Slashdot Mirror
Yes, PlayBook Does Get BlackBerry 10 Update
judgecorp writes "Yesterday's BlackBerry 10 announcement did not mention the company's tablet, the Playbook, but users will be relieved to know it will get an update to BlackBerry 10. It's not a huge surprise, since BB10 is based on the PlayBook's QNX operating system, but PlayBook users may have been worried since the company did not even mention the struggling tablet in passing at the event." Hopefully the Playbook's camera is better than the one in the new BB10-based Z10 phone, the low-light performance of which Gizmodo describes as "four-years-ago crap."
All 5 users are ecstatic!!!
Hey Gizmodo, why is the Z10 picture not framed the same way as the other three phones? The soldier's head is halfway down the picture, as opposed to the top for the other three pictures. Maybe Mario Aguilar should learn to point cameras before he reviews them.
When? I think it's interesting how BB touts to it's developers that 90% of it's users upgrade to the newest OS within a month of it's release. The reason seems to be because they can't download any good apps for it, so they're desperately hoping to get some functionality out of the Base OS.
This was mentioned at the alpha launch(es), I guess it was an oversight on 'real' launch day. Being able to write 1 app that with little to no code change runs on a BB tablet or phone will be huge for bringing the BB app store back into the light. Not to mention to android OS support making porting a piece of cake.
Why does slashdot/timothy have such a hate on for Blackberry? They have just released a great new product with a revolutionary interface, hardware (including camera) that most reviewers are putting heads and shoulders above the competition. Slashdot just keeps slinging the FUD.
ArsTechnica has a user comment (scroll down, its the 'editors pick') showing the problem with the camera:
I should also point out that the iPhone's applied far more contrast to the picture and, as a result, lost detail - look at the flat area of darkness in the trunk compared to the range of tones present in the pic from the BB. These are all post-processing problems, though, and (assuming both devices were on default settings) really just tell you that Apple's software is set to produce 'punchier' pictures out of the box as opposed to the lighter processing done by the BB, which ultimately retains more of the image.
so its not crap, it just doesn't aggressively sharpen everything like the iPhone does, so it appears less defined and misty. Its just appearance though, slap it through the same amount of software processing and you'll get the same result.
Anyway, they say the keyboard is excellent and can be used with 1 hand (or 1 thumb) which is a definite design win.
She's been underwhelmed with her PlayBook and found it a little flaky, prone to losing its network, or locking up and needing a hard boot.
The last upgrade fixed the rather pathetic battery life, so maybe this will improve it even more.
I'm tired of the scowls from her since I'm the one who bought it for her. We know a couple of people with them, and they seem to have the same kind of results -- though, I certainly know people who say theirs are the most stable things ever. To us, it's failed to live up to expectations.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Seriously, a full article about how sub-par a single feature is in a smartphone. Gizmodo has been overtly critical of Blackberry in the past, but that's just ridiculous.
My playbook camera is notoriously bad in low light, the images come out all pixelated. This usually translates to not having sun light present, most of the time.
Other than that, the thing is great heh
Yesterday's BlackBerry 10 announcement did not mention the comapny's tablet, the Playbook, but users will be relieved to know it will get an update to BlacfkBerry 10
What's "BlacfkBerry 10" guys? The pre-rooted version for us hackers?
i'm sure playbooks will jump off the shelves now that you can get BB X on them . . .
BB10 and the Playbook OS are both based on QNX which is also in 60% of all car infotainment units. Rock solid micro kernal OS that is also used in nuclear plants and medical devices. I have used my Playbook for over two years now and it has new crashed. Apps install without having to reboot. I think many people will be pleasantly surprised with how well BB10 and QNX just works. It also sets the stage for more integration between smartphones, tablets, and car systems.
As for the update to the Playbook, Crackberry.com says that a new version of the Bridge program is in Appworld now which means that the Playbook update to BB10 could be any day now.
Today's vices may be tomorrow's virtues.
The Z10 photo in the Gizmodo comparison just looks underexposed, so it's likely just a shortcoming in the software's exposure algorithm rather than a problem with the image sensor/camera. Should be easy to fix.
Slashdot story submitter should use better judgement. The picture taken on the BB10 phone wasn't even framed like the others were: http://forums.crackberry.com/attachments/blackberry-z10-f254/133209d1359583067-gizmodos-camera-review-low-light-performance-fail-wwzsmmo.jpg
My playbook is 2 years old, but still feels peppier than either a Nexus 7 or iPad mini. I prefer it's browser to Safari Mobile, Chrome on Android, or (lol) Androids piece of shit stock browser. It can sideload most android apps, and the handful of games I've had on it run smoother and look better than I've played on droid. Best thing about them is they're still dirt cheap.
All my major beefs with it seem to be fixed with BB10, the main being lack of a good GPS app.
gfhfhf
And I had it before it outsold the Ipad 4 over the holiday period in the UK by a ratio of 4-1.
Since it had ver 2 and later updates, has a decent mail client onboard now - and its core apps (Music, Pics, Movies, Internet, E-reading) all work to a reasonable nice standard - its price is low, and you get 64 GB so don't have such a need for storage - all on what might be termed awesome pricing.
I think Mx Player on droid plays more, but cut to the chase, the core movie player played everything I threw at it, and this was far better than the core movie player on droid did in my tests.
And I'll concur, not enough apps, but the OS itself is actually very pleasant to use.
I quite rate the playbook. Apps aside, its well rounded, works well, is pleasant to use, has good storage, has good camera's. Has a good price. Whats the problem?
We`re all equal
My Playbook now does exactly what I want it to do. It's a great remote terminal for my Linux box and a great tablet. I sincerely hope that upgrading to 10 will have no impact on this.
Incidentally, Playbooks, refurbished, have reached the "fun toy" price. Seriously, cheaper than the Kindle Fire I got Christmas 2011, and way ahead of it specs wise.
Oh, and the Playbook's cameras?
"PlayBook Features a 3 MP front-facing camera for video chatting over Wi-Fi and a rear-facing 5 MP camera, both of which can record 1080p video.[" -- BlackBerry PlayBook
"MIT betrayed all of its basic principles."
I can't wait to see if all this "hype" is actually worth is http://www.empowernetwork.com/chaseyourdreamtoo/blog/blackberry-10-set-to-hit-stores/?id=chaseyourdreamtoo
The PlayBook is a fantastic piece of hardware and with BB10 will be made even better. I find it far better than my Nexus when it comes to performance and reliability.
...And, will boot-time improve when it's updated to BackBerry 10...? :-)
A 64GB PlayBook w/ S/W updated to 2.1 would play most or even all of the Creative Common licensed files comprising the available portions of KhanAcademy.org, but it wasn't easy to find & go through a sequence of course files.
(There's a PlayBook-specific app for KA courses, but it sorted files of KA's courses rather poorly, IMO; at least it could play both Flash & MP4 format files just fine.)
I hope the BlackBerry 10 updated PlayBook can leave such course files where ever we decide to place them, ie, in order within their folders (eg, 1 course per folder), rather than separating MP4's from FLV's.
Never show, nor allow anywhere NEAR a microphone, again, that idiot CEO, "Heins" (Heil Hitler).
Get a Spokesperson, and a Marketing Team that know what the hell they are doing, or you are DONE.