The Register
Carphone Warehouse to offer a free Playbook to anyone buying a 'pay monthly' Blackberry.

Jon

OMJF

Is it tanking that badly?

Sadly, it appears so. As I said, I think it's proved impossible for them to overcome the bad reviews/reputation they got by launching when they did.

It'll be interesting to compare/contrast with the Amazon Fire. From early reports it's effectively the same hardware and even designed by the same people but Amazon are likely to get a softer ride from the press than RIM did (the press are always nicer to companies they already think are succeeding than already think are failing).


Jon

Another sensationalist headline that simply makes things up.

They offer tablet deals with phones but when I choose Bold 9900 @ £31pm with 16gb Playbook it shows up in the basket with a handset cost of £379 plus I have to add mobile internet @ £7.50pm.
To sum up: I can order overpriced Bold 9900 (that is sold out btw) from CPW and they will give me discount of £20 on the Playbook that normally cost £399.
Now, what did that headline say again?!

Or can anybody find that deal on CPW website?

Number 3 on their slideshow on the front page.
I've just added a Vodafone Blackberry Curve 3G £36, 24 months to my basket and received a free PlayBook. The basket doesn't say anything about other costs.

While you know Blackberry's, I don't. I've no idea if that's a good phone or not, and neither will the punters when they see that great deal on the fron page.

Wasn't someone giving away free netbooks to help flog Blackberry's a while ago?

To be fair there are loads of deals giving away free tablets (as well as TVs, PS3s, etc). It just means you get a lower spec phone as part of the deal.

For example to get a "free" HTC Flyer on a £31 a month contract the best phone you can get is the Desire/Desire S. Without a "free" tablet for £31 a month you can get an HTC Incredible or Sensation.

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/pay-monthly/smartphones-plus-free-tablets

I don't remember anyone saying the Samsung TV division or the Sony PS3 had failed as they we're being given away with mobile phones!

Ok, I found the deal page and you can get it with Bold 9900 for £300 handset cost (@ £36pm). So I guess £100 discount is not a bad deal.
With a Curve 3G it will cost you about £260 as you overpay on the contract. But yes, you do get it "free".

I found 32gb and 64gb sold at £150 discounts, I am very tempted to buy a 32gb one @ £300.
http://uk.insight.com/en-gb/promotions/ ... -pre-order

I still have hopes for this tablet believe it or not. There is a 2.0 version of its QNX OS to be announced this month and I hope this will fix issues that prevented PB being considered a finished product. I know people will want to see email, calendar and contact application for example (I don't need them, I would pair PB with my BB) but I am looking forward to a Android player. We all know Android is coming but recent track record of RIM when it comes to PB is absolutely appalling so I will have to see and wait what it will be like before I get my wallet out.

Also my friend is going to US in November, and he might bring me a 16gb version which they sell at $299. With taxes it will work out about £210 which I would be willing to pay for a PB even in its current state without 2.0 OS.

Well, RIM did pitch the PlayBook as a tablet for business and priced it accordingly at $499 even though it was only a 7-incher and lacked features that many felt were fundamental to this class of device; Kindle Fire OTOH is a tablet for home users to consume content bought/rented from Amazon and will sell for 40% of the price RIM was asking, so in those terms it deserves some praise. Of course, at this stage nobody's had their hands on one, so we'll doubtless hear more in due course, but for now it appears more promising for it's intended market than the PlayBook was, IMHO.

Pete

http://crackberry.com/retailers-uk-disc ... -%C2%A3150

I am sooo tempted to go for 16gb one @ £250. I don't think you can find a better tablet at that price tbh. Not to mention the synergies with my BB like a free tethering. Also lack of apps should be just temporary as Android player has been released to developers last week.

To say that this didn't go down well with Crackberry users would be an understatement .
http://crackberry.com/official-research ... 012-no-bbm

Not been the greatest launch in history this, has it?
How many times can a firm [LIFTED] over their loyal fans without people starting to wonder what their options are? Serious need of a talent change at the top of RIM.

Dixons sell Playbook for £169
Somehow I don't feel like getting any tablet anymore but if I change my mind I think the Playbook at this price will be hard to turn down.

I'm thinking of getting one to go with my HP. That way I'll have two tablets that aren't iOS or Android, just to be awkward

Might be an idea to keep them in mint condition. After all, most of the rest are probably going to end up buried in a hole in the desert, so...