Blackberry Playbook OS v2 Update Due Today

It’s been delayed and delayed further, but despite no official confirmation from RIM the long-anticipated version 2 of the company’s QNX operating system for the Blackberry Playbook is due to be released today.  AMong the features on offer are native email and calendar apps, something that’s taken for granted with any other tablet operating system.  When the Playbook was first released, Rim saw the principle way to get email and calendar on the tablet would be to pair it with your Blackberry smartphone via bluetooth.  This approach wasn’t entirely successful however with a great many Playbook users being non-Blackberry phone owners.

RIM finally showed off the native email and calendar apps last month but they have still been surprisingly cagey about this operating system update, seen as a major milestone for the platform despite being mostly intended to fix and patch bugs.  The Facebook app is also rumoured to get an update however.  It’s said that the update will be availble to download from 4.01am in the USA, which would mean lunchtime or early afternoon in Europe.

The Playbook has suffered trememdously in the battles against the iPad and Google’s Android operating system, despite the poor uptake of the latter’s recent Ice Cream Sandwich OS update.  In recent weeks the price of the Playbook has dropped in many markets with many people suspecting that it was to go the same way as the HP Touchpad with a fire-sale followed by oblivion forever.  So far RIM have managed to avoid this fate with the Playbook though the company’s own market share overall is dwindling significantly, with many predicting the death of company before too long.

Other new features in the OS update reportedly include Blackberry Balance, which allows users to use their tablet for both home and work, while seperating the two when they’re either working or at home.  The feature will also apparently include additional security to protect work and business data and keep it seperate from your personal data.  This will also allow corporate users to deploy bespoke apps to users personal or work devices, with the user safe in the knowledge that while their activities online and with apps can be restricted during business hours, they are free to do whatever they like outside of work hours without their business data and files being in danger from online activities.

There will also be a Citrix client that will give users remote desktop working, even with Windows or the Mac.  Finally the Playbook will be usable as a programmable remote control for the home or in the workplace.  The aim here is to make the tablet a useful presentation device in the workplace.  As I mentioed earlier, the rest of the OS update is essentially bug fixes and patches.

If you are planning to install the operating system update when it is released, assuming the information that’s been leaked from RIM is accurate, then you should first make sure you have your device backed up.  You can do this in the Blackberry Desktop Software for the tablet.

So will you be downloading and installing the Playbook v2 OS today?  Are you looking forward to the native email and calendar apps or perhaps another feature?  Why not tell us in the comments below.

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About the Author:Mike Halsey is a Microsoft MVP for "Windows Expert". He is also the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out from Microsoft Press and the Windows 7 Power Users Guide, a how-to guide for non-technical Windows users on how to get the best out of Microsoft's new operating system, with step-by-step and quick guides. You can follow Mike on Facebook, Twitter or on his own website The Long ClimbAuthor: Mike Halsey MVP, Tuesday February 21, 2012 -
Tags:blackberry, operating system, os, playbook, rim, update

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Blackberry Playbook Tablet Review

Last year I picked up an HP Touchpad in the fire sale that resulted in the model, and all of HP’s tablet plans, being discontinued.  Now RIM appear to be doing similiar with their Playbook tablet, with prices being slashed around the world.  You might think then that now would be the right time to pick up your first tablet, after all a great many people believe that tablets generally are just too expensive at the moment for what they offer.  I thought then that I’d review the Playbook and give my verdict as a seasoned tablet user.

I’ve used quite a few tablets in the last year, and indeed I now own three of them (don’t ask!) including the Touchpad and now the Playbook.  So which is better and how does RIM’s model stack up against the competition?

The Blackberry Playbook has a 7 inch screen, a 1GHz processor, 1Gb of RAM and comes with either 16Gb, 32Gb or 64Gb of storage.  It weighs a dinky 425 grams.  By comparison the HP Touchpad has a 9.7 inch screen a 1.2GHz processor, 1Gb RAM and either 32Gb or 64Gb storage, weighing a heftier 740 grams and the iPad 2, also with a 9.7 inch screen contains a 1GHz dual-core processor, 512Mb RAM, 16Gb, 32Gb or 64Gb of storage but weighs in at a much more reasonable 610 grams.

The Playbook does have certain advantages over the competition however which start with a micro-HDMI socket and include extras such as a touch-sensitive bezel, clearly labelled controls on the outer edge and two cameras, a 3MP affair on the front and a healthy 5MP camera on the rear.  This is compared to the woeful 1.3MP webcam on the Touchpad.  The battery life on the Playbook is also excellent, being a match for the Touchpad, but perhaps not the huge battery life of the iPad 2.

