The Mobile Gadgeteer

Matthew Miller & Joel Evans

RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

By Matthew Miller | October 25, 2011, 6:53pm PDT

Summary: RIM needs good news to keep people excited about the PlayBook tablet and delaying the OS 2.0 update until at least February 2012 is not going to help.

I was an early adopter of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook and even wrote a book on it for Wiley. I have since moved on from BlackBerry devices and this latest news on the PlayBook is downright depressing. RIM posted that the OS 2.0 update won’t be released until February 2012.

The PlayBook had a TON of promise when it was released with advertised support for several development platforms, including Android. They never launched with a stand-alone email client and promised it was coming. However, all of this is in OS 2.0 and many of us that own, or owned, the PlayBook we thought we would see this update before the end of the summer or at least by the time of the most recent BlackBerry DevCon.

It’s really sad to see the PlayBook update getting delayed this long to where it will be nearly a year after launch before 2.0 hits. I imagine plenty of people that were holding out for the update are going to just give up and not wait at least four more months, unless it gets delayed again. We will probably see more fire sales of the PlayBook coming from retailers given this latest news.

What is your plan for your PlayBook? Are you going to wait or just get an iPad like everyone else?

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Research In Motion Ltd., RIM BlackBerry, BlackBerry PlayBook, Mobile Security, Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle.

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

saravdsrc 27th Nov

RIM is completely smoked. I am guessing their product design team and engineering team are completely out of sync. The initial promise was to deliver in summer 2011, but should have made it by at the least by end of october 2011 to ensure a competitive holiday season shopping with a fully equipped device. Expecting customers to hang on to your dear tablet and wait for 12+ months to get important updates doesn't make any sense. BTW where is the 3G version ?

I don't agree with comment - The playbook is only for BB users. If that is the case RIM should have advertised the same and not label the Playbook as iPad rival. RIM's problems are not going to be solved by serving the existing customers or loyal BB fans alone. They need to pull customers out of the Android & iOS market into the BB fold. RIM also needs to understand that their devices should be released close to the Apple or major android releases (Moto/HTC or Samsung) to stand a chance in competing with others. People now walk into BestBuy or Fry's to try each tablet and a get a feel for the user experience. Start working your way from user experience and what user needs rather than boasting a minute array of outdated design features.

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

Kiffmeister 25th Oct

The 7" size is critical to me so an iPad isn't an option. The lack of email and calendar isn't a big deal because I have a BlackBerry handset and the "bridge" works fine. However, the so-called "Premium" Documents to Go is useless, so if the version that runs on Android is truly "Premium" I'd take a look at a 7" Android tablet like the Kindle Fire. So the bottom line is that I think I can wait until February, but I could be tempted...

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

kamitomo_png@... 25th Oct

I actually have both an iPad (Gen 1) and the Playbook. They both fill very specific needs. My Playbook bridges to my Curve just fine. As much as I'd rather see the update sooner than later, I'll wait.

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

kenosha77a 25th Oct

Wait or move on was the question poised. What was left unsaid is the reality that the other tablet manufactures are not waiting during those four months with their product update plans.

For example, what happens if Apple releases an iPad 3 with a retina display, quad core ARM SOC and Siri - for the same price as the current Playbook.

How many new tablet buyers will choose this Apple product over Playbook with the 2.0 OS update?

To answer my own question, only consumers with an existing BlackBerry product, regardless whether the 2.0 update frees them from using the bridge app.

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

fhinton 25th Oct

I plan to trade it in at Best Buy for an Android tablet, and at this point, I don't care which one. I am also ditching my BlackBerry handset for an Android device. After the BlackBerry OS7 devices were released, they looked promising. But now that I've had some time to think it over, they just look like more of the same.

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Hubris

Englishmole 26th Oct

Is amateur hour still over?

