BlackBerry playbook

[stevestojan]

So I sold my 2 ipad 3s (the "new ipad") for nominal gain. But right now I'm typing this on a blackberry playbook. This thing has better specs than the ipad2, just a smaller screen. It is $499 retail now on sale at most office depots for $199. Best buy will price match but they are mostly sold out. Great tablet for $200.

[Acantha]

So I sold my 2 ipad 3s (the "new ipad") for nominal gain. But right now I'm typing this on a blackberry playbook. This thing has better specs than the ipad2, just a smaller screen. It is $499 retail now on sale at most office depots for $199. Best buy will price match but they are mostly sold out. Great tablet for $200.

Specs is one thing, apps is another. I have a blackberry phone because I like simplicity in my phone. I got sick of losing battery and bloatware after going through an iphone (which is one I would go back to if I wanted to go back to that type of phone) and half a dozen chrome phones, all of which were supposed to be the best at time. Again, I like my blackberry as a phone, but I don't try to say it's 'better' than the iphone. It's not even in the same category.

 

The ipad is popular for a reason. In the end, I don't think their function justifies the cost for me. But comparing them to the playbook is comparing apples to rocks.

Edited March 31, 2012 by Faustus

[ofiba]

Better or worse than HP touchpad?

[Fezmid]

Specs is one thing, apps is another. I have a blackberry phone because I like simplicity in my phone. I got sick of losing battery and bloatware after going through an iphone (which is one I would go back to if I wanted to go back to that type of phone) and half a dozen chrome phones, all of which were supposed to be the best at time. Again, I like my blackberry as a phone, but I don't try to say it's 'better' than the iphone. It's not even in the same category.4

I'm curious about that statement. In general, my Blackberry does everything I want it to:

 

1) Phone calls

2) Excellent email (far better than the iPhone)

3) Twitter

4) Web surfing

5) Flixster

6) SSH client (to login to servers)

7) Shazam (if I don't know a song playing on the radio)

 

Yeah, the iPhone has a bunch of games - but I'd rather read through Twitter or the web than play a game on a tiny screen. Other than games, what else does the iPhone do that a BB doesn't? Not much from what I've seen of people at work.

 

That said, one of the biggest complaints about the Playbook is that there isn't an email client. Why does BlackBerry, king of email, not have a client on their tablet...???

[DrDawkinstein]

careful getting too entrenched in your blackberry...

 

http://www.techi.com/2012/03/rim-isnt-restructuring-its-dying/

[Acantha]

I'm curious about that statement. In general, my Blackberry does everything I want it to:

Hard to be curious about the statement without really trying to be. Yes, it does everything YOU want it to do, but not what most people want it to do. It's exactly the same scenario as what I described about my phone tastes. Personally, I like a simple phone that lets me take care of email, has a good solid battery life, and excellent reception. My Blackberry is perfect for that. But it's pretty obvious looking around me that vast majority of cell phone users are looking for a lot more than that. There's a reason the brick phones with giant screens, high res displays, and a gazillion apps are the best selling phones.

 

I'm not advocating one thing over the other. Just questioning the comparison of the different devices.

Edited April 1, 2012 by Faustus

[Fezmid]

Hard to be curious about the statement without really trying to be. Yes, it does everything YOU want it to do, but not what most people want it to do. It's exactly the same scenario as what I described about my phone tastes. Personally, I like a simple phone that lets me take care of email, has a good solid battery life, and excellent reception. My Blackberry is perfect for that. But it's pretty obvious looking around me that vast majority of cell phone users are looking for a lot more than that. There's a reason the brick phones with giant screens, high res displays, and a gazillion apps are the best selling phones.

 

I'm not advocating one thing over the other. Just questioning the comparison of the different devices.

But aside from games, what does the iPhone offer? That was my real question as it seems most of the important tools are available on all platforms.

[Just Jack]

I went from a Blackberry Storm, to the Motorola Droid, and now an iPhone 4 (all through work). Out of the three platforms, I liked the Droid best, I felt it gave me the most ways to customize it to my liking. The worst is the iPhone.

[Acantha]

But aside from games, what does the iPhone offer? That was my real question as it seems most of the important tools are available on all platforms.

In my experience, lots. Too much to go through here. Almost every type of app I used to have on my other phones either isn't available on Blackberry or, as is most often the case, can be found on Blackberry but with a horrible user interface. My wife has an iphone now and has dozens of apps that aren't available on Blackberry at all and the closest type of app on blackberry has a quarter of the functionality.

 

This question is kind of like saying, "I've watched football and baseball, and just don't see the difference." I'm really not trying to be a jerk, but if the only difference you notice between the platforms mentioned is games, there's just too much obvious stuff you're missing to be able to give you an answer.

[Fezmid]

In my experience, lots. Too much to go through here. Almost every type of app I used to have on my other phones either isn't available on Blackberry or, as is most often the case, can be found on Blackberry but with a horrible user interface. My wife has an iphone now and has dozens of apps that aren't available on Blackberry at all and the closest type of app on blackberry has a quarter of the functionality.

