As most of you all know, last week RIM went ahead and announced availability for the 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook. With that release, they also managed to push out OS 2.0.1.688 for Wi-Fi versions of the PlayBook. Shortly after we announced both here on the CrackBerry blogs though, OS 2.0.1.688 managed to disappear.
Some folks managed to get it downloaded while those who opted to wait and download it at a more convenient time, ended up not getting the update at all. Over the course of the weekend, may folks from the forums noticed this and some even managed to call RIM to inquire where customer service reps were advising that the update never even existed. Odd, especially when RIM's own technical knowledge base refers to it.
RIM had this to say:
RIM discovered an issue with the PlayBook software 2.0.1.668 update. The update has been removed. Customers that have already successfully updated to version 2.0.1.668 are not affected and can continue using their PlayBook with the updated software.
One huge reason the update was even made available in the place was because there was a vulnerability found within Adobe's Flash Player. If you read through the information, it says right on the RIM site that RIM has issued BlackBerry PlayBook tablet software version 2.0.1.668 which resolves these Adobe Flash Player vulnerabilities on affected versions of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.
Hopefully an update will again be available before to long. Stay tuned.
Reader comments
Where did OS 2.0.1.688 for the BlackBerry PlayBook go?
My wife's PB had been updated to 668 and it had a 'crash' during video chatting and now the cameras do not work. We tried rolling back to 358 but still have the same problem..
+1 for the battery life issue. In my case, it's extreme. I've been watching with Battery Guru, and I'm getting about 1/5th the life I used to get. My PB is running warm all the time, which it previously only did when I was running a graphics-intensive game.
If I leave a game running (Robotek, in this case, just sitting at a menu; not in play,) while the Playbook is in standby mode, my battery runs down from nearly full to zero in about an hour.
I now hear the low battery "bong bong" warning all the time, whereas previously (owned my PB for 7 months,) I'd heard it only once.
I too have been having problems with the 668 update, which I
downloaded/installed hours after release without backup :(
I am still having an issue with it shutting down when on battery
instead of going to standby (I think, doing another test now).
For those of you reporting poor/lost network connections
and rebooting etc issues, try the following things, which
seem to fixed most of my problems.
1) Do hard reset (vol+ and vol- and power for 15 seconds)
Do this while it is plugged in and powered on. I am not
convinced having it plugged in actually matters, but I saw
that somewhere, and it can't hurt.
Screen will go black and it will reboot by itself if done right.
2) Delete ALL of your saved wifi networks.
3) Delete ALL of your accounts (email, cal, contacts, facebook, etc)
4) Do another hard reset.
5) Reconnect to wifi
6) Do another hard reset
7) Add back accounts
8) Do another hard reset
Not sure all the hard resets are needed in between,
but I figure it can't hurt, just takes longer.
If you are daring skip #6
After doing these things I still have a weird thing with it shutting down
instead of going to standby when on battery and left unattended.
On the plus side, wifi seems a bit stronger and faster, and the whole
thing is definitely a bit faster (reading and deleting email, web browsing)
If I can't figure it out, or if they don't release an new update, I might have
to downgrade though, which would be a shame.
-J
After the upgrade I also seemed to have some battery issues. I backed up my Playbook and did a security wipe and everything is back to normal now.
Funny. I find my battery drain much better since the update. Now before the update, i noticed even in standby mode it was using like 2.5 watts of power constantly. It took several hard reboots, removing all my email accounts and re-adding them to fix it.
I too am experiencing novel and hideous battery drain. I figure this update found out that I am on AT&T so its designed to punish me for my sin. These things happen. What is insulting and unforgivable of RIM is the idiotic statement that the release had to be pulled because of a problem, but not to worry if you have already installed this very same release because there is no problem.
I have updated both my Blackberry Play Books to 668 and found both working fine, although I dont really know what the update improved?? as every thing is still working really fine as before!!! maybe the next update which is due will sort things out with people who have problems. Its a bit strange that this update is no longer available?????.
My battery lasts a lot longer now, and everything seems to be faster. No issues at all...I'm quite happy with this update.
does anyone know how i can downgrade from this - i am having endless issues with this update - all my email accounts keep asking me for my password 5 or 6 times a day - i am unable to move apps between folders without it crashing - the blackberry bridge icon is gone but i can use remote control - wifi drops and connects so randomly - i am close to throwing this thing against the wall - HELPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!
