How many here will buy the Playbook or try it out ?

[Hastings101]

I'll be buying the Playbook. I already have an old iPhone 3G I use as an iPod Touch for my iOS stuff, so I don't really need another iOS device like the iPad and I really don't like the look of the Xoom or the other Android-based tablets.

 

[PhoneI]

The Blackberry Playbook will do well, it may not have the numbers of the iPad2 but it will do well. The iPad is a toy, that is rally all it is. It is not a business machine or a laptop replacement just a toy. I had the orginal iPad when it came out (i jumped on the band wagon) and then I sold it becuase I simply did not need a large ipod touch. I travel with a laptop and a kindle and the ipad is in no way an ebook reader, frankly it sucks at that.

There is a market for the Playbook. It is more for the business people not the teenie bopper. Apple has its fanboys just like RIM has its crackheads.

Time will tell.

Ah, the iPad is a toy argument. I use my "toy" iPad, to connect to my corporate database, to sync with my task management app on my laptop, to create and print spreadsheets, to email customers, to join webex video conferences, to create project plans, to create and read technical documents.

Your "business" Playbook cant even send an email if a blackberry isn't close by.

 

[TheWheelMan]

I bought my "iToy" to write with at night. An iPad is no more a toy than a PC, meaning, that it is what you make of it. If it's a toy to one person, that's perfectly fine. It doesn't mean that it's a toy to others as it actually is capable of a lot more than a mere toy.

 

[Mac.World]

The Blackberry Playbook will do well, it may not have the numbers of the iPad2 but it will do well. The iPad is a toy, that is rally all it is. It is not a business machine or a laptop replacement, just a toy. I had the orginal iPad when it came out (i jumped on the band wagon) and then I sold it becuase I simply did not need a large ipod touch. I travel with a laptop and a kindle and the ipad is in no way an ebook reader, frankly it sucks at that.

There is a market for the Playbook. It is more for the business people not the teenie bopper. Apple has its fanboys just like RIM has its crackheads.

Time will tell.

I'll bet that more Fortune 500 businesses are using the iPad by a margin of 10:1 in one years time. Cause you know, 80% of those CEO's are clueless and just let their people have toys to screw around with. Same with the US Congress. And the US military. And of course, hospitals just use iPads as toys. I can go on ad nauseum. The playbook will be too restrictive to the Blackberry community, which by the way is shrinking by the hour, making the Playbook, RIMs last dying breath, before the company slowly dies off or is sold.

And I'll take an iPad any day over a small black and white e-ink reader, because I prefer to see magazines and newspapers in full scale and vibrant color. I also prefer one device to carry instead of three, you'll be carrying. You'll need you bb cell, your playbook and your kindle to do what my iPad does? Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't seem very productive or smart.

 

[vito]

Wasn't there a time where tablets we're dismissed by business folk at least at my company, we never even looked into Tablet PCs. Today thanks to the iPad every manufacturer even RIM is trying their level best for a slice of the market.

These "business" users loved the iPad, probably couldn't have it deployed throughout their organisation due to buying obligations so will be happy with a very mediocre iPad equivalent minus business/productivity apps which are available by connecting ones BB to the device, makes me want to go and buy one 🙄 😀

 

[panoz7]

The playbook will be too restrictive to the Blackberry community, which by the way is shrinking by the hour, making the Playbook, RIMs last dying breath, before the company slowly dies off or is sold.

RIM isn't shrinking by the hour, in fact they are selling more phones than they ever have. Their market share in the smart phone market just isn't growing as fast as their competitors. That's not to say RIM isn't in trouble -- they definitely need to move in a new direction or I think you may be right.

Let's just make sure we keep the facts straight: the iPad isn't a toy, and RIM still sells a hell of a lot of phones.

I also prefer one device to carry instead of three, you'll be carrying. You'll need you bb cell, your playbook and your kindle to do what my iPad does? Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't seem very productive or smart.

