rolling. RIM has invested massive amounts of money over the years into their Network Operation Centre (the NOC) and you can guarantee that any and every BlackBerry device they put into the market, be it phone or tablet, is going to be able to connect to the NOC so it can take advantage of the added value it provides (push email, security, efficiency, BBM, management/deployment for enterprises via BES, etc.). RIM **could** have more easily implemented native email and PIM into the PlayBook the way other manufacturers do it, but then RIM would be selling itself short as it would be bypassing the NOC. So instead, RIM is taking a lesson from Apple here and is going to market with an arguably unfinished product and will instead rollout further features when they are ready (remember, the iPhone never launched with an App Store and it took a while for them to invent Cut and Paste).

Gary · Apr 19, 2011, 07:25:52

Quote from: Simon on Apr 18, 2011, 15:19:59
As the second link detailed, cellular connectivity will come. It's not the first time things like this have been released before they're finished - it just seems to be the way of things these days. Have to admit, though, I'd wait until it's got cellular connectivity before I bought one. Maybe the UK versions will have it straight away?

Sounds the same as Microsoft with its winmo 7 tbh in this day and age bringing unfinished products to market seems dumb, Apple did it but that was a few years back with the iphone, people want the product to do moret things now not later. I'm not so interested at this point really, also if Mitch is right having a to have a Backberry to go online away from wifi would be a huge pain, and also flatten your blackberry's battery, you can get cheap pay and go tariffs for ipads and similar Tablets already..

Simon · Apr 19, 2011, 09:46:00

Quote from: Gary on Apr 19, 2011, 07:25:52having a to have a Backberry to go online away from wifi would be a huge pain, and also flatten your blackberry's battery, you can get cheap pay and go tariffs for ipads and similar Tablets already

Indeed, but I thought that's what they meant by 'cellular connectivity', in that it will come with future updates. I don't think it's ever going to be intended to be used as a phone, is it?

Gary · Apr 19, 2011, 10:48:25

Quote from: Simon on Apr 19, 2011, 09:46:00
Indeed, but I thought that's what they meant by 'cellular connectivity', in that it will come with future updates. I don't think it's ever going to be intended to be used as a phone, is it?

I mean like the ipad, you can use mobile broadband or Wifi, its built in to one variation of the ipad, you just get a pay as you go mobile broadband sim and use the net only over 3G, as well as wifi at home or hotspots.

Simon · Apr 19, 2011, 11:31:22

Yes, I'm with you. The 3G iPads are more expensive though, aren't they? I wonder if the PlayBook will also have different versions available?

Gary · Apr 19, 2011, 11:45:51

Quote from: Simon on Apr 19, 2011, 11:31:22
Yes, I'm with you. The 3G iPads are more expensive though, aren't they? I wonder if the PlayBook will also have different versions available?

Yes they are, but If you are going out having awifi only one would be a pain really, be interesting to see blackberry does, like Nokia they need to reclaim their place in the market.

Lance · Apr 19, 2011, 11:51:41

Although you could use the iphone as a personal wifi hotspot now.

Simon · Apr 19, 2011, 12:00:15

Have to admit, I'm totally in the dark on tethering (?). It sounds like a bit of a faff to me, and I'd rather have something that was fully functional, out of the box.

pctech · Apr 19, 2011, 13:14:10

Do people really cart these things around though?

Simon · Apr 19, 2011, 13:18:00

I'd use it at work, and it would be easier to type on than a phone.

pctech · Apr 19, 2011, 13:20:58

I've never really mastered speed texting but then again I prefer to use full words rather than txt spk.

Gary · Apr 19, 2011, 14:31:33

Quote from: Lance on Apr 19, 2011, 11:51:41
Although you could use the iphone as a personal wifi hotspot now.

Still flattening the batteries on two devices though, a mifi would be easier probably as you may need your phone.

pctech · Apr 19, 2011, 15:09:07

But do you really want to have to deal with Three, that is the question.

Lance · Apr 19, 2011, 15:52:31

Quote from: Simon on Apr 19, 2011, 12:00:15
Have to admit, I'm totally in the dark on tethering (?). It sounds like a bit of a faff to me, and I'd rather have something that was fully functional, out of the box.

I've not used wifi tethering on my iPhone, but on Nicky's HTC Desire its as simple as open app, choose password and security and then presto, a wifi network. Select the network from the ipad/playbook and enter the password and its all sorted.

Gary · Apr 19, 2011, 20:11:07

Quote from: Lance on Apr 19, 2011, 15:52:31
I've not used wifi tethering on my iPhone, but on Nicky's HTC Desire its as simple as open app, choose password and security and then presto, a wifi network. Select the network from the ipad/playbook and enter the password and its all sorted.

As long as you get a 3G signal

Lance · Apr 20, 2011, 13:02:33

Obviously. But if your 3g ipad was on the same network as the phone, you wouldn't have the signal on that anyway.