Try a few hard-resets (power button + Vol+ + Vol-) to see if it gets better. It sounds silly, but sometimes it does after a restart or two.
Alternatively, you could wait for RIM to get their act together and re-issue a better update. I'm sure they know what is to blame for these problems... they just aren't saying... and every day that passes hits their credibility a bit more. My guess is we'll see a better build around the time the 4GPB launches, say early next week. Fingers crossed! :)
If you decide you really can't live with 668, you can downgrade to 358 using the DM app on your PC. It's not a free ride tho' - you'll need to re-install all your apps from AppWorld after completing (they'll all be under the uninstalled tab)
If you wanted to revert to 358, just run the DM software on your PC and connect the PB (via USB cable, not wifi). Restart the PB (hold the power button and select restart on screen) with the PB still connected . On the DM you will BRIEFLY be offered the chance to update the OS (be quick, the dialog will go after a few seconds). If you select update, you'll be offered the latest OS to download... which is 358 (again).
Go and have a coffee... it'll take up to an hour to complete.
thanks - I will try that.
I just have to keep entering passwords to access email (even after I've deleted and reinstated the email accounts)
This is not great (either as a release or as a managed deployment)
again???
how many times this company need to fail to not rise again?
They aren't failing, there was a reason why they recalled it. Battery issues. It's obvious.
Thats like saying:
Its not my fault, there was a reason why i crashed the car. I wasnt concentrating. Its obvious.
Why isn't poor coding considered a fail?
Update worked great for me. Most noticeably the WIFI has improved. Battery doesn't seem better or worse and I leave my playbook on 24/7 and charge it when it gets down to 15% or so...
Kevin,
How'bout calling Waterloo for a response to the Crackberry Faithful? Why was the updated pulled and what are the impacts to those of us who have downloaded the update?
David
X2. One of my PlayBricks is fine while the other dies sitting on standby.
It is so weird that some users experience improved battery life while other experience the opposite. I can't say that I like the inconsistency in this update.
This update has been great for me. My battery is lasting a lot longer. The email app opens quicker and is more responsive. Browser opens a bit quicker still checker boards though. And the android apps I have open quicker.
Everyone but me hates BlackBerry at my work.
I love my Playbook but after this update the battery drains within 24 hours in standby mode. It gets quite warm from just being in standby mode. Even though there are no active applications there is obviously something running in the background causing the battery to drain. I sure hope this will get fixed soon. Otherwise, what is the point?
I really hope RIM fixes this soon, because the update makes my Playbook just an expensive (Yes I am one of the few who bought it for $499) paper weight. The wifi connection is so slow it reminds me of the time I had internet via the phone line (remember the sound when you tried to connect...). The battery drains so quickly I actually checked the plugs, because I though it did not recharge at all.
Please hurry with the fix!!!
Where did 7.1 for the goddamn AT&T 9900 go?
It's been available on other carriers for months. Download, install, delete vendor.xml files and load it up. What's holding you? Why wait?
Well, let's categorize this under X-Files. Scully & Mulder are investigating as RIM appears clueless.
Well folks, got the update...and was stunned to find out they pull it from the update server.
1. Browser, musch snappier!
2. Email loads quickly.
3. Bridge working as usual, but i find it much faster!! :-)
4. WiFi, really faster, but I'm still on G for now.
5. Did not notice is it boots faster.
6. Battery, well i feel bad for the ones that have issues, but mine is bridged 24/7 I use it quite a bit throughout the day and I always end up having a little less than 50% and when I used it a lot, it's at 25% before I go to bed...1...2...3...am. So RIM, what gives for these folks???
I noticed some performance issues after updating to .688, mostly with the browser. Some reason when running google searches i can't delete my search instead it just starts typing what I deleted. also feels like the browser runs a little sluggish at times. Other wise haven't noticed much else, but like others I'm just looking toward 2.1.
I downloaded in the evening when it was released that morning. No Battery issues and my wifi is so much better.
I'm sorry for those that are having issues with theirs and hope it can be resolved soon.