The screen is excellent but the resolution is only 1024 x 600 and this results in a fair amount of scrolling being necessary in order to read a full web page or document.  The included software bundle is generally speaking bog standard with apps for the camera, mapping (using the on board GPS which doesn’t work anywhere near as well as the TouchPad), music and music store, video (and YouTube), pictures, video chat (but only with other Playbooks which seems pointless), Calculator, Adobe Reader, Weather, Facebook, Twitter, Hotmail and Gmail (the last three are simply links to the relevant websites), app store and voice notes.  There is also DataViz’ excellent Documents to go for creating and editing Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

I encountered a significant problem with my Playbook however in that these apps aren’t delivered in flash memory with the OS itself but are rather downloaded from the cloud and Rim’s own servers.  The update server was down when I got my machine and so for almost an entire day my tablet had nothing more on it than the web browser.  This is the achilles heel of RIM’s services as their servers do seem to go down with some regularity.  To have a hardware device that you’ve bought and paid for so tightly integrated with the company’s own servers is something of a worry.

The software is missing a few key apps.  There are currently no native email and calendaring apps (though these are coming later this month with the next OS release so this shouldn’t put you off buying one) and the machine and screen lock feature doesn’t work properly, it asked me for a password every time I turned the machine on even though I had told it to only lock after 30 minutes.  Hopefully this is something else that will be sorted out.

The app store is well stocked but not quite as well stocked as I might have hoped and it can be difficult and fiddly to navigate and find what you want.  I thought the app store on the Touchpad was fairly barren but the Playbook’s store is not much better.

With the OS itself I found some simple tasks, such as closing a browser window, took two actions where on other devices they would only take one, and the left-right swipe action needed to select a running app on the home screen to open was often over-zealous and swiped straight past the one you wanted.  Despite these niggles though the OS is certainly polished, very fast indeed and very responsive.  I really like it.

One of the problems I faced with my Touchpad was being unable to hold it in one hand when using it, it’s just too heavy and bulky for that, as is the iPad.  I was hoping then that a smaller 7 inch tablet would solve these problems.  Alas it’s still just a little heavy and left my hand aching between my thumb and forefinger after holding it for moderate periods.  Resting it on the knee doesn’t work too much either as it’s just too small for that and suddenly you find it’s too far away.  It can also get a little hot in extended use.

You might think then that I don’t like the Playbook and wouldn’t recommend it.  In fact quite the opposite is true.  For the problems and niggles there is also much to like.  RIM’s QNX operating system is very similar to WebOS in many ways, almost always in ways that make it intuitive and simple to operate.  It’s nice to see that RIM have put a great deal of focus on ease of use and they’ve certainly succeeded.

It is very small and light too, so if you’re looking for something to use on the daily commute this won’t get in the way and will be very comfortable to use in an airline seat too, where larger tablets can be too big.  I’d have liked to have seen a 3G/4G slot on something so portable, and this is a complaint I commonly make about tablets and laptops, but for these new super-cheap prices I couldn’t really complain.

It’s this new low price though that really sells the tablet to me.  In build quality, form factor and weight it’s every bit the competitor to Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet, but now it also competes keenly on price.  With that excellent screen it’s a very capable eBook reader but doesn’t have the Amazon Kindle-store-focused front-end.  If you’re after your first tablet you won’t get any better for the price.  If you want a tablet to use seriously though and don’t mind spending more, then you might be better looking at the available Android machines.

Enjoyed the article?: Then sign-up for our free newsletter or RSS feed to kick off your day with the latest technology news and tips, or share the article with your friends and contacts on Facebook or Twitter. Is the Blackberry Playbook Fire Sale Beginning?
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Which is the Best Tablet Form-Factor – Review About the Author:Mike Halsey is a Microsoft MVP for "Windows Expert". He is also the author of Troubleshooting Windows 7 Inside Out from Microsoft Press and the Windows 7 Power Users Guide, a how-to guide for non-technical Windows users on how to get the best out of Microsoft's new operating system, with step-by-step and quick guides. You can follow Mike on Facebook, Twitter or on his own website The Long ClimbAuthor: Mike Halsey MVP, Monday February 6, 2012 -
Tags:blackberry, playbook, review, rim

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A User's Guide on How to Conduct a Blackberry Unlock

Before, cell phone users only had two features in mind when acquiring a phone: voice and text messaging. Those days, however, are gone. Now, most people won't even give such generic mobile devices a second look. Matter of fact, they might be obsolete because smart phones have taken over the market. The Blackberry, to be particular, is one that has a large fan and user base. These products often cost a great deal of money. Hence, carriers in different countries sell them in locked contracts to recoup the investments they have made. If you are among the many users of the Blackberry, you may well be acquainted with the very idea of Blackberry unlock.