Notwithstanding the fact that there will be a native email app soon, how often do you have your ipad but not have your phone? There's a kindle app for the blackberry, just like there is one for the iPhone. His choice to carry three devices instead of just one is a choice, not a necessity.

 

[cwerdna]

There's 0 chance I'd buy it but I'd try it out at a store.

If it hasn't already been posted, the media embargo has been lifted and there are links to a bunch of reviews at http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-ga...y-playbook-reviews-rate-it-a-7-out-of-10/4607.

 

[jb1280]

Looks like the Playbook did indeed have quite some potential. The reviews reaffirm my belief that the co-CEOs have done a great disservice to the company by spouting off to the media for the last half year. RIMM should not even mention iPad in the same sentence as Playbook and claim that 7" is demonstrably different than 9.7" (which it is.) They should have also delayed the device several months to get key functionality on the device.

 

[master-ceo]

Loving the mouse support on the Playbook and the on board connections.
no Stoopid dongles just to hook up to a TV.

Its cool. Props to BB. Oh, forgot about flash support!

You can actually use this site on it and make BEATS in the cloud!!!!
http://burn-studios.audiotool.com/

No need for a crap lol

 

[yodaxl7]

But if you do have a blackberry then the integration between phone and tablet is a big plus. There's also a native email client coming. That said, I can see how this could be a big issue for non-blackberry owning consumers who are interested in the playbook and want it at launch.

I'm interested in getting a tablet but am holding off until the playbook launches. I'm not sure how I feel about the 7" screen and it's definitely missing the robust app store that the iPad has. On the other hand, it would integrate better with my phone, and the OS looks like it may be better designed for use on a tablet.

If you haven't watched any of the playbook demo videos then check them out -- especially if you're concerned about the user interface. It's very reminiscent of web-os and looks like it could work really well.

There are a few reviews out,too. Battery life is disappointing. Mossberg was able to use it for 5 hours. He said that he cannot recommend the product because you have to have blackberry phone. Plus, it missing more than native email client. Plus, it costs the same as iPad and it is half the size as the iPad. NOT worth it!

 

[Whorehay]

I'm definitely going to get the PlayBook. I don't really check my e-mail on the iPad and the lack of Flash is kind of a bummer sometimes.

The real question for me is how will it fare in my usage if I don't use a BlackBerry.

 

[gnasher729]

It does do email, but at launch it will require a connection to a blackberry phone to access the email app.

In other words, it doesn't do email.

Just for fun, google for "playbook dead on arrival". By making it run Android apps (although nobody knows how well that works), RIM all but made sure that there will be no native applications. And surely if you want Android apps you better get an Android tablet. And it might come with an email app. (Of course an iPad would be even better, but Android is definitely better than Playbook).

Can't believe that you can't grasp the fact that the Playbook's core audience probably already have BlackBerries, nor that you are completely ignoring the fact that they are already being hammered on BlackBerry message boards for taking this long to release. And you think they should hold up launch even longer? 🙄

The core audience for the iPad is everyone who doesn't have a MacBook Air, which is about 99.5% of the population 🙂 Looks like a better plan to me. Also appeals very well to the Playbook's core audience and might turn them away from their Blackberries altogether.

 

[smiddlehurst]

Wasn't there a time where tablets we're dismissed by business folk at least at my company, we never even looked into Tablet PCs. Today thanks to the iPad every manufacturer even RIM is trying their level best for a slice of the market.

To be fair that was largely because Tablet PC's were overpriced laptops with a screen that turned round and, as a result, had terrible battery life, ran hot and often loud, were heavy as hell and offered no real benefit outside of very specalist applications. Things got a tiny bit better with the UMPC stuff but they were still pretty bad... I'll never forget having ten Samsung Q1's scattered across my living room as I tried to get them all configured for a rollout less than 19 hours after we received the units.

