Good news for BlackBerry PlayBook owners. The long-awaited software update is due on Tuesday, meaning you'll be able to have native email on your tablet, run Android apps on it, and do much more.
The bad news? It was originally due back in October. And in my opinion, the PlayBook should've had native email on board when it launched. But still, it's very nearly here, Engadget reports, which must be some solace to those who shelled out.
So what does the update bring? Native email, as mentioned, and BlackBerry Bridge has been improved, making it easier to pair your PlayBook with your BlackBerry handset, meaning you can share contacts, calendars and more across both. You can also browse from your tablet using your handset's data plan, which is quite neat.
Android apps will also run natively on the PlayBook thanks to the update, meaning you can grab whatever you want from Android Market. It's a real boon, seeing as BlackBerry's offerings pale in comparison to the number on Android.
The update will roll out at 4.01am on Tuesday morning, though the pictured leaflet doesn't specify which timezone that is, so don't wait up.
BlackBerry Mobile Fusion also launches the same day, which will let IT professionals manage all their BlackBerry devices from a single interface. Android and iOS controls are also due sometime in March.
The update is welcome, but well overdue in my opinion. Shipping without native email was a calamity (as Rich Trenholm opined in his opinion piece), and RIM really shouldn't be announcing things until they're good and ready, as it just annoys anyone who's kept waiting. Here's hoping BlackBerry 10 helps RIM out of the quagmire it's currently wading through.
Did you buy a BlackBerry PlayBook? What do you think of the update? Let me know below, or over on Facebook.
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anonymous 18 February, 2012 14:12
I look forward to Tuesday. Then I can start worrying about when T-Mobile will release 7.1 for the BB 9900.
anonymous 18 February, 2012 15:17
my understanding is that the number of android apps offered will be limited it's not the regular android market but a special one just for the playbook
anonymous 18 February, 2012 15:40
You wrote: Android apps will also run natively on the PlayBook thanks to the update, meaning you can grab whatever you want from Android Market.
Actually, I don't think that is way it works. My understanding is the developer must port his or her app to BlackBerry, but that it is dead simple to do.
anonymous 18 February, 2012 15:48
First let it be known that my family all use BlackBerries - mom, dad, kids... When the PlayBook first came out I bought one for my wife and she would not let me near it - usually. So, when the first 100.00 rebate came out I bought mine and quickly followed up for one for one of my daughters. We now own 3 64's and have had an excellent experience with all of them. WE have never been interested in native email as we all bridge and there is security in that feature you can't get from other tablets ... with 2.0 we will need a password on our PlayBooks. Why are we sticking with the RIM product... We see convergence of technology as the next big thing. Not only phones, computers and tablets but all of these along with cars, airports, banking, workplace .... With QMX and BB10 no other product will be able to converge like RIM... It is that and the security, which people are quickly forgetting, that you WILL need as the world continues to become smaller and the use of tech becomes much more intrinsic to all facets of life. You will notice the Porche, GM, Chrysler and ... already use QMX as do most household products... People will soon see that jumping RIM for short sighted eye candy and pop was a mistake. I am going to predict that a major security breach will take place in the United States government and businesses that will make them quietly wish they stuck with RIM. My other reason for my RIM loyalty is that it is Canadian and I am going to support Canadain period :)
anonymous 18 February, 2012 15:48
This is my second blackberry, the first (32gb) was stolen. When that happen I decided to try an ipad2. Very unhappy with it, I gave it to my daughter. I then decided to purchase an Android tablet but couldn't find one that met my needs (to big, bad response, not very good sound). Once Blackberry dropped the price (64gb $299.99) and the promise of a new update to support bluetooth streaming, I decided to make the plunge. I'm running 2.0 beta and I love the enhancements for far (Bluetooth headphones work!).
anonymous 18 February, 2012 16:14
In my opinion, RIM made two huge mistakes with the Playbook. One was the lack of native PIM apps, followed by a series of promises that it was coming "on the summer", later oin October, and pushed way up to this month. RIM needed to sport a tablet and by doing the Bridge trick at least they solved the PIM issue for Blackberry owners like myself. I didn't mind that much the lack of native PIM apps as I bridged them and even when bridged the experience surpassed that from other tablets, iPad included. But it was a huge mistake for anyone not having a Blackberry. That was simply stupid of RIM... but I guess they just couldn't have it on time. More than the lack of PIM apps, I guess that what hurted more RIM was the failed deadlines.
