BlackBerry PlayBook

How to Set the behaviour of your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet applications

By default, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is designed to allow applications to stay active in the background, unless another application is full-screen. To do this, tap the Gear icon that appears on your home screen and select “General”. On this screen, you’ll be able to set your desired application behaviour from one of the following options:

• Showcase – All open applications are active and never pause in the background.
• Default – An application stays active in the background until another application goes full screen.
• Paused – All applications are paused in the background and activated when tapped.

Switching the default setting to “Showcase” mode is a great way to show off the power of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet by having all applications active all the time. However, this can impact battery life if you forget that you are running an application in the background. You should be careful about keeping all your applications open when using this mode.

IF you have a 16GB version, check out the serial numbers.   Thanks to engadget for this article.

June 1, 2011 - Finally recieved my replacement BlackBerry.   Definately an improvement as I think many items below were due to a faulty device and of course the latest updates.  I will start making a new list of new stuff! 

1. Still no spellcheck
2. Cannot copy a url into an email.  (This seems odd....copy and paste function doesn't work across apps?)
3. Password issue is fixed! Yippee.  I can now feel safe again.  :-)
4. Clicking on a hyperlink now works
5. Cannot open photo's though it says tap here it doesn't work
   1. If you save to bb media and then try and view thru the bridge, doesn't work either.   Just clicks over to photo's but isnt' there.
6. a BIS account doesn't delete off both
7. Folders, still can't make and they are not in alphabetical order which makes it 'interesting' to find apps.
8. Facebook games online do not work. - Scrabble flickers and very hard to zoom in and out.
9. Every update brings back unwanted icons like hotmail, yahoo, etc.
10. Still hate that you cannot create folders. 
11. Tap to download - doesn't work all the time. 
     

Finally got my hands on it as I was away when it was shipped from Future Shop April 18th, 2011.   Have the 64GB one to test for all our clients.   FREE technical support from May 1st for 90 days :  Expires July 30th. Was having a few issues so thought I would try out their free support.  Tried to register my S/N on their site but said technical difficulties and to call 1-877-644-8405

PRO’s

• Videos, pictures, songs are all amazing
  
• Video chat is exactly the same as Facetime except only playbook to playbook and better quality.
• Great sound quality
  
• Great resolution
  
• Social media apps all work great - Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  
• Love the Kobo reader*
  
• Flash is nice!
  
• Browser ability is fantastic and you can bookmark **
  
• The camera/video is pretty good
  
• Touch sensitive border provides enhanced touch functionality
  
• HDMI interface – good and bad – it is micro HDMI **
  
• Definitely easier to carry around than the iPad
  
• Tethering but see below+

TETHERING  - VERY IMPORTANT READ

• Do not think tethering is FREE - call your carrier to confirm.

I called Bell Mobility May 12, 2011

• 1st call was told it will cost $6 a MB as my plan does not include tethering.  Then got cut off.
• 2nd call they said it is pay per use  and tethering is .05Cents a MB but could not direct me to where it says on their site.
• Add on a plan for Tethering:  6GB for $30.00

CON's

Perhaps I just haven’t figured out how to do some of these thing but some RIM confirmed don’t work right now.

• Site registration didn’t work for the FREE support
• Doesn’t come with charging pod. Takes about 2 hours to charge through AC and 4+ with USB
  
• The touch sensitivity isn't as good/smooth as the iPad. Sometimes just hangs or doesn’t work.
  
• Default programs have minimal functionality.
• Picture viewer doesn’t change mode
  
• Kobo should have a function to lock screen mode, I don’t like that I have to lock the whole playbook
  
• Bluetooth
  
  • i. file transfer not supported
    
• Browser sometimes fairly sluggish**
• Can’t organize apps except in the default folders
• No native email client - ETA: Summer
• No ability to listen to voice mails (mp3) that are sent to my bb
• Cannot register or watch webinars? Citrix (Gotomeetings, gotowebinars, etc)
• Printing not available
• Spell-check within email doesn't. It does underline the text if it is correct but doesn't correct it. Not so useful. SUPPORT SAYS: it is not currently available
• Hyperlink doesn't open a browser -SUPPORT SAYS: it isn't supported now but should be in next update. This was fixed in the last update SORT OF. It works on most links but not all
• Cannot COPY AND PASTE- SUPPORT SAYS: You cannot copy and paste through bridge emails. The Bridge application is mainly for bringing things from your BlackBerry to your Playbook. You can copy and paste from word document and paste things into a new email. These things will be available in the near future
• Password enabled on BlackBerry and cannot get access to Bridge. It shows it quickly but can't input. Had to remove my pw from my bb to work. May 9th reported.
  
• No video chat ability without someone else with a playbook. This falls short as I enviously see my family able to facetime or skype on other devices. Makes no sense to me as this technology is so useful for business and personal. Why limit it?
  
• Sometimes I can't view the body of an email on the Playbook, it just shows blank.
  
• I don't like the power button and am sure it will change in the playbook 2. It is way too small and hard to find.
  
• Business files- how to access and it there any form of document management? I hope there is a dropbox app soon! SUPPORT SAYS: By dragging and dropping onto the PlayBook.
• **HDMI - USING FOR PRESENTATIONS: - Doesn't work unless they have a TV or Smartboard with micro HDMI
  • USING FOR PRESENTATIONS: - Doesn't work unless they have a TV or Smartboard with HDMI
    • uses a mini HDMI I am told by support yet when I go to future shop the guy rolls his eyes and said not a mini but a micro big difference.
    • Playbook to Projector - as far as I can tell doesn't work with VGA Cables.
    • RIM's response: The way you would get the PlayBook to work with a projector is you would have to take the projector into a retail store so that someone there could give you the correct port that it would use or either you could take a picture of the back and take it into the retail store so that they could match up the correct cord for you.
• No file manager built-in:  Air Browswer not a bad 3rd party app
• GPS is useless since Bing Maps require WiFi connection
• No folders for apps nor can you make your own folders
• Cannot charge PlayBook if turned off
• IT folks can disable the Bridge app which defeats one of PlayBook's main purposes
• No ability to add memory 
• Can't see files in folder on bridge
• delay in swiping
• Wifi sometimes doesn't connect but my iPad does ( Playbook says connection time out, iPad connects)  Hmmmm.....
• Screen goes blank occasionally
• small dot on the screen from the initial delivery, over the course of the 3 weeks it now looks like a windsheild does.  The crack keeps getting a bit bigger as I use it.