My battery is dead by 6pm if i unplug it at 7am. Horrible battery life after this update!
I updated and the only difference I see is that my media playlists are back in order. No noticeable difference in overall performance with .688 update on my PlayBook
Push email is not working for me well lately. It occasionally pulls an Email every once and then. i have to refresh the app to get all my inbox :/
Same here.
I got to update Friday night. The wifi is more stable. The browser is a little faster. Other than that, nothing noticeable. But as with most minor updates, the difference is always "under the hood". Don't see why they pulled it. Perhaps because so many claimed something that really wasn't an issue just to claim an issue?
That you don't have issues does not mean there are no issues. But maybe I am imagining stuff, just so that I claim something? When I use the browser my battery drains within 3 hours. The wifi is so slow (average 1 minute to load a webpage) and my email does not update anymore. But you probably right, I just want something to claim an issue!
I agree that it takes longer to load a webpage. It's so slow that I have to use my Nook or laptop to get online :(
I hope this gets fixed. Is there a way to revert to the OS before this?
I downloaded OS 2.0.1.688 and found no problems with it. It actually allowed me to sync my new Outlook mail account to the messages, which is a big plus. So props to RIM, I'm digging the new update.
I was able to get the update within a couple of hours of its original issue. The browser and wi-fi are definitely improved for me but I also have a slight issue with battery drain, it seems. I hope, for their sake, that they fix this soon...
+1
This is just speculation, but reading these comments and seeing the different experiences, I suggest that RIM, over time, made some changes in the hardware built. It happens, it has happened to us also, I just can't tell you who "us" is.
I was thinking the same. I updated both of my 64GB PlayBricks and the older of the two (purchased about a week after launch) is running well however my newer one is experiencing the battery drain problem.
They aren't playbricks. If you don't use or like them, THEN SELL ALL THREE!!! Jesusauage.
You guys can blame me for that one :)
... that some of the people who called RIM were told that this update didn't exist?
This is not the first time that RIM's support folks have audaciously stated that an issue being reported by its end users either doesn't exist, or that they are not aware of it. Remember the outages of 2011 that were not acknowledged till the media reported it worldwide? I had hoped that this type of skewed business practice was a thing of the past after the departure of the former co-CEOs, I hope for RIM's sake that it doesn't continue to take place, I'll keep my fingers crossed in the mean time.
Been on 2.1 beta ever since it was available. I had no reason to load up 668 because 2.1 has been a pure joy to use...lucky me I guess?
2.1 beta, can you give us some highlights on this version. What are the things you enjoy the most? Im eager to know and would you recommend it to other BB fans?
Well, the update is still listed as the current version under Latest Software Releases on the BlackBerry PlayBook Support website. I guess they will reissue it soon.
I have to agree with raoul_duke (nice handle, by the way) above that is sounds odd to say that customers who updated successfully are fine and yet pull the update. Perhaps all the discussion of battery drain and hard resets was enough to make RIM refine the update further.
Updated mine, didn't see any problem, it does perform a lot faster on internet and reacts quicker than before. works even better, can't wait for 2.1
Completed the download as soon as it came out. My PlayBook works better than ever. Battery drain seems the same. Better wifi connection.
Still loving my BB. Writing this in Saks NYC - connected to their wifi - while my wife shops for shoes. Don't mind the shopping now.
who are they kiddin? "The update has been removed. Customers that have already successfully updated to version 2.0.1.668 are not affected".
If the customers wo already updated aren't affected, why is the update not available anymore?
They stopped it, so there must be an issue -> FIT IT FAST or allow the Playbook to downgrade OTA
Funny how they didn't mention that some people have been experiencing terrible battery life since the update, myself included. thought I'm happy for the majority of people not experiencing this. :/
I can't believe no one got this backed up before it was removed...
Sheeeit, I forgot to!!!! :p
I have 2 PB. One I upgraded and the other I didnt. Definite difference in battery drain.
Outside of that, It seems everything else is ok.
I have one playbook with 2.1 beta and one with 2.0.1.688Both are working ok. I just doesnt look good when RIM has to pull back an update. Will make the other folks (trolls) start to queastion RIM's ability to deliver software.
