[aiharkness]

Presumably the heartburn for AT&T will be the "tether" via the Bridge. I won't be surprised to see Verizon do similar.

Posted via BlackBerryForums.com Mobile

[TonyTone]

Originally Posted by ifonline

Very true... each carrier has its set of issues, but if I do leave AT&T, I will move to the carrier that offers a set of restrictions that I can live with. AT&T pulling this stunt is not something I feel I can live with. So sure, the grass may look greener on the other side, but as long as I know what color the grass actually is before I move, then I'm okay with non-green grass.

It's greed! They feel that through the PlayBook, they'll lose on an extra data plan (as if they don't gent enough already).

[aiharkness]

AT&T has the right to package and sell its product the way it wants, and to charge as much as the market will bear. That's business, not greed. But we all have the right to not buy its product, if we choose.

That's what worries me about the AT&T acquisition of T-Mobile. T-Mobile is like the old Hertz back in the day, "We try harder." I just want competition.
Posted via BlackBerryForums.com Mobile

[TonyTone]

Just paired it with my AT&T Torch. But on my cell, the icon is hidden, I found it using the universal search.

[ifonline]

Hidden? Hm... So far, Bridge is not hidden on my 9700.

[TonyTone]

does anyone know the Bluetooth access point for AT&T?
nevermind - i got it

looks like tethering was disabled on my device (as it reads when I tried to tether)

[ifonline]

A quote from AT&T, via Engaget: AT&T is working with RIM to make the BlackBerry Bridge app available for AT&T customers. We have just received the app for testing and before it's made available to AT&T customers we want to ensure it delivers a quality experience for our customers.

This is absolute crap. AT&T didn't "review" BlackBerry Messenger. It didn't "review" BlackBerry AppWorld. It didn't "review" BlackBerry Traffic. AT&T is scrambling to figure out how to charge for BlackBerry Bridge.

[stevetaz]

Originally Posted by ifonline

A quote from AT&T, via Engaget: AT&T is working with RIM to make the BlackBerry Bridge app available for AT&T customers. We have just received the app for testing and before it's made available to AT&T customers we want to ensure it delivers a quality experience for our customers.

This is absolute crap. AT&T didn't "review" BlackBerry Messenger. It didn't "review" BlackBerry AppWorld. It didn't "review" BlackBerry Traffic. AT&T is scrambling to figure out how to charge for BlackBerry Bridge.

That may well be true, but I think it speaks to RIM's mishandling of this whole release.

I would think they would have gotten with their partners ahead of time to review what was planned and what was being offered to get their buy-in BEFORE unleashing it on the public.

This is really looking like a fail from the start......I wanted it to be a big success and perhaps it will be...in time.

This just doesn't seem to be the way to do it. RIM has always seemed to have a penchant for secrecy and this is what seems like another example.

[TonyTone]

Here's an article

AT&T Cripples Blackberry Playbook With No Bridge - Techland - TIME.com

[ifonline]

Originally Posted by stevetaz

That may well be true, but I think it speaks to RIM's mishandling of this whole release.

I completely agree. This has been disastrous from the start, and just when it seems it couldn't get any worse, it does.

Originally Posted by TonyTone

Here's an article

AT&T Cripples Blackberry Playbook With No Bridge - Techland - TIME.com

Wonderful. Here comes more bad press (not that I'm shocked at this point). This should be an interesting next few days (hours?).

[Tillia]

I myself do not buy that it is RIM's fault AT&T is so short sighted for its customers. What were they supposed to do wait until AT&T figured their end out? Does AT&T run the world? It is an issue. I agree. It is a serious over-sight on AT&T's end to not have it resolved (charge or not charge) before the launch of PlayBook but I don't see it as RIM's fault. The Carriers run their own show, RIM is their vendor and last time I checked it was pretty rare that any Vendor dictates to a customer. Just an opinion and only mine.

