[Cooper]

I've started setup and all I can say is WOW.

Typiing with two hands, is a freaking breeze!

Setup has been painless and I'm on the OS update to 1.0.1.1690 right now.

The screen is sharp, and bold, and the feel is great.

It may be lighter than an iPad, but it almost feels heavier than it should be for the size.

First impressions.... I LOVE IT!

[ZombieBerry]

It was pretty slick from the get go!! Powered up, connected and updated(Playbook OS 1.0.1.1690 Build 42018) in minutes.
Bridge setup was a no brainer. I had already upgraded my desktop software to support Playbook a few days earlier.
Downloading apps/Posting to twitter/facebook and watching Tron:Legacy in HD at the same time, what's not to like?
You are right though, it is lighter, but feels heavier than it should...lol can't explain why. I am very happy with the 'book!!

[ifonline]

Agreed. Despite the issues with rollout, and despite my current disgust for AT&T, I am enjoying the PlayBook so far. OS has been updated, Bridge works surprisingly well, and I'm now browsing for new apps.

[Cooper]

Hooked up a bluetooth mouse... woooo!

I must say I can't wait to find all kinds of businessy things to do with it.

I know it is a multimedia powerhouse... I need to show it off in the business environment!

[juwaack68]

Got mine today, too. Not real impressed with the Bridge Browser. Very slow for me.

The Browser over regular WiFi is speedy fast and I like it a lot. I honestly don't give a rip about not having an email application. The browser works darn fine and that's what I use on my PC for Gmail anyway.

Having issues downloading anything from App World. Says it's having problems connecting to the AW server, please try again later. Not sure if it's the WiFi I'm connected to at work, so will try again when I get home.

Overall, I really like it so far.

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by juwaack68

Got mine today, too. Not real impressed with the Bridge Browser. Very slow for me.

The Browser over regular WiFi is speedy fast and I like it a lot. I honestly don't give a rip about not having an email application. The browser works darn fine and that's what I use on my PC for Gmail anyway.

Having issues downloading anything from App World. Says it's having problems connecting to the AW server, please try again later. Not sure if it's the WiFi I'm connected to at work, so will try again when I get home.

Overall, I really like it so far.

I found the bridge browsing was slower, but then again it ends up using the actual phone browser to get to the page (from my understanding)

Remember, you can also tether your BB and use just the data plan! :D

[crackbradley]

My first impressions: I'm seriously underwhelmed. I have the 64GB version

I find the screen to be imprecise on touches (try selecting the far right slider at the top of the browser xxx8211; I got it first try then took me 2-3 mins to slide it back)

Bridge didn't setup the first 4 times - either the BB hung or the tablet did. Rebooted both (again) and then it worked.

The lack of basic RIM developed apps is inexcusable. I knew it wasn't shipping with a lot of apps that would be ready but the fact that they couldn't even port their own over to the Playbook speaks for itself.

It's really only available now in retail outlets. Partners have been told to wait an additional two months.

If they had rushed it out the door in its current state last year when it was to be compared to the iPad 1st gen then it might be excusable. But when your strategy is to go after the consumer market then your competitor is the iPad and this isn't anywhere near in the same class.

That was never a concern for me, I want it for what it can do on my corporate network. Oh wait, I can't really use it that way! The only non-wifi access I can have is if I tether it to my BB which is a whole other kind of data plan altogether. It cannot be connected to a BES today so integration to MDS, etc isn't possible.

So it's at least a generation and tens of thousands of apps behind the other consumer tablets and it doesn't won't work with their corporate infrastructure solutions (BES(x)/BIS).

When I read the initial press reports I wrote them off as Apple fanboys and RIM haters... well I'm a RIM fanboy and I think this is a disgrace. We met with RIM this morning and they've assured us that by Summer it should actually be useful.

Until then maybe I can use it as a $700 electronic picture frame.

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by crackbradley

My first impressions: I'm seriously underwhelmed. I have the 64GB version

I find the screen to be imprecise on touches (try selecting the far right slider at the top of the browser xxx8211; I got it first try then took me 2-3 mins to slide it back)

Bridge didn't setup the first 4 times - either the BB hung or the tablet did. Rebooted both (again) and then it worked.

The lack of basic RIM developed apps is inexcusable. I knew it wasn't shipping with a lot of apps that would be ready but the fact that they couldn't even port their own over to the Playbook speaks for itself.

It's really only available now in retail outlets. Partners have been told to wait an additional two months.