 

This question is kind of like saying, "I've watched football and baseball, and just don't see the difference." I'm really not trying to be a jerk, but if the only difference you notice between the platforms mentioned is games, there's just too much obvious stuff you're missing to be able to give you an answer.

 

And yet you haven't been able to give a single example.

[Acantha]

And yet you haven't been able to give a single example.

 

 

Very good. You win.

[Fezmid]

 

 

Very good. You win.

 

You give up too easily. Two non-game examples is all I'm looking for. And I'll even give you one of them -- playing music on the iPhone is better than on a Blackberry (although it drains the batteries quickly). There, now it's your turn.

[Acantha]

You give up too easily. Two non-game examples is all I'm looking for. And I'll even give you one of them -- playing music on the iPhone is better than on a Blackberry (although it drains the batteries quickly). There, now it's your turn.

Fezmid, honestly, I don't care enough about the subject, this conversation, or you to spend time on this. I'm not "giving up", there's THOUSANDS of apps on the iphone and chrome that Blackberry either doesn't have or has crap interface. Take your pick. I just don't care to try to prove such an obvious point.

[Chef Jim]

What makes the email on BB better than the iPhone? I had a BB and now an iPhone and I really don't know what makes one email better than the other. And I don't get the whole app thing. I have a bunch but don't use too many of them. The one I probably use the most is Nextbus which tells me when the buses are running in SF and I had that on my BB. I really hate how quickly the battery dies on my iPhone.

[Acantha]

What makes the email on BB better than the iPhone? I had a BB and now an iPhone and I really don't know what makes one email better than the other. And I don't get the whole app thing. I have a bunch but don't use too many of them. The one I probably use the most is Nextbus which tells me when the buses are running in SF and I had that on my BB. I really hate how quickly the battery dies on my iPhone.

From what the IT guys where I work tell me, it's easier to sync with different accounts and secure. Where I work, we have to have a min 12 digit password with all the different number/special character/lower case/uppercase/etc... requirements. Anyway, they'll set up blackberries to access work emails but won't do it for any other type of phone. This isn't to imply it can't be done, but since I don't have a clue about these things I go under the assumption they know what they're doing.

 

The most important things to me is batter life and reception/clarity. The phone I have is great with both. I stand side by side with my wife and have 2 or 3 bars and she has nothing (we both use Sprint). I have the clamshell blackberry, which most people cringe at when they see, but I love it.

[Chef Jim]

From what the IT guys where I work tell me, it's easier to sync with different accounts and secure. Where I work, we have to have a min 12 digit password with all the different number/special character/lower case/uppercase/etc... requirements. Anyway, they'll set up blackberries to access work emails but won't do it for any other type of phone. This isn't to imply it can't be done, but since I don't have a clue about these things I go under the assumption they know what they're doing.

 

The most important things to me is batter life and reception/clarity. The phone I have is great with both. I stand side by side with my wife and have 2 or 3 bars and she has nothing (we both use Sprint). I have the clamshell blackberry, which most people cringe at when they see, but I love it.

 

That's funny because my IT guys told me the iPhone was the best to sync with our email.

 

But a phone is like music and wine. It's what you like the most that counts.

[IDBillzFan]

I've had the Playbook for the better part of a year, and if there was one thing I could change about it, it would be its size. It just doesn't cut it for me. RIM is virtually in the crapper at this point, so the only apps you get are dumbass games, and I simply don't use my tablet to play games. I rely on it for email and web browsing, both of which are fine. The true upside is the ability to use your BB phone as a bridge to internet access if you don't have a WiFi connection.

 

The apps you can get for your BB, like Flixster, Gasbuddy, etc. are not available for the Playbook, and if they are, they are typically crap. And while I still consider the iPad to be a toy, I am nonetheless envious of some of the apps for Skype, news publications, magazines, banking, etc., that simply don't exist for BB.

 

From what I've read on the message boards (Crackberry, etc.) RIM is about done, anyway, which is why no one is taking the time to invest heavily in new apps. Very likely to make the leap of faith to Droid in next go around.

[Fezmid]

That's funny because my IT guys told me the iPhone was the best to sync with our email.

 

But a phone is like music and wine. It's what you like the most that counts.

Blackberry was built with security in mind, so there's email encryption, easy remote wipes if you lose the device, that sort of thing. With a BES server, BB really is the best solution for email. That said, there are options for iPhone that work, just not as well and not as securely. We use GOOD, and it works well enough.

[DaGimp]

I went from a Blackberry Storm, to the Motorola Droid, and now an iPhone 4 (all through work). Out of the three platforms, I liked the Droid best, I felt it gave me the most ways to customize it to my liking. The worst is the iPhone.

No way! I have a Storm right now through work and it is just a piece of junk

[Nanker]

The BB is dead.