Sunday, January 29, 2012

My Pretty Playbook

Well, I finally did it. After months of pondering I bought a Playbook. Really because the price had come down to something which was more realistic with what I wanted to pay.

First impressions - really well made as with all my previous Blackberry phones - I am a loyal fan of these things. I have a 9900 and love it to bits. I upgraded from my Bold 9000 when the 9900 came out and have not regretted the swap. But I digress, the Playbook is a great machine which feels well built and the OS is intuitive. I am not best please that, as I live in NL, I don't get the Podcast app, but I am sure I will find another one I can use instead. So, for build quality and usability its just what I expected and think its very good.

What I miss? -Apart from the obvious email, calendar and contacts its really the scarcity of apps which I would want to install. I have scoured the Blackberry World system and found very little that appeal. I have no interest in Tetris or Need for Speed - I would be very interested in a Zinio and Kindle app. What about Pocket Informant? Nope not there. The book shop is Kobo - but I like my Kindle books and want to read them on the Playbook too.

Much is promised with the OS upgrade, whenever it gets here, and I  am pleased I didn't buy one when they first came out or I would have had to wait more than a year for the OS upgrade. This should make it the device it should have been when it first launched.

What I get now and really like? - the cameras are great. The forward facing 5MP is wonderful and the video looks great on the excellent screen. The 'facing the user/instant aging' camera is about 3MP and is fine too.  The Kobo bookshop is OK but doesn't have any magazines which is why I am really looking forward to the Zinio app which will hopefully come out with or (cross fingers) even before the OS 2 upgrade.

All in all I really believe this thing has loads of potential,  especially when it finally gets the apps it should have. I am amazed it doesn't have a Webex app - my 9900 does which works really well. This is a designed for business device - where are the business applications? I mentioned the lack of calendar and email - I can see all of this when Bridged to the 9900 - but why should I have to? All is fixed with the OS upgrade so i will just have to wait.

I would like to see note taking, mind mapping, lists, tasks etc but there are not there yet either. There is no photo editing software either - or at least that I can find.

It synced all of my iTunes library so now I don't need to take my Macbook wherever I go - which was the point of the Playbook in the first place - another BIG PLUS.

So in short IMHO - the Playbook is a lovely thing which should have a bright future - as long as it doesn't take too long to get the new OS software roll out.

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