Be careful with your comments. It's not the "other folks" or "trolls" as you call them that are beginning to question RIM's ability to deliver proper software upgrades, the frustration is also occuring amongst the most strident supports of RIM.
I'm a prime example of that. I am a big fan of RIM, but as soon as the problems started with this update; the pulling of the update; and the lack of communication including blatant contradictory statements by RIM support staff regarding the issue, I thought to myself, "well, what did you expect, its a Blackberry product afterall"
Look on the forums or twitter and you will see more examples of RIM supporters who are just rolling their eyes and saying "yet again, more evidence that RIM hasn't changed".
So it's not just trolls that question RIM's abilities - it's their own supporters as well.
And former users too. Well said & welcome to the site!
Got the update and the PB seems to load up quicker. The browser is better too. No complaints so far.
Well, I was able to download the .668 300+MB last week. Over the weekend I noticed sever playback issues with both the Youtube app, as well as streaming audio apps like Nobex Radio and NL Radio. Hopefully a fix is available soon!
I have two playbooks one is on .668 and the other I had the 2.1 beta and downloaded what appeared to be a 3MB update.
Now both playbooks boot faster in about 2 minutes, but the one with 2.1 will drain in approximately 14 hours without any use where as the other one may last 18 hours.
Tried the reboot as suggested, and no change. And if I forget to plug it in and it drains down, then its a pain to get it charged and going again. I may have to downgrade. I may try a few other things as well.
I'm on 2.1dev i did the 300mb update. Everything is working fine. Left it in standby overnight for 11 hours it went from 91% to 87% is that normal? i had bluetooth bridge on and wifi on.
I'm on the 2.0.1 and mine goes from 60% to 0% (it shuts off on its own) in standby. So, I always turn it off before I go to sleep. If u know anything to fix this please let me know
2.0.1.688 with 8am 100% to 10pm (europe) 91%.
I did not use it much today, only for some browsing at lunch with wifi+mobile hotspot.
So perhaps 2 hours on wifi, ~80MBs of data usage.
with 6 to 8 hours and active wifi it's draining about 10%.
I can't complaine. (except I get the gmail-passwort message of one of my accounts)
I got the update and my wifi connection has been crap all weekend. Never had any issues with the connection dropping before than. Hope a fix is issued soon.
Same here. Mine even says it's not connected to my wifi when it is. I just tried to post this but it wouldn't let me unit I refreshed it.
im one of the lucky ones. I got .668 & now my PB runs better & faster then ever :)
Same here I don't know why the others r having trouble
Mine runs great also. The improved wifi alone made the update worth it, but my battery life is better than ever.
My battery's charge burns thru so fast now. It seems to barely hold a charge for a day.
You're not alone
Same here :/
Me as well
I agree, the battery drain is not acceptable for a tablet.
Me too. Battery drains fast now
That's why they pulled it.
I noticed rapid battery drain after the update. I downloaded two different battery info apps. Both report 18% charge when the native indicator shows 100% after 18 hours of charging. Lucyyyyy....you got some 'splainin' to do!
My battery dies fast as well... if I leave it in standby overnight without a charger, and the wifi still on, it's in the red-zone or dead by morning.
But here's something odd I noticed... on the occasions where it's dead, I can start it up without charging it. When it hits the desktop, the battery indicator is 0%, but it was able to go through a full startup cycle (about 5 minutes), and it doesn't shut down when it finishes.
When I charge it in this state, it stays at 0% for half an hour before it goes up even one point.
It's like the level of "0%" has been shifted up by about 50%.
...odd, I put the update on both my PlayBooks, and neither seem to show anything out of the ordinary...they have both been off the plug and used ..my 32 has been off the plug since the update came through...and I used it for about 5-6 hours combined...with it on 'standby' though the nights...much the same as it was before the update...also my Bluetooth to my phone and WiFi is always on...might be an app behavior thing that's taking down the battery perhaps..
BlackBerry Torch 9860
BlackBerry PlayBook O/S 2.xx.xxxx
about 10% over the night - arround 6 hours ;)
I got the update.
I don't realize any changes to this subject. Perhaps I'm lucky this time.
So can we roll back? If so, how?
My playbook did the same and then totally went out. I had to call BB and now I'm shipping it off for repair.
Glad I'm not alone.