[ZombieBerry]

Originally Posted by Tillia

I myself do not buy that it is RIM's fault AT&T is so short sighted for its customers. What were they supposed to do wait until AT&T figured their end out? Does AT&T run the world? It is an issue. I agree. It is a serious over-sight on AT&T's end to not have it resolved (charge or not charge) before the launch of PlayBook but I don't see it as RIM's fault. The Carriers run their own show, RIM is their vendor and last time I checked it was pretty rare that any Vendor dictates to a customer. Just an opinion and only mine.

Apple and Microsoft just to name two. I happen to agree with you about this one though. Anyone who has had to deal with AT&T knows full well their shananigans. How could anyone even fault RIM for this? Of course the carrier is going to balk at helping their customers use something they do not receive a monthly charge for. If the 3G version of the Playbook had come out first f*cking AT&T would have pushed the Bridge app to everyone of their customer's Blackberries....lmao!!! More to the point, RIM had an update waiting for everyone and links were sent out telling people where they could download their version (if, for instance, their carrier refused to support it)
On the other hand, I can understand the frustration that some must feel about the 'way' the Playbook was......handled, but in the end that really shouldn't concern the average consumer. It was out when it was supposed to be, didn't have to ask for vacation time and camp out in front of a fruit store for a week to get one, and it's an amazing tablet! Period.

[hrbuckley]

The PlayBook "brand ambasadors" at the Best Buy where I just bought had a workaround url but I also found this

StormOTA - BlackBerry Bridge

[avaio]

Go to crackberry they have an OTA Bridge you can download

[aiharkness]

Nothing against crackberry.com, but did you even read the post above yours before you posted, much less the thread?
Posted via BlackBerryForums.com Mobile

[ZombieBerry]

BlackBerry Playbook Now Available In National Retail Channels

Please disregard any previous communications regarding BlackBerry Playbook.

Effective 4/19/2011, RIM began selling the new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet through select channels, including authorized National Retailers and from RIM directly. The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi is a highly-portable tablet that measures less than half an inch thick and weighs less than a pound. It features a 7-inch high-resolution touch display. It offers a desktop-like web browsing experience with Adobe Flash (10.1) support, multitasking, HD multimedia, and advanced security features.

RIM has created a software client called BlackBerry Bridge that pairs the BlackBerry smartphone to the PlayBook over a Bluetooth connection and delivers the smartphone's PIM information to the PlayBook (e.g. e-mail, contacts, calendar). The BlackBerry Bridge application will not be available via BlackBerry App World to AT&T customers at launch. AT&T has just received the BlackBerry Bridge application and AT&T is working with RIM to ensure Bridge and other connectivity options deliver a quality experience for our customers.

Support Procedures:
RIM provides the primary technical support for the Wi-Fi only PlayBook, and they have provided the following resources for PlayBook issues:
Self-service: BlackBerry - Playbook Getting Started
Customer Care: 1-877-644-8410

While PlayBook is built to support tethering via a capable smartphone, AT&T is still testing tethering capabilities. Care reps should not proactively offer tethering to customers calling about BlackBerry PlayBook until further communications are made.
If the customer already has a tethering plan, Care should support pairing, data plan provisioning and connectivity issues from the handset but refer end to end to performance issues to RIM.
To access the Internet from the AT&T mobile broadband with the PlayBook, customers must pair their PlayBook with any BlackBerry smartphone
Follow standard procedures to establish pairing
To tether their BlackBerry smartphone with the PlayBook, customers must have an appropriate DataPro with Tethering data plan provisioned to their line of service.
Follow standard procedures when assisting a customer with a data plan change.
Follow standard procedures when assisting a customer with data connectivity issues from their BlackBerry smartphone.

No support of BlackBerry Bridge should be offered until AT&T has completed testing and further communication is received.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[sototoro]

Anything New? Does anyone know anything from AT&T? What a crock!

[ifonline]

Nothing new at the moment.

[rjk0824]

Would the Bridge work if the phone from AT&T is unlocked?

[ifonline]

Bridge works, it's just not available for download from AppWorld as an AT&T customer. There are links further up this thread to download Bridge outside of AppWorld, however.