The crackberry review doesn't seem biased, he hits on the same points as the others. Basically saying if you're not a blackberry user, wait.
Blackberry Playbook
- Thread starter codedivine
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The crackberry review doesn't seem biased, he hits on the same points as the others. Basically saying if you're not a blackberry user, wait.
Yeah, I just about finished it. Seems like a pretty good review. His main concerns all seem fair. You have bezel gestures and screen gestures, all of which seems maybe too complicated for ease of use. The screen resolution/size/aspect ratio does not lend itself well to some things, where he prefers the iPad. Lack of native applications for mail, calendar, messaging, contacts. Lastly, it seems the OS is using up a lot of memory, or has a memory leak, which is probably the worst of the flaws in my mind. Hopefully it's just a leak and they can fix it. If the OS has a big footprint, it makes that 1GB of RAM a lot less useful. I really like the wireless syncing while the device is in standby. That's very cool.
So far, I don't know what to think. I'm guessing RIM wants it out there so people will start making apps, but is it worth the negative press releasing without the native apps that people want? That is pretty much the #1 complaint that could have been a non-issue at launch. The App World is only going to grow after the device is on the market. I guess they didn't want iPad 2 to be out for too long before they hit the market.
iPads or Playbooks?
Now that is very nice!
Anyone know how well the DTG version of Powerpoint works? With 1080p output...
Sounds like you can use it with the presentation mode, so you can have your powerpoint up on the projector and have different notes displaying on your Playbook screen. Sounds pretty cool, but I've never used DTG to know how good it is. I'm also wondering if the Playbook actually comes with the premium versions, or if that was just on the demo unit Crackberry received. I'd like to see that clarified. It would be a nice addition.
One of the reviews noted the screen is considerably brighter than the iPad 2, so that it is readable outdoors in direct sunlight. I'm curious how much you can extend the battery life by reducing the brightness to something like 50%.
Oh, and I think one review said the Playbook does not have a GPS, which is incorrect. It does have a GPS, which is only really useful if you have a phone (any phone, not just blackberry) to tether for a data connection.
Bluetooth keyboards and mice are supported. You can do gesturing somehow, which is explained in the Crackberry review. Might make it interesting with 1080p output and a cradle. I'm assuming the home screen is just scaled to 1080p, but I wonder if the web browser or other apps in fullscreen will take advantage of the extra resolution.
Mostly playbooks. Wardens and execs are getting ipads, but anyone who needs to do real work (such as parole officers) over the secure network gets a playbook.
While the Wardens and Execs avoid real work and play Angry Birds or Infinity Blade.
well straight from my IT source at CSC... yes.
LOL.
What VPN software and ssh app does it come with since it's for "real work"?
(as if parole officers can figure out VPNs or ssh)
Biggest problem with iPad 2 is that it doesn't support OpenVPN. It does support L2TP, PPTP, or Cisco IPSec VPN though.
Blackberries are standard equipment at CSC and the tether is a secure connection. CSC uses their own network, it is not 'online'.LOL.
What VPN software and ssh app does it come with since it's for "real work"?
(as if parole officers can figure out VPNs or ssh)
Biggest problem with iPad 2 is that it doesn't support OpenVPN. It does support L2TP, PPTP, or Cisco IPSec VPN though.
Yep, the Blackberry Bridging should make this very very easy for rollout. I think the BES has to set 1 flag to enable bridging and that's it. You get all your mail etc securely managed through the Blackberry and its BES policies, and all data is wiped from the Playbook when the tether is broken. You can have people share Playbooks very easily.
LOL.
What VPN software and ssh app does it come with since it's for "real work"?
(as if parole officers can figure out VPNs or ssh)
Biggest problem with iPad 2 is that it doesn't support OpenVPN. It does support L2TP, PPTP, or Cisco IPSec VPN though.
Good question. I wonder if it has any built-in VPN support, for those that are not Blackberry users that would most likely use the advanced tethering features.
Joe DeFuria
Legend
Actually, I read that by default bridging is enabled. You can set the flag on BES to disable bridging.
That being said, you will need to download and install the bridging app on the blackberry phone too...so if app installations are completely locked down by the corporate admin that would also technically prevent bridging.
I'm still leaning toward getting one of these as my first tablet...though if I did not already have a blackberry phone probably I wouldn't. I can also see that one screen size isn't likely to be completely satisfactory for all uses. I can see ultimately ending up with both an iPad and a Playbook and use both for different use cases (with overlap of course.)
Can someone explain BB bridging? Is this a BB proprietary VPN or something?
Let's say I'm in China but need a schematic from my server in the US or Germany. Today I connect by VPN, browse to the share and copy it. Do I have to have a custom firewall to do this with a Playbook or does the phone do Ipsec or OpenVPN for it?
Let's say I'm in China but need a schematic from my server in the US or Germany. Today I connect by VPN, browse to the share and copy it. Do I have to have a custom firewall to do this with a Playbook or does the phone do Ipsec or OpenVPN for it?
The blackberry bridging basically allows you to access all of your blackberry services (mail, messaging, calendar, contacts, data service tethering) on the Playbook through an encrypted Bluetooth connection. Basically it simplifies IT administration, because all of those functions securely access the Blackberry Enterprise Server through the phone, and it does not require IT to roll out new policies for the tablets. On the BES end, they don't have to handle as many devices. The way it works is once the Bluetooth connection is terminated, either intentionally or unintentionally, the data is instantly wiped from the Playbook. It seems the Playbook keeps the data in a fixed segment of RAM and never stores it. Makes it easy for an office to have a number of Playbooks that people can share as they need them, so they won't have to wipe the devices or worry about people snooping each others mail
The Playbook also supports data tethering to any mobile phone that supports it. If you want to access network shares from work, you would need some kind of VPN to do that. Not sure what the Playbook supports, if anything at all, in that regard. Haven't seen it discussed anywhere.
The Playbook also supports data tethering to any mobile phone that supports it. If you want to access network shares from work, you would need some kind of VPN to do that. Not sure what the Playbook supports, if anything at all, in that regard. Haven't seen it discussed anywhere.
meh...no IMAP or mention of SSL, but at least they were fast to get it out...now for that IMAP/SSL implementation
