RIM released PlayBook OS 2.0 to support some Android applications

The built-in functions of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 include email, calendar, and contacts. Users can use these features to quickly manage their emails and schedules, and view their contacts on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You can also interact well with your social network account in the calendar.

The newly added BlackBerry Bridge feature allows users to use their BlackBerry smartphones to control PlayBook. After connecting the PlayBook to the monitor, you can use this function to perform demonstration operations or implement the TV remote control function.

Although not described on the official notice page, some Android applications can also run on TechCrunch. When the current situation is obviously unfavorable, does it mean RIM may compromise in some way?

Looking back more than a year ago, PlayBook lacked four major functions:

• No email client;
• No calendar application;
• Android applications cannot be supported;
• Unable to connect to the mobile Internet.

If the original PlayBook is a "semi-finished product", after the upgrade, it will become a mature and complete product. The built-in email, calendar, and contact applications can free you from relying on Blackberry. In addition, RIM has added more or less social elements to these applications.

Email Message

In PlayBook OS 2.0, the e-mail client is called Message. For example, the interface uses a classic dual-bar design. Specifically, it designs the sending and retrieval function keys on the right side of the interface to facilitate users' thumb operations.

Calendar

The above is the Calendar application. Like a Calendar application, you can view your transactions on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. At the same time, it can work with the Message to set the corresponding email content as an event on the calendar and a scheduled time; it can also add relevant persons to the event. It can also set multiple calendar users.

Contact

Contact allows you to synchronize contacts through email. It also integrates some social functions to view the latest news of contacts on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

BlackBerry Bridge

The new Bridge enables the BlackBerry to be changed to the PlayBook remote control, which can be remotely controlled through the keyboard, touch screen, and touchpad:

• Allows Blackberry to copy text or other content to PlayBook;
• The ability to remotely operate the Message, Calendar, and Contact applications on the PlayBook;

Android applications

Although not explicitly stated on the official page, Android apps have already appeared in the BlackBerry App Store App World. In other words, PlayBook can run Android applications, but it must be officially selected.

Others

In addition to the above updates, RIM also added a Video Store, which is said to include 10 thousand videos, including movies and TV series.

There is a new feature called Open On that allows Blackberry to transmit images or documents to PlayBook with one click. At the same time, PlayBook OS 2.0 also has built-in Documents To Go, which can directly open files in Microsoft Office series, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The application named Print ToGo allows the PlayBook to wirelessly connect to a PC or laptop to Print files.

Summary

PlayBook OS 2.0 adds important built-in applications to PlayBook, introduces social elements, and enhances collaboration between Blackberry phones and tablets. This makes PlayBook more comprehensive, from the product perspective, it is also more mature. Unfortunately, 2.0 still does not have a Chinese input method.

However, when iPad and Android tablet computers occupy the mainstream market today, is the PlayBook system upgrade too late? Previously, the media announced that RIM will announce the details of the PlayBook OS 2.0 upgrade at the MWC conference, but now it is released one week ahead of schedule, obviously winning.