BlackBerry 16GB Playbook 7" Tablet with Dual HD Webcams, Wi-Fi and HDMI Refurb $125 Shipped @ D/S

aqan said:   Piece of junk... One sitting in my night stand.that's very informative.

mindless9 said:   Condition: Factory Recertified

Refurb in title

I'm thinking we'll ever see a Beta version of CM[n] for our TouchPads and it looks like this does a decent job of running Android (2.3) apps now, with official (supported) RIM software. Blackberry OS multi-tasking via pages sounds very similar to WebOS too, which I like.

Specs look good:

16GB capacity
• 7” high-resolution (1024x600) display
• Supports 4-finger multi-touch gestures
• Wirelessly connect to a BlackBerry smartphone
• Wi-Fi 802.11n
• 1GHz dual-core processor
• 1GB RAM
• GPS navigation
• Dual HD webcams
• HDMI output
• Full 1080p HD video playback and capture

Only downside (for some), is no external SD card option. Green.

Hardware is nice but there were simply no app to run. I can't do Netflix, banking, eBay, ... It truely is an useless crap.

Unless someone can figure out port android otherwise there is simply no use for it.

"Junk" is all relative to price. "Junk" can sometimes turn to "gold" when it gets cheap enough. Just in general but not necessarily referring to this deal. xD

jayjay3636 said:   Hardware is nice but there were simply no app to run. I can't do Netflix, banking, eBay, ... It truely is an useless crap.

Unless someone can figure out port android otherwise there is simply no use for it.

Unofficial rooting/porting
Sideloading Android apps ("The OS 2.0 update brought support for Android apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook. While many Android apps are available in BB App World, there are still many missing that can be side-loaded onto the device. This is similar to how apps are loaded on the Kindle Fire and B&N Nook Tablet.")
OS2.1 better still, currently in Beta

This thing is beautiful: remember it was originally $500 like the iPad.

PRACTICAL:
I got my wife one this winter for $150, brand-new. She only uses it for Facebook.
And I offered to return it month after month asking, "Do you really use it? It's $150."
5 months later, she uses it nightly.

PORTABLE:
I used to have an iPad. Much more expensive, much larger, etc. (not something she'd crawl into bed and check Facebook Status Updates with). This thing fits in any purse she carries; not just the giant hobo bags. It can fit in the back pocket of any pair of men's jeans. Being able to use any tablet one-handed is tough, but it's doable compared to the iPad--particularly when you try to balance it on an armrest while bottle feeding and holding a baby in your left arm. And a larger, slippery, iPad with a rounded back would simply get tossed aside.

*This is why I can flip to Sportscenter for a full hour at night, look over and see that SOMEONE has been preoccupied with Facebook*

GORGEOUS:
It's smooth, has that "well-made feel" like a Mercedes Benz and that soft, non-slip rubberized backing from edge-to-edge. So it's smooth glass across its entire face (unlike cheap feeling, aesthetically nightmarish Galaxy Tab), and on a coffee table, nightstand, it just looks like a liquid black rectangle. And The most expensive LED TV's can't compete with this things lack of bezel. Video playback is high-def, widescreen and vibrant.

FUNCTION:
Silky. The way the interface cycles through apps (App World is a joke, so don't bother), is like watching a world class soccer team effortlessly move around the field. Great transitions between screens, menus & options. You just float between applications with no freezes or hesitations or lag. It seems much more responsive and far smoother than the Kindle Fire if you want a comparison. And when you play a video...

VIDEOS KEEP PLAYING:
For example, you press play on a video on a news website, it will start playing just like a regular computer. It won't leave the page like an iPad and take you somewhere else like the Youtube app.

That alone, I love.

And when you pinch zoom, the video will move around the screen while you scroll, zoom in and zoom out: constantly playing. When you play any video and start to cycle through applications, the video AND its audio keep playing as you sweep to see what else you have running. And I'm not a tech geek, but this thing is snappy because the video doesn't stutter or go blank until you stop moving. It's like Minority Report. And I know that's because it has $499 worth of components under its hood.

