Blackberry Playbook

On the other hand, a bit of let down for me...I just learned (at about 50:45) that apparently for phones on CDMA networks (Verizon) you won't be able to tether for internet and also bridge to the blackberry phone at the same time. This is not a limitation of GSM.

Since I'm on verizon (CDMA) if I'm not in WiFi range, I won't be able to surf the net and also utilize BB e-mail, etc. At least until the Playbook native clients are released of course.



​
 
Joe DeFuria said:
On the other hand, a bit of let down for me...I just learned (at about 50:45) that apparently for phones on CDMA networks (Verizon) you won't be able to tether for internet and also bridge to the blackberry phone at the same time. This is not a limitation of GSM.

Since I'm on verizon (CDMA) if I'm not in WiFi range, I won't be able to surf the net and also utilize BB e-mail, etc. At least until the Playbook native clients are released of course.



​
Click to expand...

That is very weird. I'd be curious to know why it wouldn't work with cdma. Ill check that link out later.
 
Scott_Arm said:
That is very weird. I'd be curious to know why it wouldn't work with cdma. Ill check that link out later.
Click to expand...

I can at least verify that when I use my CDMA blackberry as a tethered device to my PC, the blackberry no longer receives e-mails / BBMs until the tether is severed.

While the blackberry is being used in "Modem" mode (tethered), I can access emails on the device...but only those that have already been received by the device prior to starting the tethered connection. I cannot send new emails or BBMs either. I can compose emails and BBMs, but they do not get delivered until the tether is severed.

It is odd...we're all aware of the simultaneous voice / data limitations of CDMA, but never really thought of this...
 
CDMA has a single data stream. This is why it cannot do voice and data simultaneously as GSM can.
 
metafor said:
The thing is, why is BB email using the voice service? You'd think that would be a data service.
Click to expand...

I don't beleive (and Mize seems to confrim) there are separate "voice" and "data" services. They are both just "data" services/streams... It's just that with CDMA you can only have one "data service" operational at a time.

I'm guessing that due to the nature of BB security (or perhaps its middleware structure)...it requires it's own data stream that is distinct from the generic internet data service.

I'm also guessing that during normal phone operation, the BBerry can seamlessly switch between the two services as needed...but in "modem" mode, it is dedicated to the internet data service only.

In any case, this will be somewhat of an annoyance when not in WiFi range...until the native BBerry apps are supported on the Playbook...
 
Joe DeFuria said:
I don't beleive (and Mize seems to confrim) there are separate "voice" and "data" services. They are both just "data" services/streams... It's just that with CDMA you can only have one "data service" operational at a time.

I'm guessing that due to the nature of BB security (or perhaps its middleware structure)...it requires it's own data stream that is distinct from the generic internet data service.

I'm also guessing that during normal phone operation, the BBerry can seamlessly switch between the two services as needed...but in "modem" mode, it is dedicated to the internet data service only.

In any case, this will be somewhat of an annoyance when not in WiFi range...until the native BBerry apps are supported on the Playbook...
Click to expand...

Well, "voice" as in it goes over the EDGE/GSM connection instead of the UTMS/3G connection on a GSM carrier. Why would it not just multiplex the 3G connection?
 
AlphaWolf said:
reviews are out.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4266/blackberry-playbook-review

Impressive UI and decent performance, but seems like it will need a bit of time to fulfill the promise.
Click to expand...

Hmm, trails on almost every benchmark not just to the iPad but the Xoom and is at the bottom for battery life, though not as bad as rumored.

What exactly distinguishes it, unless one's invested in the Blackberry platform?

There are concerns about the performance of the Gingerbread apps. in a VM.
 
wco81 said:
Hmm, trails on almost every benchmark not just to the iPad but the Xoom and is at the bottom for battery life, though not as bad as rumored.

What exactly distinguishes it, unless one's invested in the Blackberry platform?

There are concerns about the performance of the Gingerbread apps. in a VM.
Click to expand...

1080p video output, better multitasking, bezel gestures, better cameras <edit> and functional flash out of the box

And there might be an issue with Anand's performance (engadget got a 2360 with playbook) tests he's running an older version of sunspider, he says he's going to retest.
 
It seems to be very lacking IMHO. No email client, no calendar, no contacts, no really office apps. Of course those are all "yet" meaning it has potential. Does it have Skype with video?

It's a work in progress at this point for anyone looking for a tool.

Next up: HP TouchPad. The SDK leaked with an emulator that looks very good.
 
http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/04/blackberry-playbook/

Wired. Pretty glowing review of the hardware and OS, but the stumbling blocks are a lack of native email, calendar, lack of apps and buggy beta performance of flash in the web browser.

To be honest, I really don't understand who uses native email clients anymore. I haven't used one for personal email since ten years ago. Personal choice, I know, but the native software is coming this summer, which is only a few months away. I'm sure third parties will jump on this as well.

