New Blackberry OS 2.0 Is Here
The long-delayedBlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 has been released for download today. The new OS delivers enhancements and brings some new features that you?ll find on BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.
With BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 you have the option to use a unified inbox that consolidates all messages in one place, including messages from Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as personal and work email accounts.
The built in calendar is designed to pull in the information that matters to you from your social networks and make it available where and when you need it. Contact cards are dynamically populated with the latest real-time information from your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts to create a consolidated view of your contacts most recent updates.
The new BlackBerry Bridge functionality allows you to use your BlackBerry smartphone as a remote control for your PlayBook. BlackBerry Bridge also provides a Bluetooth connection between your BlackBerry PlayBook and core apps on your BlackBerry smartphone (including BBM, Email, Contacts, Calendar and Browser) in order to let you view the content on the larger tablet display.
In addition, updated document editing functions, the new Print To Go app, and increased control and manageability of corporate data with BlackBerry Balance allow you to get more out of your BlackBerry PlayBook every day. Plus, an updated virtual keyboard with auto correction and predictive next word completion learns how you type to enable faster, more accurate typing.
The Open On functionality allows you to open your documents, photos and links from your BlackBerry smartphone onto your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with one click. It's a great way to combine the convenience of a BlackBerry smartphone and the big screen on my PlayBook tablet.
New apps are being added to BlackBerry App World today (including a range of Android apps that will run on the BlackBerry PlayBook). A new BlackBerry Video Store is also launching today. Enhanced web browsing capabilities are also available with BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.
In conjunction with the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, RIM is making available an initial release of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion that will include support for managing BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and BlackBerry smartphones in an enterprise. The full release of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion (with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices) is planned for general availability in late March 2012.
The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software update is now available as a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.
The PlayBook launch fueled growing investor pressure that culminated with a decision by RIM's co-chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie to step down last month and hand over the reins to Thorsten Heins, a former Siemens AG executive who joined RIM back in late 2007.
The Playbook tablet, which RIM has discounted heavily to boost flagging sales, runs on the company's new QNX-based operating system and provides the blueprint for the first QNX-based BlackBerry, due out by the end of the year.
The Waterloo company needs to have more QNX applications available before the new phones, powered by QNX software called BlackBerry 10, hit the market. It hopes the PlayBook upgrade will encourage developers to get started.
RIM sold just 850,000 PlayBooks to the end of November. By comparison Apple sold 15.4 million iPad tablets in its latest quarter.
Howevre, two important features are missing from the upgrade. The upgrade excludes the popular BlackBerry Messaging (BBM) application and it is unable to integrate with existing versions of RIM's enterprise server software. That gives it limited appeal to RIM's core audiences of business users and BBM fans.
The built in calendar is designed to pull in the information that matters to you from your social networks and make it available where and when you need it. Contact cards are dynamically populated with the latest real-time information from your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts to create a consolidated view of your contacts most recent updates.
The new BlackBerry Bridge functionality allows you to use your BlackBerry smartphone as a remote control for your PlayBook. BlackBerry Bridge also provides a Bluetooth connection between your BlackBerry PlayBook and core apps on your BlackBerry smartphone (including BBM, Email, Contacts, Calendar and Browser) in order to let you view the content on the larger tablet display.
In addition, updated document editing functions, the new Print To Go app, and increased control and manageability of corporate data with BlackBerry Balance allow you to get more out of your BlackBerry PlayBook every day. Plus, an updated virtual keyboard with auto correction and predictive next word completion learns how you type to enable faster, more accurate typing.
The Open On functionality allows you to open your documents, photos and links from your BlackBerry smartphone onto your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with one click. It's a great way to combine the convenience of a BlackBerry smartphone and the big screen on my PlayBook tablet.
New apps are being added to BlackBerry App World today (including a range of Android apps that will run on the BlackBerry PlayBook). A new BlackBerry Video Store is also launching today. Enhanced web browsing capabilities are also available with BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.
In conjunction with the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, RIM is making available an initial release of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion that will include support for managing BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and BlackBerry smartphones in an enterprise. The full release of BlackBerry Mobile Fusion (with mobile device management capabilities for iOS and Android devices) is planned for general availability in late March 2012.
The BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software update is now available as a free download for all BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.
The PlayBook launch fueled growing investor pressure that culminated with a decision by RIM's co-chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie to step down last month and hand over the reins to Thorsten Heins, a former Siemens AG executive who joined RIM back in late 2007.
The Playbook tablet, which RIM has discounted heavily to boost flagging sales, runs on the company's new QNX-based operating system and provides the blueprint for the first QNX-based BlackBerry, due out by the end of the year.
The Waterloo company needs to have more QNX applications available before the new phones, powered by QNX software called BlackBerry 10, hit the market. It hopes the PlayBook upgrade will encourage developers to get started.
RIM sold just 850,000 PlayBooks to the end of November. By comparison Apple sold 15.4 million iPad tablets in its latest quarter.
Howevre, two important features are missing from the upgrade. The upgrade excludes the popular BlackBerry Messaging (BBM) application and it is unable to integrate with existing versions of RIM's enterprise server software. That gives it limited appeal to RIM's core audiences of business users and BBM fans.