I have the same, my battery drains now within 2 hours of moderate browsing
Hmmm. Something must have been discovered that they needed to fix. I had watched this discussion on the forums. It will be interesting to see how soon it gets resolved.
Here is the weird thing. When .668 was first available (I think it was Thurs 8/2), I downloaded it on both of my PlayBooks with no issues. Then Friday 8/3 my 64gb PB said there was a software update. It was for .668 again. I decided to see what was up, so did a backup and downloaded. Have had no problems at all and it does seem slightly snappier with a little less checkerboarding, but could be the pacebo effect. My 16gb PB did not show .668 update the second time.
I took a picture before I downloaded the update and I know others did as well, so I hope we didn't have a group hallucination of .668. Things are getting mighty cracky around here ...
My update went OK, no problems that I can see. Boots up much quicker but other than that I see no difference at all.
My mother's, though, is now a brick and won't switch on. She has no apps other than what it came with and has treated the thing better than her first born son; me. I ran the update for her, the PB was fully charged at the time. Hit the reboot option and it powered down easily enough and seemed to power up OK too. Except when the main page should have been, all that appeared was a blank, black page and it's been like that ever since. I've tried manually booting and recharging but nothing. Have called RIM but they don't seem to know what's going on, either. Maybe it's something to do with this update???
Have you tried to force shut it down and turn it on again, that seems to fix a LOT of problems
It won't turn on to force it to shut down, the thing's completely dead :(
rabbitupnorth
Jonest1966: try holding down the start button (for a very long time) til the red light flashes signalling a reboot. If the battery is dead, you may need to connect to power source to do this.
That should get you re-started. If the OS is screwed, you may need to upgrade the OS to an *older* version of the OS, then after it is successfully installed, try upgrading to the newer version of the OS again.
I had to do all that when I first got my PB, with some version of OS1.
Good luck!
Rabbit
Cheers, Rabbit. I'll try that next time I'm visiting her.
I had the same problem with my 32g that was one week old when i got the update. It worked fine before the update and then froze completely, took it back and got a refund cause they were out of stock. But then got a 64g and 32g, bit now there's no .668 only .358, no problem I'm patiently waiting for bb10.
All is well over here, my wifi runs much better. No complaints.
+1
I updated mine and it works very well. My email work a lot better, browser faster than the old version and WIFI works great. I did not notice any battery issues. All my apps plus Android apps are working ok.
+1
Well this sounds good, right now my email does not work well at all. I sinserely hope RIM doesn't screw up this OS version before re-releasing it.
It actually needs a hard reset. I had to that.
Though it's a minor inconvenience, I thought we would need less hard resets goint forward.
Is it hard for RIM to program every Restart to be a hard reset? Then we wouldn't have these issues.
Hopefully they just lump this in with 2.1 and release it with the 4G on 8/9.
+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+6
Why not...+6!!!
+8
+9
+10
+11
+12
c-c-c-C-C-CCCombo breaker!!!!
Yep. I'm that guy.
+13
+13.1
+3
+2.1
Look how tiny my box is!
That's what she said.
Well that was fun while it lasted
+10110
haha
Wow this is almost scary
Great software engineering RIM!
CONTRIBUTE!!!!!!!!
I updated to it and didn't have any problems. In addition, my email works better! Go figure.
That update SUCKS!
Battery DRAINS in minutes even if on StandBy - Was perfect before would last over a day.
Errors with my email log-in - asking me to sign in over and over again.
No improvements browsing at all or anything noticeable at least.
1st time I say this, but not happy with my PlayBook with this OS version. How can I go back to an older OS version??
Ian
Bold 9900 & PlayBook 64GB Wifi
I got the update too and installed it.
Have no battery drain. It's totally normal.
Brower is a little bit better on one site I am visiting often. (The keyboard won't pop up like before all the time... without intention of course ;) )
Not sure if it is my mobile hotspot connection or the browser is a little bit slower now, isn't it?
I have got this message with one of my gmail accounts too!
But I'm not sure if I got this message before I installed the update or really through the update.
With my other not gmail-accounts I do not have any issues.
9900+PB32 ;)
IS THERE A WAY TO DOWNGRADE BACK TO PREVIOUS OS??