PlayBook screenshots: what’s right and what’s wrong

If suddenly you did not know, then you can take a screenshot on the PlayBook by simultaneously pressing the volume up and volume down buttons ( “volume up” and “volume down” ). This is a very cool feature that allows you to take pictures of games, sites, applications, etc. Pictures are stored along with photos.

When you take a screenshot, a pleasant shutter sound is heard from the camera, i.e. There is positive feedback telling you that you took the picture you wanted. Well, good.

However, there is a problem here. This feature does not work if try taking a picture when the BlackBerry Bridge is turned on ^* . But it makes sense: for security reasons, the PlayBook will not allow you to take a screen shot of email, contacts, and forwarded documents when you are connected to BlackBerry. Your corporate information is protected. The problem is not that the screenshots should work with the BlackBerry Bridge. Something is wrong with the fact that there is no feedback from the user when the function is disabled.
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One day, I paid for my PlayBook parking over the Internet and tried to take a snapshot of the official receipt, just in case, as proof that I had paid. I don't take pictures too often, but I already had to. I pressed the volume up and down buttons and nothing happened. Nothing at all, no sound, nothing. I switched to the image viewer and did not see the pictures there. Hmmmm Returned back to the browser and tried again. No sound, no pictures.

Oh shit! Last week I dropped the PlayBook to the ground, and did not notice any damage, but the volume control buttons could break! I looked for any mechanical damage, but saw nothing. I pressed the buttons separately. Volume up. Works. The volume has decreased. Works. Hmmmmmmm

Then, I assumed that I forgot the combination of buttons. Therefore, I tried all the other combinations: increase the volume + play, decrease the volume + play, increase the volume + decrease the volume + play. Does not work.

Maybe the problem is simultaneously pressing? I tried to press the buttons at the same time very quickly to make sure that they were simultaneously pressed. Nah I tried it about ten times. Nothing. More Hmmmmmmmm

In the end, I turned to the Internet. I switched back to the browser and searched for “a broken screenshot playbook” and several other phrases do not work. And, in the end, I found the lost connection - BRIDGE! It was not at all obvious that this was the case - I didn’t do anything with Bridge, it was just turned on.

So let me offer some modest advice for the next PlayBook firmware upgrade.

The user interface should not stop working just like that, otherwise people will be upset.

Turning off screenshots when Bridge is connected is a design decision. But when you press the buttons, play any sound ( raspberry , thunk ^** ) other than clicking the shutter of the camera. Thus, the user will at least know that the PlayBook refuses to do what they are asking for, and not the user goes crazy or the tablet is broken. It should be clear that the device’s memory has run out, the disk is worn out, or something else has happened. At least it will become clear that something has happened.

Even better, play with the voice “Disabled while using the BlackBerry Bridge”. Unfortunately, localization is required for each language and it takes a bit more flash space to save the message. But then you immediately tell the user what the problem is and how to solve it. And users will be less disappointed.

In today's market, when Apple is a golden boy and RIM is a favorite punching bag, BlackBerry is worth doing something as flawless as possible.

* In fact, the pictures do not work if the BlackBerry Bridge is turned on and the BES plan is used (with BIS, you can take pictures with the BlackBerry Bridge enabled).

** Most likely thunk meant snapping fingers.