Using Playbook to hold over until iPad 2S/3

[AlvinNguyen]

While waiting for the next iPad, I've decided to sell my iPad 2 and try out the Playbook since I picked up a like new one for $150 on CL. I figured at that price I could justify it since I have always loved the 7" tablet platform.

Honestly, you don't know what you have until you've tried other tablets. No email client (how did people live with this for the last year?), no auto correct, no apps (not even basic twitter or pandora). At $150 I don't mind it, it's fun and has a cool browser with good speed. But honestly, I don't know how people have been living without all these things for the last year AND pay $500 for these. Even when the price drops to $400, then $300 - its still a terrible buy.

What I do love though is the weight, size, and solid built quality - it feels like the best thing BB built in years. At $200 and up the upcoming updates to add email clients and android apps it should be a good buy (better than the fire for those who don't buy into the amazon ecosystem). I just know I'll be glad to sell it comes the time to buy the new iPad!

 

[blueroom]

I wonder what it'll be worth by the time the iPad 3 comes out.

 

[AlvinNguyen]

I wonder what it'll be worth by the time the iPad 3 comes out.

Who knows...I mean at $150 it's bottom barrel pricing. I can't imagine taking that much of a loss within the next 2 months. I do like that it was a $500 tablet - the build quality shows and it's the one thing I'm really happy with. It's probly the tablet with the least value-lost in the next 2 months. I thought about trying out a Galaxy Tab but I've been disappointed with Android in phones so I'm not sure if the experience is better on tablets. Plus, they're still floating around the $400 mark and might be down to $300 by the time the new ipad comes out.

I expect the playbook to stay around $150 used. Right now they're at roughly $170-$180. Still a bit hard to find at those prices since people can't seem to accept that their $500 tablet is worth 1/3 the price after such a short time. I feel bad for the people who bought the playbook in Sept/Oct for that insane price!

 

[3lionsbecks]

While waiting for the next iPad, I've decided to sell my iPad 2 and try out the Playbook since I picked up a like new one for $150 on CL. I figured at that price I could justify it since I have always loved the 7" tablet platform.

Honestly, you don't know what you have until you've tried other tablets. No email client (how did people live with this for the last year?), no auto correct, no apps (not even basic twitter or pandora). At $150 I don't mind it, it's fun and has a cool browser with good speed. But honestly, I don't know how people have been living without all these things for the last year AND pay $500 for these. Even when the price drops to $400, then $300 - its still a terrible buy.

What I do love though is the weight, size, and solid built quality - it feels like the best thing BB built in years. At $200 and up the upcoming updates to add email clients and android apps it should be a good buy (better than the fire for those who don't buy into the amazon ecosystem). I just know I'll be glad to sell it comes the time to buy the new iPad!

why do you need a twitter app?

I agree that the Playbook is in desperate need of the upcoming OS 2 update but at $199 pricing ($99+ taxes is what I paid directly to RIM for mine) it is a great device.

 

[AlvinNguyen]

why do you need a twitter app?

I agree that the Playbook is in desperate need of the upcoming OS 2 update but at $199 pricing ($99+ taxes is what I paid directly to RIM for mine) it is a great device.

i use twitter a lot and prefers to be able to upload images. Its not a deal breaker at this price point though. Youre so lucky you got yours for $99! Now THAT's a steal!!

 

[3lionsbecks]

i use twitter a lot and prefers to be able to upload images. Its not a deal breaker at this price point though. Youre so lucky you got yours for $99! Now THAT's a steal!!

$99 +taxes was the employee price during December. I have a few friends who work for RIM so I got one for myself and one for my Dad. My one friend ordered 18 of them for various people he knows. It became a hot (and inexpensive) Christmas gift around here. Mine worked out to $138 after all taxes were applied.

I can see the benefit of a Twitter app. for notifications if you use it a lot. Otherwise I just use the web-browser.

Spellcheck/auto correct is a must have!

 

[AlvinNguyen]

$99 +taxes was the employee price during December. I have a few friends who work for RIM so I got one for myself and one for my Dad. My one friend ordered 18 of them for various people he knows. It became a hot (and inexpensive) Christmas gift around here. Mine worked out to $138 after all taxes were applied.

I can see the benefit of a Twitter app. for notifications if you use it a lot. Otherwise I just use the web-browser.

Spellcheck/auto correct is a must have!

ah, I see, must be nice I think after the update the $200 price point is a killer deal. I'll probly end up keeping mine just to have another tablet for the living room or kitchen.

 

[3lionsbecks]

ah, I see, must be nice I think after the update the $200 price point is a killer deal. I'll probly end up keeping mine just to have another tablet for the living room or kitchen.

I agree. If the update is what they say it is an amazing deal and worth keeping I have an iPad 1 that my wife uses and I have a MBP so the playbook is great for simple couch surfing and watching videos, killing time etc.

 

[Consultant]

Original iPad is $299 from Apple refurb and is more useful. You can find a used iPad for less.

 

[3lionsbecks]

Original iPad is $299 from Apple refurb and is more useful. You can find a used iPad for less.

The only refurb iPad 1 on the Canadian apple store web site is a 3g version at $419.

but I agree that you could probably sell it for at least $200 once the iPad 3 comes out and that will make it the same price as the Playbook. If you could sell it for more it would actually make more sense economically. Realistically you wont get any more than $150 for a used playbook once iPad 3 comes out.

I already have an iPad 1 so this makes no difference to me. I wanted the $99 playbook to see what its all about. And everyone around my place has one so it isnt nearly as taboo as other places.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

Why not just root the Playbook rather than wait on RIM to do a half-assed job of making it useful? At $150, it's a great hacking platform.

How to root Playbook:
http://crackberry.com/how-install-android-market-and-other-applications-your-blackberry-playbook

 

[Navdakilla]

I really liked the playbook for the 2 weeks that I had it (bought it to test drive, then returned it since I had the iPad 2)
there are somethings that should be on all tablets, and the playbook missed out on some key features

 

[stevelam]

Why not just root the Playbook rather than wait on RIM to do a half-assed job of making it useful? At $150, it's a great hacking platform.

How to root Playbook:
http://crackberry.com/how-install-android-market-and-other-applications-your-blackberry-playbook

i've had the playbook since they dropped the price to $200 for the 16gb one and i can tell you its been a pretty ****** ride so far. i did the whole dingleberry rooting/sideloading android apps etc etc. overall its still extremely underwhelming and half the apps i try from android market don't even work on the playbook.

flash playback has been wonky on 2.0 beta. sometimes it'll play a video just fine, other times it'll start stuttering and have no sound for no particular reason at all. i even made a video of it to show people on crackberry ( who all just dutifully ignored it )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tq_rCuuaHM

 

[3lionsbecks]

i've had the playbook since they dropped the price to $200 for the 16gb one and i can tell you its been a pretty ****** ride so far. i did the whole dingleberry rooting/sideloading android apps etc etc. overall its still extremely underwhelming and half the apps i try from android market don't even work on the playbook.

flash playback has been wonky on 2.0 beta. sometimes it'll play a video just fine, other times it'll start stuttering and have no sound for no particular reason at all. i even made a video of it to show people on crackberry ( who all just dutifully ignored it )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tq_rCuuaHM

So let get this straight....you're running a BETA os that is intended for developers and not consumers and RIM has announced that the beta is unstable and day to day functionality will change.....and you're complaining why?

You need to figure yourself out.