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

ElCid2 26th Oct

The 2.0 update isn't critical to me either as I prefer the Playbook over the IPad in its current state anyway. However, I was looking forward to the update making my life a little bit easier and I'd be lying if I said that the Android emulator was of interest either. RIM's biggest problem right now is that they can't seem to meet any of their commitments. The company has had some really bad press over the past few years and when you have to keep delaying products and underwhelm customers, sooner or later, people will lose faith. It's a shame because the Playbook is a great device - extremely powerful, great size, great quality, etc., but bad publicity is going to send it to its doom long before Apple or any of the Android tablets do. Two of my friends have bought Playbooks after seeing mine and love the tablet, but I can't do RIM's marketing work for them and try and show off my tablet to the entire world. You'd think that RIM's management would be aware of how bad all this looks...but I'm not sure they do.

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

dive_fla@... 26th Oct

I don't quite understand the fuss about delayed updates. Yes, I like to get new stuff too. But the Playbook works and works well. Not getting another update doesn't make it not run. I bought the product for what it is, not what I hope it to be. I didn't see people shying away from iPad 1's simply because the "missing" hardware was not updateable. RIM gets panned for rushing an unfinished product out the door. So now that they take their time to do it right (unless it's the rumored inhouse chaos causing the delay) and they get panned for taking too long. The bridge thing works super well for me so maybe I'm biased.

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I really wanted a Playbook but...

tallbruva 26th Oct

I couldn't deal with the lack of apps. If Android apps were supported, I would have pulled the trigger. The nail in the coffin was the Kindle Fire. The price for features was too compelling. Although beyond the scope of this discussion, I wound up going with a certified preowned Nook Color with the Phiremod 6.3 ROM running off the SD card (really Cyanogenmod 7 with Phiremod Nook Color tweeks).

My point is that my options for a 7" tablet that does what I want *right now* was fulfilled by eveyone else but Blackberry.

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

leel@... 26th Oct

RIM's issues seem more related to unrealized expectations, not the products are bad in and of themselves. Missing self-imposed deadlines shows weak or possibly poorly focused leadership. That is a shame with products that are extremely functional and business oriented.

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

fhinton 27th Oct

@leel@... I have been saying for some time that RIM needs a shake-up at the very top. The two co-CEO's are killing the company. The business structure has, for years, hamstrung the company and they will continue to flounder until new leadership is put in place.

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

TheWizardOfWor 26th Oct

I do not own a blackberry phone so the bridging feature is of no use to me. The quality of the Playbook's hardware is second to none and I was anxiously waiting for the new 2.0 update to help it kick butt. BUT, with such limited apps and difficulty I've had uploading various media to the tablet, at least the chance for integration with Android would have canceled out all its shortcomings.
Sadly, I plan to return my tablet while I still have time. I bought the tablet because of its incredible potential but after this announcement I just give up ...What is RIM's management thinking?!

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

SinfoCOMAR 26th Oct

@TheWizardOfWor They were thinking about giving their loyal Blackberry user base a great tablet with everything the Blackberry lacked: bigger screen, better browser, flash support, etc.. I like the Playbook, it's the best hardware tied to the smartphone I like. I can understand however why it won't appeal to others but its not like their out of choices. I also get why non-BB users would want a email and feature crammed tablet of this quality. From that perspective its understandable why its perceived as an incomplete device. Maybe RIM will be able to accommodate all next year ... For now it only has done so with its current customers.

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RE: RIM delays BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update until Feb 2012

SinfoCOMAR 26th Oct

So what if there's a delay? The Playbook is ONLY for Blackberry users. Those that have BBs don't have any issues and email works perfectly. Get a Blackberry + Playbook = the best browsing experience on a tablet and the most secure messaging platform.

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BlackBerry Playbook 2.0 The Settled with Android Support

brttyking 22nd Nov

Hi,
This is good article.The PlayBook???s Android Player in the 2.0 developer release is functional, but it still needs a bit of work and applications will have to be adapted to run smoothly.

http://applications.androidxiphone.com/blackberry-playbook-20-settled-android-support/