The second (and probably bigger) mistake was pricing. The Playbook hardware outplays iPad, Galaxy Tab and probably any $500 tablet back then and even now. Wonderful sound, two 1080p capable cameras, sexy screen... wopw, the Playbook is a atonishing piece of hardware... But pricing it starting at 499... seriously, RIM? Personally, I don't think any tablet should cost more than $300, but RIM priced the starting model just as expensive as the expensively iPad.
"But the iPad sells like hoot cakes" you may say... yes, but Apple has a legion of fans that would buy just about iShit if Apple would sell them. Apple is the only company around the world that does not need to make pricing studies, they can ask just any illogical amount of dollars for any product and be sure it will sell.
The Playbook is now selling well... starting at 199! If RIM priced the Playbook with current prices, 16GB @ 199, 32GB at 249 and 64GB at 299... oh boy, they would have stolen the market and no one would ever noticed it hasn't native email!
RIM didn't understand that they needed customers of the Playbook way before thinking on earnings. I'm a extremely happy 64GB Playbook owner. I bought a 16GB model on December, sold it for 286 in my country (Dominican Republic) and with a few more bucks got the 64GB model at 299. How happy am I? I can't tell!! This is the perfect device for me, 7" is just perfect, and the price is right. If RIM gets it on time, they might start seeing blue skies again. ...if they do it on time...
Naryan 18 February, 2012 17:45
It's an awesome little tablet though.
The lack of native e-mail doesn't really bother me as I love Gmail.
The lack of Android apps was a little annoying admittedly though.
The software is top-notch, and because people don't really like it (or it's not an iPad or whatever), the viruses won't come pouring through by the millions like the two major platforms. No I'm not counting Windows Phone.
anonymous 18 February, 2012 19:35
as someone who bought a playbook without owning a bb phone, i'd say that RIM will probably also sell more handsets as a result of the price drop on the playbook. very happy with playbook.
anonymous 18 February, 2012 20:15
Im looking forward to the update, but i have to be honest, no native email doesnt bother me in the slightest, and infact, i sold my ipad for the playbook, and ive never regretted it. my phone gets my email. whats the poooint in two devices in my bag going off every time i get mail? i can see business users wanting to check out attachments on a bigger screen, but surely thats what bridge is for.
as for contacts... with no email, why do i need it? should i need a number, my android phone backs up all my contacts to googlemail anyway, and with the playbooks amaing browser, they are never far away should i find myself without my phone.
no calendar? again, thats something i didnt use on the ipad, dont use on my phone, and it doesnt bother me in the slightest.
while i wont bother using these features in the update im looking forward to google apps being availible on the BBMarketplace. and hopefully wolfram alpha will put its apps on google and ill be able to grab the physics apps. (the only thing i miss from ipad)
Jonathan Danger Jones 18 February, 2012 20:53
I cant wait im getting mine on Monday i paid £205.99 for a 32gb on simply electronics. And to top it off the update is coming on Tuesday so this week will be good !!
anonymous 18 February, 2012 21:56
Bought my playbook today and have to say i'm glad i got one, forget the expensive tablets out there i say. Having no native email doesnt bother me one bit, thats what your phone is for. Glad to hear we will be able to run android apps soon, this will seriously mean the playbook will give other tablets a run for the money. £169 Bargin!!!
anonymous 19 February, 2012 00:12
I've been carrying my PlayBook with me ever since I was one of 20 lucky winners in the haiku writing contest that RIM held last April. The lack of native email didn't really bother me at first since the browser was able to keep me logged into Gmail and Facebook. What I'm really looking forward to is the access to the Android Market and the Mobile Fusion Android controls. I would also love to finally get the bluetooth keyboard case.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 02:30
http://newmobilesource.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135:playbook-os-2&catid=53:slides
What to expect in Playbook OS 2.0
It includes lots of fixes to known bugs on current version
Android Ginger bread apps. ( any apps that has advertisements will not be available at launch but it will be available in the near future)
Includes native email, calendar and contact apps
Includes enhanced bluetooth support (remote playing etc)
Improved blackberry bridge support that allows the blackberry owners to remotely (within NFC/bluetooth range) control; type and use it as a "mouse")
Improved UI
Improved productive suit: Docs to go, sheet to go and pdf etc
And Print to go support ( a print driver that you have to drive on your pc/mac which allows you to transfer the content to the playbook at instant
and more small fixes
anonymous 19 February, 2012 03:52
I cannot believe the negative press Playbook gets. It never crashed. It's fast. There is enough apps for it. It's sturdy. It runs on QNX, which all by itself should be a reason to simply be in haven.