Ultimately the iPad is being seriously considered in business because it, well, works. Being able to utilise the existing ecosystem that iOS has built up helps a lot as well as a lot of the integration problems have already been solved. RIM are taking a punt that this is going to appeal to existing Blackberry users and can tie into that ecosystem but I'm not so sure that's going to work. Blackberry handsets tend to be used mainly for e-mail so how far integrated they are into the rest of the corporation I'm not sure.

Whatever happens though it'll be interesting to see what develops and I genuinely hope RIM do well with this. It's at least a slightly different approach, even if it does feel like they really don't have an overall vision for the product at the moment, and choice is almost always a good thing.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

The Blackberry Playbook will do well, it may not have the numbers of the iPad2 but it will do well. The iPad is a toy, that is rally all it is. It is not a business machine or a laptop replacement just a toy. I had the orginal iPad when it came out (i jumped on the band wagon) and then I sold it becuase I simply did not need a large ipod touch. I travel with a laptop and a kindle and the ipad is in no way an ebook reader, frankly it sucks at that.

There is a market for the Playbook. It is more for the business people not the teenie bopper. Apple has its fanboys just like RIM has its crackheads.

Time will tell.

LOL, then it's the best money making toy I have ever purchased. It paid itself in just two weeks. Last Tuesday, it made me $210.00.
Toys like the iPad are the kind of toys I love.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

There is a market for the Playbook. It is more for the business people not the teenie bopper. Apple has its fanboys just like RIM has its crackheads.

Time will tell.

For a teenie bopper, it's an expensive device, and surely if they can afford it, they will definitely use it at its fullest potential.

Most business people will only use it to read eBooks, store their contacts and play Solitaire. They will never use it at its full potential.

I guess you haven't either, or you would know about deploying it in an enterprise environment, using group policies, Exchange integration, HIPAA Compliance, etc.

Here's a link you may want to check: http://www.apple.com/ipad/business

Since it became available, I have never seen a Blackberry device good enough to catch my attention. I know there's people who would die for them, but I have really never seen anything special about them. Their email and interface are lame when compared to Windows Mobile, even worse when compared to iOS.

 

[DiamondMac]

Truth be told, I will just read the reviews online and wait a few weeks after release to see whether to try it out or not.

 

[kdarling]

"There is a native email app coming"..... How anybody can except (sic) this excuse is crazy.

Plenty of enterprise customers can accept it, since they'll have email on the Playbook via their Blackberry.

RIM isn't going after everyone at first. Just BB owners.

Can you imagine if Apple released the iPad without an email client?

More like can you imagine if Apple had released a smartphone without MMS or even the ability to run third party apps?

Oh wait. That turned out okay after all.

 

[Blakjack]

I was counting on Rim coming in strong here and providing some real competition, but they have failed me once again. Come on tech companies, u guys need to get it together. Yall still got apple playing the game on JV. Would love to see Apple on the sticks in Pro mode. Somebody, anybody, SHOW UP!! Maybe HP can do it.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

More like can you imagine if Apple had released a smartphone without MMS or even the ability to run third party apps?

Oh wait. That turned out okay after all.

Wow... are you really equating email on a tablet (computer), to MMS on a phone? Over the past 2 years (while the iPhone has had MMS), I have probably sent nearly 50,000 SMS's... maybe about 20 MMS's... not so important to me.

And Apple is the company that MADE 3rd party apps popular. Sure they existed before, but before the app store I bet the average smartphone user averaged about 2 apps. and that's being generous. and that's when 90% of the world still used dumbphones, all without apps.

 

[bursthead]

But when Apple comes out with a 7" iPad it will be revolutionary and a great size.

If apple can come with a tablet in a 7" form, that supports messaging and voice. That will be revolutionary and I wont need to carry two devices.. But I doubt I ever see that happen in the next 3-5 years...

I'm going to try the playbook, and see if it has potential... I mean the lack of an email client is big. But think about the app store, alot of people can not live without it. But I still remember not to far long ago, with my first iphone and ipod touch, there was no app store, and we had to make it through just using our safari browser and ipod.