The BB (as it is affectionately referred to by loyal users), is one of the most in-demand mobile devices nowadays. Many people are not aware of it, but a Canadian company is in charge of the product's development and production. The name of this firm is Research in Motion (RIM), and its base of operations is in Ontario. Their goods are often significantly costly, and providers take advantage of this by locking the phones to their network. This is the reason a lot of people are searching for a Blackberry unlock code.

Locked Mobile Phones

Mobile devices are "locked" if a specific carrier places in a setting preventing its use in a different network or country. Keep in mind that providers do this to get back their initial investments. These companies increase sales by giving the phone free with one of their plans. You must note, though, that these plans normally last two to three years. BBs will often be marketed this way as it is one of the more costly and popular brands. Fortunately, for those who want to switch networks or use their phones abroad, you can find different Blackberry unlock techniques. A Blackberry unlock code is a wonderful way to get out of a demanding contract.

How to Check if Your Phone is Locked

Those interested to learn about the status of their phones may do so themselves. Most people, however, are scared to do so for fear of legal repercussions. What you should remember is that unlocking your BB is a legal activity. Neither could it void the warranty. It is better, however, if users check with the claim that comes with the phone. You may also call RIM customer service or send an email.

There are two ways to unlock the device. The first is by way of your network provider. The only problem with doing this, however, is the cost could add up. In most cases, doing so can result in the full payment of your phone. Carriers do that because they know from the start that customers will most likely switch to a different network.

The more sensible way to get a Blackberry unlock code is via a trusted online site that offers the service. You simply have to go online to find a business that performs this. Be a smart internet user and look through all your options before choosing. This will save you from any possible scams. After your BB is unlocked, you could move to a different service provider, use your phone abroad, or sell it at a high price.

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Blackberry unlock code as simple as 1,2,3

Technology is developing very rapidly and everyone is getting the latest gadgets to keep up. BlackBerry units are popular mobile phones among corporate executives and young professionals. These smartphones are made to function as portable media players internet browsers, digital assistants, gaming devices, plus much more. Having said that, a lot of people who have this unit still have a problem with configurations like how to unlock BlackBerry Bold.

Today, obtaining a BlackBerry unlock code isn't hard. There are many online service providers supplying customer assistance. They help customers to be familiar with the settings of their units.

Online service providers offer BlackBerry unlocking service with a swift turnaround time. These service providers display the customer's code on their "thank you" page and email the unlocking code within one to five minutes of their purchase. Some even have product warranty if the companies fail to unlock the customer's unit.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about unlocking BlackBerry units:

-What models of BlackBerry can be unlocked?

Online service providers unlock all BlackBerry models that have an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. To get your IMEI, type *#06# in your BlackBerry unit.

Listed here are Blackberry units that you could have unlocked:

-Blackberry Torch

-Blackberry Bold

-Blackberry Tour

-Blackberry Curve

-Blackberry Storm

-Blackberry Pearl

-Why should customers unlock their phone?

Unlocking the BlackBerry unit is not going to affect the reception or prolong battery life. It's going to, however, provide the customers the ability to use their phone using any GSM carrier. If customers travel, they are able to buy a local SIM and prevent huge roaming charges. By learning how to unlock BlackBerry, people will boost the resale value of their unit.

- Is it safe to unlock your phone?

Unlocking BlackBerry phones is not going to void the warranty nor jeopardize the unit.

-Why do I keep getting a code error when I unlock my phone?

Here are a few possibilities why people are having a difficult time unlocking their Blackberry:

- The customer might well have presented the wrong information to the service provider. Remember to have the right IMEI number, country, and MEP.

- Customer might have entered the unlock code incorrectly.

- Customer could have used up the allowed number of attempts in entering the unlock code. When this happens, the BlackBerry is hardlocked to the original network provider. The unit cannot be locked with IMEI alone.

If the customers feel as though they've done everything accurately, they must provide their phones' MEP to the service provider. They could find their MEP through the webpage of the service provider.

How to get BlackBerry unlock code:

All customers need to do is search for a reliable online service provider offering up BlackBerry unlocking services. After they find a very good one, they could complete the online information form. After carrying this out, they could get their unlock code in their e-mail inbox in just five minutes or even less. The customer may now use the code to unlock their unit.

As soon as the customer unlocks their phone, they can now use their BlackBerry on any GSM network. They're able to save money on roaming fees and raise the resale value of their phone if and when they choose to sell it. They will likewise have freedom to change carriers without needing to buy a new phone.

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