My wife has iPad (cool device) but I can do pretty much the same on my playbook, so what there is not to like?
Oh yes, my wife payed $749 for her iPad, I paid only $249 for my Playbook.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 04:40
I'm not sure if this has been answered, but is Netflix ever going to be available on a playbook? Also, a question i cannot find an answer to anywhere: Are you able to pre-load (not download) a video (tv show, movie, etc) on websites such as gorilla vid or megavideo and then play them back when your not in a wifi area (aka on a bus)???
anonymous 19 February, 2012 04:43
I've had the iPad and an Android tablet and just recently picked up the BB PlayBook in anticipation of the OS 2.0 release. Currently, it is absolutely useless to me as I do not have a BlackBerry phone and it has been sitting there collecting dust awaiting the new OS.
The PlayBook launch was a debacle and I'm not sure what RIM was thinking. At a mere $200 price-point and with OS 2.0 update, this should give them a boost and make this tablet a tablet instead of a piece of brick.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 05:42
One thing to make the Blackberry successful isif it can read and external hardrive or that's my dream. I would like to store my apps on the Blackberry store and use them as I please. I would probably by more apps if I had these two features.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 06:26
@anon looking for video buffering for a bus? imperfect but better solution is using Video Downloader extension for Firefox on a PC, then loading them onto the playbook over wifi network or usb. Almost all videos will arrive in MP4 or FLV and will play happily on playbook, even before os2.0. This also works with get-iplayer, which i very dearly love for loading my PB with the latest from BBC each week for my commutes. Sorry, i dont know a good way to download vids directly onto a playbook - must use a full computer, but does work very well.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 07:55
Im really excited about getting the Playbook eventhough I was hesitant at first. I am now excited about the update coming soon. I would really like to see the Playbooks facetime feature be universal with other devices instead of only other Playbooks. That will really help with attracting tablet customers. Im looking forward to see what the future brings to me and RIM. #TEAMPLAYBOOK
anonymous 19 February, 2012 13:36
I purchased my Playbook just before deploying in April. I absolutely love my PB. I use it to video conference with my wife and daughter daily, Skype does not work well on my Netbook and needs a stronger signal than my PB to connect. I take photographs on my travels around, listen to music, watch movies, and edit PowerPoint and Word documents and a dozen other administrative tasks. I have my PB bridged to my BB for my contacts, calendar and other items not currently resident on my PB. I look forward to the update for the added capabilities. I hope RIM will be able to accelerate improvements in the future as the Playbook is a solid product.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 15:56
The Playbook rocks. I swear that tech bloggers are extremely biased about anything RIM does these days. Yes, they have made many mistakes, but I feel these are exaggerated by a snarky media. Other mobile companies have erred as well, but for some reason the products are judged solely based on their merit.
To tech bloggers and journalists: We get it, even if RIMs devices produced diamonds out of thin air, you would write that they didn't do it quickly enough.
I, for one, sure hope that RIM gets the last laugh. Yes, the average American consumer has turned away from their products due to undercompeting devices, but those people don't hold such a grudge against the company as the tech journalists. They just like what is new and shiny. iOS will some day need to be replaced, as it is the oldest smartphone OS on the market. Blackberry 10, however, will be the newest.
Don't think that Apple and Andorid can keep making incremental updates to their operating systems for eternity. They are going to have to develop new concepts whilst their previous ones are still on the market some day, just as RIM is doing now.
I can only hope for their sake that they don't get the same snotty treatment from the peanut gallery as RIM is getting now.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 16:58
Word is that a native Netflix app for PB is due out within days of OS 2.0's release. This is tops it off for me! What a great tablet!
anonymous 19 February, 2012 17:01
Just got a Playbook, been playing with it for the last two weeks. It's an incredible machine - the interface is smooth and intuitive, the browser works with Adobe Flash, the screen is very high resolution and it comes with the ability to read Office out of the box. A real surprise - given the 'reviews' out there that seem to criticize it - I can't fault it at all, it's going to be my ipad 2 replacement. Makes me wonder why RIM got so much flak for releasing it from the tech press, maybe its some kind of conspiracy against a Canadian company owning its own OS platform?
anonymous 19 February, 2012 17:06
I just bought my 64gb Playbook the other day from a local office depot, they were listed at 299 but she gave them to me for 249 so I bought 3. I LOVE IT. I am well versed in most aspects of technology and hands down this is one of the smoothest running tablets I have ever used. Also about Andriod APK's I have heard the developer has to port the app over just like the person before me said. But if they don't come soon enough I will root my playbook and install the marketplace by side loading it on. Hand's down one of the best decisions I have ever made to buy a playbook. I like my andriod phone but the choppiness drives me bonkers, so I'm going back to RIM for my phone and will always support the Playbook.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 17:13
Hey will google docs and SketchUp work better on OS2?