Lack of apps is a problem, I guess, but the number of apps will grow as its released and people get their hands on it. Definitely is a downside compared to the more mature platforms.

Buggy flash in the browser is a problem. I'd rather have a website revert to a non-flash version, or have it tell me it won't load than have it crash. My guess is that the performance will be improved over time, but can they get it rock solid? The reviewer mentioned it improved even during the review period, so here's hoping. It looks like Ars completely disagrees on this one, and says the Flash experience is very very good, so I'm guessing they may have been testing a new version, or perhaps just different Flash content. You can turn flash off, altogether, which is nice, I guess.

Blackberry bridge is a nice feature that was untested. Obviously this is only beneficial to their current phone users.
 
Scott_Arm said:
http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/04/blackberry-playbook/

To be honest, I really don't understand who uses native email clients anymore. I haven't used one for personal email since ten years ago. Personal choice, I know, but the native software is coming this summer, which is only a few months away. I'm sure third parties will jump on this as well.
Click to expand...

LOL. People who manage email from multiple machines that are sometimes or often offline?
Get email as you rush between flights...answer emails while on flight...send when you land.

Also, many companies have security policies to prohibit storage or email on off-site servers or to send receive without encryption.
 
Mize said:
LOL. People who manage email from multiple machines that are sometimes or often offline?
Get email as you rush between flights...answer emails while on flight...send when you land.

Also, many companies have security policies to prohibit storage or email on off-site servers or to send receive without encryption.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there are obviously going to be people, especially work email addresses, that would want a native client. In reality 90% or more of my email contacts, for my personal mail, are either with gmail or hotmail (vast majority are gmail). I'm not saying the lack of a native client for mail and calendar isn't an omission, I'm just wondering how big of a deal it really is for the first few months of release. Native clients are coming this summer, and we're already in April. They already have Blackberry users covered with their bridge mode, who are most likely going to be the majority of the initial users.
 
Unfavourable reviews from Wallstreet Journal and the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/technology/personaltech/14pogue.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730104576260953631631640.html

The main complaint is the lack of apps, both third party and native. The app store will launch with a very limited selection. Support of BlackberryOS apps, Android apps is coming later, which limits selection on release. Lack of native email, calendar, contacts is really getting panned heavily.

At least the OS and the hardware are getting good reviews. The bright spots appear to be the HDMI output, which doesn't clone the devices screen, flash and multitasking. Apps can be written to display different content on the video out and Playbook screens. The example given is a presentation on the video out, and speakers crib sheet on the Playbook screen. With the exception of the Wired review, Flash is generally being written up as a positive with good implementation. Multitasking is being reviewed favourably.

If they can't get content in App World to ramp up quickly, it seems like people are not going to be willing to take the plunge. Right now that appears to be Apple's big stranglehold on the tablet market is apps, and it will be very hard for any competitor to launch a new tablet, because there is no way you can have tens of thousands of new apps ready and waiting to be bought before the hardware is even released. RIM really screwed up by not having their phone apps running on the Playbook day one, but to be honest the phone apps will not lend themselves to a tablet as well as the iPhone apps did on the iPad. Blackberry apps are definitely more primitive, for the most part, because they were designed for much more limited hardware with touch pad support, rather than a full touchscreen interface.
 
Scott_Arm said:
Yeah, there are obviously going to be people, especially work email addresses, that would want a native client. In reality 90% or more of my email contacts, for my personal mail, are either with gmail or hotmail (vast majority are gmail). I'm not saying the lack of a native client for mail and calendar isn't an omission, I'm just wondering how big of a deal it really is for the first few months of release. Native clients are coming this summer, and we're already in April. They already have Blackberry users covered with their bridge mode, who are most likely going to be the majority of the initial users.
Click to expand...

There's also the overhead of http-based emails. If you're tethered to a mobile phone in an edge-only area loading up web sites is insanely slow, whereas downloading email headers then selecting which bodies to download inside a native client is far more efficient.

Now once we have 4G or whatever everywhere things will be different, but we won't be able to afford surfing! :)
 
Mize said:
There's also the overhead of http-based emails. If you're tethered to a mobile phone in an edge-only area loading up web sites is insanely slow, whereas downloading email headers then selecting which bodies to download inside a native client is far more efficient.

Now once we have 4G or whatever everywhere things will be different, but we won't be able to afford surfing! :)
Click to expand...

Most webmail services have mobile versions of their sites to deal just with that issue, no? It is true that there is a bit less traffic used if you're using a native mail client. Anyway, I can see that lacking those applications on day 1 is going to be a problem for some people. For myself, it is not an issue. I really hope that the Playbook doesn't flop. It will be very hard for anyone to put market pressure on Apple.
 
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