 

[kdarling]

Wow... are you really equating email on a tablet (computer), to MMS on a phone?

The Playbook DOES have email, by displaying what's on the Blackberry owned by the initial target audience.

And Apple is the company that MADE 3rd party apps popular. Sure they existed before, but before the app store I bet the average smartphone user averaged about 2 apps.

Is the iPhone your first smartphone? Many of us had quite a few apps, such as Slingplayer, Google Maps, the Opera browser, medical references, Exchange mail, drawing, handwriting recognition, travel utilities, games and great homescreen utilities.

and that's being generous. and that's when 90% of the world still used dumbphones, all without apps.

Actually, people have used a lot more apps even on dumbphones than you'd think. For instance, Verizon's BREW version of Shazaam was downloaded at a higher rate than on the worldwide iPhone.

Heck, Apple just announced that they'd paid $2 billion in app royalties. Yet BREW developers just passed $3 billion in royalties (yes, for those little dumbphone apps).

The mobile world is much more intricate than most people realize from hearing only about the highly publicized stuff.

 

[vincenz]

Has anyone seen the PlayBook review by David Pogue yet?

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011...0000775221/what-is-the-playbook-missing-.html

Who knew he could do such a French accent? 😛

 

[PhoneI]

Just as I thought. Every review on the web has slammed RIM for releasing this thing without native email, calendar, and contacts. I still have no idea what RIM was thinking doing this. They had to know this would be mentioned in every review.

Anybody that defends RIM for doing this needs to check their level of fanboyism. I actually think the HP TouchPad will sell more than the Playbook.

 

[OSMac]

Both Rim and Apple have very loyal followers and can do no wrong in those eyes.

Jobs is the key to Apple's success, RIM has no one that comes close.

Funny thing is Jobs told everyone what tablet form factor would succeed over a year ago,
and the others ignore and fall short.

 

[fertilized-egg]

More like can you imagine if Apple had released a smartphone without MMS or even the ability to run third party apps?

Oh wait. That turned out okay after all.

That's just bringing out the old talking points against the original iPhone even though it's completely irrelevant in this context.

The original iPhone lacked a ton of things but it was the only usable multitouch-based internet device with then incomparable ease of use and ability to surf the web, as well as by 2007 standard, an amazing Google maps client, etc. It was lacking in features but the first iPhone was unique and its strengths were so good that many overlooked its short comings since there was nothing else quite like it. Unless you're the type of anti-Apple person who would claim the LG Prada was there even though you've never seen the LG Prada in your life let alone touched one.

On the other hand, the RIM PlayBook doesn't offer anything particularly unique and it's pretty clear they've ripped off the many of the existing UIs, most notably webOS. Moreover it is supposed to be a "professional device." Now we can agree that term is meaningless. But according to RIM, working professionals, those who use BlackBerry, are the types who do email and manage schedules on the go, which are exactly what PlayBook lacks. Plus given the PlayBook is a 7" device which is supposed to be portable, why the heck would one want to juggle two devices just to access the emails? Isn't the whole point of having a 7" tablet so that you have a portable device?

I can see the argument of RIM trying to go after existing BlackBerry users first but IMHO the typical corporate BlackBerry users are the last ones you want to go after unless you can get some enterprise sales. The first early adopters of this device will likely to be the hip young professionals who already own Android and iOS devices who are interested in having a powerful 7" device. We already have a ton of iPad users who use Android phones (I'm one of them), so it's pretty natural to expect that kind of adoption, especially from Android users who are likely to be interested in PlayBook's stellar specs and the promise of the eventual Android app compatibility.

Frankly I'm amazed that someone is willing to defend RIM's decision to release this thing without email and calendar. It goes against everything the PlayBook form factor is made for. That comparison to the iPhone's lack of MMS is just inane. However I've come to expect some posters in MacRumors to defend anything done by Apple competitors.