anonymous 19 February, 2012 19:47
Everybody should do a little research into the QNX OS, it has a lot more history and a much brighter future then most people seem to realize, especially those writing articles about the BB Playbook. Converging technology was previously mentioned by an earlier commentator and they were absolutely right on the money. Imagine interfacing with your car, or it's occupants, using your phone, or tablet and that is just the tip of a very large iceberg. When RIM bought up QNX,
it was shear genius and if Apple is nervously looking over their shoulder at anyone, it's RIM. I bought a 64 GB Playbook and I am thoroughly impressed by the hardware, I honestly think it's the best available, but I am in TOTAL AWE of the operating system: the future potential of the QNX OS is phenomenal. So do yourself a favour and take a good hard look at the QNX OS, then come back and tell me the iPad is better.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 21:14
I am looking forward to the update but I am just glad I didnt listen to the media when deciding whether to keep, return, or upgrade my 16gb christmas gift. I had just customized a Hp dv6t quad ed and decided to get the 64gb pb for $100 more. There hasnt been a day Ive regretted it. I spend more time on my pb (like right now) than i do on the cpu. im a student with a stay at home fiance and a two year old and this thing is awesome for almost 1/3 to 1/2 the price of ipad and other 64gb androids. i can do my online homework anytime and keep my son entertained. people need to understand that while the ipad is great, it isnt necessarily the best nor worth it for everyone. $300 is an amazing deal for this thing, you cant buy a 48gb flash drive for the $100 it costs to go from 16 to 64. i dont claim that the pb is the best thing since sliced bread, but it is perfect for me and my needs (web, web email, doing hw, taking notes, carrying in my pocket, shooting video, to name a few). oh yeah and because of the great price i can store all my pics, vids, movies, etc that i want to without having to worry about transferring or running out of space. wake up people the pb is pretty darn good and this will only make it better.
anonymous 19 February, 2012 21:50
yes!!!!!!!!!
i'm getting a blackberry playbook on tuesday did not know about update
:)
anonymous 19 February, 2012 21:54
i'm getting it for 139.99 16gb but i could get a 32gb for 169.99
Bryan Sachs 19 February, 2012 23:16
i love my blackberry playbook. im so glad for the tuesday update. i had ordered the 16gb model for $199.99 but was sent the 32gb by mistake....same price. my lucky day!
anonymous 20 February, 2012 01:21
So this will place us where the ipad was 2 years ago. These guys are living in a time warp. Mike Lazaridis and Jim Basillie have been living with their heads up their asses for years now. Why don't they just admit that they and their entire company have hired second rate engineers and that apple and google got the best? Bow down and worship Steve Jobs; you guys ain't half the visionary he was.
anonymous 20 February, 2012 02:14
I have Playbook 64 and I upgraded to v2.0.7111 which might be a beta. But I still cannot do anything but few basic things. I am not into game playing at all. I would like to Chat with my family who have Samsungs Galaxy IIS Androids, I'd like Skype, to see my IP cameras, and to watch streams from my MS Home Server. I cannot do any of these. Should I hope that this will be easy to do after full version 2 comes out Tuesday - nomen omen Fat Tuesday ? Or is it a Fat l..... ?
anonymous 20 February, 2012 10:07
Bought my Playbook 1 week ago in anticipation of the update for Native email. Got a 64GB from Carphone warehouse for 249 pounds. It's pretty cool as is but will be an amazing business tool, which is why I bought it, with the update. When Orange give me my Blackberry 9900 mid March I think these two will sync really well, my 9780 Bold has been great so having the same with a small touchscreen and better OS should be fun.
I like RIM, they were silly coming out with a high priced tablet without native email but they were scared by ipad sales and rushed it through hoping to catch some of the sales. Personally I don't do Apple, nothing against them but for productivity, security, ease of use, it's RIM for me. Be good to see how the playbook works using my Blackberry data package to go online as oppossed to Wi-Fi.
anonymous 20 February, 2012 10:54
Already very happy with the device but the coming features will be very welcome. The marketing must be working because I'm hoping my next phone will be a BB in order to exploit some of the new Playbook features.
anonymous 20 February, 2012 11:31
I brought my Playbook last September, I do use G-Mail and it has works Great,