If they had rushed it out the door in its current state last year when it was to be compared to the iPad 1st gen then it might be excusable. But when your strategy is to go after the consumer market then your competitor is the iPad and this isn't anywhere near in the same class.

That was never a concern for me, I want it for what it can do on my corporate network. Oh wait, I can't really use it that way! The only non-wifi access I can have is if I tether it to my BB which is a whole other kind of data plan altogether. It cannot be connected to a BES today so integration to MDS, etc isn't possible.

So it's at least a generation and tens of thousands of apps behind the other consumer tablets and it doesn't won't work with their corporate infrastructure solutions (BES(x)/BIS).

When I read the initial press reports I wrote them off as Apple fanboys and RIM haters... well I'm a RIM fanboy and I think this is a disgrace. We met with RIM this morning and they've assured us that by Summer it should actually be useful.

Until then maybe I can use it as a $700 electronic picture frame.

Tens of thousands of apps to do what exactly?

I'm fairly happy with it, but I'm looking at it as a perfect portable media player, as well it is shaping up to be a beauty in terms of an add-on to the office environment.

Tablets were never meant to me stand alone devices

[XxGreekStylexX]

Originally Posted by Cooper

I've started setup and all I can say is WOW.

Typiing with two hands, is a freaking breeze!

Setup has been painless and I'm on the OS update to 1.0.1.1690 right now.

The screen is sharp, and bold, and the feel is great.

It may be lighter than an iPad, but it almost feels heavier than it should be for the size.

First impressions.... I LOVE IT!

awesome, i'm getting one soon i can't wait !!!

[crackbradley]

Originally Posted by Cooper

Tens of thousands of apps to do what exactly?

I'm fairly happy with it, but I'm looking at it as a perfect portable media player, as well it is shaping up to be a beauty in terms of an add-on to the office environment.

Tablets were never meant to me stand alone devices

If their strategy is to compete against the iPad (which it is, and that is underscored by the fact that it's only available retail for the next two months) then that consumer segment want their fart apps. I bought this to be a business tool but now I'm told that I can't use it that way until the summer time at the earliest. I can't manage it or publish my corporate apps to it until then. I can't use it on a standard corporate data plan until sometime later than that even. I can't use BBM on it. The list goes on. I find there is absolutely nothing that I can do on it today that I use my BB for - I had hoped this would be a BB with more screen real estate.

Tablets are designed to be standalone devices - that's why they exist. So you don't have to take out your laptop every time you simply want to check a website/email/calendar or run basic apps. THIS tablet isn't designed to be a stand-alone device today but they're promising that will be ready by summer. I bought this knowing I'd have to use the bridge link to my BB and I'm fine with that; but it doesn't piggyback on the BB data plan, it simply uses it as it will use any other Bluetooth enabled phone that supports tethering.

It's a bitter disappointment to me that I'm sure will be rectified over the next twelve months but my point is that it doesn't serve their corporate customers or consumers as it ships today. It was clearly rushed out the door and if this is the best they can do after all of the hype then I'm worried about their ability to compete against the likes of Apple. I've got skin in the game here - I've hitched my corporate wagon to RIM so understand I desperately need this product to be a success but today I'm evaluating my alternatives.

[Arthrog]

I got mine today... Cant really work on it and at this point I cant even play on it. Need for Speed got boring pretty quick. No Skype, Gtalk. I can read and respond easier on my torch.
Cant stream music and video to it from my PC.
Cant stream anything to it from my Torch except email etc... No music etc..

I can however stream to my PC from it.. YAY!

Rim better fix this or it will fail.

It does browse the web pretty good but only on Wifi and If I have Wifi there is a PC near by.

Why did I buy this again?

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by crackbradley

If their strategy is to compete against the iPad (which it is, and that is underscored by the fact that it's only available retail for the next two months) then that consumer segment want their fart apps. I bought this to be a business tool but now I'm told that I can't use it that way until the summer time at the earliest. I can't manage it or publish my corporate apps to it until then. I can't use it on a standard corporate data plan until sometime later than that even. I can't use BBM on it. The list goes on. I find there is absolutely nothing that I can do on it today that I use my BB for - I had hoped this would be a BB with more screen real estate.

Tablets are designed to be standalone devices - that's why they exist. So you don't have to take out your laptop every time you simply want to check a website/email/calendar or run basic apps. THIS tablet isn't designed to be a stand-alone device today but they're promising that will be ready by summer. I bought this knowing I'd have to use the bridge link to my BB and I'm fine with that; but it doesn't piggyback on the BB data plan, it simply uses it as it will use any other Bluetooth enabled phone that supports tethering.