LEARNING CURVE:
Tough. Just like any Blackberry the 1st time you adjust. Growing pains suck. You'll miss your iPad. Buttons on the top side are a tiny tech fail. But, just like when you first tried a BlackBerry, half way through the week, you'll start to love it and notice the little things.

THE LITTLE THINGS:
You'll notice when holding it (upside down, unlike an iPhone or iPad), the screen will never--under any circumstances--wait for you to correct yourself. I love my iPhone 4, but opening Safari and the App Store, oops, it's upside down and feels insulting when its accelerometer won't rotate the image for me. It just sits there and says "I'll wait." You'll feel satisfied with the simplicity. You'll notice how taking video and pictures is easier and quicker than with the iPad. After hearing praises of the cameras and their resolutions, you'll see their superiority for yourself. And even the lens placement proves more practical. Pictures should be widescreen, and having your hands on the sides will never interfere with snapping pictures or video.

HDMI PRESENTATIONS, AN ACE UP ITS SLEEVE:
Watch the online videos that demo this. That's what sold me. You can go on the web and browse on your Playbook while your audience continues to only see your Powerpoint image. It's so impressive and professional (and advanced), but it's enticing to know you have this at your fingertips if you ever want it. I've never given a presentation but this thing makes me want to learn Powerpoint. And since it was initially $499, this includes that pricey, coveted micro-HDMI cable in the box!

DEALBREAKERS:
For some, the App Store. Oh well. You can barely get a used iPod Touch for $125...with a 3.5" screen.

Used iPod, the same price
Used iPad 1, double this price
Used iPad 2, triple this price
New iPad, quadruple this price

SIDENOTE:
Women don't like 17" mega-screen laptops. Ever seen a girl at Panera or Starbucks on an 18.4" HP HDX?
Girls like ultrabooks, Macbook Airs, netbooks and the like. And companies seek target markets accordingly.
Guys don't consider this, but purses are heavy enough and unnecessary bulk is verboten.
I love my 17" Macbook Pro. But you couldn't pay my wife to lug one around for even a day.

So even if price wasn't an issue, many women would still choose a 7" tablet like the Playbook based on practicality alone.

CONCLUSION:
For $125, it's worth a serious look.
At this price you simply can't find a better made tablet.

Thanks for reading. Happy Independence Day everyone!
Justin

p.s.
I had to cut this short because someone is now next to me giving the baby a bottle and using the Playbook to check her Facebook.

Playbook was supposed to be one of the ways to turn BlackBerry around profit-wise. Instead it was (is) a major disapointment, further eroding the BlackBerry image.

Buy.com via eBay has NEW ones for $169.99: Link

I've had several tablets, from ipad 1, kindle fire, playbook, galaxy tab and the latest ipad. All but the ipad 3rd gen (bought the day it was released, returned a week later) were flipped on Craigslist. I've gone back to an ipad 1 with 3g. I really liked the 7" form factor only for it's portability, but it was just too small for me for daily use (old eyes I guess). I had the newest ipad and ended up returning it. For my needs I didn't see the advantage of having a really expensive pad. I found all I needed was the first gen ipad with 3g. I needed something I could use to access the net anytime/anyplace, therefore I needed the 3g. I got a refurbed one on CowBoom for just over $200. I carry a big bag and it's goes with me everywhere.
Having said all that, the Playbook here is an excellent price and well worth it IMO.

Great deal. Thanks OP.

Posted from Playbook.

My other dust collectors iPad 3, kindle fire, touchpad.This

It looks like learning curve is men problem sure when you finish reading book you move it aside and replace with another one. However men can't do it - honey I finished reading (press home button),bring me another another one. Men always impress me with stupidity. Happy independence Day.

KPACOTKA said:   It looks like learning curve is men problem sure when you finish reading book you move it aside and replace with another one. However men can't do it - honey I finished reading (press home button),bring me another another one. Men always impress me with stupidity. Happy independence Day.

Wait what?

KPACOTKA said:   It looks like learning curve is men problem sure when you finish reading book you move it aside and replace with another one. However men can't do it - honey I finished reading (press home button),bring me another another one. Men always impress me with stupidity. Happy independence Day.

You know, when you call half of the human race stupid, you may want to write intelligibly. And with less sloppy analogies.