Make no mistake about it: I still believe that the BlackBerry PlayBook is still an excellent tablet. Even after a full year on the market it reigns supreme over so many competitors. That’s partly because Android tablets in general have been disappointing. But it’s also because the PlayBook is downright fun. Now, with more apps via Android porting, native PIM apps, and the BlackBerry Movie Store, the PlayBook stacks up with some of the best. It’s still missing some streaming video apps that you see on other platforms, but otherwise it’s simply a killer tablet. And now it’s dirt cheap.
Read the rest of How much is a BlackBerry PlayBook worth to you?…
A year ago, RIM released the BlackBerry PlayBook to mixed fanfare. A portion of the BlackBerry faithful was quite excited for the device, despite its admitted shortcomings. While many of those shortcomings could be remedied by pairing it with a BlackBerry smartphone, other aspects were still rough around the edges. Which is to say, nonexistent. But RIM kept plugging away at it, and today the PlayBook is a completely functional tablet. And it’s getting better every day, thanks to the influx of Android apps. I’d even go so far as to say that the PlayBook is one of the top tablets currently available.
Read the rest of The PlayBook at age 1: still excellent…
For one week, everything went right for the BlackBerry brand. On Tuesday RIM released BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, among a few other updates. Yes, we knew this was coming, but that’s part of the point. So many times in the past few years RIM has delayed a release. I remember in the relatively early days of BBGeeks waiting and waiting and waiting for them to get the Bold 9000 to AT&T. Those delays continued right through this very release. Remember, OS 2.0 was supposed to drop in October, but RIM needed more time to work out the kinks. But they got it right this time.
Read the rest of It’s PlayBook mania for the BlackBerry…
How many ways do you use your BlackBerry PlayBook? There are dozens upon dozens. Think about it for long enough and you’ll figure out ways that you can use the PlayBook in many of your daily activities. One area where I’ve found myself using it lately is the kitchen. The PlayBook makes for a great cooking companion. It might not dice an onion for you, but it can make the process of cooking dinner just a bit easier. Here are a few tips if you want to use your BlackBerry PlayBook in the kitchen.
Read the rest of Using your BlackBerry PlayBook in the kitchen…
If you haven’t taken notice, the BlackBerry PlayBook is selling heavily. Thanks to retailers selling the PlayBook for $200, there are many new BlackBerry tablet owners. Retailers such as Best Buy and Staples are sold out, and at $200 they could sell out of their restock pretty quickly. This all makes sense. As we’ve said dozens of times, the PlayBook is one fine piece of hardware, and it has the makings of some great software. It’s just a little incomplete right now. We do know, however, that RIM plans an update in early 2012. The intrepid Kyle McInnes of BlackBerry Cool got some answers to PlayBook questions from RIM that shed some light on the PlayBook update, and what other goodies RIM has in store for 2012.
Read the rest of PlayBook Mania! 4G versions, OS 2.0, and more…
It started a bit early, but with Black Friday officially upon us almost all retailers have made it official. The BlackBerry PlayBook 16GB model has been discounted by 60 percent, from $500 to $200. That $200 price tag seems to be the sweet spot for tablets. The Amazon Kindle Fire has sold so well in the early goings partly because it bears that same $200 price tag. But the PlayBook can be so much more. It’s worth far more than $200 as is, and will gain value as RIM releases updates. We’ve said previously that now is the time to buy the PlayBook, but it’s hard to imagine the price ever falling this low again.
Read the rest of The great $200 PlayBook sale…
This shouldn’t even be an option. After all, what does a BlackBerry geek need with an Android tablet? RIM released its own tablet, the BlackBerry PlayBook, and it’s tailored to the needs of BlackBerry users. Unfortunately, the PlayBook hasn’t yet developed into the tablet that we’ve envisioned since RIM announced it a year ago. That chances the scenario quite a bit.
To recap: RIM released the PlayBook without native email, contacts, calendar, and BBM. BlackBerry users can access them by bridging their smartphones, but non-BlackBerry users have to rely on web and third-party services. They had planned to release an update at some point, which they eventually announced as October during DevCon 2011. Now that update has been delayed, which leaves users not only without these native features, but without the Android Player and the video store. It’s definitely cause for concern and worth a look at whether BlackBerry users might be better off with a different tablet if they plan to get one this holiday season.
Read the rest of Geek Choice: Android tablet or PlayBook?…
BlackBerry DevCon 2011 has come and past — at least the US stop — which should have meant good news for PlayBook users. This is when we were promised a PlayBook update that would bring native contacts, calendars, BBM, and email — plus Android apps. And yet here we are, the Tuesday after DevCon, with not a peep about such an update. What gives? As it turns out, RIM has run into some trouble with the update. This is no small issue, either. As Boy Genius Report notes, we could be in store for another four months of waiting. Yes, the PlayBook’s OS 2.0 is apparently scheduled to hit in mid-February 2012.
Read the rest of Don’t expect the PlayBook update any time soon…
In the past few weeks we’ve highlighted deals for the BlackBerry PlayBook that would allow our readers to pick up one for as good a price as possible. Last week’s promotion, which involved a $100 rebate from RIM, was my favorite. You could then search for the best price online and then get $100 back on that. That won’t be the last deal you see from RIM on the PlayBook, though. After announcing that they shipped just 200,000 units in the last quarter, something has to change. On their earnings call yesterday afternoon they said that they’d start offering promotions and rebates, such as the one we saw last week, to help move more units. This is nothing but good news for BlackBerry fans.
Read the rest of RIM making sure it’s always time to get a PlayBook…