It's a bitter disappointment to me that I'm sure will be rectified over the next twelve months but my point is that it doesn't serve their corporate customers or consumers as it ships today. It was clearly rushed out the door and if this is the best they can do after all of the hype then I'm worried about their ability to compete against the likes of Apple. I've got skin in the game here - I've hitched my corporate wagon to RIM so understand I desperately need this product to be a success but today I'm evaluating my alternatives.

BBM is coming through Bridge in 2 weeks, and if you were expecting BES service like the BB has, you should have waited for the cellular version.

There has been a lot of talk and review on this device and I don't feel cheated out of anything.

Of course that's me being optomistic and realistic. I knew what this would have initially, 2 weeks from now and a month from now.

It has so far met my expectations. It's still better than an iPad. my opinion of course

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by Arthrog

I got mine today... Cant really work on it and at this point I cant even play on it. Need for Speed got boring pretty quick. No Skype, Gtalk. I can read and respond easier on my torch.
Cant stream music and video to it from my PC.
Cant stream anything to it from my Torch except email etc... No music etc..

I can however stream to my PC from it.. YAY!

Rim better fix this or it will fail.

It does browse the web pretty good but only on Wifi and If I have Wifi there is a PC near by.

Why did I buy this again?

I hope you didn't get it to play Need for Speed, or to use GTalk or Skype.
If you want to transfer music/video files FROM your PC very easily (and without a USB), try this
How To: Use Wifi Sharing on the Blackberry Playbook to Transfer Files | TheUnlockr

If you want to access files from your Torch, simply pair it, go to the BlackBerry Bridge tab >> click unto Bridge Files and select your documents. It won't allow you to remotely access media files (Although I think that may be a kink).

Hope this helps.

[Arthrog]

I was hoping to access media files on my desktop and Torch.
Also video chat with the wife and kids while traveling and maybe not carry around my laptop. I don't really want to load it up with music that I have on my torch already.

It definitely has possibilities! in the not too distant future I can see it filling my needs for fun and work...

[ahmedov]

Originally Posted by Arthrog

I got mine today... Cant really work on it and at this point I cant even play on it. Need for Speed got boring pretty quick. No Skype, Gtalk. I can read and respond easier on my torch.
Cant stream music and video to it from my PC.
Cant stream anything to it from my Torch except email etc... No music etc..

I can however stream to my PC from it.. YAY!

Rim better fix this or it will fail.

It does browse the web pretty good but only on Wifi and If I have Wifi there is a PC near by.

Why did I buy this again?

no skype ? they said its will support skype and that was good reason for me to get one (:

[stevetaz]

I am pretty impressed so far, but I have only opened the box, set up WiFi, instaled the BB Bridge and visited here. About 20 minutes so far.

Set up of WiFi and the Bridge was truly painless.

The build feels high quality and the screen is beautiful.

Time to surf around and explore.....

Oh, the OS update was also painless and very fast

[pshute]

Originally Posted by Cooper

Hooked up a bluetooth mouse... woooo!

An ordinary Bluetooth mouse, or a Blackberry one? I didn't know it would support that kind of device. Can you hook up an ordinary Bluetooth keyboard?

[Cooper]

Originally Posted by pshute

An ordinary Bluetooth mouse, or a Blackberry one? I didn't know it would support that kind of device. Can you hook up an ordinary Bluetooth keyboard?

Yes, it interfaces with ANY bluetooth device (at least mouse / keyboard)

I've used a logitech one, and I've seen apple wireless keyboard and mouse work.

[pshute]

Originally Posted by Cooper

Yes, it interfaces with ANY bluetooth device (at least mouse / keyboard)

I've used a logitech one, and I've seen apple wireless keyboard and mouse work.

That's good news. How about USB keyboards and mice?

[MERK350Z]

ok after owning the ipad and a few android tablets i have to say the play-book is nice the screen and speed and smoothness of the system is a nice refreshing feeling of how to do things.

PRO'S
1.screen is clear and sharp
2. the colors are really good.
3.the weight of the device is nice not to light but balanced
4. the feel is solid
5. able to connect to blackberry for data
6. once blackberry bridge is connected email app on playbook looks like blackberry phone, synced perfect with phone just a little slow when loading emails.
7. front and back cam work good
8. battery life is not bad have not really been able to test it had the device less then 24hrs


CONS

1. the first one is a major issue when connected to the blackberry bridge the data connection can not be used with other apps or even the play-book browser have to use the bridge browser.
2. being its new not enough apps.

hope this helps some of you make up your mind on wanting one or not. if you have any specific questions please ask