I Like My Playbook, But...
 

Well, I've had my 64G Playbook for several weeks now and had a chance to use many of its' features. I've even learned how to thumb type on its' virtual keyboard. The browser is really fast. Screen display is outstanding. Email is good, as BlackBerry email always is. Downloading and reading books is easy to do and easy on the eyes. I especially like the paper simulation of white background and black type. Battery life is good. The back facing camera takes good images. In short, it is a good product.

But there are some holes. I'm told by customer service there is no way to import browser bookmarks/favorites as a group. Contacts and calendar can only be imported from a web/cloud based source; again per customer service. The designers apparently never considered someone would buy a Playbook who didn't have a Blackberry smartphone because Bridge takes care of these deficiencies as long as you want to use them together.

There are other things like editing the dictionary and spelling autocorrect that I haven't figured out yet. Web site instructions are muddy at best and the "free" customer service is so bad and so time consuming I hate the thought of calling them.

In short at the Amazon price the 64G Playbook is, in my opinion, a good device and a good value. But, the designers apparently had a whole different mind set than what one would expect and. if my experience is any guide, web site and live customer service is very poor.

When reading remember that, like mates, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

Speaking of muddy, when I converted one of my Shaw (cable ISP up here) emails to web based it asked to upload contacts which then synced to my playbook. Sorry, I just don't know the technical terms for this type of email. IMAP maybe? Bah.. dunno.
For bookmarks can you dump them into a file and move that file to the playbook. Open it and choose a link?
Editing autospell.. hmm, other than the settings page for keyboard, there's not much to change that I know of.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

I agree that it appears RIM (Blackberry) initially designed the Playbook as a device to be used in conjunction with a Blackberry smartphone. But in most respects they've overcome this with subsequent OS updates and added functionality.

With regards to auto-correct, the functionality is designed to 'learn' the nuances of the user. This is a step beyond the editable dictionary on previous Blackberry devices. And frankly, I'm okay with it.

All tablets currently available have limitations. Personally, I don't see bookmark management issues as a 'show stopper'--I'm confident they'll improve this functionality with BB10.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

Still looking forward with hopeul anticipation to some future operation system, eh? How long has that been going on? Me? I buy a product for what it can do when I buy it. Not for what it may, or may not, be able to do in the far distant future when it probably will be surpased by some other device. Such is the world of technology and especially computers.

Auto Correct as the user types is certainly not critical thing. But, since it is a feature Blackberry brags about one would think it would function usefully. As it is when certain combinations of letter are typed auto correct changes them to something else; and there is no way to change the erroneous "correction".

Bottom line: Blackberry claims they have reformed and are now general customer oriented. So far I have to see any evidence of that.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

No, I'm quite satisfied with my current Playbook and it's OS...which I bought after they enabled email/messaging on it. Likewise, I prefer to buy into products that serve my current needs; and this device accomplishes that.

In terms of customer service, I generally prefer to visit forums to get answers--for just about any product that I buy. I always find the 'real world' feedback much more helpful.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

Guess you and I have different views about whose customer I am. I am not this Forum's customer. I am Blackberry's customer. Service to the customer, me, was included in the price of the product and, in fact was heavily advertised as one of the benefits of purchase. While this forum is useful, it is not customer service. That Blackberry fails to recognize this is to their discredit.

I am not satisfied with the Playbook as its' performance measures up to advertised. Nor, as I have stated , has their customer service measured up. But, again as I have written, at the price it is a good value for what it does. Lets' face it, at $209 for a 64G machine it falls in the disposable category.

Since I am in the process of deciding what to replace my current Torchx2 with this also gives me an opportunity to see where Blackberry appears to be going in the future.

We sure do seem to agree that buying for the future in today's changing world is a fruitless endeavour.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

You do realize that this is a privately owned and operated forum, not associated with BlackBerry or Research in Motion and staffed by volunteers.

The official BlackBerry support forums can be found at General Support Forums - BlackBerry Support Community Forums

Good luck.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

I think this is not meant for me. But, just in case, yes I do. That is why I said I was not this site's customer. I am Blackberry's customer. That should be clear from my post content and my explicit statement. If not, it should be now.

Sites like this are useful. But they should not be a substitute for service to the buyer of a seller's products. To the extent they are needed due to lack of product support, any product, not just computers, shame on the seller.

Good customer support is expensive. But, those companies that provide a product that lives up to its' advertising and is supported by excellent customer support flourish. Those that do not, do not.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

The reason their customer service is atrocious is that they traditionally do not support individual consumers. They support carriers or large enterprises. The Playbook does not fit into those model and hence is not well-supported.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

Guess we are doomed to run around in circles identifying the problems of Blackberry and then excusing them when they can't, or won't, solve them. The fact is that the world has changed in many ways. The world Blackberry's old business plan flourished in no longer exists. They advertise they have changed with it.

If they cannot shake off the past to understand the present and the future and make good on their promises to the individual customer Blackberry is toast. I fully believe the talent exists for Blackberry to produce good hardware and software and provide excellent customer service. If they cannot they will go the way of giants of the past. From my point of view that would be a shame.

Nope, the time for understanding why they do what they do and cutting them slack for it has passed. Now it is time for Blackberry to step up and perform in the present.

Another factor that should not be underestimated is the change technology has had on corporate culture. You folks still working daily in that can probably attest to it better than I. But, in a growing number of cases no longer do the Techies in the back room have the deciding vote on what individuals use for communication. Outside server companies(the "Cloud"), business competition, companies that sell entire ecosystems, not just one component, etc. have risen. Blackberry relied on the back room folks to help them in many ways. Now, I think those folks are diminishing both in numbers and influence.

This discussion has departed from the original thread so I'm going to try to put it back there. Frankly, I don't care to analyze the Why's of Blackberry. What they do internally really is of no concern to me except that it may force me to choose different hardware and procedures. What I do care about is how well the Playbook performs against its' advertising, whether it is a good value and what it informs me about what smartphones I should buy to replace my Torches..

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

Absolutely correct. The perpetual excuse making for Blackberry's lack of customer orientation is sad. It is a dead horse. My hope is that the company itself will not join the horse. Frankly, that is the main reason I've been posting here. If they don't have an employee, or employees, reading this and other forums and responding to concerns that are raised they are not only out of date; they are in the figurative stone age.

I truly want them to be a profitable going concern. We'll see.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

As far as we know, their employees are not members of this forum.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

A person has to be a "member" to read posts on this public forum? Don't think that to be a fact.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

No, but they do to reply. What I was trying to say is that you're barking up the wrong tree.

Re: I Like My Playbook, But...
 

Not a dog; not barking. Nearly everyone agrees Blackberry customer support is atrocious. Some people, maybe some strongly affiliated with Blackberry, have an uncontrollable need to make excuses for them. In fact, all that matters is if they are going to market proper customer oriented devices supported by good customer service before they become irrelevant. Reading forums such as this has to be part of any intelligent operation.

My hope and bias is that they do succeed.