While many of the initial reviews of the BlackBerry PlayBook are correct in that the tablet has a ways to go before it truly rivals other tablets, there are glimpses into features that will help distinctly set this model apart from its competition. And as updates are continuously rolled out, that view is getting clearer.

It became immediately apparent to me when I began this review process a few weeks ago that the PlayBook is a device for BlackBerry smartphone owners. Let me clarify: you don't necessarily need to own a BlackBerry in order to use the PlayBook; it functions like any other WiFi tablet. But if you have a BlackBerry, you'll get a lot more out of the device.

BlackBerry Bridge

Most notable in this respect is BlackBerry Bridge, the stand-out feature of the 7" tablet. It's a Bluetooth-based function that pairs your phone to the PlayBook, then immediately provides access to content; including your e-mail account, contacts and calendar items, and other files, (although I couldn't figure out what types since things like photos, videos, and documents aren't accessible. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files, however, can be accessed as e-mail attachments. More on this later.)

Much like Apple's Personal Hotspot, Bridge also ports a 3G connection over to the tablet, allowing the user to surf the Web without incurring additional data charges. This is especially useful since the PlayBook itself is currently only available in a WiFi version (although with Bridge, one might wonder whether a 3G version is even necessary.)

Alternatively, if users don't want to access a BlackBerry's files but just want to get online using the 3G network, he can tether the phone (with OS 5.0 or higher) to the PlayBook just for Web surfing. (Additional charges may apply depending on your carrier. AT&T in the U.S. has even blocked the function. But Rogers in Canada, for example, permits this for free.) Before initiating this connection, the user must first select his carrier from a drop-down list, after which he'll receive several notifications about the possibility of extra charges. Other devices can tether to the PlayBook as well, like Android 2.3 smartphones, which can act as personal hotspots for virtually any WiFi-enabled device. Accessories like Bluetooth keyboards can also be connected.

When I began my review, BlackBerry Messenger was not yet available for the PlayBook. But just before publication, an early version was reportedly released with the latest software update. Said to work with BlackBerry smartphones using OS 6.0, this should allow BlackBerry users to, when the smartphone is Bridged, access their BBM lists, and communicate with contacts on the tablet. Unfortunately, I was unable to download it just yet.

Using Bridge, the PlayBook essentially acts as a mirror into your phone. Once the connection is terminated, you'll no longer see any of the phone's contents; nothing is stored on the tablet itself. While this is a great security feature for business users, consumers might find it unnecessary; even counter-intuitive. Imagine, after all, how great it would be to be able to send information from a smartphone to the tablet wirelessly and instantly, without the need for a PC. There is in fact a neat wireless solution for this called WiFi Sharing (more below). And, of course, you can connect the PlayBook to a computer via USB to transfer content back and forth.

Bridge is a neat feature that makes it easy for a user to switch from a BlackBerry's small screen to the PlayBook's 7" screen in a snap. When might this be useful? The jury is out on this. While I'd say sharing photo slideshows is an ideal application, that won't work because photos can't be accessed through Bridge. Being able to more easily manipulate and view Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets seems the most likely application for Bridge. And, of course, the larger screen of the PlayBook will make things like Web surfing, video viewing, and e-reading a much more attractive proposition while sitting in an airport or coffee shop; and especially in spots where WiFi might not be available, like up north at the cottage.

First Impressions

I've been a Mac user for a while, and waiting for the PlayBook to start up brought me back to my old Windows days: it took over a minute! The automatic setup wizard instantly began, walking through the necessary steps to get started. I was immediately and pleasantly surprised with the process for setting up Bridge. It was a quick and seamless process that involved downloading the partner app to my Torch, and scanning the barcode to initiate pairing. If this doesn't work, there's also a manual pairing option. Then, you're in business.

I encountered a small hiccup the following day when I was forced to re-establish the Bridge connection; somehow, the settings had disappeared. An alert on my phone indicated that I needed to enter a passcode displayed on the tablet when there was none. I eventually located it, but it seemed like I was taking part in an Easter egg hunt trying to find it. This process could certainly be made more intuitive.

Initially, applications were finicky, both within the Bridge function and outside of it. I'd open up contacts or calendar, or even the Kobo e-reading app, Facebook, or Twitter, and the application would shut itself down immediately, or within 10 seconds. I kept in mind that the unit was fresh out of the gate, and might require a software upgrade to work out some of these early kinks. Indeed, as I accessed these apps going forward, the issue became non-existent.

E-mail works relatively well. Messages are received at the same time they are on the BlackBerry smartphone; you see an exact replicate of your inbox on the PlayBook. I did have trouble both sending and opening some attachments; even those of accepted file types like Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PDFs (photos can't be opened). But some would open quickly into their respective applications, like Docs to Go, as files that I could read and edit/save.

I created a memo on my BlackBerry, and updated an existing one, and the text instantly appeared on the PlayBook. And vice versa. The PlayBook really does mirror your phone, with a full, searchable copy of your contact list as well.

Unfortunately, like you'd find with the Motorola ATRIX smartphone and its Lapdock accessory, Website history information isn't one of the items that ports over to the PlayBook; nor can you pick up where you left off on a Website on the tablet's larger display. Pity, as this would have been a handy feature.

If you do wish to store data on the PlayBook, like photos, documents, or videos, the best way to do this is by connecting it to Desktop Manager on a computer. Desktop support is currently only available for the PC, though, with Mac support coming soon (although we tested it with a Mac, and the computer did in fact see the PlayBook as an external drive.) Connect the PlayBook via USB, and the driver updates should begin to install automatically. Once complete, access the PlayBook through a separate drive in My Computer (mine was Z:), and drag and drop files into the respective sub-folders as desired. A neat option that allows this wirelessly when your tablet and computer are both connected on the same WiFi network is called WiFi Sharing. To do this, you need to set up a network ID in Storage & Sharing on the PlayBook.

Navigating

With Bridge sufficiently working, and a good handle on how to navigate the tablet, it was time to check out other features.